Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[Halichoeres]

Those Alaskan landscape shots are outstanding. Heard you guys had an earthquake overnight, but I guess it was a pretty long way off from Nome.

[Archinto]

It was a series of two quakes and was a 7.1 magnitude. The epicenter was near mt Iliamna (volcano) on the mai land side of cook inlet. I had to hold onto my tall fish aquariums but nothing fell. No tsunami warnings either.

[Doug Watson]

Heres a couple shots of where I ride. Been to the tippy top of this mountain on the opposite side of it.

Beautiful shots Archinto! I'm Canadian and even I think that looks c-c-cold. What would your elevation be in that shot looking at Mt Ascension? I notice there are no scrub trees to be seen anywhere there. I checked the map and I see you are still below the tree line so must be the elevation.

[Doug Watson]

Some shots from around the homestead. Nearby deer and visitors to my bird feeder.

Two Whitetail doe foraging in a nearby thicket. This shows how dark some get in the winter. In the summer they can be bright orange and in fall and winter they go brown like the one on the right or almost black like the one on the left. The lighter brown is more common.


My backyard feeder with two Chickadees.


Black Capped Chickadee


Tree Sparrow


Male Cardinal


Slate Coloured Junco


Cottontail Wabbit and Grey Squirrel tracks.

[Gwangi]

Great shots Doug. I love feeding the birds in the winter but I've neglected to do it this year. 

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

Nice winter pictures.  I don't see much wildlife around my house save for an occasional rabbit or squirrel, but I hope to have some pictures to share from the zoo when I go this week, they're very inviting to native wildlife there and I've seen some birds I normally wouldn't have.

[Archinto]

Heres a couple shots of where I ride. Been to the tippy top of this mountain on the opposite side of it.

Beautiful shots Archinto! I'm Canadian and even I think that looks c-c-cold. What would your elevation be in that shot looking at Mt Ascension? I notice there are no scrub trees to be seen anywhere there. I checked the map and I see you are still below the tree line so must be the elevation.

The city of Seward is at sea level. These are some of our surrounding mountains. I was at about 3000-3500' at that shot. The top of ascension is between 5000-6000' thus area is known as Lost Lake and s about 5 minutes or less north of seward

[Viking Spawn]

Glorious bird pics Doug!  Especially the Cardinal which also happens to be Ohio's state bird and common around my home.

[Doug Watson]

Glorious bird pics Doug!  Especially the Cardinal which also happens to be Ohio's state bird and common around my home.

Thanks, I have a brother and a nephew living in Ohio now, both US citizens. When I was young Cardinals didn't make it up here, they have spread north in the last 40 or so years. Our provincial bird is the Blue Jay and we have lots of those! Of course good luck trying to get them to sit still for a picture.

[Halichoeres]

Heres a couple shots of where I ride. Been to the tippy top of this mountain on the opposite side of it.

Beautiful shots Archinto! I'm Canadian and even I think that looks c-c-cold. What would your elevation be in that shot looking at Mt Ascension? I notice there are no scrub trees to be seen anywhere there. I checked the map and I see you are still below the tree line so must be the elevation.

The city of Seward is at sea level. These are some of our surrounding mountains. I was at about 3000-3500' at that shot. The top of ascension is between 5000-6000' thus area is known as Lost Lake and s about 5 minutes or less north of seward

Oh, you're in Seward! I don't know why I thought you were in Nome; I think I must've confused you with a friend of mine who works for Fish & Wildlife in Nome and has been posting photos on facebook.

[Viking Spawn]

Glorious bird pics Doug!  Especially the Cardinal which also happens to be Ohio's state bird and common around my home.

Thanks, I have a brother and a nephew living in Ohio now, both US citizens. When I was young Cardinals didn't make it up here, they have spread north in the last 40 or so years. Our provincial bird is the Blue Jay and we have lots of those! Of course good luck trying to get them to sit still for a picture.

