widening rings… – Page 5 – nature photography and blog of Harsi S. Parker

Philosophizing (and Phoebe)

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This is my favorite portrait of a Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans).

This flycatcher is one of “The Regulars” here in the canyon — a year-round resident and almost impossible not to see or hear every single day.

Familiarity most certainly breeds fondness.

Harsi / July 15, 2011 / birds, quotations / 4 Comments

After hyping my fantastic walk on Wednesday, I promised I’d share it with you all today (Thursday), but as I’m not getting to posting this until midnight, no one will even read this until Friday! *sigh*

Sorry, everybody. It was cloudy and cool again today and (apparently) I have no will power when it comes to such matters. Now I’m about two days behind on other stuff that needed my attention. But, thinking over my memories of the past two days’ walks, I can honestly say I have no regrets! *GRIN*

And now, on to the good stuff…

In the summer months, I keep a few containers filled with water outside our cabin. There are increasingly few water sources for birds and mammals as the seasonal creek shrinks and slows to a trickle in some spots.

In addition to several bird species (including a Cooper’s Hawk!), I have also seen deer, fox, bobcat, coyote, rabbit and squirrel availing themselves.

This Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus) was busy getting a drink as I stepped outside for my walk. *Be sure to click on the image for an amusing bonus shot.* You lookin’ at me??!

In the active months of summer, it can be hard to get past the front of my cabin withougt being distracted by some new arthropod.

In this case, the wooden porch railing was hosting something otherworldy!

This is the immature (nymph) stage of some leafhopper (Family Cicadellidae) species. Up close, It’s very impressive looking — with that spiked tail — but its actual size is all of about 2 to 3 millimeters.

One of the best parts about cool weather in the summer months is that many of these insects will slow down considerably.

Looking for resting bees hanging out in the center of flowers is one of my favorite pastimes.

I would have stayed longer taking more photographs of this bee (no ID yet!) resting in a white Oleander bloom, but one of my neighbors was apparently becoming quite agitated…

Another gray squirrel had climbed high into the bare branches of an olive tree, twitching its tail and loudly alerting everything to my presence.

I tried to assure the squirrel that I was not even remotely worth all the fuss.

But the yammering continued and I decided to peaceably move along.

One of the increasingly few remaining California Poppies still blooming this late in the season.

The eye-popping orange is even more startling amidst the browning backdrop of our summer hillsides.

I stopped to photograph this sluggish Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes).

Every time the light shifted and became a little brighter, I would glance skyward to see if the sun was finally going to successfully break through the clouds. I held my breath, hoping the cloud cover would hold.

I glanced down and realized that the lizard was looking up too… I’m guessing it was eagerly awaiting that very moment.

Sun is like coffee for lizards… their day gets off to a slow start without it.

I turned to inspect a large patch of California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) and struck gold… well, COPPER actually!

This female Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota) was insanely cooperative and let me get close to take some beautiful photos.

Then, she really outdid herself…

…and turned to show off the pretty pattern on the top of her wings.

How do you say “thank you” in butterfly? *GRIN*

When I passed this same spot on the way home, I thought she was still sitting there. But, it turned out to be a male this time. Coincidence? Or was he also waiting, just hoping that she would return?

A frustrating moment at the end of my very lovely walk…

There on the ground among the brightly colored eucalyptus leaves was more balloon garbage.

I wrote about my rather strong feelings on this subject in this post from last May. Along with this item, I also picked up a latex glove (ewww…) and several other random bits of plastic.

I long for a world where we as a species create significantly less waste. Where we are all concerned about what happens to our trash as it infiltrates increasingly remote natural environs.

~ May we all find more feathers than trash on the trail. ~

This one belonged to an Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), I think. Compare to image here.

Harsi / July 14, 2011 / arthropods, birds, conservation, flowers, mammals, not nature, plants / 2 Comments

A Spring in My (Summer) Step

What could possibly be causing everyone to feel so… SPROINGY?!!

