Photo of the Week

June 25, 2010January 14, 2013

Blacktail Jackrabbit (Photo of the week)

When walking out by the San Francisco Bay in the morning or evening hours, it does not take long to spot a black tail jackrabbit. This is one of a few rabbit species native to the area, not to be confused with the many domesticated feral rabbits. It also likely doesn’t take long to see one of these animals in action, most likely if they sense the threat of a predator. Running at speeds up to 50 miles per hour, they can take single leaps up to 20 feet.

Because they tend to be very wary creatures, it can be difficult to sneak up on one to photograph. Most of my photos are of their backside, as they race away from me across a mud flat or through fields of pickle weed. I got lucky with the rabbit in this week’s photo, as I was able to get off a couple of quick shots before he noticed my presence.

June 19, 2010January 14, 2013

Great Egret In Morning Light (Photo of the week)

This week’s photo is another of the great egrets that populate the area around my home. I took this photo at one of my favorite morning spots, where various egret species tend to congregate. This egret was in a great position to catch the early morning light. I set up my shot and waited until the first rays of the day turned his delicate white plumage a soft orange. Lucky, he seemed in no great hurry and posed for me for quite some time.

I was happy that this morning payed off. Being in the summer months, it is much more of a sacrifice to be up and photographing at dawn (which is currently at 5:45 AM). The weather, light, and yes, the birds must all be cooperating to allow successful images to be made.

June 12, 2010January 14, 2013

Snowy Egret Feather Shake (Photo of the week)

This week’s photo is a snowy egret just after shaking his body to resettle its feathers. He had been fishing along the bank of a slough, and the wind kept disturbing his feathers. He shook his body vigorously to fluff all of his feathers, so that they could resettle into a natural insulating layer.

This type of shake will rearrange the micro-structure of a bird’s outer feathers, keeping water from penetrating the inner feathers. Usually a resettling of the feathers if followed by preening and a little oiling (if the bird has a preen gland). This egret didn’t bother preening at this time, as he seemed very focused on catching dinner.

June 6, 2010January 14, 2013

Reflection At Dawn (Photo of the week)

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a good opportunity for a minimalist portrait of a black-crowned night heron in beautiful light. It was dawn and I saw this heron perched in the middle of a small pond on top of a rock. The water was very still, accentuating the quiet of the morning. The background was the water behind the bird, which would blur into a pure solid. The placid surface created a nice reflection. What drew me to this composition was the lack of habitat (other than the rock on which the heron perched). I couldn’t have created a more fundamental portrait if I had posed the bird in a studio.