San Diego Bird Photography

I Visited the San Diego area of California from the 10th-17th of February, exclusively to Photograph Birds. The trip was more than I could have ever Imagined.

I was fortunate to add 19 species to my files on this trip. I visited 4 areas while there, Santee Lakes, LaJolla Cliffs, Imperial Beach and the Bolsa Chica Nature Preserve, each area offered a different flavor of terrain and species, with many overlapping.

My first stop was Santee Lakes area, where I had nice light and some newly found species opportunities. Here I photographed Black Phoebe, Ring Necked Duck, Pied Billed Grebe, Snowy Egrets and an Osprey.

Upon entering the first bird I seen was this Black Phoebe, so together we created a photo session, here is one from that encounter.

Black Phoebe

American Widgeon

Ring Necked Duck

 I had a fun opportunity with a Pied Billed Grebe, they would fish along the shoreline, this particular bird caught and ate a fairly substantial meal for his size.

Soon after photographing this guy, This Osprey swooped in for a easy meal of the freshly stocked rainbow trout.

afternoon light  brought this opportunity of a perched  Snowy Egret on this rock.

With the day winding down, I found this Cormorant perched on a rock in Lake #2 as I was making my way out of the park.

The following day I spent the morning at LaJolla cliffs, here there were Double Breasted and Brandts Cormorants as well as Brown pelicans in breeding plumage. As well as two of the coastal species of gulls for this area. Western and Heermann's Gulls.

Brown Pelicans

Brandt's Cormorant

Double Crested Cormorants

Heermann's Gull

Western Gull

After a full morning at LaJolla cliffs I made my way over to Mission Beach which is rite on the Mexican border, here I hoped to photograph some shorebirds. I had nice opportunities at Marbled Godwits, Snowy Plovers, Black Bellied Plovers and even a Willet.

Marbled Godwit

Black Bellied Plover

Snowy Plover

From Imperial Beach I packed it in and headed to Bolsa Chica Nature Preserve in Orange County, about 2 hours North of San Diego, Here I photographed both species of Hummingbirds, also a Loggerhead Shrike as well as Reddsih Egret's, Grebes,Various waterfowl and others.

Loggerhead Shrike

 Western Grebe

I also found Allan's and Anna Hummingbirds on territory, each defending its territory and eagerly chasing off intruders.

Alann's Hummingbird

Anna Hummingbird

Also found here was a Reddish Egret, Further North than it's typical range would have it, I suppose the mild winter had something to do with that.

Reddish Egret

Also sveral Duck species were seen and Photographed here as well Including Buffleheads, Red Breasted Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, American Widgeon and Northern Pintails. I even seen a Surf Scoter but images were for ID purposes only.

It was a great trip, Grueliing with long days and often 5 mile hikes with my gear, but an experience I will forever remember, Plus a nice winter get away!

Kingsville Ontario's Great Gray Owl

During the Holidays, there was allot of buzz going around the web about a Great Gray Owl that took up winter residence in the town of Kingsville In Southern Ontario.
This was a very Unusual bird for this area as it's home range is 600-700 miles Northward of here, what also made it a strange occurrence was the mildness of our winter. In addition to this Bird there has been a large Irruption of Snowy Owls that have made there way down as well.

My focus was on the Great Gray, I said to myself after the holidays if this bird was still around I was gonna make my way up there and try to photograph this bird, what awaited me I could have never suspected.

I was joined by fellow Photographer Kirby Flanagan from Flanagan Photos " His website" on the ride up,  And  while there met up with  Photographer Jim Chagares  " His website"

We all enjoyed great Looks of the new Kingsville resident and found the people of the area accommodating and fun. The Owl  appeared to have no fear of humans, most likely because it was from the far North, and had not been Imprinted upon from it's parents at birth. therefore had no fear or understanding of humans. Not necessarily a good thing. But thru nevertheless.

We were able to capture flight shots as well as perched shots, even portrait shots. It was almost as if this bird was there for our personal photo encounter, At no time did we crowd or push the bird.  this bird was allowed to behave and act naturally within it's environment, without human Intervention or baiting. This is a 100% wild and free ranging bird.

The day we were there the Owl stayed in a Large field, here is a view of the Owl landing on a further of fenceline

As the Owl would perch along this fenceline, It would hunt for Voles along the fields edge, here the Owl is lifting off that fenceline to go after it's prey.

 

It would often dive strait down onto it's prey, other times circled upward and come in from above dive bombing it's prey through the field grasses as seen here.

After feeding time was over it would perch along various fence rails enjoying the day and soaking up the sunshine as seen here.

It was an incredible photographic opportunity, we even had opportunities for portrait type images as shown below.

It was an experience I will never forget, One we all enjoyed. there were close to 175 vehicles there at one point the day we were there, people coming and going constantly, everyone respectful and giving the bird distance. It seemed to want to be around people as it most times stayed close to the road.

A few days after these images were taken, the Owl vanished, Hopefully headed back home to its Birth born range to Live Free and Wild as he was meant to be.

I will forever remember this bird  and it's beauty  and hope it a safe, long and free existence!

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

My wife Bonnie and I got in One last trip in 2011, We made our way out to The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park this past fall from late September to early October for some wildlife viewing and Photography.

It was my second time there, last was when I was just a child. So my recollection's were limited. However I did recall things like Ole Faithful and of course the vast amount of wildlife that Inhabits this area. For Bonnie however it was her first time there.

Our journey took us to Salt Lake City Via Southwest Airlines where we made the 5 1/2 hour drive up via a car rental where we then spent a few days in the Grand Tetons.

Our first stop was Mount Moran at the famous Oxbow Bend.They were having some controlled Burns while we were there, so there was a smoke layer at the base of the Mountains, Go figure there timing with it being prime Fall color and all.

Another view from Oxbow Bend

 

From Oxbow Bend we took in other sites and scenic vistas such as the Famous Schawbachers Landing

 We made many stops throughout the Tetons but a favorite was also seeing the Mormons Cabins at Mormons Row.

We Also made time for some Wildlife, I ended up having a close encounter with a Bull Moose, He actually charged a few of us. Another Photog created a disturbance as he was coming down a bank into a ravine causing the Bull to Charge.

From the Tetons we spent our remaining days in Yellowstone, staying in Both West and Northern Yellowstone, taking in all that the park has to offer, We encountered many Elk, Bison,Pronghorn, Coyote. Also seen the Lamar and Hayden wolf packs as well as a Sow Grizzley in our travels.

I had daily encounters with Elk, the most reliable were  at West Yellowstone along the Madison River, where we encountered Bulls daily.

 

Also We had a nice opportunity viewing a Wolf on a fresh Elk kill from the night before.

Throughout the park there were many Pronghorn as well as Bison. At times the Bison would block the roadways stopping traffic.  The Pronghorn were mostly in small herds with a lone Buck managing several Does.

Also seen were Coyotes

A few Landscapes were also had from within Yellowstone while we were there, There is nothing like the Fall color of the Aspens on the Prairie with a herd of Bison in the background.

One of the prettier and More Scenic waterfalls we encountered within the park.

All in all it was a Great trip, One I will always remember, the Fall colors were absolutely stunning in the Tetons, I look forward to making it back in the future, Hopefully in the springtime  when the park is alive with newly born wildlife and wildflowers are pushing up in the lowlands with snow covered mountains as a backdrop. Certainly a Nature and Landscape Photographers paradise.