A california ground squirrel eats a freshly picked thistle leaf. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1.
Recently I was out photographing birds, but perhaps a little too early in the day for the typical evening activities. Most were slumbering in the late afternoon heat. However, the California ground squirrels were out in force, foraging and grooming, and generally looking cute.
After watching this one give himself a vigorous dirt bath, he hung around the area for a quick snack. He slowly moved from one thistle patch to another, plucking leaves and daintily gnawing at the edges of each leaf until it was gone. A quick look to each side and he was on to the next plant.
As he did this, I couldn’t help but notice how dextrous his tiny hands were in the way he plucked and handled each leaf, slowly turning it in a circle as he bit at the edges. Although they are so numerous it is easy to take them for granted (or think of them as pests!), they certainly are entertaining to watch.
A little while back I photographed my sister-in-law’s basset hound puppies. These two puppies were clumsy and curious, exploring everything around them. No real stories here, just cute puppy pictures.
A basset hound puppy sits on a hard wood floor. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 640. Evaluative metering -2 EV: 1/500 sec. at f/4.A basset hound puppy sits on its dog bed, looking mournful at the camera. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 640. Evaluative metering -2 EV: 1/640 sec. at f/4.A basset hound puppy looks at the camera while her sibling noses at the lens. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 640. Evaluative metering -2 EV: 1/400 sec. at f/4.A basset hound puppy sits outside on the ground, looking pathetic. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 EV: 1/100 sec. at f/5.6.A basset hound puppy sits on its dog bed. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 640. Evaluative metering -2 EV: 1/800 sec. at f/4.
The sun sets on the Crown Point Vista House, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -1/3: .4 sec. at f/16.
Last weekend I was up in Oregon visiting my parents. One of the enjoyable aspects of visiting the area in which I grew up is some of the fantastic photographic opportunities there. Growing up at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, it was easy to take some of the remarkable scenery for granted. But living elsewhere and visiting this area helps me put fresh eyes on a familiar landscape.
This photograph features the famous Crown Point Vista House standing sentinel atop its cliff, overlooking the Columbia River. It is an over-photographed image, but one I love coming back to in different conditions. Here I only wished for a more dynamic sky, but as is always true in landscape photography, you get what nature gives you.
An anna's hummingbird perches on the edge of its nest as it prepares to feed its chicks. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -2/3: 1/640 sec. at f/10.
Recently I was alerted to the location of an anna’s hummingbird nest near my house. After much searching, I found a nest the size of an espresso clinging to a narrow tree branch. No hummingbirds were visible, but I knew this nest contained several recently hatched chicks. I could hear them making faint sounds as they waited for their parent to show up with food. Finally, an adult approached and perched on the edge of the tiny nest.
An anna's hummingbird feeds hungry chicks while perching on the edge of its tiny nest. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -2/3: 1/800 sec. at f/10.
The hummingbird proceeded to feed each chick one by one. Once it was finished feeding them, it settled down for a short rest on to of the nest, incubating the chicks.
An anna's hummingbird sits on top of its nest, incubating young chicks. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -2/3: 1/800 sec. at f/10.
I took these photos from 20 feet away, which is the minimum focusing distance of my lens. It is important to never approach any kind of nest too closely. Doing so will disturb the nest and stress the birds, potentially causing the death of the chicks.
In fact, after taking these photos, I saw a couple approach the nest, and start trying to pull away some of the pine needles you see in the above photos, so that they could get a better view. This is perhaps the most destructive thing they could do, short of picking up the nest and dumping the chicks on the ground. After asking them to back away from the nest, I explained that in pulling away cover, they were exposing the nest to predators, and leaving the nestlings vulnerable. That exact scenario had played out with a similar nest in the area only weeks before. Someone had broken away protective branches around the nest, and all the chicks were killed.
