Branch, Birds and Squirrel

Yesterday after working out at the gym I headed home. I drove down our road looking for a good branch to do some photography with. Near the end of our road I found a fir branch covered in lichen. Perfect! I brought it back to the house and made a frame to support it. Then I set it up in front of my photoblind. Over the next couple of hours I photographed Bandtail Pigeons, Steller's Jays and one Western Gray Squirrel.





This morning I got up and gave it another go. It was pretty nippy out this morning and I needed a long sleeved shirt. Fall is just around the corner. I was happy to get some nice squirrel images.

God's love and blessings to all,

chris

Here is another Anna's Hummingbird image from yesterday for you to enjoy as well.This was created before the bees took over the feeder.

SSSSHHH! Don't tell Anyone I'm Here

On my way home from town today I spotted this little Blacktail Deer fawn partially hidden in the weeds on the side of the road.

From the Files

This morning I was on my way home from an errand downtown and I saw a huge four point buck. I didn't have my camera set up or ready at all. I just stared in wonderment as it crossed the road in front of me. That will teach me to make sure my camera is ready. When I got home I was sorting files and I ran across a nice image of a deer silhouetted in the sunset in my front yard and a pair of bucks down the ridge from me. These will have to do for today.

God's love and blessings to all,

chris

Going for Gold and Other Things

Actually should have put "Going for Goldfinches".Today I planned on doing some bird photography out at the ranch. I really wanted to photograph some Goldfinches on Thistle flowers. I grabbed my leather gloves and some clippers as I headed out the door.When I got to the ranch I cut down a thistle plant and carried it up the hill. Did you know those things those things have thorns that can go through leather gloves? Ouch! Ouch! On the way up the hill to the photoblind I stopped and photographed a couple of deer near an apple tree in the lower pasture. I really liked how they looked in the fog.


When I arrived at the blind I tied up the thistle to a stand next to the bird feeders. I sat back and waited and waited. It helps to keep the feeders stocked to keep the birds coming and I haven't restocked them for awhile. Finally a male Goldfinch came by and I took his portrait

After the Goldfinch came the bird photography slowed down even further.I decided to photograph the jeep that shares the ranch junkyard with my photoblind. I often think while I'm photographing of all the stories that jeep could tell if it could talk. All the places it has been and the things it has experienced.I daydream of what it would be like to resurrect it. But then my mind jumps back to reality because I'm really lousy at working on cars and it's not my jeep.

After photographing the jeep I was climbing out of the blind when a fawn jumped up in the pasture behind my blind and I photographed it as headed away from me towards the forest.Fawns are always so darn cute!

I started down the hill when suddenly I remembered that I wanted to photograph the ridge where I live because a few people have asked where I live. A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is the view of where I live from the ranch. My house in on a ridgetop about four miles northwest of the town of Willits, CA.

The last image I created was of some ripe apples in tree on my way out by the pasture gate. It's the apple on the right. I walked the rest of the way to my pickup crunching away on it's sweet flavor. Delicious!

God's love and blessings to you all,

chris

Chasing Deer or "The Look"

I got up to hazy skies this morning from the fires to the east of us. The lighting was soft and good so I decided to go look for two bucks that I spotted yesterday near my house. Blacktail Deer are territorial so if you find them in an area chances are that the following day you can find them somewhere nearby the following day.This was indeed the case as I found them less than a hundred yards from where I spotted them yesterday.There were two three pointers. For eastern United States readers that would be a six point buck.



Sadly the area I found them was in the shade with no great lighting or other features to really make them stand out. That meant I would have to wait for "the look". In photographing deer you really need a few things to make them look good. It's typically best to have them uphill from you as this makes them look bigger. Secondly there needs to be good eye contact or the look where they are staring at you. It also helps if they are standing broadside to you with there head turned towards you or their body is facing away from you and they are looking back at you over their shoulder. Obviously these are just some general rules and many times they should probably be broken if you have a really nice image of a deer is staring at you through the viewfinder of the camera.

I photographed them for about a half an hour before I was about to pack it in.I had some good images but I wanted something better. Suddenly the larger three pointer stood stock still and looked down the hill at me.Not only that but he had some feed in his mouth I had the image I was "looking" for.

