Bobwhite Male and Female Calling on Vimeo by Hannibal

Bobwhite Male and Female Calling on Vimeo by peggy hanna, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

A male and female Bobwhite called out to their young covey of 19. It was really cool to see and hear.

Bobwhite Covey on Vimeo by Hannibal

Bobwhite Covey on Vimeo by peggy hanna, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

A covey of 19 immature bobwhites foraging along the prairie edge in Goose Lake Prairie State Park in Grundy County, Illinois.

Bobwhite Covey

An awesome sight, and a first to boot, a covey of bobwhites! There were 21 total, and not very shy. All but 2 were juveniles who ran in a group on their own, and the parents, I'm assuming, called from a distance beyond my eyesight. Later, I found them, and of note, the female does not have the signature "bobwhite" call.




...reminds me of meerkat behavior and pose.









...taking a leisurely stroll...










Sentry post. Guards posted to keep a watch for danger.










...eating a moth.

Tree frog

This was a fun shoot, since I don't care to touch cold-blooded things. But... I made an exception for this guy, well kinda... I used a scoop and gently placed him in the mulchy area. I just couldn't conjure up the "Butch Bad-ass" in myself this time. He's cute though, right? He was very cooperative, although I couldn't get him to stick to a tree. I also wanted the "hang-in-there" shot as he would dangle from...something, but I felt that would stress even more. Thanks lil guy for putting up with me!

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

A first for me, I baited this guy to come to my position as I sat with a tripod, ready for triggering. I met him a few days ago while kayaking. He was attracted to the blue vessel, and buzzed me several times. I didn't have my camera with me, so I figured I'd round up a few flowers from the yard next time, attach them to the reeds along the shore, grab a chair and wait. I didn't have to wait long, as he sipped nectar about a minute after I was set up.

Good N Plenty

Good N Plenty, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

A massive 11 pointer spotted this morning. The photo does no justice to the beast he really is!

Click for larger view of velvet.

Albino Catfish

Kayaking on a small lake, this guy swims out from under some weedy shelter. For color comparison, another cat is along side him. A pretty rare sight to see, and luckily I had a camera with me. The photos are not great, but I didn't have a polarizing filter handy. I would put him at the 4-6 pound range.




Click on image to view large!

Velvet Underground

Finding bucks in velvet is tough. They are vulnerable at this stage while their antler is growing. it is covered with highly vascular skin called velvet, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the growing bone; once the antler has achieved its full size, the velvet is lost and the antler's bone dies. This dead bone structure is the mature antler, which is itself shed after each mating season.



Finding these guys is always luck, and with all of the searching I've been doing, the payoff finally came this morning!



The lighting was just a half hour after sunrise, the fog hung low to the ground, and the suns rays were creeping up, just past this guy. The saturation was a bit harsh, but I like it!