Spring Birding at Stillwater

A Day of Bird Watching with the Nikon

An early morning drive in April 2013 to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, near Fallon, Nevada turned out to be an excellent day for bird watching.

In the distance, just approaching the Environmental Education area a huge nest was spotted in a tall cottonwood tree.

  Switching to my Nikon 500mm 4.0 lens, I realized this was a Great Horned Owl sitting on her nest.  

Across at the picnic area, the Cliff Swallows were busy building their nests of mud. 

 With the abundance of flying insects, the swallows should have plenty of food to subsidize their diets.

 

At first, I thought the insects were mosquitoes, but I did not get any bites and they weren't interested in my bare skin.  

As I was leaving, a Double-crested Cormorant waded out in the shallow water and posed while I carefully steadied the Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 on the truck window.   

I hope to do a return visit in early May to check on the progress of our feathered friends and see what new arrivals have stopped by during the spring migration.  

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Photographing Wildlife in Snowstorms and Freezing Fog

 

Winter Weather Adventures makes for Challenging Photography

The challenge of nature photography is greatest in winter when I have to protect my equipment and my body from the elements.  However, if the snow is falling animals tend to hanker down to conserve energy and avoid being attacked by predators.  By dressing in neutral colors and approaching quietly, I have been able to go unnoticed and catch some rare moments with wildlife.

Early one cold December morning after a snow storm at Walker Lake, Nevada  I happened upon  this large group of Desert Bighorn Sheep.  They were nestled down in a canyon, waiting for the storm to clear.  With my telephoto lens, I was able to get as many photos as I wanted and they were not even aware of my presence.
 

Several years ago in Southern Nevada, a cold front moved in bringing snow to the Mojave Desert. While I was driving through Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, I spotted these 3 wild horses. I pulled off to the roadside.  They looked up just as I snapped the shutter but then continued to graze  through the fresh fallen snow.

Over the years Asian Doves have taken up residence at Walker Lake.  One snowy winter morning when I looked out my kitchen window, I noticed a dole of doves finding shelter in my neighbor's peppercorn tree.  Using my long Nikon 500mm lens, I was able to capture this special moment.

Eagles are definitely fair weather fowl and most often will remain perched high in the trees waiting for the skies to clear.  On a cold morning in Mount Carmel, Utah  I saw this Bald Eagle in the distance perched on a limb.  As I was focusing on the eagle, it spotted some prey and took off.  I was lucky to have my camera on autofocus for this rare shot.

Fog mixed with snow can present some challenging opportunities for wildlife photography.   On this cold and dark day, I noticed the outline of several large shapes up ahead in the desert. I wasn't sure what I might be coming upon and if I should turn back. Finally I realized this was a herd of horses.  I set my camera to under expose and silhouette the horses against the dreary background.  And then I quietly turned around and made my departure.

The weather phenomenon of freezing fog or Pogonip occurs in the Great Basin Desert on very cold mornings. On  this morning I traveled to the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge in hopes of getting some interesting photos. I was walking toward an ice covered stream when the crunch of my boots on the frosty grass spooked a pair of Red-tailed Hawks.  As fast as possible I pressed the shutter that was on continuous servo in hopes of getting the scene in focus. I was honored with a Third Place award of this photo, Quiet Retreat,  at the Opening of Umeå 2014 European Capital of Culture, Expo d'été à Paris.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Tundra Swans at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

Calls of the Wild Ones

The last Tuesday in November of 2011, while the weather was still nice, I made a visit out to the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge, near Fallon Nevada.   Stillwater, with its numerous isolated wetlands is an important area for migrating shorebirds and has been designated by the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network as a site of international importance.

As I was approaching the Auto Tour, which takes you to several viewing areas, I noticed a number of large white birds on the water.  From a distance, they appeared to be the American white pelican that is very common to the lakes and streams in Northwestern Nevada.

After setting up my Nikon D90 with the 500mm lens on the tripod and getting out my bird identification book, I realized that these were Tundra swans.  

Tundra swans breed and summer in the coastal plains of Alaska and Canada.  As winter approaches, they fly south to areas where their food sources of aquatic plants, mollusks and arthropods are more readily available.

During breeding season, the Tundra swan sleeps mostly on land. However in the winter, it sleeps on the water where it is better protected from predators. 

Immature Tundra swans are duller in appearance with grey feathering mixed with the white.

Tundra swans are known to become very vocal when foraging in flocks and will make excited calls to those arriving or departing, sounding similar to the honking of the black goose.   On this day, it was very noisy at the quiet Stillwater Refuge.

What an interesting day to watch these large birds flying in for a landing and then running on the water to get airborne.

For more information:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tundra_swan/lifehistory

Photographs Make Great Gifts

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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