God's precious love and blessings to all,

chris

Daily Deer

Deer are fairly common in the area where I live. You pretty much see them on a daily basis when you are driving to and from town in the early morning or late evening. Yesterday on my way home from dropping my son Jay off somewhere on a taxi run I spotted a doe and two fawns. I made a mental note to try and photograph them this morning. I did find them this morning but they were in the forest and the lighting was too difficult to deal with. I checked out a few other spots I'm familiar with and a found a little forked horn buck and a spike buck laying in the grass.There were a couple of fawns there too.



A beautifful way to start the day with some of God's marvelous creatures.

chris

Birds and the Bees

I spent yesterday afternoon and part of today playing with the hummingbirds in my backyard. I have quite a few Anna's and a few Rufous hummingbirds. The honey bees were overwhelming though. There were literally hundreds of them mobbing the feeders for the sugar.When I would move a flower or a feeder I had to walk through bees to do it. It was a little bit unsettling as I'm not exactly the beekeeping type.Luckily all they care about is sugar and not about me! Here are a few images of the hummers. I had a great time and I think the hummers did too.

Enjoy and God bless,

chris

Gray Fox

I heard the fox barking as soon as I got out of the pickup. Sporadically during spring I have been hearing the short, harsh bark of a fox somewhere up the hillside from my photoblind on the Burris Ranch. This morning though it sounded closer. I cautiously made my way up the hill still hearing barks now and then. When I got to the gate I slowly scanned the area beyond the fence from the junkyard. Finally I caught some movement near an old pick up bed. The fox was sitting there looking my way trying to figure out what sort of creature I was. This morning before heading out the door I had randomly grabbed camouflage shorts, shirt and jacket. Not attire I wear all of the time. Finally it figured out I was human and took off. Quickly I made a few squealing sounds with my mouth. The fox stopped dead in its tracks and came back close to where it was before. I took a few images slowly working my way forward. Finally it had enough and it dove under the pickup bed and that was the last I saw of it. Maybe it was denning under there. I'll have to keep a closer eye on that area in the future. As soon as I finished with the fox I looked down by my feet and saw a section of shed skin from a large rattlesnake. Something else I had better keep a wary eye out for.

God's precious love and blessings to all,

chris

When It All comes Together

I have been trying to get a decent Mountain Quail image for a number of years now. It's truly amazing because they are found right in my own yard. For some reason they have always seemed to elude me. This year I was determined to capture an image of one. I created a set up in the front yard and put up one of my portable all weather blinds right next to it. I have been watching the quail come and go to the feeder but my timing of being in the photblind seems to have been off or I got images that weren't to my liking. Today it was raining like crazy all morning. Early this afternoon there was a break and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did because it all came together. Three Mountain Quail came out and began feeding. After quite a few blurry images due to the dark lighting one quail stopped on the stump long enough for a clear exposure. I had my quail image! Now onto Varied Thrushes which love the rain.

God's love and blessings to everyone,

chris

Rainy Day deer

The rain poured down off and on all of Sunday. There was very little chance to photogaph anything but the local Blacktail Deer. I passed by one group with a really small buck and a wild eyed doe. I have never seen a doe with such bulging eyes.They stayed put while I photographed them from the car. Just stopping briefly from feeding now and then to lift up their heads and check me out.

God's light and love to all,

chris

The Early Bird

I typically begin to see Western Bluebirds showing up in the area where I live in Northern California as early as the last two weeks of February.Today as I was photographing near Lake Mendocino I was shocked to see a flock of Bluebirds.One flew from the group and landed on a signpost near my pick up. This gave me the opportunity I wanted. Here is the result.

God's precious love to all,

chris

Minor League Tule Elk

This morning I drove out to the Sherwood Valley near Willits in Northern California. I went looking for Tule Elk as there are several herds on ranches out that way. I found one herd that was in heavy timber just off of the road but they were too difficult to photograph. There were two satellite bulls in a ranch pasture across the road. They were practicing for the big leagues sparring round and round pushing shoving trying to get the best of their sparring partner. Photographing elk was a great way to start the day.

God’s love and blessings to everyone,

chris