Regal Eagle

After a frustrating morning trying to locate a reported snowy owl, I departed the area to search the fields directly east of Denver International Airport. Once again I did not find any snowy owls, but I did find a bald eagle. There it was just sitting on a utility pole down a dirt road from the intersection of 96th street and 112th street. I drove down the road towards the eagle thinking that it would fly off any second. Stopped underneath the eagle, did a U-turn to reposition the driver’s side of the car for a direct shot at the bird, rolled down the window and started photographing. It just watched me and I kept photographing. When I opened the door to step out, it flew off. I was within 15 yards of that magnificent bird.

Why can’t the snowy owls behave that way?

In the Pole Position

Regal Eagle

Off to Find Another Pole

Shot with my Canon 1d Mark4 and Canon 70-200 f/2.8 II lens + 1.4x teleconverter at 1/2000sec, f/4, iso 160, handheld.

Lapping Lioness

We could not believe our luck! My photography buddy, Bob, was dreaming of getting an image of a lion drinking at a pool of water. A lioness, thirsty after lunching on a gazelle, wandered around and between 4 safari vehicles (including ours) to get to water. The water was just a small pool that had collected in the tire ruts of the vehicles. The lioness started drinking the water not more than 20 feet away, facing our cameras! Bob’s dream was coming true, and fortunately the rest of us were able to share in that dream.

Lapping Lioness

The Lapping Lioness image that you are seeing is called a Cinemagraph. It is a still photograph that has moving parts. The term and technique were created by Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, fashion photographers. I have created one here to capture this exciting event.

Click on the image if there is no movement in the picture.

Bosque del Apache

Bosque del Apache is Spanish for “woods of the Apache,” and is rooted in the time when the Spanish observed Apaches routinely camped in the riverside forest. Since then the name has come to mean one of the most spectacular national wildlife refuges in North America. Here, tens of thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese, and many kinds of ducks, gather each autumn and stay through the winter feeding on the grains provided by the abundant farmland. This is a must-see place for all wildlife photographers.

My first visit to Bosque was just 10 days ago. We departed the Denver area on December 12 for the long 7-8 hour drive to San Antonio, New Mexico (about 90 minutes south of Albuquerque). The weather was dismal and the forecast was not encouraging. We arrived that evening in the rain. Further, we discovered that the roosting ponds were frozen over due to a major winter storm only a few days earlier. The sandhill cranes were roosting in the Rio Grande river in areas that are not accessible to the public. They were also feeding in fields outside the refuge where the corn crop was more abundant. Poor weather, no sun, and no cranes. What bad luck.

We started our photographic hunt the next morning under cloudy skies driving over rain-soaked muddy roads. The reported 40,000 snow geese were easily spotted on the north loop of the refuge. We watched and photographed in awe as a blizzard of snow geese exploded into a swirl of white and wings, at the slightest provocation, and would swarm about, sometimes right over our head.

Snow Geese Blizzard

Snow Geese Swarm

One goal was to capture the sandhill cranes roosting at sunset and rising at sunrise.  On our last night at the refuge we did get one decent sunset and a good sunrise the next morning. We found a small, partially frozen pond where the cranes were roosting. I have attempted to put this in a short movie/story that includes video clips, audio and stills of some of my best images:

Sandhill Cranes Roosting at Bosque del Apache Movie

We also saw several hawks, 4-5 eagles, one roadrunner, one coyote, bobcats and mountain lions. Just kidding on the bobcats and mountain lions. Bobcats are in residence, but we did not see any. We did see signs everywhere “beware of mountain lions”. We just laughed it off until we heard that the rangers were doing a plaster cast of a fresh lion footprint near the entrance of the refuge. Oh, to get a photograph of one of those!

The Eagle is Landing

Snow Goose in a Flurry

Fly Off to Feed

Cranes in Counter Beat

Last Crane Standing

You can read more about my Sandhill crane photography in a previous post.

Sandhill Cranes Roosting at Monte Vista Colorado

While predators and power lines are a constant threat to the cranes, the greatest danger of all is disappearing wetlands due to development, which in turn affects the cranes’ total population. Annual surveys monitor the population of the birds to help manage the balance between population, wetlands and field food sources to sustain them. Hopefully this will help preserve this spectacular event for generations to come.

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse and Moonset

I thought that I was prepared for the lunar eclipse that was to take place the next morning on Saturday, December 10th. But somehow I managed to wake up late and the lunar eclipse started without me.  I ran to set up my gear and started shooting from my driveway in Eagles Nest in Silverthorne, Colorado. Shortly, the moon started to set behind some trees. I grabbed my gear (Canon 5Dmark2, Canon 500 f/4 lens, Gitzo tripod) jumped into my car and drove to the top of the Hamilton Creek area on other side of the valley to get more altitude. I arrived at the top while the moon was just touching the ridge line of the Gore range. I scrambled to set up my gear and started shooting.

