Category: Wildlife

Trying Out the CR-V Photo Edition

by Michael

Okay, it’s not an official Honda model specification, but after several years of driving my ‘94 Corvette, and having a growing stable of camera equipment that was crowding the old two-seater, I finally decided it was time to get something bigger.  So, for the sake of economy and other options, I opted for a 2012 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD w/NAV.

And while I’m on the subject, a quick shout out to Curtis Kidwell at Jim McNatt Honda in Denton Texas.  He went far above and beyond the call of duty.  When I told him exactly what I wanted, he said he would do whatever  it took to get it for me.  When the model I wanted in the specific color I wanted (opal sage metallic) showed up in the inventory of a dealer in Lubbock, Curtis drove out there (over 600 miles round trip) and brought the vehicle back for me on a trailer so as not to run up the mileage on my very first new car!  This guy deserves every single penny of his commission on this sale and then some.  If you are in the market for a new car, go see Curtis!  He’ll make it happen for you.  And here’s my new Photomobile in the wild!!

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So Finally, on my way home tonight from work, I got the chance to take her out to some of the local spots.  I stopped at a new park here in Flower Mound called “Twin Coves”.  It officially opens in July, but its gates are open now so the people can check it out for free.  One of the first things I saw was something I have never seen around these parts before; a Greater Roadrunner!  I couldn’t believe it!  It ran into some brush before I could get a really good shot of it, and then flew away when I tried to get closer, but now I know where it hangs out!  I will be back!

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Next I saw a heron down at the shoreline and it actually let me get pretty close to it before it flew away.  I thought I had packed my 100-400 but I actually only had my 70-200 so I was surprised I was able to get as close as I did.  It did fly away before I could get a totally clear show away from the bushes.

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Other than these two birds, I saw a squirrel that ran into the woods, but that was about it for the wildlife, unless you count the boatload of youngsters that were offloading at the dock.  Winking smile

After that, I drove around some more but didn’t really see anything else.  So today didn’t really reward me with a lot of great shots, but it was fun to get out and stalk/shoot none the less. It’s been a couple of weeks and it was time. And now that I have my photomobile, I expect to be taking more after work excursions!

This weekend I have a photo shoot with a friend and her son at “Teddy-bear Park”!  I can’t wait!

All shots made with the Canon 5dmII and the Canon 70-200isL

The Mississippi Gulf Coast

by Michael

On the few days before the Memorial Day Weekend 2012, Karen and I traveled to the gulf coast of Mississippi to visit some friends.  Of course, I took along my camera to capture whatever images I could.  However, challenging myself, I opted to only take my 24-105mm lens and not the 600mm “beast” as my friend JohnT likes to call it.  That made capturing some of the shore birds a little more of a feat.

For instance, this heron was perched on the pier. I slowly walked toward it, taking a shot, taking a couple of steps, taking a shot, repeat, until I was probably within 20 feet before it decided to fly off!

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Another heron, was perched on top of on of the pier roofs and sat there while I walked right up to it.  Of course, it was still out or reach, but close enough for a pretty detailed shot.  It remained there until some kids started throwing shrimp at it.  <kids!>

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There were also gulls, of course.  They were a little harder to catch as they flew past at breakneck speeds, but I did manage to capture a couple of them.

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And of course, there is the sun, as it begins to set over the bay.  Still a little high in the sky here, but you can already begin to see the colors as the sun approaches the clouds.

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All in all, it was a great trip.  Spent some quality time with our friends, was able to challenge myself in my photographic techniques.

Next post: Gators!

All photographs created with the Canon 5d mark II and Canon 24-105mmL zoom lens.

Big Cats

by Michael

Recently, Karen and I made our way up to a Big Cat rescue/zoo in Oklahoma.  <disclaimer> I won’t mention the name because there are mixed reviews about their actions and I would rather not have my blog taken down by people with only half the story.  I will say that from what I saw, the cats were well cared for and none of them were lacking attention or food.  They had plenty of room to run and play and the ones that had special needs had their own cages for protection.  It is the people who think they can keep these big beasts as pets that end up creating the need for places like this.  But that’s another topic…

Anyway, we went there because we both love big cats, and it was a nice treat for my dad as it was also his birthday.  We got there pretty much as soon as they opened and were warned that the cats would be “spraying” so watch out if they turn their back to you.

We walked through the park, admiring the cats, and watching out for the spray, but it didn’t take long to realize that the smell was going to be with us for a while because even if they didn’t spray you directly, it was lingering in the air like an aerosol spary, and we were walking right through it.  Nothing a good shower and laundry can’t fix.

Some of the cats, it was clear that they were there because someone had kept them as a pet and they had outgrown their owners.  Some of them bore the scars of ignorant people who thought they would be the next big Vegas act or just thought it would be cool to own one without realizing the cost and responsibility involved.  While sad to see them in this condition, it was good to see that they were now in a place where they would live out the rest of their days in peace and relative comfort.

Some of the cats, like this little bob-cat, just broke my heart.  They had a few of them there but the look on its face clearly said it would rather be out running wild.  Problem is that in Oklahoma, people kill them just for sport.  I know that hunting is a reality and is needed in some cases, but I also know people who hunt just because they like to kill things.  I’d rather hunt with my camera personally.

They also had a number of mixed breed cats.  They had successfully mixed a lion and a tiger to get the liger.  But they have also taken the liger and bred it back with a tiger to get a tiliger.  Not sure how I feel about their breeding program, but it is what it is.  They are also an educational facility and like a zoo, they provide information for many different outlets.

All in all, it was an enjoyable visit.  We certainly had the smell.  Later, we were sitting around the house and realized that we were all still smelling the same thing.  It was then that we realized what I mentioned before, the smell was still stuck to us.  Everyone off to the shower.

Another reason for going was that we are both suckers for kitty-cats, and the chance to actually interact with a couple of young ones was hard to resist.  There is actually only a short period of time in their life that they are allowed to let people interact with them, and we were lucky enough to be there with these cubs.

 Clearly, wildlife prefers Canon photographic equipment.  This one was more interested in my cameras than in me.  I thought it was going to try to take my picture a couple of times.

But the time came that we had to say good-bye to the kittens.  I wish they could grow up and be released, but since they are hunted to almost extinction in the wild, they would not have much of a chance there.

Here’s hoping that the watchdog groups will keep enough pressure on these places that the cats will remain healthy and live out a good life.