Michael Despines Photography

Jan

04

Favorites – 2024 Edition

Annual Summary Posted by Michael / 4 comments

One last glance back at 2024 before we leap into 2025 with a review of some of my favorite images from the last 12 months.

In 2024 I made my first trip to Patagonia, Chile in search of pumas. I had low expectations going into that trip but in the end, I was blown away by the experience. The landscape and scenery were breathtaking. Although the winter days were short the light was spectacular from sunrise to sunset. We spent most of each day hiking as we tracked pumas allowing us to really be part of that stunning landscape. Put all this together and we get one of the best trips I have ever taken. We enjoyed it so much that we plan to return in 2026 (Sorry, Madagascar, you will have to wait one more year).

Let’s start with my favorite images from that adventure.

1. We begin with my best photo of the year and one of the best images I have ever taken. Truly an image of a lifetime. In one shot, we get not only the dramatic Patagonia landscape (Cordillera del Paine) but also the apex predator of the region.

And just in case you didn’t notice, here is a zoomed-in crop of the bottom part of the image:

2. In the next image we can see the powerful build of the puma. And that gaze is intense!

3. Here we see a female puma with her two cubs. Cuteness overload!

Here is a close up of the puma family:

4. One of my goals for the trip was to photograph a pygmy owl and Patagonia did not disappoint! It was my first sighting of this fierce tiny raptor.

5. I imagine that true landscape photographers must lose their minds in Patagonia – at every turn was yet another mind-boggling scene. How do you choose where to point your camera??

6. Just another average sunrise in Patagonia.

A few other of my favorite images from 2024 captured a bit closer to home.

7. I made a weekend trip to Mt. Rainier (Washington State) and found this dramatic sunset scene at Reflection Lake. I have some nice sunrise photos from this location but this is my first compelling sunset image.

8. I spent a few days in the Olympic National Park (Washington State) and captured two images that I really liked (I am using this one as the background on my phone).

9. Another view of the same stream. It seems that I am a big fan of fuzzy green rocks.

9. Each year short-eared owls winter in Washington State – here is one of my favorite images from my time with them.

10. And each summer bald eagles congregate along the coastline of Washington State to feast on spawning fish. In this image, we have two eagles fighting over a fish.

11. No fish in this image but two eagles still fighting, in the rain – just because.

12. And finally, an image taken really close to home. An Anna’s hummingbird dining in the garden that is on the back deck of our house.

In other news, I entered a few photo contests in 2024 with some good results.

Three images were “Commended” in the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) Contest:

1. Feeding Time

Photo Caption:

Over three weeks I visited this Anna’s Hummingbird nest regularly to document the growth and development of the chicks. By staying on the boardwalk and using a 600 mm lens I was able to have a good view of the hummingbird family while keeping a safe distance from the nest. When I began the chicks were blind, featherless, and the size of my thumbnail. In this image the chicks are almost fully mature, and their feathers have grown in. Just two days after this photo was taken, I watched the chicks take their first flight! We were all very proud!

See the full story here.

2. Rufous on Watch

Photo Caption:

From his perch, this male Rufous Hummingbird surveyed the entire field – if any other bird or creature dared to enter, he would take flight and warn them off. As the tree swayed in the breeze the light occasionally caught his gorget just right, and radiated bright orange. Every few seconds he would expand his gorget for added effect, flashing it for all to see, and to proclaim “No Trespassing.” I approached him slowly, taking images every 10 paces or so until I was able to capture this portrait of the fiery watchman

Read more on the rufous hummingbird here.

3. Fish Fight

Photo Caption:

Bald eagles congregate along the Washington coast each summer to feed on midshipman fish spawning among the oyster beds. As the tide recedes the fish become trapped and the eagles attack. Some eagles strafe the water to catch their own fish while others steal from blue herons and seagulls. Other bald eagles prefer to steal from fellow eagles. In this scene, the eagle with a fish implemented an impressive barrel roll to confront her attacker. With the theft rebuffed the eagle flew to a nearby pine tree to dine in peace.

31

Lion Tree?

