Hyrax Huddle, Serengeti NP-Tanzania (6891)
Oct

24

Hyrax Huddle – October 2012

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Shot of the Month – October 2012

Rock Hyrax, Serengeti NP-Tanzania (6891)

This month a family photo of the Rock Hyrax (RH) – an image that is bound to please a diverse range of audiences.

First, for the lovers of all things cute and cuddly, this photo is definitely a crowd favorite.  An easy addition to the “Awwwwwl” Collection.

Second, this image will resonate with those who love a good joke.  Like really, what’s up with contestant #5 there?

“Hey, where’s the camera?”

 

 

 

(Send your favorite caption/tagline as a comment below)

And these little guys are going to blow your mind if you’re into zoology/taxonomy (read “animal geek”).  Most people think that these little fur balls (they weigh from 4-10 pounds) are some form of guinea pig or similar rodent.  Nope, not even close.  The rock hyrax is actually very closely related to the elephant.  All yeah, sure, that makes perfect sense….!!???

Well, it seems that elephants, hyraxes, and dugongs (a marine mammal) all came from a single common ancestor.  So these three creatures are more closely related to each other than to any other living animal.  (Dude, like my mind is so, pphhhtttttt, completely blown right now..pphhhhtttt..).  DNA evidence indicates that hyraxes share many features with elephants:  similar toenails, excellent hearing, sensitive pads on their feet, small tusks (hyraxes have 2 incisor teeth that continually grow like the tusks on elephants (they look more vampire-esque than elephantine if you ask me), good memory, high brain functions (compared to other similar mammals), and the shape of their bones.

As you can see from the photo rock hyraxes are a pretty social bunch and can live in groups of up to 80 individuals.  RHs are not good at regulating their internal body temperature so on cool days you can find them huddled like this for warmth.  I photographed these fellows on a cloudy, chilly morning in the Serengeti NP in Tanzania.  They are also pretty talkative –  they can make at least 21 different vocalizations.  Apparently, RH calls, called “songs” contain rich layers of information about the animal’s size, age, social status, body weight, condition, hormonal state, and so forth.

 

There you have it, the  Chatty-Cathy-social-butterfly-elephantine-cuddly-I-want-to-spoon-fur-ball-but-not-a-rodent!-rock hyrax.

 

Until next month….

 

 

 

Sep

30

Colorful Creation – September 2012

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Shot of the Month – September 2012

Fall Leaves, USA (0750)

An image of colorful leaves in September — seems pretty normal, if a tad overdone.  Other than the subject and the timing, everything else about this photo is pretty unusual– for me.

First, I “made” this shot, rather than “finding” it.

Typically, I go out into the world and look for wildlife or “wild” scenes and try and be in the right place at the right time and capture what unfolds before me.  That is not the case here.

While visiting a friend in upstate New York, close to  10 years ago now, we went for a walk in the woods.  I found these leaves, separately,  and picked each up.  I didn’t know what I would do with them, but I liked their looks and carried them along.  Later, back at my friend’s house, I noticed a lichen-covered rock slab on a piece of wood on their deck.  Inspiration struck and I placed my leaves just so.  Click.

Another unusual feature of this image is the camera I used in capturing it.  It was not one of my big, “serious” cameras.  Rather I shot this with a Nikon Coolpix 3100 – a little 3.1 MP “beginner”  point-and-shoot camera.    Not very sophisticated to say the least.

The last unusual feature of this shot is that is a “still life.”  No critters, just a scene.  Just not something I do very often.

For all these reasons I love this photo.  I was not only witness but also part creator.  That gives me a buzz.  And it was so EASY.   It doesn’t seem fair — feels like cheating.  So different – a shot that took me out of my comfort zone.  And I just really like the shot.  I am amazed at how nice it looks — I love the hues of the leaves, and the contrast between the vibrant colors and the muted wood, stone, and lichen.  And I love the different textures of the muted background.

And I dig this photo because it reminds me that I don’t need fancy equipment or go on long trips to find or make beauty.  It is often nearby — simply the right attitude and openness to “seeing” can suffice.

Until next month…

 

Sep

24

Monday Moose

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Spending a week in Maine to photograph moose.  The rut is just starting so the males are getting increasingly, uh, animated.

We had 3 sightings today but only the one at the end of the produced some images.

 

Moose, Maine - USA (9809)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same male, but in B&W

Moose, Maine - USA (0001)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep

10

Painted Lady

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A few weeks ago a big wave of butterflies came through our area and covered a hillside near our abode.  Lot’s of Monarch Butterflies and these fellows.  For you science types they are called Vanessa cardui, more commonly, the Painted Lady.

Painted Lady, Vermont - USA (1983)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aug

30

Loon(ey) Tunes – August 2012

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Shot of the Month – August 2012

Common Loon, Vermont - USA (8979)As a photographer, my focus tends to be on the visual (pun unintentional).

I love photos, slides, Polaroids, pictures, snaps,  whatever you want to call them.  I will happily page through anyone’s photo album.  Family vacation?  Wedding?  Shots of the kids?  Driver’s License?  Dental x-ray?  Whatever, bring it on.

I am fascinated by what people take pictures of.  And I love seeing how the world gets reconfigured on “film” (you kids out there can look that reference up).

Sometimes it looks just like what you would expect, but so many times an image is a gateway to a whole new world hidden to the human eye.  And I have always been fascinated by animals and nature so images from that realm are a natural draw for me.

But this month the focus is not so much on the visual, but rather the aural.  Yes, we have a photo, in this case, a decent shot of a common loon that I found in a pond in Vermont.  Visually loons are striking when adorned in their intricate formal black and white mating dress.  In the right light, their red eyes are piercing.  Their heads are black, but the feathers here are iridescent and can take on shades of emerald green when the light hits just right.  Beautiful.  Add the black and white striped neck, the black and white checked wings, and that delicate white pearl necklace — the visual feast is almost overwhelming.

Their looks are stunning, but my friends, shhhh, come closer for the real story.  It is the Sound.  Ahhh, but the Sound.  How can I begin to convey the call of the loon to the uninitiated?

Eeerie.  Hair-raising.  Haunting.  Spell-binding.  Primordial.

There is n-o-t-h-i-n-g like it in this world.  Imagine gliding in a kayak (this is how I first experienced the Sound).  The water is perfectly, and I mean perfectly, still.  The air is cool and crisp.  The sun has not yet fought its way over the horizon but the darkness has started giving way.  Shrouds of fog dance across the surface of the water like inverted cones of cotton candy.  The stillness is PROFOUND.  It is hard to imagine a more peaceful moment in life.  And, then, then, there is this Sound.  A call, a wail that sends you back eons in time.

No words will capture this.  Turn the lights off in your room.  Turn the sound up on your computer.  Louder.  Headphones?  Put ’em on.  Click on the video below and close your eyes and gliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide….

(alas, there is a narrative on this video that is trying to be helpful, ignore it…listen for the Sound…)

 

Until next month….m