Well, we’ve been having some morning and early afternoon cloud cover. This has significantly reduced how brutally hot it gets later in the day. This morning, the cover looked particularly dense and even though I got a late start on the day, the conditions were still just perfect for a walk. The diffuse, even lighting was quite nice for photography and the critters were being incredibly obliging. Though it was still warm, a cool breeze moved through every so often making me almost forget that it was mid-July.

As is often the case on blissful days like this, I stayed out much longer than I had planned. I came home tired. You know, that good kind of tired? The kind that’s full of happy steps walked on familiar trails. But, as it’s only 8 PM and I’m already yawning, I think I will wait until tomorrow to share the highlights with you all.

[For those that don’t know, my exuberant friend is a Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus).]

Did you see anything today that made you feel like doing a little hop, skip or jump?… Even just a little? *GRIN*

Harsi / July 13, 2011 / mammals / 3 Comments

Feathers I Have Found

I don’t usually take feathers home with me when I encounter them on my walks. But, I almost always take at least one picture… my way of “collecting” them. With the assistance of The Feather Atlas — an amazing tool hosted by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, I’ve been attempting to make some IDs. Here are a couple of my favorites:

I think this one belongs to a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). Compare to image here. I found it near the creek, under the dense oak canopy where we often see these hawks hunting low, expertly weaving through the branches. ** Be sure to click on the feather for a bonus image of an immature Red-shouldered Hawk. **

I’m almost certain this must be a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) feather. Compare to image here. I found this one at the base of a eucalyptus tree along a regularly walked path. I’ve never seen a Great Horned perched up there, but I have often noted the large amount of droppings under one of the larger branches and wondered if they might not be using it as a perch when hunting at night. ** Don’t forget about the bonus image — click on the feather! **

Harsi / July 12, 2011 / birds / 0 Comments

Common Ground

This is one of a series of images that I’ve been playing around with for awhile… Juxtaposing photos of organic and non-organic subject matter. In this case, there’s an interesting thematic similarity in that both the metal pipes and the exposed tree roots are used to convey water. But, in general, I’ve simply been playing with analogous patterns, lines, color or light.

Any thoughts or insights on this concept? I’m quite certain it’s not an original one… Just wondering if it works effectively here?

Harsi / July 11, 2011 / not nature, photography, plants / 2 Comments

A Moment with the Mule Deer

Mule Deer, female & fawn Nice to see you out my kitchen window, Ms. Deer. I wonder why you look so alert? And who is that hiding in the sumac behind you?

Mule Deer, female & fawn Well, hello there little one!

Big and little bookends.

(I fear this once burned and then felled olive tree will never manage to grow much larger. The deer come through and nibble on its tender new growth every day.)

The intense number of bitey flies these days means that their large ears are in constant motion, flicking back and forth, almost as steady as their breathing.

Mule Deer, female & fawn

Whoops! I was so busy photographing that I didn’t even notice your sibling hanging back in the foliage.

The Mule Deer have been a daily joy to watch. Sometimes, when I’m wandering around outside photographing and I see a group of deer staring at me, I wonder if they don’t find some amusement on their end as well. *GRIN*

Harsi / July 10, 2011 / mammals / 3 Comments

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)

Before moving to our cabin here in the canyon, I never had the opportunity to observe the Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota). E-nature.com states that the species’ range extends from “S. Oregon south to S. California, east to edge of Great Plains, north to S. Wyoming, and south to central New Mexico.” They are not uncommon butterflies, but are reportedly often very localized in their distribution which may make them more difficult to find. According to Jeffrey Glassberg’s Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West, they are “most frequently encountered along streamsides and other water courses through foothill woodlands, but also in chaparral and oak openings, sagebrush steppes, and high mountain meadows.” Fred Heath’s An Introduction to Southern California Butterflies makes specific mention of their fondness for “well-watered mountain canyons … such as Little Dalton Canyon & Evie Canyon” (located west and east of our home, respectively). I wouldn’t say that I have ever seen large numbers of this species, but every year (reliably!) there are a few that camp out near the house and can be seen from late May into July.

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)

The above image shows the ventral (underside) view of a male (left) and female (right). While these two individuals’ coloration look somewhat distinct, I don’t actually believe that you can tell the sexes apart from this view.

