Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[Doug Watson]

@Doug: That's amazing, what a cool experience. Glad your wife's hand survived...

Yes, so were we. It was amazing we were both holding our hands out when suddenly his mouth opened, her hand disappeared and poof the mitt was gone. She said she didn't feel a thing but those two teeth were so sharp they just broke the surface of her skin. Made me very thankful he let me back off the bone when I was alone with him.

[Viking Spawn]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Doug!  That is an interesting story!  I'd love to see one of them up close too other than a zoo.  However, that probably would be my luck I'd end up the animal's next meal.  Therefore, seeing them from a distance and shooting them with only a camera is good enough for me.

I'd also love to see a Mountain Lion in the wild too. 

[Doug Watson]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Doug!  That is an interesting story!  I'd love to see one of them up close too other than a zoo.  However, that probably would be my luck I'd end up the animal's next meal.  Therefore, seeing them from a distance and shooting them with only a camera is good enough for me.

I'd also love to see a Mountain Lion in the wild too.

Have you got any shots of wolves in the wild, I would love to see them? My only encounter in the wild was biking early in the mourning in Gatineau Park. It came out of the bush in front of me on the left and crossed the road in a trot and disappeared into the bush on the right. No time to get a camera out. Other than that I heard a pack howling in the distance, that sends a chill down your spine. I would love to see a cougar, I have been in cougar country out west but no luck, no luck with grizzlies either. I have seen lots of Black Bears, the closest being about 15 feet away.  Of our other mammals I have seen Bobcat, Coyotes, Foxes, Weasels, Mink, Otters, Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep, Deer, Beaver, Porcupine etc. I still would love to see a Lynx, I have only seen their tracks, and a Wolverine would really be cool.

[Gwangi]

Great wolf story Doug, thanks for sharing. It just goes to show you that even though they're related to dogs and look like dogs you don't want to treat them like dogs.

I often lament living in the northeast simply because most of our larger mammals are gone. I've always loved the Aldo Leopold quote "one of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds" and it's absolutely true. I always find myself looking out at the landscapes and thinking about the animals that should be there but aren't. Cougars, wolves, woodland caribou, bison and elk all used to call New York home and they're not here anymore. Many animals once common are greatly reduced in number as well; moose, otter, porcupine etc.

But on the flip side of that the northeast is actually doing better than it has historically, what with the reforestation. So we have animals making a comeback that were once rare or absent. Coyotes for one but also black bear, ravens, bald eagles, otters etc. So it's nice to see something like that happening, even within my own lifetime I've noticed the changes. Black bears are here now, they weren't when I was a kid. Ravens can be seen or heard daily, that wasn't the case only 10 or so years ago. Historically there weren't even any deer, turkey or beaver left in NY. I feel confident that in my lifetime cougars will have come back on their own accord, and I can't wait for the day I see one. Still haven't seen a black bear but I've seen sign so I'm sure one will cross my path soon enough. Hopefully I have the camera ready.

[Doug Watson]

Great wolf story Doug, thanks for sharing. It just goes to show you that even though they're related to dogs and look like dogs you don't want to treat them like dogs.

I often lament living in the northeast simply because most of our larger mammals are gone. I've always loved the Aldo Leopold quote "one of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds" and it's absolutely true. I always find myself looking out at the landscapes and thinking about the animals that should be there but aren't. Cougars, wolves, woodland caribou, bison and elk all used to call New York home and they're not here anymore. Many animals once common are greatly reduced in number as well; moose, otter, porcupine etc.

But on the flip side of that the northeast is actually doing better than it has historically, what with the reforestation. So we have animals making a comeback that were once rare or absent. Coyotes for one but also black bear, ravens, bald eagles, otters etc. So it's nice to see something like that happening, even within my own lifetime I've noticed the changes. Black bears are here now, they weren't when I was a kid. Ravens can be seen or heard daily, that wasn't the case only 10 or so years ago. Historically there weren't even any deer, turkey or beaver left in NY. I feel confident that in my lifetime cougars will have come back on their own accord, and I can't wait for the day I see one. Still haven't seen a black bear but I've seen sign so I'm sure one will cross my path soon enough. Hopefully I have the camera ready.