Unfortunately, the lighted crescent sliver was on the bottom edge of the moon and disappearing fast behind Mt. Bloodshaw in the Gore range. I was able to shoot only 4 images. Fortunately one was pretty good.

The image was published in the Summit Daily Newspaper:

Lunar Eclipse in Summit Daily

Leaping Leopards

It’s actually, just one leopard leaping, but the plural sounds more fetching. Leopards and hyenas are mortal enemies. Both are predators and are high in the food chain. But in the event of an encounter,  the leopard will run and can usually outrun the hyenas. Hyenas travel and hunt in packs and that is the true danger to the leopard. A pack of hyenas can corner and kill a leopard. The leopard is a solitary hunter, making it vulnerable when it encounters hyenas. But the one thing the leopard can do that hyenas cannot do – is climb a tree!

We were riding in our safari vehicles in the Masai Mara Game Preserve in Kenya, photographing the extensive wildlife there when we received the news was over the radio – leopard alert! Our driver Ben did a u-turn and headed across the savannah at body-bouncing speed to converge on the leopard location (how they know where to drive is beyond me – there are no signs, no maps, no GPS and the few visible roads are dirt and rutted). And suddenly there it was before us.

On the March

This beautiful cat creature was marching across the flat and open terrain with its tail curled high in the air, head and eyes straight ahead, ignoring the 7 safari vehicles crowding around it. Ben leap-frogged the crowd and positioned the vehicle 100 yards ahead of the cat. It was heading straight for us! As it approached, it did not change direction. It just walked past like we did not exist. So close, so exciting, my heart was racing.

So Close

Ben did another leap-frog and repositioned our vehicle so that we had a good broadside view as our leopard marched by.  But this time the seemingly steady cadence was interrupted. The leopard stopped, turned its head, and stared as two hyenas came out of nowhere on a diagonal converging collision course.

Hyena Alert

Hyenas in Pursuit

Gaining Distance

The leopard rocketed into full flight, gaining a slim lead away from the hyenas, and leaped up a nearby tree. In one jump it seemed to land halfway up the trunk of the tree. It then scrambled up the trunk like a launching missile landing 0n the nearest branch.

Ready to Leap

Scramble to Safety

It stood in the crotch of the branch, hackles up, teeth barred as it surveyed the threats from its high perch.

On the Look Out

The hyenas eventually lost interest and moved on to track other prey.

When the hyenas were no longer a threat, the leopard descended the tree and continued its solitary march to its destination.

Be sure to watch the video:

Leaping Leopard Video

Just another wildlife encounter in the Masai Mara, Kenya

Galloping Flamingos

It was a long, hard drive by safari vehicle from Amboseli National Park to Loldia House on Lake Naivsha, Kenya. Lake Naivasha is 100 km nw of Nairobi and is known for the recent arrival (since 2006) of thousands of flamingos.  The plan was to eat lunch at the Loldia House camp then proceed to the Lake for a photoshoot. We arrived so late that we had only limited light left under cloudy skies and debated whether it was worth yet again another rough ride to the lake for the photoshoot. Photographic wisdom prevailed – it is better to photoshoot even in poor light than not shoot at all. We quickly dropped off our luggage, jumped back into the vehicles and drove to the lake. Thirty interminable minutes later we arrived at the lake edge where 2 small boats were waiting with a driver and a guide in each boat. The six of us unsteadily climbed into the boats with our gear at the ready.

The light was diminishing fast. The driver and guide barely understood English, but they did understand my hand language and my urgency as I shouted “faster, faster” and waved my hand forward toward a flock of flamingos.

Greater Flamingo Flock

As we approached, the flock rose like a cloud of pink.

Flamingo Fantasy

It looked as if they were galloping across the water as they gained momentum for takeoff. Using my Canon 7D and 70-200 f/4 lens set to ISO 800 for a 1/4000 sec shutter speed at f/2.8 and handheld, I was able to capture this small micro group out of the hundreds that were streaming past our boat.

Galloping Flamingos

It was breathtaking to be surrounded by such clamor, sound and motion. Soon it would be dark. We returned to camp exhausted but exhilarated and very happy that we had made the right decision to proceed to the lake.

The Great Wildebeest Migration

Five hundred wildebeest gather on the cliff edge waiting for the first one to descend and start the crossing of the Mara River. One drops over, either by desire or by being pushed by the crush of the crowd behind it. The living landslide starts as the beests pour over the edge, like the sands in an hourglass and plunge into the river. And so another crossing of the Mara River begins in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya, Africa.

