Pic of the Day

     Least Tern – Biloxi, Mississippi: The largest least tern colony in the world is on the gulf beaches from Biloxi to Gulfport, Mississippi.  This year more than 2000 thousand pairs  of least terns began nesting in the colony.  The terns expect to raised their young on the resources of the gulf waters.  As you all know this area is experienced the worst man made disaster in history.  During the clean-up not only the oil spill, but the clean-up itself is had a very negative effect on the terns and skimmers as workers and dune buggies traversing the colonies destroying young and disturbing birds.  I have not yet heard results on how successful or unsuccessful the tern colony was this year, put will let you know once I find some stats.  The following link will take you to an article that gives some states on animals killed as of July 27.  Only time will tell how and to what extent the gulf and its wildlife will recover.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/08/98767/effects-of-the-bps-oil-spill-might.html

additional source: 

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/tern_nesting_areas_being_distu.html

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f/4, Digital Capture ISO200

Pic of the Day

     White-winged Dove – Tucson Desert Museum; Tucson Arizona: The Tucson Desert Museum is an amazing place to see wild birds in the desert southwest. The museum is a “Living Museum” with animals and birds of the southwest desert. Though there are living representatives of most animals and birds in the environmental habitat enclosures and the aviaries, Wild birds live and migrate among the desert flora of the museums exhibits.
This White-winged Dove was photographed as I walked along one of the museums trails. White-winged Doves are common in southeast Arizona, and very approachable within the museum.
Nikon D200, Nikkor 500mm f.4, Digital Capture ISO 200

Update:

     Check out the following link. This is a blog on the National Geographic Traveler website written by Rachel Dickinson. Rachel mentions seeing me on Bonaventure Island when I was there to photograph the Gannets this past summer. Rachel is the wife of my good friend and colleague Tim Gallagher. Tim had told me that Rachel was on the Gaspe’ Peninsula, but I never thought our paths would cross, but they did on Bonaventure Island. I was on the way out to photograph the Gannets and she was on the way back across the island. She had no idea that I was on the Gaspe' and was quite shocked to see me. I was surprised as well. You can read her article at the following address.
Go to: blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/09/for-the-birds-canadas-gaspe-pe-1.html#more

Pic of the Day

   Osprey – Sanibel Island, Florida: By the late 50’s and early 60’s the Osprey or Fish Eagle was a threatened species in grave danger of extinction. DDT, dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane is a pesticide synthesized in 1874 that was used extensively during the mid 20th century. The use of the potent pesticide had a detrimental effect on birds of prey and other animal life. The pesticide worked its way through the food chain to the top avian predators such as eagles, falcons and ospreys. The pesticides ingestion resulted in the thinning of the birds eggs causing the eggs to crush under the weight of the incubating adult.
     It was Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring that cataloged the environmental impact of DDT in the United States and its threat to humans and wildlife. The book created a gigantic outcry that let to a ban of DDT in 1972. As a result birds of prey began to recover. Now, the Osprey along with many other birds of prey that were affected have made a remarkable recovery.
     This Osprey was photographed on Sanibel Island at a natural nest in an old snag as it was adding nest material. Osprey use the same nest year after year adding new material to the nest each year. Nest can become extremely large, resulting with the weight of nest eventually toppling the tree, which did happen to this nest a few years after this image was taken.
Nikon F4, Nikkor 500mm f4 with 1.4 teleconverter, Kodakchrome 64

Pic of the Day

Joshua Tree National Park, CA: The day was late. We had driven from San Luis Obispo to Loma Linda, California where my wife met-up with some of her former students who are now doctors. The reunion was lots of fun for Norma and her former students as they reminisced of day gone by. With many miles ahead of us we left Loma Linda and headed east. We were on our way to Madera Canyon south of Tucson, Arizona where I would photograph hummingbirds. It would take a couple of days to get there because we had a few stops to make on the way.
The first was Joshua Tree National Park. We had driven through mile after mile on wind generators as the sun fell toward the horizon. Finally, we came to the park entrance, and I hurriedly drove through the park looking for a spot to take an evening photo. Boulders of mammoth proportions surrounded by Joshua Trees were strewn throughout the desert, yet I could not find the right spot that screamed Joshua Tree.
The sky was cloudless and I knew all was for naught; there would be no clouds for the setting sun to illuminate. No dramatic image of the setting sun with golden rays of light striking Joshua Trees set against a colorful desert sky.
A bit disheartened I shot a few images as the sun set, with some success, and then lingered as darkness fell upon the desert knowing I had not taken a shot I was really happy with.
As the sun dropped further beyond the horizon and the sky began to turn various shades of blue, I saw how the Joshua Trees silhouetted against the modulating blue sky. Immediately I began searching for a single tree with braches that would make a good silhouette, a tree that did not look like a black blob against the darkening sky. Finally, and just in the nick-of-time, I stumbled upon this almost perfect silhouette. I shot the image with a wide-angle lens from a low angle to give the tree greater impact.
Often when taking photographs, things just don't always seem to move in the right direction. And then, as if by providence, my eyes are opened and an image appears to save the day. I like when that happens!
Nikon D3, Nikkor 24, Digital Capture ISO200