You just reminded me that I saw bison on my western trip as well and Pronghorn on our trip to the Grand Canyon. You may see cougar in NY state yet, we seem to have at least one unconfirmed report every year mind you sometimes it is someone's pet or a zoo escapee. We have a local small zoo that has a lot of big cats. One day one of there tigers escaped and caused a bit of a panic. It was found on the same day sunning itself in the middle of the road. Luckily no one got hurt or eaten that we know of. I have to remind myself to carry my camera with me all the time as well. I have missed some beauty shots.

[Gwangi]

Great wolf story Doug, thanks for sharing. It just goes to show you that even though they're related to dogs and look like dogs you don't want to treat them like dogs.

I often lament living in the northeast simply because most of our larger mammals are gone. I've always loved the Aldo Leopold quote "one of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds" and it's absolutely true. I always find myself looking out at the landscapes and thinking about the animals that should be there but aren't. Cougars, wolves, woodland caribou, bison and elk all used to call New York home and they're not here anymore. Many animals once common are greatly reduced in number as well; moose, otter, porcupine etc.

But on the flip side of that the northeast is actually doing better than it has historically, what with the reforestation. So we have animals making a comeback that were once rare or absent. Coyotes for one but also black bear, ravens, bald eagles, otters etc. So it's nice to see something like that happening, even within my own lifetime I've noticed the changes. Black bears are here now, they weren't when I was a kid. Ravens can be seen or heard daily, that wasn't the case only 10 or so years ago. Historically there weren't even any deer, turkey or beaver left in NY. I feel confident that in my lifetime cougars will have come back on their own accord, and I can't wait for the day I see one. Still haven't seen a black bear but I've seen sign so I'm sure one will cross my path soon enough. Hopefully I have the camera ready.

You just reminded me that I saw bison on my western trip as well and Pronghorn on our trip to the Grand Canyon. You may see cougar in NY state yet, we seem to have at least one unconfirmed report every year mind you sometimes it is someone's pet or a zoo escapee. We have a local small zoo that has a lot of big cats. One day one of there tigers escaped and caused a bit of a panic. It was found on the same day sunning itself in the middle of the road. Luckily no one got hurt or eaten that we know of. I have to remind myself to carry my camera with me all the time as well. I have missed some beauty shots.

There was a cougar caught on a camera trap in the Adirondacks a few years back, the same cougar ended up hit by a car in Connecticut. DNA tests confirmed that it was of western origin. South Dakota I believe. That's some long distance traveling! As secretive as they are I'm sure there are a couple more roaming around for every one that's actually confirmed. I'm not sure that they're in the heavily farmed areas surrounding where I live in but surly they'll return to the Adirondacks in short order. I always make sure I have my camera with me, even if I'm just taking the dog out for a short hike. You never know what you'll see and as usual the most interesting things show up when you don't have your camera on you. I'm still pissed I couldn't photograph that snowy owl two years ago!

[Viking Spawn]

Sorry Doug, but I have no pictures of wolves.  They are non existent in Ohio to my knowledge.  I'd love to catch a pic of either a coyote, coywolf, or even a fox someday.  However, they are all nocturnal and seldom seen.   

I have heard that black bear are making a comeback in my state too.  I have yet to see one and/or they haven't made it this far west to my area.  I've only seen a fox a few times which I unfortunately, never had a camera ready when the moment happened.  Someday.

There is a wildlife recovery center ("Back to the Wild" in Castalia, Ohio) about 20 minutes from me that had nursed a bobcat back to health that was hit by a vehicle in a neighboring county.  I was so excited to see and confirm there are still some left in Ohio.  I just hope it was a wild creature and not one that was a pet that had gotten loose.

