Mar

31

Chickeree Trust Fund

Shot of the Month  Posted by / 3 comments

Shot of the Month – March 2016

Chickeree, Vermont (4732)

American Red Squirrel, Vermont-USA

Fear not, this month I am not offering investment advice.  Nor has my site been taken over by some spammer hoping to get you to invest in the latest “can’t miss” stock or some other illusionary fiduciary sinkhole.  The Chickeree Trust Fund is an important investment strategy used by a mother to promote the success of her children — uh, squirrel children, that is.

American Red Squirrel Range

American Red Squirrel Range

Yes, a Chickeree is a squirrel, a Red Squirrel to be exact.  They also go by Pine Squirrel, North American red squirrel, and boomers.  The Chickeree moniker refers to the constant chattering or scolding you will receive from one of these squirrels if you walk into their territory.  You can hear (and see) it here.   The Red Squirrel can be found widely across North America wherever conifers are common.

They are one of the smallest squirrels in North America and only weigh 200-250 grams. (About as much as a roll of US nickels)

Chickerees primarily feed on the seed cones of hemlock, fir, spruce, and pine trees though they will also eat flowers, berries, bird eggs, tree sap, and sundry other morsels.  These squirrels eat a variety of mushrooms – they will clip and gather truffles and hang them among the branches to dry in the sun (La-Dee-Da-Mister-Fancy-Pants squirrel…).

Now for the really interesting part — the trust fund.

Chickerees do not hibernate so they create caches of food known as “middens” to get them through the winter. Middens, found at the base of trees, usually consist of large piles of shredded cones and stems.  The squirrels place green cones in the middle of the pile to keep them hidden and fresh.  Red squirrels may have several stashes of food but they tend to have one main midden centrally located in their territory.  The middens can grow in size over the years as the squirrel will often sit on the top of the pile as it feeds and the inedible parts of the cones will drop onto the pile (here is a picture of a large midden). These piles can be a few feet in height and 10 feet wide or more though most are 2 to 3 feet in width. A midden may contain 2,000 to 4,000 cones or up to 18,000 cones in the main midden.  (Source)

In order to survive their first winter, a juvenile American red squirrel must acquire a territory and a midden.  Some will go off and compete for a vacant territory.  In some cases, the mother squirrel will grant part or all of her territory to an offspring.  Sometimes the mother will create extra middens before giving birth and then she will bequeath these middens to her youngins.

Wow, how cool is that?

This behavior is known as “breeding dispersal” or “bequeathal” and is a form of maternal investment in offspring.  This behavior seems to only occur in about 15% of litters and depends on the availability of food and the age of the mother squirrel.

There you have it, the amazing Chickeree — the tiny squirrel with the big heart.

Until next month….m

 

Nikon D4S, Nikkor 600mm, 1.4x TC (effective 850mm), 1/180 s, f/8, ISO 400

 

Feb

29

Devil Bird

Shot of the Month  Posted by / 0 comments

Shot of the Month – February 2016

Anhinga, Corkscrew Swamp - USA (4120)This month a serene swamp scene with the “Devil Bird.”  No insult intended toward our fine feathered friend but that is what Anhinga means in the Brazilian Tupi Language — but I am sure that you knew that.  The Anhinga is also known as the “Snake Bird” or the “Water Turkey.”    What gives with all the nicknames?  Well, each refers to different characteristics of this bird which is a type of darter.  Darter?  Sigh….so many things to learn in life.  Darters are made up of 4 species of birds found in the Anhingidae family.   The American darter, or Anhinga is found in the Western Hemisphere.  The Oriental darter is found in Asia.  You can guess where the African darter and Australian darter can be found, respectively.  Zero points for creativity on the naming front.

I photographed this Anhinga in Corkscrew Swamp in Florida.  These birds prefer hot climates and their range includes the southern United States and extends south into Mexico, through Central America down to Argentina. (See a Range Map here)

So what gives with the Snake Bird reference?  Anhingas are waterbirds that hunt for fish while swimming underwater or at the surface.  They can dive quite deep as they have rather dense bones and their wings are not very waterproof so the soaked feathers help weigh the birds down reducing their buoyancy even more.

Anhinga (3534)

Snake Bird doing his thing…. (ouch, that is definitely going to leave a mark)

Like all darters, Anhingas use that sharp beak to spear fish.  The devil bird is not a fast swimmer so its hunting style is more stalker than chaser.  He mostly swims slowly underwater waiting for a fish to come near, then he impales the fish with a lightning-fast thrust of the beak.  The neck is specially adapted for this kind of rapid thrust — the 8th and 9th cervical vertebrae create a hinge-like apparatus that allows for quick action.  The bird usually stabs a fish through their sides with both mandibles open though he may just use the upper mandible for small fish. (Source)

That’s all very interesting, but I still haven’t explained the snake reference.  OK, here is it.  The Anhinga swims lower in the water than many birds due to its reduced buoyancy, a result of its dense bones and wetted plumage. When at the water’s surface, typically only the long neck and head are visible and the bird looks like a snake gliding across the water.  Mystery solved.

