Coyotes

I went to an area that local photographers have been buzzing about lots of coyotes, over the past month or two. It was well worth the hours drive getting through one of Chicagolands busiest suburbs to the place full of much needed solitude from the hectic drive. I saw 6 coyotes in all and got pretty close! The best part was seeing the expansive land they call home. A rare find in the middle of Illinois' heaviest populations.

(Click on photos for details)

Great Hunters; Big and Small

A common sight if you are up at dawn, a pack of 4 coyotes crossed a field, but stopped for a photo op. The other 3 who were out of frame froze in their tracks to figure me out.



A sniff of the morning air...detecting my scent; the coyotes trotted off over a ridge for safety.








This male Kestral stood perch alot longer than most for a few portraits. The cable must be a favorite, as bits of prey are still stuck to the wire.

Coyote

This handsome guy gets up pretty early to get to where he is going, and if you are lucky enough to be up that early too, you just might get to greet him on his journey. I didn't catch him in a very scenic place at all, but just seeing him was enough.

Potpourri

An Immature bald eagle perched










Female common Mergansers in flight











Common Goldeneye in flight










A Coyote in early dawn light









Ring-necked Pheasant in snow shadows

Critter Captures

When I started out dabbling in wildlife photography many years ago, what drew me initially was animals. I had never, believe it or not, seen a buck up close. A friend had blown up a photo of a buck and showed it to me while I was over at her house for a visit. It was beautiful! I wanted to see in person what she captured, so I asked her to take me with her sometime. She agreed, so I dug out my college camera, which was a Pentax K1000 manual film camera. I had gotten a cheap 500mm zoom many years back, and I don't even know why I had it, but I am glad I did. We went out to her favorite deer areas, but didn't see a buck. Well, that elusive buck fueled the desire to capture one even more. I took shots of everything. Squirrels, robins, sparrows, you name it, just to shoot something, and the obsession was born. I wanted to shoot everything. Bucks, raccoons, fox, etc. were my focus, but to find them on a regular basis was a mighty tall order. Birds were abundant, so my lens shifted to the trees and skies. I didn't know a thing about birds. I knew your everyday basics, but even capturing, say a cardinal, was not what I could walk out the back door and shoot. I discovered all kinds of species along with their interesting markings, and absorbed every tidbit of information on them. I bought my first field guide. I bought my first digital camera. I bought my first printer. I bought my first everything from zooms to filters to remote shutters and tripods. I made a few mistakes. I bought plenty of junk and had to buy over again. I was now beginning to understand quality/price. What an expensive road I have been down, and I am still stepping...So I ask...What is your story?
Ahhh, the memories...But, I digress...What made me think of my beginnings was this series of photos. I saw alot of critters, and didn't photograph any birds, which is rare.



An up close opossum, which was exciting. Actually it's a first for me! The hair textures were interesting, and the delicate pink nose was intriquing. It's worth clicking on the photo to see the detail.



I've seen this particular coyote many times, as have you, so I wonder why? Are food sources scarce that he needs to be exposed? I don't know, but he looks very healthy.




I've also seen this buck many times, as have you. How can you not take just one more photo? I can't.

It's Not Delivery, It's DiGiorno!

First and foremost, I must apologize for these photos.

I am finding out that my first winter season lens (Canon 100-400mm) has a tempermental focus with varying temperatures of inside car degree and outside degree difference. It must be because it is built like a tank with plenty of cold steel bulk to absorb the extremes. I have never had a problem with my other lenses of lesser quality. So...I've been freezing my lens for better results...Let me explain: Since the lens is fogging inside the car, I have to keep the car colder on the inside to regulate the temperature. If you ask if I am out of my mind???? You are right...I am freezing my booty off, but...I prefer quality...sooo it's worth it...kinda...but only when I apply the technology! Doh! This explains these crappy photos, I was not prepared when I happened upon this coyote desperate for a meal.



He was only 15 feet away, but my car was quite warm, causing grainy blurry photos.



The title to this post refers to the "frozen road pizza" he was taking home to eat.



I'm not sure on what the frozen critter is...Rabbit? Opossum?




I feel bad for this guy, because as the winter has only just settled in, and just like our economy, this coyote is in a recession, settling for frozen carcasses to get him through the season. It will be a long and cold winter. I hope he makes it...

Weekend Wanderings

I wandered around all weekend, looking for the good stuff, and although I didn't get a whole lot, I was happy with a few shots.




This is my first female Kestral. It just seems that I always photograph males, so this was a treat.








I've run across this coyote on several occasions, but this time, I caught him in mid field for a more detailed view. I really liked the "gassy-fumy" air in the background which skewed the landscape.








This guy is quite healthy according to his heavy girth around the middle. He/she is about the biggest/baddest coyote I have ever seen.









Now this guy is a special sight. He is the first buck I had ever captured well enough on film, many years ago. He is quite old as you can tell, but I see this particular guy every year around this time. How can I tell it is the same buck year after year? It's quite obvious to me, looking at his rack which has the same shape, and the features on his face and snout and those distinctive eyes. I have just never forgotten his face. This could very well be the last time I will ever see this special guy...








I go over these tracks every time super slow, as the approach is partially hidden, and at times can produce a hidden buck for a great photo op. On this day, for some reason, I went over them with distraction and missed a great portrait shot. When I backed up to shoot, he turned and went for cover. I learned my lesson...again...








This guy trotted into cover quickly, reminding me that the "peak" of the rut has most likely passed, with his alertness to his surroundings back in focus.








This shot was taken just after sunrise, when the lighting has a red hue to it. Another buck on high alert.








This black squirrel was found eating a walnut, hiding under a pine. Black squirrels are actually a morph of the gray squirrel.

Coyote Crossing

I was doing my weekend morning ritual, driving to all my favorite secret wildlife hot spots, when I spotted orange ears in a far off field. I put the car in reverse, pulled over and got out the binoculars. It was a coyote, who had also spotted me. I am not nearly as discreet as he was, so I put the car back in gear and headed down the road in pursuit of a turnoff and enough time to give the coyote back his confidence to pursue his destination. I waited a few minutes, and then headed back in his general direction, when I see up ahead, that he is crossing the road. He jumped the ditch, crawled under the barbed wire, trotted into the field, and disappeared into the goldenrod, then reappeared as he leaped up on some huge hay bails. Perfect! The morning sun was harsh, the background was wooded except for an opening, so I stategically placed my car for the shot out the drivers side window. I grabbed "Big Daddy" (my largest lens) propped it on a cushion for my makeshift tripod, and shot away. The settings were tough because of the hard light, but with the background being dark it should make for a decent shot. I was lucky enough to have the time to mess with settings, because the coyote was content with his post. I took quite a few before he decided he had had enough of my disturbance, which always brings a feeling of regret for me, because I hate to have been the cause of his departure.
The top 2 photos were taken with Big Daddy (500mm)-the 3rd with a smaller lens (300mm). In comparison, the smaller worked better as a scenic shot, because my lowest f-stop (5.6) was lower than with Big Daddy (6.3). I got a brighter, and more detailed shot, along with being able to keep a faster shutter speed for sharpness.

Tomorrow...Rustic Shores