wildlife photography – Page 53 – A Thousand Acres of Silphiums

Birds of the Texas Gulf Coast – White-tailed Hawk

birds, Texas Gulf Coast Birding, wildlife photography

white-tailed-hawk-accipitridae-geranoaetus-albicaudatus-520a7996 — White-tailed Hawk – Fort Bend County, TX

This stunning and large buteo is often seen with the last Texas gulf coast bird featured, the White-tailed Kite. This was one of the birds that Steve and I got a big kick out of finding. Although common and abundant over much of its range in the Americas, the White-tailed Hawk can only be found along the Texas coast and the Rio Grande Valley within the United States. I was doubly fortunate to be able to find another perched in a tree in Fort Bend County when my New-Englander friend, Sam, and I came across it during a few precious hours birding following several hectic days on the job.

white-tailed-hawk-accipitridae-geranoaetus-albicaudatus-520a6048 — White-tailed Hawk, San Bernard NWR, TX

White-tailed Hawks are birds of the air. Pete Dunne (Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion) suggests that the species is most often spotted in the air. Steve and I first located a pair at San Bernard NWR on an island of trees within coastal prairie. I paid the price by taking a number of fire ant bites by wading through the prairie trying to get a bit closer. We watched as the pair eventual flushed and rose higher and higher on the coastal thermals, eventually rising to a height where they were almost invisible to the naked eye. Once spotted in the air, there is no mistaking this species with any other bird, with contrasting white body with black-edged wings and striped tail.

white-tailed-hawk-accipitridae-geranoaetus-albicaudatus-520a8003 — White-tailed Hawk – Fort Bend County, TX

Until next time…
-OZB

In the Land of the Blind the One-eyed Man is King

birds, wildlife, wildlife photography

Hooded Mergansers - Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary - St. Charles Co, MO — Hooded Mergansers First Year Males – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary – St. Charles Co, MO

The one-eyed man referred to in the title of this post is, of course, the photographer with a telephoto lens sticking out of a well-placed blind. Yes, we are all aware of and use to good effect the mobile blind – our warm vehicles. However, shooting from a car in a place like RMBS leaves a bit to be desired.

6a1a5722 — Common Goldeneye – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary – St. Charles Co, MO

From a car, the angle at which the birds are photographed will always be at the same downwards angle that in my opinion is less desirable than being close to eye level, which sitting low in a a portable ‘bag’ style blind can afford.

6a1a5316 — Hooded Merganser Hen – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary – St. Charles Co, MO

Although I have owned such a blind for a few years, I have only recently given it some real use with friend and fellow like-minded nature photographer, Miguel Acosta. All of the images from this post were made in our first attempts at this and even with limited light and opportunities, I can already see the potential in using this technique for improving photography of waterfowl.

6a1a5377 — Hooded Merganser Big Boys – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary – St. Charles Co, MO

Getting an eye-level perspective yields more benefits than just a resting duck. Catching birds taking to flight from the water’s surface from this angle makes for a more powerful image than from above.

6a1a5598 — Lift Off! – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary – St. Charles Co, MO

I’m really glad we tried this out. It is something I’ve been wishing to do for quite some time and I guess it just makes sense that this is the way to do it. Now I just need to think of places and opportunities to try more.

6a1a5820 — Trumpeter Swans – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary – St. Charles Co, MO

Until next time.
-OZB

Birds of the Texas Gulf Coast – Willet

birds, texas gulf birding, wildlife, wildlife photography

willet-scolopacidae-tringa-semipalmata-520a3343 — Willet – Scolopacidae – Tringa semipalmata – Anahuac NWR, TX.

It is always interesting to find a bird species you are pretty familiar with in a new location or season. Such was the case and pleasant surprise that Steve and I found when stumbling upon the Willet in coastal Texas in May, 2016. This giant puppy dog of a sandpiper is typically a relatively low-key, almost dull bird when spotted in Missouri during its migration. The individuals we observed in Texas, however, were quite conspicuous as they combined long vocalizations with slow flights that really showed off the contrasting black and white wings. They were a pleasure to watch and photograph.

willet-scolopacidae-tringa-semipalmata-520a3251 — Willet – Scolopacidae – Tringa semipalmata – Anahuac NWR, TX.

willet-scolopacidae-tringa-semipalmata-520a3284 — Willet – Scolopacidae – Tringa semipalmata – Anahuac NWR, TX.

-OZB

Bird #275

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Eastern Screech Owl - Strigidae - Megascops asio, Grafton IL — Eastern Screech Owl – Strigidae – Megascops asio – Grafton IL

The 275th bird species I have photographed in Missouri and contiguous states turned out to be a special one. This Eastern Screech Owl is definitely the current most famous bird in the bi-state area. Many thanks to Miguel Acosta for the information. A long time coming.

