Camera Critter #123

Last week, I made another trip to the sewage ponds north of town. I’m glad I did.

Not only did I enjoy the ride in the central Oregon heat, but I was able to image four new dragonflies.

However, what I was really pleased with was obtaining a complete family portrait of a beautiful odonata. That dragonfly family is the Variegated Meadowhawk.

Three years ago, Misty Dawn sent me a photo of a dragonfly she took and asked me to identify it. It was a female Variegated Meadowhawk…and it was a beautiful bug. At the time, I gave her a link to the male of the species, which was even more beautiful.

A year later, I found my own female Variegated Meadowhawk, and got a so-so image of it. But I didn’t give up and last year got an even better image of one.

But last week, I hit the mother-lode. Variegated Meadowhawks were everywhere and I had a blast photographing as many as I could.

Juvenile Male

Female

Male

But the best shot I have saved for the end. While running from one plant to another, I would see Eight-spotted Skimmers competing for the tops of some of the plants. Then I saw a skimmer push a meadowhawk off a plant top. As the skimmer began to enjoy basking in the sun at his new found perch, the meadowhawk came back.

Moments later, the meadowhawk was back on the perch and the skimmer had found another.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critter the world over. Stop by the homepage here and check out some more critters. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #122

I occasionally read an internet post about a rare bird in my area, but having no motorized transportation, it's difficult for me to the area to see the bird.

Then there is the times when I can get to the area, and look and look and look and end up not seeing the rare bird.

Last week, I read a posting on the local birding mailing list that a rare sandpiper was seen at the Redmond sewage ponds. Before you cringe and stop reading, the ponds are not as bad as they sound...there's little or no smell...but the birds like the area.

To continue, last Friday, I decided to head to the ponds to see if I could see this rare sandpiper. So I hopped on my bicycle and headed north out of town. It's about 7 miles to the pond area and once there, I have to cross a fence, but it was worth the trouble.

As I began working my way around the largest pond, I started thinking I had missed the rarity once again. However, after walking three quarters of the way around the shoreline, I saw a solitary, gray bird wading in the water not far off shore.

Lifting my camera, I was finally able to photograph a rare bird for my area. Below, you will find the image I made of a Solitary Sandpiper...normally found east of the Rocky Mountains.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critter the world over. Stop by the homepage here and check out some more critters. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #121

A couple of days ago, I was at one of my favorite spots looking for odonata (dragonflies, if you’re wondering).

I didn’t see any, but along the shoreline there was a large gathering of wildflowers and within them…bees.

I enjoy watching bees do “their thing,” especially bumblebees.  While watching the bees, I noticed two different types of bumblebees.

One had a small, single yellowish-white stripe near the end of the abdomen, and the other is typical of most bumblebees I see in my area.  It had a yellowish-white stripe further up from the end of the abdomen and on top of that, an orange stripe.

But bees gave me good looks and the time to get a decent photo (even after I had screwed up my initial settings as I shot the top bee’s photo).

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters the world over.  Go to the homepage here and check out more critters.  Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #120

Walking along the trails of the Dry Canyon in Redmond, Oregon, I noticed a something strange about a Queen Ann's Lace flower. It was maybe twenty feet away, yet something didn't seem right about it.

As I got closer, I realized what made it look strange, what the Artichoke Plume Moth. It may not actually be an Artichoke Plume Moth, I do know it is a Plum Moth. The common house fly which landed as I was imaging the moth was an added bonus...or not.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters the world over. Stop by the homepage here and check out more critters. Then join the fun and add your own.

Since originally posting this, I have found the flower is actually a Common Yarrow, not as I state above, a Queen Ann's Lace. Thanks Misty for getting me to double check the name.

Camera Critter #119

Does lightning strikes the same place twice?

Can history repeat?

If you ask me, the answer to both questions is yes!

On July 7, 2007, I was walking along a spit at what I called Dragonfly Corner of Fireman's Pond in Redmond, Oregon. As I came near the end of the dry land, I noticed an Eight-spotted Skimmer sitting on the top of a reed in the water. I raised my camera and shot the image below.

Fast forward to July 15, 2010. I was again at Dragonfly Corner at Fireman's Pond, and again, I was walking on the spit. As I neared the end, in almost the same spot, I noticed another male Eight-spotted Skimmer sitting on the tip of a reed in the water. Remembering the shot three years earlier, I raised my camera and produced the following image.

Although they look similar, they are not the same critter...same species, but different bug. However, I almost captured the same image I captured three years earlier.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here and check out more. Then join the fun and add your own critter photo.

Camera Critter #118

I've mentioned before that this year I have had a nice variety of new birds stop by my Apple Tree and enjoy the snacks I have out there for them.

Well, once again, I have another bird. It isn't the first time I have seen one, and not even the first time I have seen one in my Apple Tree. But it is the first time I have gotten a good photo of one.

So, enjoy the Pine Siskin.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critter the world over. Go to the homepage here and check out more entries. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #117

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking around the Dry Canyon area of Redmond, Oregon, when I decided to move into a Juniper stand to check for birds. As I walked around a bush, I came face-to-face with a doe Mule Deer. I've seen deer in the Dry Canyon before, but none the size of this does.

We stood there staring at each other for a moment or two, when she turned and slowly walked deeper into the trees. As I watched her leave, my eyes recognized something else in the area.

There he was...a nice 3-point buck in velvet, staring at me, no more than 30 feet away. Again, we stared at each other and then he too got up, and both the deer slowly walked away to the right, to a thicker stand of trees.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here and check out more. Then, join the fun and add your own critter!