Michael Despines Photography

Sep

30

The Waiting Game

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 1 comments

Shot of the Month – September 2023

If you dig moose, get yourself over to the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). The moose are not hunted in this park so these massive beasts are very relaxed and have no fear of humans. And from they day they are born they see humans nearby who are fishing, hiking, doing photography, etc. so they really take no notice to us two legged creatures. Park rules require maintaining at least 25 yards distance with the animal – but given how massive these guys are, that is plenty close enough to get wonderful images with typical wildlife photography equipment. When in the field I hike with a range finder so I can always verify my distance to a subject.

I mention all this as the image above was captured in the GTNP after spending 2 full days with this magnificent bull moose during the fall rut in 2019. To get this shot I am lying on my back in a “sit up” position. The low angle allows the bull to tower over me and provides a great view of those fall colors in the trees above.

When we found this bull he had already spent several days courting a cow moose. He was waiting for her to go into estrus.

The lovely couple, playing the waiting game:

This bull moose was one of the largest in the park (top three, easily) and he definitely caught all the cows’ attention.

At one point during day 2 we had two females vying for this rock star!! Usually the male has to do all the work to prove his worthiness, so seeing this “counterintuitive” behavior was a first for me. In the image below the male had just scraped a shallow pit and urinated into it. He then lay down in the pit and rolled around in the depression to cover himself in his scent. As you can see, the females cannot resist it…

Alas, three is a crowd and eventually the bull and the first cow chased the interloper away.

The waiting continued….she went…he followed:

All this waiting can get tiring, especially when carrying a 50 pound set of antlers. Time for a rest:

Any time that the cow would urinate the bull would test the air for pheromones to see if the she had gone into estrus yet.

The Flehmen Response to test the air:

A few hours later….another test:

And then, just like that, it was over. The bull did a flehmen response, apparently still testing negative, and then he just started walking…

I guess he decided that he was tired of waiting and would try his luck elsewhere. It is amazing how much ground those long legs can cover. He wasn’t even running, just a determined walk. And within 15 minutes he had disappeared over the horizon…I tried to run out in front to get some images, but there was no way that I could keep up.

I’m OUT…

The wonders of wildlife photography. We spent hours and hours with this moose. Although we had long periods of no action it was still fascinating to see the behavior and interactions that few ever have the luck to witness. Hours…..and then short frenzies of photography when there was action. And then just like, over.

It was a heck of ride while it lasted……until next month

Related posts you may enjoy:

Love is in the Air (learn more about the Flehmen response)

More moose images:

Big Realization

Pull Back

Spin Cycle

Nikon D4S, Sigma 150-600 mm (@550mm), 1/80 sec, f/6.3, ISO 450

Aug

31

Foxy

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 0 comments

Shot of the Month – August 2023

This month a lovely fox kit bathed in glorious afternoon light. Foxes are always cute but the warm glow in this shot really takes the image to the next level.

We found this den on the edge of a federal park in Washington State. In previous years visitors could enter the park and observe the dens at a distance of 75 feet or more. Access to the park has been restricted in the last couple of years. Ironically that lack of humans near the dens seems to have emboldened bald eagles who reportedly killed most of the fox kits last year before they could reach adulthood.

During my visit I saw a bald eagle swoop in twice to try and steal a rabbit carcass that an adult fox had just given its kit. Luckily the young foxes were big enough at this time of year to be less at risk for predation by the raptor.

In the two images below I managed to capture one of the attacks by the bald eagle. The fox kit had seen the approaching raptor and was running for the entrance to the den with the carcass.

Run!!!

So close!!

The kit managed to duck underground just in time. When the parents were present they were always diligent and would bravely leap up at the bald eagle as it approached.

It is interesting to consider that the foxes may have established their den near the dirt road on the edge of the park to use the nearby humans to discourage the eagle attacks.

Red foxes mate in the winter and the pups are born 7-8 weeks later. Both parents take care of the kits and each go off hunting to bring back food for the young. Foxes raise their pups in a den which has been abandoned by another animal – in this case it was most likely a former rabbit den. Amazingly, there were rabbits in holes just a few feet from the foxes’ den! Talk about keeping your enemy close!