Pic of the Day

House Finch – Santa Rita Lodge; Madera Canyon, Arizona: The House Finch is a common bird found at feeders across most of North America. Originally the House Finch was a bird endemic to the western United States. In the early part of the twentieth century House Finches were capture in western states and sent to New York city where they were sold in the illegal pet trade as Hollywood Finches. In 1940 pet store owners in New York City got word that wildlife officials were going to raid their stores for illegal trafficking of native species. To avoid prosecution the owners released the birds.
The small number of House Finches that were released began breeding and spread across the eastern half of the country in less than fifty years. Now, east meets west and House Finches are inhabitant of most towns across the United States except for those in the prairie states. It is likely that the bird will eventually inhabit all cities in the country.
As always this is not a happy story of introduced species. House Finches are aggressive birds and have now replaced the eastern endemic Purple Finch whose numbers have been drasticly reduced in much of its range.
Nikon D300, Nikkor 500 f4, Digital Capture, ISO 200

Pic of the Day

Wild Turkey – Santa Rita Lodge; Madera Canyon,
Arizona: In a previous post I extolled the abundance of birds at the Santa Rita Lodge (see post for May 17-19). The new owners have built an elaborate bird feeding and watering station that attract all the local wildlife. They also provide grain for ground feeding birds and deer. Wild Turkey in the area take advantage of the abundant food at the feeding station in the early morning and afternoon hours. I saw almost two-dozen turkeys at one time, while I was photographing Arizona and Acorn Woodpeckers, goldfinch, grosbeak and finches.
While I was photographing a Black-headed Grosbeak one afternoon a dozen turkeys wandered into the feeding area and began eating. After spending a few minutes picking grain from the ground a few of the males began to strut to establishing their place in the pecking order.
I was using a 500mm lens to photograph a grosbeak; a lens too long to photograph the fanned tail display of the nearby turkeys. However, the long lens was perfect to isolate a single bird for a head shot. As I shot the birds it continued to strut turning left then right; never in a position to isolate the head against a clean background. Finally, the turkey began to walk toward me with its tail fanned wide. The turkeys body and fanned tail became the perfect background to place emphasis on the turkeys brilliantly colored head.
Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO200

Pic of the Day

Sandhill Crane – Bosque del Apache NWR; San Antonio, New Mexico: Just south of San Antonio, New Mexico lay the “Woods of the Apache,” a refuge that borders the Rio Grand a few hundred miles north of where it turns east and eventually forms the boarder of the United States and Mexico.
Along this section of the river, shallow water impoundments have been built to form a wildlife refuge that host more than fifty-thousand snow geese and thirty-thousand sandhill cranes. Both the geese and sandhill cranes nest in Northern Canada then fly south to warmer climes for winter. The refuge also is home to thousands of ducks, Canada and Ross Geese as well as numerous species of passerines.
This photo was taken along the wildlife drive at Bosque as a crane took its respite from feeding on the corn that had been planted and left in the fields for the birds. The U.S. wildlife refuge system has a cooperative program for renting refuge land to local farmers who in tern leave a portion of the crop in the field for the wildlife. A system, which has worked quite well, for the farmer, wildlife system, and birds.
Nikon F5, Nikkor 500mm f4, Ektachrome 100

Pic of the Day

For those of you who look at the blog often --- my apologies for not posting since September 4. I have been a bit under the weather with a cold with flu like symptoms, and just no energy to think of anything, much less blogging. I have been home in bed since Tuesday and am just now beginning to feel better. Hope you enjoy the following post.
Bobby

White Pelican – J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge; Sanibel Island, Florida: White Pelicans are winter migrants to southern Florida. When the birds arrive in the fall the pelicans have molted into their winter plumage, but come late winter and early spring, when this photo was taken, the pelicans begin to attain their breeding plumage. Note the horns that are beginning to grow on the pelican’s beak.
This image was shot at high tide when the birds had gathered on a submerged sandbar to preen and rest after a morning of fishing. Unlike Brown Pelicans that fly high and dive into the water to catch their prey, White Pelicans gather in groups to form long lines, then swim toward shore to corral fish in the shallows so they can be easily scooped up in their pouched bills.
Nikon F5, Nikkor 500mm f4, Ektachorme 100

Pic of the Day

  

     Roseate Spoonbill – Ding Darling NWR; Sanibel Island, Florida: The Roseate Spoonbill is a wading bird found along the cost from South Carolina to Texas. J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island is one of the best places to see these graceful waders. This adult spoonbill was photographed in July as it paused during a feeding foray in one of Ding Darlings many brackish water impoundments.

    Spoonbills stand near three feet tall and have a wingspan of almost five feet. With their beautiful pink plumage non-bird watchers often mistake them for flamingos. Flamingos are sometimes seen in Florida Bay between the Florida mainland and the keys, but are very rarely seen as far north as Sanibel Island.

The spoonbill is a tactile feeder. Dipping its spatula shaped bill into the water, the spoonbill swishes its open beak left and right, then snaps shut when it comes in contact with its prey of small fish, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates. The spoonbill gets its beautiful pink plumage from crustaceans that form a major portion of its diet.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture, ISO 200