Tag: Wildlife

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.

Be Prepared!

by Michael

As the Boy Scouts are fond of saying, “Be prepared!”

When I got home today I was going through my usual routine.  Come in the house, give Zorro his kitty treats, and then check the back yard for birds.  When I checked the back yard, I was shocked at what I saw.  Instead of a yard full of birds under the feeders, or the stray kitty that has been hanging around lately, I found this!

Not only was the first time I have seen a Cooper’s Hawk around here, it looks like it was feeding on one of my birds to boot!

First, I’m in shock, but then I think, at least get the binoculars and get a closer look.  So I run to the bedroom, get the binoculars, and then run back to the kitchen door.  Still there!  Great.  Now I’m thinking, “what are you doing?  Where’s the camera??”

So, back to the bedroom, no time to pull out the 600 and tripod, but my 5d has the 100-400 still attached from my previous outing so I grab it and head to the back door.  I’m in luck, it’s still there, munching away.

As I look closer through the camera, I believe that the bird it is eating is the red-winged blackbird that has been hanging around lately, acting like it was hurt or sick.  Wouldn’t fly off unless you walked right up to it.  Well, I guess it doesn’t have to worry about that anymore!

 Ah yes, the circle of life right in my back yard!  It doesn’t get much better than this!  Unless of course, you’re the blackbird.  🙂
Photos taken with the Canon 5dMii and the Canon 100-400L IS lens

Cedar Waxwing

by Michael

This weekend I was treated to a beautiful bird, the Cedar Waxwing.  This is the first time I have photographed these birds in my local area, but certainly not the first time they have been here.  The truth is that until I became more interested in wildlife photography, there were a lot of critters in my area which I just never noticed.

Saturday, Karen and I returned to LLELA once again for some hiking and photo practice.  I can’t allow myself to get out of the habit of lugging that 600 around or when the time comes, I could end up face-down in the mud on a paid vacation (ouch).  Instead, I’ll take every opportunity to go out and hike and practice.

On this day, the wildlife (birds) were pretty scarce.  We saw a few robins and cardinals that were simply too quick, and I saw some form of a woodpecker, but it was too far away for me to capture adequately so I’ll save it for another day.  But after finishing one trail and about to begin a second, I noticed a bunch of “flitty” birds doing what they do, flitting, around a couple of trees near the pavilion.  As I focused my lens on them, I realized they were cedar waxwings!  As they flitted around  here, I managed to capture a few decent frames of them.  They were really going after those berries on the trees.

Not bad, but photographically, very cluttered, and a bit too far away from the subject.  All those twiggy branches distract from the beauty that is the cedar waxwing.

After spending some time there clicking away, trying to get a better shot, we headed down the next trail.  This trail was shaded and therefore has a little less harsh light, and we were greeted with more waxwings.  What luck.  A second chance with better light.  After chasing a couple of them around the branches for a while, I finally got some shots that I was happy with.  This shot was my favorite of the day.

The darker background, along with some fill flash, helps bring out the bird more clearly in this photo.  And while I liked how it is looking at me over its shoulder, I really wanted a more front-facing shot.  That however, was not to be.  They kept their back to me, no matter which direction I came at them from.

Could this shot have been better?  Sure.  I could have done without the twigs coming out of the bird’s head and the berries could have been more in focus, but the beauty of the bird makes up for some of that.  Some days, you take what you can get.  For all the faults of this shot, it is still one of my favorites.