The cubs remain at the family den for about 5 weeks before going off on their own near the end of the summer.

The kits spend most of their time underground when the parents are not present though as the pups get older they will explore the surrounding areas more and more on their own. In my image above I captured the young fox out exploring his world while he waited for his parents to return.

Like foxes? Check out these posts for more images and fox tales…

Until next month….m

Nikon D5, Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary (@480mm), 1/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 1250

Jul

31

Savannah a la Fuchsia

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 0 comments

Shot of the Month – July 2023

This month a fun blast of color from the tulip fields of Skagit County in Washington State. In this image I found a Savannah Sparrow guarding this fuchsia-colored field of tulips.

I shot this photo in portrait orientation as those long tulip stems were best highlighted and celebrated with a vertical composition. I also really enjoyed the different “zones” of this shot:

Zone 1: While the stems are in sharp focus (you can see the t-i-n-y hairs on the stems!) the background fades away into a pleasing out-of- focus green and your gaze can go on forever…

Zone 2: In this zone we have a dramatic shift in color and at this distance all of the flowers are in sharp focus. Likewise, our lovely Savannah Sparrow is nicely crisp as he poses for his portrait.

Zone 3: In zone 3 another dramatic shift in focus as the tulips vanish into a deep blur but the bold fuchsia hue still demands attention. The Savanah Sparrow really pops against that blurry background.

Another view from the Fuchsia Field:

Check out this post for more on my adventures photographing Savannah Sparrows among the tulip fields.

Until next month….m

Nikon D500, Nikon 600mm w/ 1.4x TC (1275mm effective), f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 2500, +1.0 EV

Jun

30

California Quail

Shot of the Month Posted by Michael / 4 comments

Shot of the Month – June 2023

I spent the better part of a week in May, staked out along a dirt road, in a national park where I could observe a fox den. Each day, while dutifully wating for canine action, we were visited by this dandy chap and his mate. In this beautiful afternoon light we can see the male California Quail (CQ) in all his glory.

I love some of the descriptions that I found while researching this beautiful bird:

These plump, chicken-like birds are easily recognized as quail by their overall jizz and plump body shape

and

The California Quail is a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume

While the whole “round soccer ball of a bird” thing is a bit rude, ummm, well….

I can’t say it is wroooong….

Another fun description:

The California Quail is distinguished from other quail species by its unique plumage pattern and the presence of a forward facing comma-shaped black plume that makes them look like a flapper from the 1920’s.

I had been racking my brain trying to find the right words to describe that wonderful plume and this person nailed it : “a forward facing comma-shaped black plume…” It does look like a comma!!

Insider Tip: Although the plume looks like one feather it is actually made up of 6 overlapping feathers.

The females also have a plume though to my eye it is more “exclamation-point-esque” and lacks the flair of the full comma!

CQ are most active near sunrise and sunrise and that certainly was our experience with these birds. Each morning and late afternoon this mating pair would come wondering down the road like clockwork. CQ spend most of their time on the ground but they will take flight to avoid predators.

The CQ is a granivorous bird that eats mainly grain and seeds, and weeds like dandelions. In the summer they also catch insects to provide additional protein for their young. These birds are rather chicken-like as they prefer to scratch 2-3 times on the ground with one foot before pecking at the ground to grab the seeds or insects they scared up.

The “lovebirds” afternoon stroll:

Peck peck peck…

Here the male is calling loudly, claiming his territory. And obviously showing off for his mate…I love the foot in the air for extra effort.

Did you notice the dashing yellow and chestnut coloration on his stomach?

California Quails can be found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevad, Utah, and of course, California. CQs have also been introduced into Hawaii, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentia.

Fun fact: The CQ is the official state bird of California and is the only state bird whose name includes the full name of its state. (A bit of ammo for your next dinner party as the conversation wanes….)

There you have it, the California Quail – a striking dandy of a bird that prefers hoofing it over flight, but does so with style and panache.

Until next month….m

Sources:

Wikipedia – California Quail

Audobon – California Quail

All About Birds – California Quail

Kids National Geographic – California Quail

The spruce – California Quail

Nikon D5, Sigma 150-600mm (@ 600mm), f/6.3, 1/1000 ISO 800