Ok, and what about “Water Turkey?”  Turns out that Anhingas lose heat quickly while in the water due to their lack of an insulating layer of body feathers.  To deal with this they spend much of the day, like cormorants, perched on a snag with their wings spread and feathers fanned out to dry and raise their body temperature. Their wide, fanned-out tail reminds folks of another large, dark bird with a large tail — yep, da turkey.

Male Anhingas are glossy black and have silver patches on their wings.  The female Anhinga looks similar though her head, neck, and upper chest tend to be pale gray or light brown.  From this, we can see that we have a female snake bird in my swamp image.  In the below image, we see a male Anhinga catching some rays.

Anhinga, male (4065)

Male Aningha

 

There you have it, the  American Darter, the shapeshifter of the swamp, aka, Anhinga, part turkey, part snake, and definitely the devil if you are a fish.

 

Until next month….m

 

Here is a good video on the Anhinga in action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nikon D4S, Nikon 200-400mm (@ 380mm), f/4, 1/400 s, -0.5 EV, ISO 1100,

Jan

31

Cliffhanger

Shot of the Month  Posted by / 2 comments

Shot of the Month – January 2016

Bighorn Sheep, Yellowstone NP (9816)If you just look quickly at this shot you might think, “Huh, nice goat thing” and move along.  But if you look a bit closer you will see that we have a lovely mountain maternal moment going on here.  See the dining lamb?  Lower…..bingo, there you go.

As it turns out, the goat is actually a sheep, a Bighorn sheep to be exact.  I photographed this one in Yellowstone NP.  The name is a bit of a misnomer for the ewe as you can see that her horns are not all that big.  As it often goes with species naming, the glory goes to the Y chromosome holder.  The Bighorn males get all of the attention due to their massive horns and tendency to want to smash them into another ram to prove who’s the biggest and baddest ram in town. The last sheep standing gets the right to date all the cute ewes in the hood.   It’s a dramatic show to be sure, but that is a story for another day.

Bighorn sheep can be found in the mountainous regions of North America from southern Canada to Mexico.  At the beginning of the 18th century, there were about 1.5 to 2 million bighorn sheep in North America.  Then humans did what they do and by 1920 the sheep had been wiped out in Washington, Oregon, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and part of Mexico.  So, in about 120 years the number of Bighorn Sheep dropped from a couple of million to a few thousand.  There are about 70,000 sheep left on the continent now and about 400 Bighorn sheep remaining in Yellowstone NP.  Sigh. (Source)

The map below shows the historical range of the sheep and their current locations.

The sheep were saved from extinction, in part, thanks to the efforts of the Arizona Boy Scouts.  Major Frederick Russell Burnham, a famous conservationist and renowned “Father of Scouting” noticed that less than 150 sheep were remaining in Arizona in 1936 (I never heard of the guy but he had an amazing life.  Learn more about him here).  He called George Miller, the head of the scout movement in Arizona at the time, and told him that he wanted the scouts to save the sheep.  What Fred wants, Fred gets — The scouts started a “Save the bighorns” poster campaign in schools across the state and other conservation groups joined the effort (i.e. The National Wildlife Federation, the Izaak Walton Foundation, and the National Audubon Society).  These efforts led to the creation of two protected parks in Arizona and conservation efforts in other states began to improve the situation for the sheep. (Source)

Bighorn sheep are well adapted to life in the mountains and they can traverse ledges that are only 2 inches wide.  Bighorn sheep are related to goats (you can certainly see the resemblance in my photo) and their split hooves make them quite sure-footed.  The outer hooves are modified toenails that are shaped to snag any slight protrusion, while soft inner pads provide a good grip on uneven surfaces.  In the winter the sheep descend to lower-elevation mountain pastures to find food and avoid the deep snow found higher up.  During the summer the sheep will return to higher elevations to avoid the heat and predators typically found in the valleys (wolves, cougars, coyotes, bears, etc., oh my)

We almost pushed Bighorn Sheep off the evolutionary cliff but they have made a bit of a comeback thanks to recent conservation efforts.  However, given the rising pressure from human encroachment, climate change, and poachers the future for these alpine sheep is still a cliff-hanger at best.

 

Until next month…..m

 

 

 

 

Nikon D4S, Nikon 600mm, f/5.6, 1/250 s, ISO 800

 

 

Jan

09

10 for 15 B&W

Today's Shot  Posted by / 2 comments

A couple of days ago I posted 10 of my favorite images from 2015.  There were all color photos. Here is a sample of 10 of my favorite black and white images from 2015.  Is that cheating?

Loon, Vermont (9616)#1  Loon Take Off

This actually is a color photo that lacks color.  This image was shot on a  foggy, early morning pond looking into the sun.  I love the back-lit water splash.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Moose, Maine (4745)#2  Moose in the Mist

Another early morning shot.  There was not much color to be seen at this hour and converting to B&W set a great mood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spider Web, Vermont (0374-01)#3  Spider Web

I shot this photo with a point-and-shoot camera.  I love the multi-layered, diagonal transition from pure white in the upper left corner to pure black in the lower right corner.