[Gwangi]

Sorry Doug, but I have no pictures of wolves.  They are non existent in Ohio to my knowledge.  I'd love to catch a pic of either a coyote, coywolf, or even a fox someday.  However, they are all nocturnal and seldom seen.   

I have heard that black bear are making a comeback in my state too.  I have yet to see one and/or they haven't made it this far west to my area.  I've only seen a fox a few times which I unfortunately, never had a camera ready when the moment happened.  Someday.

There is a wildlife recovery center ("Back to the Wild" in Castalia, Ohio) about 20 minutes from me that had nursed a bobcat back to health that was hit by a vehicle in a neighboring county.  I was so excited to see and confirm there are still some left in Ohio.  I just hope it was a wild creature and not one that was a pet that had gotten loose.

Bobcats, coyotes and foxes are quite common around here. That said, I've only ever seen one bobcat and a few coyotes. I have seen plenty of foxes though, both gray and red. More frequently I'll find sign; tracks, bones, droppings etc. And coyotes are quite vocal too so it's always fun to keep an ear out, and occasionally howl back. Never had the chance to photograph any of them though.

My first coyote was a really special sighting. I spent 10 years as a farm hand and one day I was raking hay in a field bordered by a forest. This coyote strolls out, in the middle of the day and just watches me while he slowly trots across the field. He must have been within 100 ft. at one point but maybe since I was on a tractor he wasn't alarmed. Beautiful animal, a perfect specimen, a memory I'll never forget.

I cherish every sighting of I get of these elusive predators. It's sad that we live in a world where they're still so hated and misunderstood. It's a good thing these animals are smart and secretive, otherwise they would probably be extirpated just like the larger predators.

[Viking Spawn]

That is so very true in regards to large predators.  I'm simply happy that my children are still reading about and seeing the ones that still exist in the wild today.  Such as your lions, tigers, etc...  Its sad to think with their ever decreasing numbers, if our grandchildren will ever be able to see one or will simply have to read about them in books or visit a history museum to get an idea what they have missed.   

[Doug Watson]

The way we react when there is a human casualty I am amazed we still have any large predators still living with us in North America. I am convinced if Tigers lived here and killed people as often as they do in India they would have been wiped out long ago. I fear for the Mountain Lion because there are more and more fatal encounters with humans these days.
I hope you guys get to see a Black Bear in the wild it is truly breath taking. I saw five alive growing up in Quebec and three of those were older cubs. I have seen one adult in Ontario and one in Alberta. One hot summer in Quebec when I was a kid there was so little food in the woods the bears were coming into our town and many were killed on sight. They strung many of them up behind the town hall to show off I suppose. It is better today with tranquilizer guns and I haven't heard of a similar event. My closest meeting was with my brother when we startled an adult in the Gatineau Park and we all walked step for step with each other about 15 feet apart for about 50 feet until we got to some thick bush and then the bear just exploded into the thicket and disappeared. Except for Alberta in all my encounters I either didn't have a camera or it was in my packsack and the bear disappeared before I could get it. I know I got video of the one in Alberta but I can't remember if I got any stills.

[Doug Watson]

I am usually chasing these guys away because they make such a mess at my bird feeder and my chipmunk seed tray but this guy struck such a cute pose I had to snap a shot. This is our Eastern Grey Squirrel. Up here they come in black and grey and the blacks are more common. This one has it's winter coat and extra fat thanks to my sunflower seeds I put out for the Chipmunks. I have had one of these guys this year that is a bit psycho. I have large white quartz rocks under my kayaks because the grass doesn't grow there and all summer one of these guys has been coming in and stealing them. I see it running away on top of the fences with the rocks in its mouth. Sometimes it leaves one at the sunflower dish. Somebody in my neighbourhood is getting my rocks and probably has no idea where they are coming from. We also have a Red Squirrel and a Flying Squirrel but I have never seen the latter in the wild. I have seen some neat Fox and Ground Squirrels out west and in the US maybe some of you could share your squirrels.