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 0 comments

Shot of the Month – August 2024

When on safari my head is always on a swivel as we drive across the savannah. I peer left and right as my eyes scan the bushes and grasses for lions and cheetahs. When near trees I stick my head out the window, strain my neck, and squint my eyes to look up into the canopy in search of a leopard amongst the limbs and shadows. Imagine my surprise on this day in the Serengeti when I looked up and saw….a lion??! What is this lion doing relaxing up on this branch, rather far from terra firma?

Leopards take refuge in trees out of necessity – they live and hunt alone and cannot defend their meals against larger predators like lions and hyenas. Leopards evolved over millennia to be natural tree climbers so they can cache their meals high up in trees to be out of the reach of their thieving competitors.

A leopard with its kill in a tree:

Lions have no such need — they are the largest predators in their habitats and live in prides with 3 to 40 members (average size is 15) allowing them to defend their meals with ease.

And while leopards are perfectly built to climb trees, lions are not. Leopards are relatively light (ranging from about 50 to 160 pounds) and their shoulder blades are proportionally bigger, flatter, and more concave than a lion’s. Lions are built with enormously powerful forequarters and a very stiff back which is useful for wrestling heavyweight prey, such as buffalo to the ground. However, the lion’s powerful build reduces agility and vertical leaping ability, making tree climbing more difficult. Male lions can weigh 400 pounds so jumping out of a tree presents a real risk of dislocating a limb when landing with a thud back on earth.

There are currently about 21 countries with lions and the fact is that the vast majority of said lions never climb a tree. But, lions can learn to become tree climbers when the conditions are juuust right. For example, the lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda are famous for their tree-climbing ways. Why there? Scientists note that the prides in this park tend to be smaller and share the habitat with large herds of buffaloes and elephants. Scampering up the local tree is a good escape plan when faced with a stampede of buffaloes. (See the Queen Elizabeth NP lions here.)

Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania is another location well known for its arboreal-minded lions. Scientists noted that a very heavy rainfall in 1963 created a plague of Stomoxys biting flies and drove the resident lions up trees and down warthog burrows to escape the insects that caused open wounds and deadly infections. Lions have been seen climbing trees in this park ever since.

Tree-climbing lions have also been spotted in the Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks in Tanzania. More recently a lion pride in Kruger National Park in South Africa has been observed climbing trees.

So while seeing a lion in a tree is not common, it also is not unheard of. This behavior is usually based on unique circumstances and local conditions. Lions seem to climb trees to:

Avoid insects
Avoid heat (they can find a nice breeze a bit higher off the ground)
Look for prey
Steal prey from leopards

Lions can only climb trees if their local habitats have trees that are “lion-friendly.” This means trees with strong, low branches that can support cats weighing anywhere from 250 to 400 pounds. For example, the African sycamore fig trees or umbrella acacia thorn trees often have horizontal branches not too far above the ground and tend to be lions’ preferred “jungle gym.”

Once a pride experiences the benefits of tree climbing they can take to it with enthusiasm. The behavior is then passed down from one generation to the next.

You get entire families — adults, youngsters, everyone — up trees. Generation after generation, it really has become a habit to go up in the trees. It just gets entrenched as a culture because it’s fun.”

Dr. Luke Hunter

Lions tend to be much better at climbing a tree than getting down. It can be painful (and hilarious) watching these massive beasts awkwardly trying to exit a tree – the dismount can quickly become a Mr. Bean sketch.

Here is a video with a good summary on how and why lions climb trees:

Here we see lions trying to get a leopard’s kill out of a tree: (You can see how the large male lion struggles at tree climbing)

And here is a crazy interaction between a lion and a leopard in a tree that shows why lions need to be careful to stay on limbs that can support their weight! (The action starts at 0:25 seconds)

Sooo, next time you go tree climbing in your local safari park, look up first to see what may be “lion” around on the branch above. (Really? You didn’t see that coming??)

Until next month……michael

Sources

Wild Cats 101: Why Do Lions Climb Trees?

Why Do Some Lions Climb Trees? A closer look at tree climbing lions

Facts About the Tree Climbing Lion of Tanzania

Why Don’t All Lions Climb Trees? (NY Times)

Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 100-400 mm (@190mm), f/5, 1/320 sec, ISO 200, EV +0.667

Jul

31

Flying Higher

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 2 comments

Shot of the Month – July 2024

Ouch! That is going to leave a mark!

