Tag: photography

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.

Backyard Quail

It is so cold here I have not been going out to take photos. I wish we would get a little snow to improve the temperature and the background for wildlife photos. I did catch these quail in my backyard and snapped a few shots of them. I liked how two managed to pose near my iron cut outs of quail. These are California Quail and we have large conveys in our neighborhood this time of year. Love their cheery demeanour.

Wildlife

11-18-2011:  For me wildlife photography has been largely a collection of happy accidents. I go out to take photos of something specific and am fortunate enough to happen upon animals doing their thing. It seems as if I purposefully go out the opportunities elude me. Lately though, I have been finding quiet spots to hide in and wait and have been rewarded for my patience. I have also startled and been startled by coyotes and deer where we both frightened each other by not being aware of each other’s presence. It can be a bit frightening to hear something crashing through the brush and not be sure what it is until the last-minute. My luck is holding so far with no mountain lions or bears bursting out of the brush. Fingers crossed… : )

11-29-2011: I have discovered a couple of really good places to find deer. So now my photos are no longer happy accidents but have become a deliberate obsession. Stalking and finding deer, especially big bucks has become an all-consuming passion. I think of the photos with big racks as a type of porn. Antler porn!; and it is a pretty addictive activity for me.