Emmi: My Boxer Pup

A Headshot...



Catching Snowflakes...



Getting her groove on...



Insanity ensues...



Gobble, gobble, gobble...

Happy New Year!

Coopers Hawk

Coopers Hawk, originally uploaded by peghan01.

An unusually cooperative Coopers Hawk fell prey to my lens with pleasing sunlight and shadows. Now, if only it was eating something delicious...

Interesting note: Quality Control: The 1st photo was uploaded thru Flickr and these last 2 photos were uploaded from Blogger. Can you see a difference in color and sharpness? I sure do!

Winter Moon

Winter Moon, originally uploaded by peghan01.

Hearing a large flock of geese overhead and taking a peek at how large the flock was, I noticed they would fly right past the moon hanging quite high in the sky with the sun almost setting. Luckily, I brought up the lens, focused on the moon and clicked just as the geese flew past.

Nice 10 Pointer

Nice 10 Pointer, originally uploaded by peghan01.

In a few more weeks, it will be hard to find bucks sporting antlers. They drop them soon after the rut, as the need to fight for their girls attention will have passed as the season for mating has ended.

Snowy Weekend

Snowy Weekend, originally uploaded by peghan01.

The holiday weekend produced plenty of snow which made for a nice backdrop to this scene. Plenty of does were out, including this buck who wanted nothing to do with me.

Peekaboo!

Peekaboo!, originally uploaded by peghan01.

A chance sighting of this young buck feeding with a small group of does, I was happy to see he was putting on some weight he surely lost during this seasons rut. I also found the brick in the background to add some color, although I appreciate natural settings much more. An interesting note: No longer does this buck sport the swollen neck filled with the testosterone hormone acquired during the rut season. Very soon, bucks will drop their antlers, no longer needed to fend off other bachelor bucks in pursuit of does in estress.

Bald Eagle Building Nest

Bald Eagle building nest, originally uploaded by peghan01.

After taking a drive just to check for activity at the nesting site of the bald eagles from last spring, I was thrilled to discover the pair working on the nest! How exciting is that? Last year, I didn't know about it happening until May, but this time I have a huge head start!

If you see that this post looks alittle different, well it is...I started using Flickr to upload, as the quality from Blogger just wasn't cutting it... The only problem now, is figuring out how to upload multiple images...

Shriek!

A close encounter with a beautifully marked Red-tailed Hawk produced more than some decent images. He or she was quite upset with it's photo being taken and gave me the what-what with a shriek that lasted for about 10 frames. These are the images that were the cleanest...(Although Blogger is photo-horrible!)

Lip Curling

Adding another buck to the list over last weekend, this guy sniffed and sniffed, trying to figure out just what I was...



He was grazing with 3 other does...



But the sight of me gave him the willies...



Good instincts Mr. Buck! Keep them senses honed, as the hunters would sure like you...



Good luck in the weeks to come...

Runaway Buck

Here is another buck captured over last weekend...



He didn't pose for long...



I always enjoy seeing them leap...



They are built for maneuvering, just check this out...



This capture was very exciting for me, as he leapt AND ducked at the same time...



One last look at the camera from a safer distance!

Wishbone Droptine

Here are more images of the Droptine Buck over the past weekend:



I was really lucky, not only to see this massive guy, but to photograph him pretty close! (He was much closer as you will see in the later photos!)



He posed quite a bit, but the tall prairie grasses were being difficult...



The morning sun cast a golden glow...



And was a bit harsh for squinty-eyes...



These next photos are of when he was at his closest. A wee bit too close for comfort, he thought he should put some distance between us before he would turn around again...



The best shot was posted earlier, showing off his handsome face...



My scent was surely not too appealing, as he walked off in search of a good one...

Squirrel One, Barred None!

O.K., I know I promised more droptine shots, but yesterday was too exciting not to post about. I've been posting lots of bucks, so this interruption should break up the monotony a bit...

I ran across a welcome sight as I headed home after work yesterday. I know this Barred Owl to roost at this particular branch on occasion. I check the branch every day, as I go past. It seems, that he doesn't roost there when leaves are on the trees, and I haven't seen him since last spring, before the foliage leafed out. Today... was a different day!



So there he is...Sleeping! Makes a great photo, so I snap some...








He peaks thru his slitted eyes to see me...









He gives me his full attention...









Until he hears something...









OMG, that squirrel isn't seriously climbing this tree...









He must have a deathwish!









I can't believe my eyes, but I wonder why the owl does nothing...








Does the squirrel not see him? Is the owl not hungry? Why isn't the fur flying? I was prepared for anything. I cranked up the ISO, just waiting for the battle to ensue...

It never did...









He left unscathed, but really...Are you freekin nutz, Squirrel?

Droptine Drama!

I didn't expect much this weekend, as the rut is winding down, but to my surprise, I found plenty of activity, with bucks big and small roaming the area looking for love. A first for me was the highlight, adding a droptine buck to my portfolio. As most enthusiasts know, droptine bucks are rare, and a prize by any standards. I have been photographing bucks for only 8 years now, but the prize has always been a droptine. It finally happened this weekend, and not only did I find one, I found 2! How lucky am I? Here's the first:



I have known about this guy for awhile now, as my friend Rattlin Antler discovered him about 2 months ago. It took me a long while to ever see him, but this weekend finally paid off!
I call this one "Wishbone" for obvious reasons...



The other droptine was actually my true first, as I saw him on Friday. He kept quite a distance, but discovering that dangler was the thrill we all are addicted to...



His buddy and him were chasing a doe, which is the only reason I saw them. They were at a full-on run as I was rounding a corner out of sight. I turned the car around, and found them resting at the treeline. I couldn't even tell they were bucks at that distance, (...but knew they had to be by their behavior) until I used the binoculars and gasped at my 1st droptine!




Tomorrow: Plenty of close-ups of Wishbone! Also to come...More Big Bucks!

Random Roamers

Just a few more over the past few days...



Good lighting really accentuated this beefy boy...




Another view...



This pretty boy stayed his distance...



And on this foggy morning, I could only find one buck, as visibility was very poor...

I should have stayed in bed another 2 hours!