If you look closely you will notice that the seagull on the ground has clamped his beak onto the body of the gull taking off – trying to hold him down. The adult (in white) is outraged that the younger bird (as seen in his grey, not yet fully developed plumage) has just stolen his fish (see the fish?).

So what’s going on here?

In this scene, seagulls have gathered along the shoreline to take advantage of fish spawning nearby. Each year the congregation of fish attracts a myriad of predators looking to dine on the bountiful feast. As the tide recedes the seagulls are usually the first to appear to try their luck in catching the stranded fish.

When I took this image there were probably several dozen photographers nearby. Despite the crowd, I am probably one of the few to get this shot. Perhaps the only person. Why is that? Generally, seagulls don’t get much respect from the wildlife photography crowd. Seagulls lack the dramatic looks and charisma of the predator that has drawn so many people to this location. Most photographers keep their cameras off until these guys show up:

In fact, I often annoy my photographer neighbors — when they see me firing off shots some will jump to their cameras thinking a bald eagle is coming in. In the background I hear the resentful grunt of disapproval …”Ugggh, it is just a seagull,” as they fill with chagrin for getting their hopes up over nothing. I imagine that a few were shaking their heads wondering if I was some newbie or just a simpleton for wasting time on such pedestrian subjects.

Most people are not very fond of seagulls. People find gulls annoying given their riotous loud squawks and thieving ways – ever been dive-bombed by seagulls at the beach as they try to steal your french fries? Why are they swarming around an empty parking lot? And loitering around trash bins doesn’t help their image.

I get it, they can be a nuisance.

However, our collective disdain for gulls is unfair and at odds with the facts. Seagulls have a lot going for them:

Seagulls are highly adaptable and have managed to thrive across a broad range of habitats spanning the planet. They can be found from the Arctic to the Equator and most places in between.
These birds are resourceful, inquisitive, and generally, “wiiicked smaaart” (any Good Will Hunting fans out there?). Seagulls are among the few animals documented using tools putting them among an elite group. Seagulls have been recorded using bread as bait to catch fish. I have seen seagulls drop clams on rocky beaches to break them open. The clam-breaking behavior is not innate and must be taught by the older gulls to younger birds.
Often to our annoyance, seagulls have adapted well to human society and thrive in our urban environments. In some cities, gulls have learned how to use crosswalks to traverse the road safely while scavaging for food.
Seagulls have expansive diets and are opportunistic feeders – they can consume anything from fish to insects to fruit to human food scraps allowing them to thrive under a broad range of environments.
They are very successful hunters and will adjust their hunting style depending on the prey available.
Seagulls have been seen cooperating with other species to allow both to benefit from a food source. They often live in complex social groups and will warn other seagulls of impending danger.
Most seagulls live near the ocean and they have developed the ability to drink salt water when fresh water is not available. This ability is a game changer and allows the birds to travel far and wide without worrying about finding enough water for survival.

There are over 50 species of seagulls but in some habitats, extensive cross-breeding (hybridization) makes identification very difficult. The term “seagull” has no scientific meaning — it is just used informally by folks like me when we don’t know exactly which species we are looking at. In my image above the birds are most likely Glacous-winged gulls as they are very common in the Pacific Northwest where this image was taken. But seagull species identification gets very complicated, very fast. Check out this link to get a sense of the chaos and follow this link if you really want to go down the rabbit hole on gull taxonomy.

To be honest part of the reason I photograph seagulls is to practice my panning technique and verify my exposure settings so I am “game ready” when the bald eagles take flight. However, I do like the challenge of trying to capture an interesting image of a bird that most people aren’t interested in seeing. Can I overcome that inherent bias?

A few more images from my time by the water’s edge. In this image, I like the blurred background and the simple primary colors of blue and white. It has the look and feel of a painting.

In this early morning shot, we are still in the blue hour as the delicate lighting illuminates the gull.

