Category: Uncategorized

Summer Velvet

The deer have been hanging out in the hay fields enjoying the first cutting. The Mule deer bucks are growing their new sets of horns in preparation for autumn contests. Now they are all in velvet without the hard, sharp edges and points that will be present in a few months. It is nice seeing them with this more relaxed and laid back attitude.

Were there Antelope on the Antelope Refuge? Yup!

I got so excited about seeing California Bighorn Sheep on the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge I forgot that the main purpose of my visit was to see and take photographs of Antelope or Pronghorn. We saw plenty of them on our three-day visit. Both far away in big herds and close up in small groups. They are beautiful animals with an exotic look that makes you think of the gazelle and antelope of Africa.  In a way they were left behind when most of the animals that they evolved with died out. They would fit right in on the African plains. They evolved thousands of years ago when two species of cheetah hunted in North America. With the disappearance of the cheetah in North America there is no predator left alive here that can run down a healthy adult Pronghorn. They can run at bursts fo 60 miles per hour and maintain speeds of 45 miles per hour for up to an hour.

Waiting

Abandoned places make wonderful subjects for photographers. I am attracted to them like everyone else. Especially the old homesteads that can be found scattered across the Great Basin. As you pick your way through  old sites you wonder: Who lived here? What was it like with just the wind and meadowlarks keeping you company day after day? The nearest neighbor might be as far away as forty miles over bad road. What finally happened to make you pick up and leave?

On a recent trip to Eastern Oregon I found two such places and in one case was lucky enough to have some clouds race by for some of the photos. Black and white seems to suit this type of picture. I am not much of a poet but was inspired to write a little poem thinking about these forlorn and lonely places. They stand alone while the elements work on wiping them off the landscape.

This is a Nonet.  Only nine lines with the first having nine syllables and subtracting a syllable for each line thereafter. Rhyming is optional too.

Waiting

Waiting for them to come back as if
They never left you in the wind
and brutal sun  to shoulder
Winter’s heavy snows year
after year for them
You wait until
you give in
Falling
Down

Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge ~ Bighorn Sheep

I just got back from spending three glorious days on the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge in Eastern Oregon.  My cousin from Bend met me in Plush which acted as our base camp. The Refuge was wonderful and teeming with wildlife. We were extremely lucky to run into a herd of California Bighorn Rams before we even got to the Refuge proper. There were about 17 rams altogether hanging out at lower elevations near water. We were able to get quite close to them and take some photographs. We ran into this same herd on the way back to Plush.

The Hart Mountain California Bighorn herds have been used to repopulate Bighorn Sheep in many areas of Oregon and the west where the sheep have disappeared or are in decline. It was a thrill to see them up close like this.

The landscape photo shows you the terrain we found the Sheep hanging out in.

Hope you enjoy the photos as well.

Along the River; Late Spring

As I walked along the river early this morning the bird song was almost deafening at times. It is the kind of noise you should not mind though and I certainly didn’t! The more I visit this Nature Conservancy property the more impressed I am with the work they have done restoring the river habitat. I became a member after my last visit as I was so grateful for being able to visit such a wonderful place. It is teeming with birds, and wildlife of all kinds. I look forward to spending many hours there in all seasons working on my photography. Photos from this day include an Osprey, Jack Rabbits and Cottontail. I am not sure about the little birds. I think one is a house wren and the other a song sparrow. I saw several giant bullfrogs and a variety of lizards as well.

An Owl’s Breakfast

The Nature Conservancy opened up a beautiful stretch of the Truckee River to the public a few weeks ago. I was finally able to visit it after drooling over it since the restoration work began 9 years ago. I was not disappointed as I walked through lovely cottonwoods and saw lots of wildlife enjoying the peaceful protected area. I surprised this Great Horned Owl enjoying a breakfast of Cottontail Rabbit and saw many live bunnies too. These pelicans were fishing on the river in the early morning. I will be visiting often.

Winter Birds

It has been record warm here for the end of January. Hitting 60 a couple of times this week is like a heat wave. The birds have been fairly active and I had some luck at a sanctuary near the river. Where I grew up on the Canadian border a Robin would mean Spring but they stay here all winter whether it is a tough winter or a mild one like we are having this year.

Feeling Their Oats

I was finally able to get out and find some bands of horses again this week. I was happy to find this blue roan colt who is wrestling with the sorrel in the photos. I have photos of him as a foal and had not seen him in a year. Nice to see him doing so well. All of the horses in this band looked healthy and well fed. I have been worried about how they are faring with the drought we are having but so far so good. Summer may have a grimmer tale to tell.

After Christmas, Along the River

After Christmas, it felt good to get out into the brisk, and I do mean brisk, it was 12 degrees out this morning at sun up. I stopped several places along the river and found deer and a variety of birds. I am not the greatest at identifying birds but I do believe this is a great horned owl, a red tailed hawk and a white crested sparrow and maybe a purple finch. I added a better photo of the owl that I took last May in the exact same spot. Saw some mule deer too which is always a nice bonus.