The Wildlife Photography Thread

[Lighthawk]

Thanks everyone.
N'kwala, I too love the avocet. They exhibit this spread wing behavior, I assume is about attracting the opposite sex.

 

[Lighthawk]

Here's a phone snap of a pair of alligator lizards I found in my back lot at work. One lizard is gripping the other by the head. I couldn't tell if this was mating behavior or two males fighting. A friend has referred me to a herpetologist with the Los Angeles Natural History Museum who's doing a study. I wish I had used a better camera than my Samsung G7 phone.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Pretty cool Andy.
Nice photo,you have to shoot with what you have at the time.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

Here's a few recent reptiles................

 

[ski3pin]

Any update, love or battle?

Here's a phone snap of a pair of alligator lizards I found in my back lot at work. One lizard is gripping the other by the head. I couldn't tell if this was mating behavior or two males fighting. A friend has referred me to a herpetologist with the Los Angeles Natural History Museum who's doing a study. I wish I had used a better camera than my Samsung G7 phone.

 

[park]

I've been out on the road for the past three months and rolled back into the PNW last week. I'm so far behind on updating my blogsite that I'm about to give up on it but thought I'd throw up some photos taken over the last month.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Park, very nice photography!

 

[pvstoy]

Good stuff Park! Yellowstone... Mom badger had 4 cubs. We were there holiday weekend photographing multiple days along with 100's of our new personal friends (not). I have her coming back from hunting with two baby ground squirrels in her mouth, just need to find time to look at them... Most people there have no clue how rare it is to see a badger den out in the open without brush in the way. And to have it at a pull out with a bathroom to boot.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[takesiteasy]

Great photos as usual. Thanks for posting. I always enjoy your photos and reports of your travels- here's hoping you stick with your blog.

 

[Lighthawk]

Any update, love or battle?

Nothing definitive from the experts. My bet is on love.
The two times that I've seen this behavior, the aggressor appears more reddish in coloration.
Yes, I said two times.

Oddly enough, since the post to inaturalist.org, I witnessed another occurrence of head grabbing by a pair of lizards.
We were out foraging for spring kings and morels, which are popular with the wild mushroom crowd, when I spotted another pair of alligator lizards doing the same head grab behavior. Although the same size, the dominant lizard is above to drag the lesser along with speed and without resistance. It's almost like they have a "Spock" grab on the submissive lizard. Unfortunately, this fast moving couple escaped under the bark of a fallen tree before I could retrieve my camera.

It was really interesting, because we were at 5,000' elevation, almost twice as the 2600' elevation of the other pair of lizards I had photographed and sent on to the reptile curator at the L.A. Museum of Natural History.

 

[Lighthawk]

From last weekend, hanging out around 7,700'

I first saw the mister with his cerulean wings, go flitting by.
But, the missus was more accommodating for the camera, and was quite friendly.

 

[ski3pin]

Very nice shot of the missus! We love the bluebirds, who doesn't? Also, thanks for the information on the gator lizards. My vote's on love also.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Mountain bluebirds are so beautiful... Wonderful photo of the girl!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Andy,very nice photo.
We don't get to see them except when in the mountains.
So it's great to see your post.
Frank

 

[takesiteasy]

Any update, love or battle?

Nothing definitive from the experts. My bet is on love.
The two times that I've seen this behavior, the aggressor appears more reddish in coloration.
Yes, I said two times.

Oddly enough, since the post to inaturalist.org, I witnessed another occurrence of head grabbing by a pair of lizards.
We were out foraging for spring kings and morels, which are popular with the wild mushroom crowd, when I spotted another pair of alligator lizards doing the same head grab behavior. Although the same size, the dominant lizard is above to drag the lesser along with speed and without resistance. It's almost like they have a "Spock" grab on the submissive lizard. Unfortunately, this fast moving couple escaped under the bark of a fallen tree before I could retrieve my camera.

It was really interesting, because we were at 5,000' elevation, almost twice as the 2600' elevation of the other pair of lizards I had photographed and sent on to the reptile curator at the L.A. Museum of Natural History.

Found this page: https://nhm.org/nature/blog/lizard-love-bites
Seems love is the answer.

 

[park]

Good stuff Park! Yellowstone... Mom badger had 4 cubs. We were there holiday weekend photographing multiple days along with 100's of our new personal friends (not). I have her coming back from hunting with two baby ground squirrels in her mouth, just need to find time to look at them... Most people there have no clue how rare it is to see a badger den out in the open without brush in the way. And to have it at a pull out with a bathroom to boot.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. I never could get the fourth cub lined up like I wanted. I spent several hours over a few days watching the den and saw all four out on several occasions. I got some shots but it seemed one of their heads was always behind something or something was out of place. You're right, it was quite the treat watching a denning badger like this with such a clear view. I'd seen dens before but never like this.

 

[pvstoy]

Park I quickly looked at my badger images and I have a series that exactly matches yours. Three sessions and I never got anything good with the four cubs. Never lined up for a group photo. I was standing next to you, we may have talked. Were you in the hardsided camper? We were in the hawk flatbed. I was standing next to Dyson the cinema photographer who we have meet before. Good stuff.....

 

[MarkBC]

An unusual visitor today to my backyard "birdbath". Cooper's Hawk, I believe. Maybe s/he was also checking out the prey...
(birdbatch in quotes because I've never seen a bird bathe in it -- all critters use it as drinking water).

Drinking action shots:
Sorry about the blurry head, but I wanted to show that the bird was actually there to drink


I've seen one of these in my wooded yard (two of them once), swooping around through the trees, scaring the prey-birds, just a handful of times in the past couple of years.
I walked into the kitchen, looked out the window and >>gasp<< look at that! I crept into the other room to get my D750 (which fortunately already had the tele on it)...though I was sure it would fly off. But it posed for quite a while.

 

[ski3pin]

Fun visitor!

Very nice, Mr. BC!

 

[Lighthawk]

Lucky! (and well prepared)
Those are some cool shots that really show off the bird.