Jun 8, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2231.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Not even home six days and already back in a tin can and flying up to MT, we’re incredibly fortunate! Sharon, Jake & I are up in Glacier conducting our Base Camp in a totally empty park. It’s great! We have the whole place to ourselves and loven it. We had a great sunrise which then turned into snow, it’s snowin right now in fact. The drama this brings to an already dramatic place is truly breath taking. It’s been 9yrs since Sharon & I were here (Jake comes more often since he lives nearby) and I had forgotten how breath taking the place is.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2432.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
It was a slow morning. We only had Black Bear, Rocky Mtn Elk, White-tailed Deer, Columbian Grnd Sqrl, Mtn Goats and Rocky Mtn Bighorn Sheep. I hope the rest of the week, things pick up. That’s OK though, the vistas are well worth the getting up early because sunrise up here now is 05:36 and sunset is 10PM….makes for long days and lots of shooting.
We have no cell coverage here and the internet is intermediate. I’ll get goodies up on the blog when I can get on.
Photos captued by D3x, 200-400VR (handheld) on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 6, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
Often going unnoticed is the vast amount of work and education that occurs daily on behalf of our wild heritage. Our involvement with endangered species with various projectsis no secret but we don’t even scratch the surface of all that is being done. Nor is it a secret our wanting to get you and your photography involved in the same way.
There are many publications out there that can help you along, the Endangered Species Bulletin is such one. We’ve been involved with it for decades, it going to mainly congress originally. It takes little imagination seeing how you can lend a hand when you read it. Well it’s now readily available as a downloadable PDF. Check it out, you’ll be surprised what you find between the covers (or on the cover itself).
Jun 5, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP2084.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
It’s been a heck of a week, my eyes burn with all the computer time. Finally able to get all my image storage brought up to date and just hit the keystroke to make the last backup. I truly hate this end of digital photography. But now 24TB of storage and the same amount of backup is online and doing its job.
It’s been a good week to do this because we’ve had nothing but rain, thunderstorm (with no good lightning) and snow all week. Yes, it’s snowin right now. That is until yesterday aftenoon when we just had our gorgeous puffies floating by. And where was I, stuck inside at my desk. Between keystrokes I made a few clicks from the desk. My favorite, Band-tailed Pigeons came in right when the light hit the perch and nowhere else. Pretty dramatic lighting, I like it.
Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 4, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DMLWSGW0007.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
The loan wolf looks out over the landscape, it’s part of a new pack that formed late last year. Wolves are leaving those places where they were reintroduced after WE drove them to extinction. Some are eating what they are not supposed to, at least in our eyes. The wolf problem hasn’t gone away, just not been in the news much. That’s going to change. Give this a read, kinda interesting. Just because Democrats have control doesn’t mean everything is peachy out there, it still requires the public getting involved in their wild heritage.
Photo captured by D3, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 2, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0923t.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Like I said, find the females and you’ll find the males. They not only have the color, they are the performers so in spring they are the ones to focus in on. This is a Red-winged Blackbird and if you look at the perch, you’ll see just how closely it’s on the tail of that female.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP7800t.swf, 396, 600 [/swf]
The male Pyrrhuloxia is never more than a heartbeat behind the female. But they are a little shy and tend to never go for food or water when the female is around. They’re on the job all the time until the eggs are laid. It is pretty funny to watch the male react to every move of the female, as if he doesn’t have a life.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP1157t.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
But the prize for finding the female Painted Bunting is the stunning male. You probably recognize this bird if you own a copy to the Nat’l Geographic Bird ID book as it’s on the cover. What most folks don’t realize is the male is really, really small! How small you ask, take a gander at your index finger, it’s that small. It’s why when I took this photo I didn’t use the 1.7x. I wanted its small size to come through in the photo.
So while we don’t want to forget the females so oh so many reasons, but the males still rule :)
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
Jun 1, 2009 | Wildlife Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP0841t.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Birds photographers, me, too often ignore the females, birds that is. This is because they just don’t have the brilliant color as the males. If you take away the males though, the females are pretty darn colorful and unique in their own right. So I thought I would take a moment to put them in the lime light. Here’s Mrs. Red-winged Blackbird doing what blackbirds do so well.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP8478t.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
This is Mrs.Pyrrhuloxia who is a favorite of mine. Often confused with Mrs Cardinal, the massive yellowish bill quickly tells you who it is. You can always count them on for a click even when there is no other subject around.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_BMP9171t.swf, 500, 402 [/swf]
Then there is Mrs. Painted Bunting who is a sweetie. In the spring when you have females who have of course, the males. Keeping an eye out for the females and seeing them when they first land prepares you for the male who is soon to follow and perch darn near if not on top of the females. So, let’s hear it for the ladies because without them, there would be no males.
Photos captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-17e on Lexar UDMA digital film