Reaching The Tipping Point

Pouring Into the Ravine

Plunging Into the Mara River

The crossing of the Mara is just one of a number of river crossings that the wildebeests encounter as they trek their annual migratory route. The great wildebeest migration has been called one of the greatest wildlife shows on earth. 1.5 to 2.0 million wildebeest and 200,00 zebras move in a constant cycle of birth to death from the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya, then continue back to the Serengeti. It’s a continuous cycle, with no beginning or end.

Migration Route

If there is a beginning, it would be at the moment of birth or better yet, at the 3 weeks of birthing. 400,000 calves are born over a 3-4 week period in January/February in the Serengeti. In 3-5 hours they are ready to run with the herd. From mid May to July the herd travels north, following the rains and rain- fed grass. They cross the border from Tanzania to the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya, where, they reside through October.

While in the Masai Mara, they will cross the Mara river many times because “the grass is always greener on the other side” of the river. There is no set schedule or location. Sometimes it may be twice in a day, other times there may be no crossing for days.

The Crossing

We departed our tented camp at 6:30am for the Mara river. Traveling over rutted roads and through muddy streams filled with wildebeest and zebras, we arrived at the edge of the Mara ravine just minutes before the “tipping point”. We were fortunate to see only 5 other safari vehicles (the day before there were 50-60 vehicles) waiting for the event. We positioned our vehicle on the edge of the ravine with a view into the river. We waited. Within ten minutes the first beest descended over the edge. Seconds later, hundreds followed on its heels, plunging into the river and swimming against a strong current to the other side.

One of the Hazards

In addition to a strong current and potential drownings, the Mara river is infested with crocodiles. The very first crossing of the season, when the crocs are the hungriest, is the most dangerous for the wildebeest. The crocs have a feast, gorge themselves on wildebeest, then are content for 2-3 months between meals. The crossing in this video clip contains no crocodile feasting.

Wildebeest Crossing the Mara River Video

In October the migration moves south back to the Serengeti and the cycle continues.

Returning to the Serengeti

For my images of wildlife in Kenya click:

Kenya, Africa – A Wildlife Photographers Fantasyland

Waterlilies of Giverny, France

Photography cannot do justice to the pastoral setting and former home of the world’s leading impressionist – Claude Monet. He lived and worked for 40 years in this town 50 miles from Paris where he painted in a style that is captivating to this day. Photographers and tourists flock to this haven from around the world to experience the famous gardens and the waterlily pond made famous by the Monet’s waterlily paintings.

Claude Monet House and Studio at Giverny

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Dawn’s Light Receives Second Award and is on Exhibit at Rockport Art Association

Dawn’s Light has received Second Place in the Open category at the Mile High Wildlife Photo Club competition. This is the second award for Dawn’s Light.

It has also been accepted into the New England Invitational show at the Rockport Art Association, Rockport, Massachusetts. It can be viewed as a large framed (24×32) print at the show from October 8 thru November 13, 2011. View a previous post for the description Dawns Light

Dawn's Light

Kenya – Wildlife Videos

Have a look at these videos made from video clips and stills of wildlife during our Kenya safari.

Elephant Stampede

A group of elephants are startled by humans, panic, and start a stampede. The group is running at high speed towards our vehicles and bellowing. Fortunately they veered off to the right. We were in awe.

Wildebeest Crossing the Mara River

Five hundred wildebeest gather on the cliff edge waiting for the first one to descend and start the crossing of the Mara River. The wildebeest make the crossing because the grass is greener on the other side of the river. Then they come back. There is no set schedule or set location. Some days they may make 2 crossings, other days none at all. 1.5 million wildebeest migrate to the lush plains of the Maasai Mara in Kenya for the summer from the Serengeti in Tanzania as they follow the rains in a cloclwise migration path. By October they start their migration south back to Tanzania and the cycle continues. There is no beginning and no end, just a continuous cycle.

The Mara river is infested with crocodiles. The very first crossing of the season when the crocs are the most hungry is the most dangerous for the wildebeest. The crocs have a feast, gourge themselves on wildebeest, then are content for 2-3 months between meals. The crossing in this video clip contains no crocodile feasting.

Lions Playing with Cubs

A pride of lions is a social community of about 6 female lions, their dependent cubs and 2-3 resident male lions. Mothers of similarly aged cubs form a “crèche” and remain together for 1–2 years. Crèche-mates often nurse and care for each other’s cubs. The primary advantage of forming a crèche is that a group of females is better able to protect their young against incursions of outside males.

Giraffes Necking

Young male giraffes engage in a ritual called ”necking” which is a form of play fighting. Eventually this will lead to full scale dominance behavior to achieve the best of the breed for later mating.

My top images can be seen at:

Kenya – A Wildlife Photographers Fantasyland