In this image the lighting is exquisite and the water splash highlights the action. The dark background allows the birds to really pop and I like the reflections in the water.

Here a seagull has just caught a fish and begins to leap toward the sky. The just-strong-enough light illuminates the bird perfectly while the fish seems to shimmer in gold.

The water splashes and body postures in the image below scream “Action” as the chase begins. The light, reflecting up from the water, fills in the shadows allowing us to really see the beauty and delicate nature of the bird’s feathers and wings. My eye is drawn to that very sharp, open beak of the gull in the rear as he comes in for the attack, adding to the drama.

To their credit, seagulls seem rather nonplussed by our opinions – whether we gaze on with wonder or contempt. Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, they just seem to fly higher and higher and thrive all around us. Bully for them!

Until next month…..michael

Sources

Gull (Wikipedia)

Glaucous-winged gull (Wikipedia)

65 fun and interesting facts about seagulls

Nikon Z9, Nikon 600 mm, f/4, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1000, -0.7 EV

Jun

30

Bear Spray

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 0 comments

Shot of the Month – June 2024

“Wow”

“Whoah”

Audible gasp.

When I show this photo to someone these are some of the “typical” responses. And I have to be honest, they are sweet, sweet music to this photographer’s ear. These exclamations are the audible clue that we have an image that is perhaps a bit special. An aural sign that I have captured an image that gives a hint of the awe-inspiring beauty that can be found in nature.

Not surprisingly the dramatic impact of side lighting helped transform this shot to gasp-worthy stuff. The spectacular water highlights convey a sense of action and give this static shot a sense of motion and chaos. Even though we can’t see much of the brown bear as he shakes off the water after a recent dive for a fish, the shot is a visual winner.

I photographed this Brown Bear at Katmai National Park in Alaska. You can read more about brown bears here:

Brown Bear?

Keystone Krisis

When the action started I managed to take 12 shots in quick succession but I liked the first one best, as shown above. The next frame in the sequence is ok, but I prefer the head tilt in the first shot:

After the shake-off the bear continued to walk across the river and the backlighting produced this nice rim-lit shot:

Perhaps I have stumbled across my “signature” shot – the “Spin Cycle” as I originally captured with this moose years ago:

Click the button to read about how this shot happened Spin Cycle

It is always fun catching Mother Nature working her magic alchemy with a bit of water, dramatic lighting, and a charismatic beast.

Until next month….michael

Click here to see my post about the power of backlighting: Back for the Drama

Nikon Z9, Nikon 80-400mm (@350 mm), f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, ISO 900, EV -0.333

May

31

Agama Again

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 1 comments

Shot of the Month – May 2024

Wow, look at this guy! Now, THAT is how you make an entrance in style! This splashy, multi-hued fellow is a Mwanza Flat-Headed Rock Agama (MFHRA) – his name is almost as long as the list of colors covering his body.

There are about 30 species of agama lizards (in the family Agamidae for you science types) with most found across Africa though you can find a few in southeastern Europe and central India. The MFHRA is found in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya. I photographed this flashy stud in Tanzania.

Based on this photo it is hard to believe that Agamas are usually adorned in brown or gray. Each year the drab males transform into this cacophony of color during the mating season to dazzle the females and win a mate. Check out the range of colors on this bold male. At his head, we start with shades of dramatic pinks and oranges. His upper torso is primarily colored in orange. Then we transition to shades of blue on the lower body, tail, and legs.

Like all reptiles the MFHRA is covered in scales, and in this case, very colorful ones at that. The scales are made of alpha and beta-keratin (Our fingernails and hair are made of keratin). Lizards often live in hot, arid climates and the scales help trap moisture inside the body and sometimes can be used like a suit of armor, protecting the body from bites and scrapes.

Did you notice those crazy-looking toes/fingers???

Agamas are active during the day and dine primarily on insects though they will eat eggs of other lizards and occasionally feed on grass, berries, and seeds. The Mwanza flat-headed rock agama lives in semideserts and can often be found basking on rocks or kopjes.

You can read more about agama lizards, and their silly behavior, in my post about a Red-headed Agama (shown below) that I photographed at the Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya.

Click the button: Attitude a la Agama