Here is our Grey version in the spring.

[Halichoeres]

What possible use could it have for your rocks?!

[Gwangi]

Here in New York we have red, grey and fox squirrels, northern and southern flying squirrels and eastern chipmunks and woodchucks aka ground hogs aka whistle pigs (my personal favorite name for them). I've never seen a wild flying squirrel or fox squirrel though and our squirrel diversity is pitiful compared to what they have out west. It is interesting Doug that you have more black phase grey squirrels than actual grey squirrels. They seem more prevalent in urban areas. You can find populations of them scattered about the state and I used to live close to town that had a pretty large population (I have a black squirrel mounted on my wall). Those populations though are never out in the country but usually restricted to small towns.

I'm currently reading "Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide". Excellent and fascinating book.   

[Doug Watson]

What possible use could it have for your rocks?!

That is why I said "psycho", I have no idea except that it has some kind of compulsion. Maybe he/she fell out of the nest on its head when it was young.

@ Gwangi - up here the blacks are just as common in the bush as they are in urban areas. We have groundhogs up here as well (my daughter called them warthogs when she was young  . I have never heard them referred to as whistlepigs, that is cute. They remind me of tiny Grizzly Bears when they stand up and survey the horizon.

[Doug Watson]

I had some errands to run and I finally remembered to bring my camera, I saw two Red Tailed Hawks on high perches but each time I stopped they took off. Same thing with 6 White Tail deer foraging at an apple tree. I did spot this flock of 50 Wild Turkeys on the same strip of Greenbelt. There was another smaller flock off to the right in the same field. It is amazing to think these were extinct in Ontario as late as the 1980s when they started a reintroduction plan now they are widespread in the province. Too bad all recovery plans don't go as well.
The big flock had two Smoke Phase Turkeys, that's the first time I have seen them in my life.

Big Flock



Normal colour.



Smoke phase.

[Gwangi]

Beautiful! I absolutely love wild turkeys, they certainly have a dinosaurian air about them. I've never seen or heard of the "smokep phase turkey" before. Very cool.

[Doug Watson]

What possible use could it have for your rocks?!

Actually I did have the funny notion that this might be a take on the Three Little Pigs story and like the pig who built his house out of bricks, instead of building a nest of leaves high in a tree somewhere there is a quartz nest just waiting to come crashing down. 

[stargatedalek]

Very impressive flock! I've only ever seen smoke phase in captivity before and I don't know much about it, is it a developmental or environmental phase?

[Doug Watson]

Very impressive flock! I've only ever seen smoke phase in captivity before and I don't know much about it, is it a developmental or environmental phase?

I had never seen one in the wild so I had to look it up when I got home. Another passer bye thought it was a juvenile but according to all the references I could find it is a naturally occurring phase and when you are born a smoke you stay a smoke. They show up here in the north and in the south as well. According to one article I found "the wild turkey has four distinct color variations from what is considered the usual plumage. They are the smoke phase, the erythritic or red phase, the melanistic or black phase, and the true albinos, which are pure white with pink eyes. Although these color variations are uncommon, the smoke phase is the most frequently seen. Recessive genes or mutations account for the color abnormalities."

[Doug Watson]

As a postscript to the Turkey story back in the 80s I was appearing at a Wildlife Art Show in Buckhorn Ontario and they had a live Wild Turkey on display to help launch their reintroduction in Ontario so I knew about the story. What I didn't know was it all started with only 274 Wild Turkeys. It has been so successful they have now exceeded their historical range. I found the following background info while looking up the Smoke Phase.

"In 1984, Ontario received 274 wild turkeys from various U.S. states in exchange for river otters, partridge, geese and moose. A total of 274 turkeys were released at a number of locations throughout southern Ontario. As those flourished, the MNR began trapping the turkeys and moving them further away from their original drop points, establishing new populations. The 80,000 to 100,000 turkeys that now call Ontario home are all descendants of those 274 turkeys released in the province, just 27 years ago."