Camera Critters #288

I have seen Common Nighthawks before, but not in the middle of the day on a hot day.  I was at the airport getting photos of aircraft a couple of months ago, when several of the insect hunting birds flew over.

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

Camera Critters #185

Several years ago, I was wandering around the smoke-jumpers area at the airport in Redmond, Oregon.

As I moved through the Junipers in the area, I began to realize several Common Ravens were having some fun in the area.

At one point I stopped and watched and attempted to get a some shots of them flying around.  I got one decent which I used many moons ago here, but that was it.  So I walked on.

Then I heard the typical calling sound of a rather close raven and turned in that direction.  There, at the top of a Juniper tree, sat a raven staring directly at me.  When these birds stare at you, you know there are some wheels turning in their head.  So I brought up my camera and got a shot.

As I lowered the camera, the raven began calling again…and stopped when I brought the camera back up to my eye. 

It then struck a pose for me and I swear I heard in my mind, “Regal, ain’t I?”

He held this pose for about 10 seconds, and then with a laugh and a giggle and hearty, “Hi ho Mr. Photographer,” he took off and disappeared off to the east.

Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters of all types. Go to the Meme homepage here and check out more entries. Then join the fun and let the world see your critters!

Camera Critter #65

When I go out on a photo safari, I am always looking for something strange and unusual to photograph.

Ten days ago, I was out in one of my favorite areas, east of the airport in town, in the bad lands. I was checking on critters flying around and kept seeing a small bright, almost reflective object going from plant to plant. Every time I turned to the object, it was gone again.

Finally, it landed a yellow flower near me (not sure of the flower type) and I got a good look at it and several photos.

It was a Bee Fly, of the Lepidanthrax family.

Only about a quarter of inch long, this little guy looked like he was wrapped in tin foil.


Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme is a great way to see critters of all types. Go to the Meme homepage here and check out more entries. Then join the fun and let the world see your critters!

My World

I was shown this Tuesday meme by my friend, Misty Dawn, and decided I would join the fun every so often. So enjoy my first post here.

The high desert area of central Oregon isn't known for it's storms during the summer, but come Autumn and Winter, along with Spring, Pacific Ocean born storm systems move into the Pacific Northwest and slam up against the Cascade Mountains. There they sit, gathering power until they came burst forth onto the desert and bring dramatic images to anyone with a camera.

The panorama below is four images stitched together from Roberts Field in Redmond, Oregon, the main airport on the east side of the Cascade mountains. Some of the cinder cones of the volcanic peaks can seen below the clouds.


If you enjoy what you see here, got to the My World homepage and check out some of the other participants. You're find many more players here.