Blue Jays come around every once in a while.  But I also agree, birds in general are very uncooperative subjects.  Hence why I haven't taken too many pics of them. 

[Gwangi]

Alright, this is kind of cheating because these were already posted on page 8. I was going to upload some of my better bird feeder pictures and realized they were already here somewhere.

Someone mention blue jays? They really are difficult to photograph, very alert birds. This is probably my best shot of one.


Lots of cardinals. This house I lived in was very generous with bird life. Not so much where I live now directly in town.

[Viking Spawn]

Nice Blue Jay and Cardinal pics!  Little boogers won't hold still long enough for me to get cool shots like that!

[Doug Watson]

Someone mention blue jays? They really are difficult to photograph, very alert birds. This is probably my best shot of one.

Great shot, I don't think I have ever taken a shot that close of a Blue Jay, they don't call them the alarm of the woods for nothing. They always seem to be on high alert. I had two at the feeder this morning and the minute I raised my camera they were gone. I think I need to build a blind.

[Gwangi]

Someone mention blue jays? They really are difficult to photograph, very alert birds. This is probably my best shot of one.

Great shot, I don't think I have ever taken a shot that close of a Blue Jay, they don't call them the alarm of the woods for nothing. They always seem to be on high alert. I had two at the feeder this morning and the minute I raised my camera they were gone. I think I need to build a blind.

A blind is basically what I had when I took the picture, and by blind I mean my house. I cut a hole in a piece of cardboard that my camera lens would fit through and fit it into my open window. I could have take that shot out in nature with the cameras/lens I have.

[JurassicGeek09]

I hear things are still pretty lousy in the States with the amounts of snow you've received. As a Canadian, I emphasize, really and truly.

Also, it was +2 celcius yesterday and nearly all of our snow has melted

[Gwangi]

The weather is great here in NY, still above average. I don't think we've accumulated anything more than 2" at a time this year. I haven't even had to shovel the driveway yet. But other places have been hit hard, mostly to the south which is odd. Let them get some snow for a change I guess.

[Doug Watson]

A blind is basically what I had when I took the picture, and by blind I mean my house. I cut a hole in a piece of cardboard that my camera lens would fit through and fit it into my open window. I could have take that shot out in nature with the cameras/lens I have.

I think if I start putting up cardboard in my window and periodically poking a lens through a hole the lady next door will have the police on me 

[Gwangi]

A blind is basically what I had when I took the picture, and by blind I mean my house. I cut a hole in a piece of cardboard that my camera lens would fit through and fit it into my open window. I could have take that shot out in nature with the cameras/lens I have.

I think if I start putting up cardboard in my window and periodically poking a lens through a hole the lady next door will have the police on me 

Just be careful where you point the camera. "I was photographing birds officer, I swear" is a line probably delivered often by both bird watchers and peepers alike. I've had a few curious people wonder what I'm doing out at night with a camera and flashlight, walking around the swamp between houses. Luckily I had actual frog photographs on my camera to back me up.

[Halichoeres]

A blind is basically what I had when I took the picture, and by blind I mean my house. I cut a hole in a piece of cardboard that my camera lens would fit through and fit it into my open window. I could have take that shot out in nature with the cameras/lens I have.

I think if I start putting up cardboard in my window and periodically poking a lens through a hole the lady next door will have the police on me 

Just be careful where you point the camera. "I was photographing birds officer, I swear" is a line probably delivered often by both bird watchers and peepers alike. I've had a few curious people wonder what I'm doing out at night with a camera and flashlight, walking around the swamp between houses. Luckily I had actual frog photographs on my camera to back me up.

That's funny. Similarly, I moved in with a roommate around 15 years back and as I was unpacking he saw my binoculars and said, "What the hell are those for?" I said, "Watching birds, of course!" and he nodded and said, "You're the only person in the world I'd believe that from." Of course, he didn't know you guys.