520a0142 — Eastern Screech Owl – Strigidae – Megascops asio – Grafton IL

-OZB

Birds of the Texas Gulf Coast – White-tailed Kite

birds, Texas Gulf Coast Birding, wildlife, wildlife photography

White-tailed Kite - Accipitridae - Elanus leucurus - Surfside Beach, Texas — White-tailed Kite – Accipitridae – Elanus leucurus – Surfside Beach, Texas

A lifer for both Steve and me, we found this White-tailed Kite along a depressingly narrow strip of native habitat that stretched between private beaches and housing/commercial development.

white-tailed-kite-accipitridae-elanus-leucurus-520a6303 — White-tailed Kite – Accipitridae – Elanus leucurus – Surfside Beach, Texas

white-tailed-kite-accipitridae-elanus-leucurus-520a6216 — White-tailed Kite – Accipitridae – Elanus leucurus – Surfside Beach, Texas

Yellow + Birds

birds, wildlife, wildlife photography

least-flycatcher-tyrannidae-empidonax-minimus-520a1134 — Least Flycatcher – Tyrannidae – Empidonax minimus – Wild Acres Park, St. Louis County, MO.

I happened to notice that I had a few in the queue that featured the color yellow. In most of them the yellow is featured on the bird, but in the one above the yellow is of a flowering plant, perhaps yellow rocket (Barbarea vulgaris), in the foreground and background.

kentucky-warbler-parulidae-oporornis-formosus-6a1a2298 — Kentucky Warbler – Parulidae – Oporornis formosus, Greer Spring Recreation Area, Oregon County, MO.

Prothonotary Warbler - Parulidae - Protonotaria citrea — Prothonotary Warbler – Parulidae – Protonotaria citrea – Little Creve Coeur Lake Marsh, St. Louis County, MO.

magnolia-warbler-parulidae-dendroica-magnolia-520a0922 — Magnolia Warbler – Parulidae – Dendroica magnolia – Wild Acres Park, St. Louis County, MO.

-OZB

Meet the Slugs – Monkey Slug Caterpillar Moth

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Monkey Slug - Limacodidae - Phobetron pithecium (4677) - Horseshoe Bend Natural Area, Texas County, MO — Monkey Slug – Limacodidae – Phobetron pithecium (4677) – Horseshoe Bend Natural Area, Texas County, MO

The final and perhaps most stunning of the slug moth caterpillars that we were able to find this past summer was the Monkey Slug, or “Hag Moth” caterpillar. This particular one was first noticed by Sarah on the upper side of a dogwood leaf during a visit to Horseshoe Bend Natural Area near Houston MO. We went on to find two in this particular tree.

monkey-slug-limacodidae-phobetron-pithecium-4677-img_8896 — Monkey Slug – Limacodidae – Phobetron pithecium (4677) – Horseshoe Bend Natural Area, Texas County, MO

A leading thought on why these guys look the way they do is to mimic the shed exoskeleton of a tarantula.

monkey-slug-limacodidae-phobetron-pithecium-4677-img_8968 — Monkey Slug – Limacodidae – Phobetron pithecium (4677) – Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln County, MO

It’s Swan Season!

birds, wildlife, wildlife photography

Trumpeter Swans - Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles County, MO — Trumpeter Swans – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles County, MO

6a1a3601 — Trumpeter Swans – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles County, MO

6a1a3610 — Trumpeter Swans – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles County, MO

6a1a3623 — Trumpeter Swans – Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles County, MO

Wilson’s Snipe on the Confluence Road

birds, wildlife, wildlife photography

Wilson's Snipe - Scolopacidae - Gallinago delicata - Confluence Road, St. Charles Co, MO. — Wilson’s Snipe – Scolopacidae – Gallinago delicata – Confluence Road, St. Charles Co, MO.

With everyone on Facebook posting their great photos of our Thanksgiving Snipe, I thought I would go ahead and process and share before they got lost and forgotten for months. The photo above is, in my opinion, the most pleasing way of capturing a shore bird. The back of most shore birds are often their most colorful and patterned side. I like to try and capture the from behind with their head turned so to see their eye and the length/shape of their bill.

6a1a3696 — Wilson’s Snipe – Scolopacidae – Gallinago delicata – Confluence Road, St. Charles Co, MO.

I did not bring a wider lens on this morning, but I wish that I had. I counted 17 Snipe within a pretty close distance of each other in a section of sweet and soft mud.

6a1a3703 — Nares Deep! Wilson’s Snipe – Scolopacidae – Gallinago delicata – Confluence Road, St. Charles Co, MO.

In the image above one can imagine the depth they can get with those lance-like bills as they probe the mud for invertebrates. Check out the video below to get an idea of how these guys feed.

-OZB

Meet the Slugs – Elegant-tailed Slug Moth Caterpillar

macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Elegant-tailed Slug Moth - Limacodidae - Packardia elegans (4661) — Elegant-tailed Slug Moth – Limacodidae – Packardia elegans (4661)

I found only a few Elegant-tailed Slugs this year and all were found at Hickory Canyons Natural Area in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri. The image below documents the only occasion where I found more than one slug on the same leaf, here a Spiny Oak Slug was found on the same curled leaf as our new Elegant-tailed Slug.

Spiny Oak and Elegant-tailed Slug Moths – Limacodidae