 

 

 

 

 

Loon, Vermont (7843-003)#4  Loon Love

Harsh light when I shoot this image.  But in B&W the image suddenly seems to become a timeless ode to familial love.  (Its more an ode to hungry teenager, but let’s not ruin the moment…)

 

 

 

 

 

Moose, Cape Breton (2258)#5  Moose On The Trail

I like how this young moose really seems to pop in 3D with the different focal planes of the shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waxwing, Vermont (7443)#6  Waxwing Love

These birds were harshly back-lit and I almost didn’t take the shot.  But then I realized what a great silhouette it would make.  Glad I saw the light before it was too late….so to speak.

 

 

 

 

 

Waxwing, Vermont (9659)#7  Waxwing Love, part 2

Another pair of courting waxwings.  I shot this image while lying on the ground and supporting my 600 mm lens on my raised knees.  I had to shoot through many layers of leaves and branches.  I love the resulting effect.  Stealing a secret moment among the trees…

 

 

 

 

Alligator, Florida (3890)#8  Alligator

Really harsh mid-day light.  Converting to B&W really brings out the menace in this alligator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Heron, Vermont (1472-001)#9  Ruffled Heron

I like the mixture of different hues and textures.  A lovely dreamscape…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Willet, Florida (8279-001)#10  Pedestal

I like how the bird really pops against the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus Images for making it to the end:

 

Loon, Vermont (7979-001)#11  Peek-A-Boo

More loon love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighthouse, Acadia National Park (1627)#12  Edge of the World

I love the color version of this image.  I converted it to B&W on a whim and to my surprise I like this version very much also.  The sky and ocean merge into one as the lighthouse beacons at the edge of the world.

 

 

Jan

03

10 for 15

Today's Shot  Posted by / 1 comments

It seems all the vogue with nature photographers these days to post their best shots from the previous year.  I figured I would give it a go.  Well, these are not all of my best shots but each is special to me for a range of reasons.  I will provide a quick explanation for each image and why I chose it.

The images are not in order by preference.   Please click on an image to see it larger (It is the best way to view them… :-))

Fall Abstract, Vermont (5038)#1  Fall Abstract
Despite living in Vermont for the last 5 years I haven’t had much luck in getting good fall foliage shots.  This year I had some great luck but I am most pleased with a series of shots where I experimented with a new technique (for me) that produced some nice abstract shots – to me they seem to really capture the explosion of color that happens here during this magical time in the Northeast.

 

 

 

Lighthouse-Bass Harbor-HDR2-v2#2  Lighthouse, Bass Harbor

I don’t shoot landscapes very often so my skills are pretty basic.  This year I managed to spend only one full day in Acadia National Park but still managed to get this respectable shot.  In this image I experimented with an HDR technique (I will explain this in a later post) that allowed me to capture the full dynamic range of the image.  Another experiment that went surprisingly well!

 

 

 

Loon, Vermont (7317)#3  Loon Chicks

2015 was the year of the Loon for me.  After 4 years of trying I finally managed to get some very nice images of loon chicks riding on the adult’s back.  The series of shots I got this year is definitely my best accomplishment of the year. (I still need to get these images on my website…)

 

 

 

 

Osprey, Vermont (9084)#4  Osprey

I have never had much opportunity to photograph osprey diving for fish.  This year I found an osprey family that lived near a fish hatchery and I was rewarded with a few new images to add to my portfolio.

 

 

 

 

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Vermont (3197)#5 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I had never seen this stunning bird until we moved to Vermont.  I also never had much luck in getting an image that came close to conveying how beautiful these birds are.  This year my luck improved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moose, Maine (1672)#6  Moose and calf

This year I finally got my first decent image of a calf moose with mom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final 4 shots are from a trip to Florida that I took in December.  (I just got back a few days ago)

 

Blue Heron, Venice Rookery, Florida (2681)#7  Heron Love

I was able to capture a nice collection of behavior shots of Blue Herons at a rookery in Venice, Florida.  This couple displayed a fascinating range of courting rituals.  Here we can see the male giving a stick as a gift to his partner.  She will then add it to the nest that they were building for their new family.

 

 

 

Roseate Spoonbill, Ding Darling NWR, (4854)

#8  Roseate Spoonbill

I love this shot of a Roseate Spoonbill in flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Heron, Ding Darling NWR (8601)#9  Great Heron

I have always admired images like this where the background is all blacked out.  I was able to experiment with this technique on the recent trip and I was pleased with a few of the images.

 

 

 

 

 

White Pelican, Ding Darling NWR (5446)#10  Pelican Landing

This lighting on this pelican is exquisite! The colors blow me away.  Love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus item for those making it to the end of this post:

#11  Moose Trip Video

This year I made my first video…not professional by any means but I think it does a good job of giving a sense of what it was like trying to photograph moose in Maine from a canoe.

 

Have a great 2016!