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)

As can be seen in this image showing the dorsal (topside) view of a couple of males, they are usually a brown/copper color with an occasional purplish tinge and not much in the way of distinctive patterning.

Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota)

I’ve seen many males, but thus far, only one female. I felt I was lucky to be able to get these few nice images of her nectaring at Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). If you can get a clear view of the dorsal surface, the orange-y wing pattern is quite distinctive.

Ribes species

While adult butterflies will nectar at a number of different kinds of plants, their larva is dependent on those in the Ribes genus — specifically gooseberry and currant. Here are a few of the varieties growing here in the canyon. (I confess that I don’t have firm IDs for these yet… my ability to identify plants to species is still a work in progress.) While I have searched through foliage many times in early Spring, hoping for the opportunity to find the eggs and/or caterpillars to photograph and observe, I have yet to be successful. I couldn’t even find an online photo of their larva to show you, so my guess is that they are not so easy to discover. E-nature.com describes them as follows, “caterpillar green, darker toward head, with fine double white line down back, yellowish line down side, and covered with minute yellowish-white hair”.

At about 1-inch in size, they are among the smaller butterflies in this area. Fortunately, the males have a very conspicuous habit of choosing an elevated perch (such as a small shrub) and then patrolling the area, investigating any passing insect (or other critter), presumably in the hopes of finding or attracting a female.

If you live an area where these butterflies do, I’d love to hear your experiences with them. And, if you have yet to find one for yourself, I hope this post will prove helpful!

Harsi / July 9, 2011 / arthropods, flowers, plants / 0 Comments

Do you know this lovely?

I’ll be posting more photos and information tomorrow, but I thought I’d just lead with this teaser. For those who know their butterflies and are up for the challenge, I’ll give you a few hints… 1) the larval host plants are gooseberry (Ribes spp.) and 2) it has something in common with both a penny and a police officer. *GRIN*

This butterfly was photographed nectaring at buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.). I love that you can just see the tips of its antennae poking out at the bottom of the flower cluster!

Harsi / July 8, 2011 / arthropods, flowers / 4 Comments

A Picture Worth 501 Words

Moments after our awesome bear sighting on the 4th, we were cresting the top of a steep rise further on down the same road…

“Deer”, I said.

“To the right.”

This is my typical shorthand way of informing my husband of impending wildlife on the road as he drives. It’s usually not necessary as he’s just as good at spotting the critters as I am, but I figure it doesn’t hurt to have two sets of eyes looking. Especially at this time of year, we encounter so many deer, rabbits, and ground or tree squirrels that you really have to drive slow and be mindful in order to avoid the unthinkable.

The deer around here seem to have any number of ways of reacting to our oncoming vehicle. Sometimes, they will bound swiftly off the road, boing-boing-ing their way off into the brush or up a steep hillside. Other times, they seem uncertain of what to do, meandering in the middle of the road or crossing one way then back the way they came. Then, there are those times when they freeze and just watch our slow approach.

The deer we were nearing at the top of the hill had a choice to either go down a very steep embankment behind her, cross the road and go up an equally steep embankment on that side, or run up the middle of the road in front of us. But, as she was a little ways off the road and (perhaps) imagined herself somewhat concealed in the high grass, she chose the option of just standing very still and waiting for us to pass. As we steadily inched our way forward, my camera still in-hand from filming the bears, I hatched an idea. I have photographed at the spot we were nearing on so many occasions and I could see in my minds’ eye the position of the deer relative to the view behind it. A view that overlooked the property where we live and beautifully showcased the canyon and the foothills beyond. I rolled my window all the way down, and as we moved past the deer, I managed to take this photo:

I have many, many images taken from this point on the road, looking out over the same view. But, none of them makes me quite so happy as this one. The Mule Deer in the foreground. In the distance, glimpses of the trails behind our cabin. Trails that I have walked thousands of times.

Some photos are more than the sum of their parts. They are a feeling that cannot be explained and may very well not even exist for anyone but the photographer. They capture not only the visual information of what the camera sees, but also somehow find a way to capture the essence of what it was like to witness the scene for yourself.

Well, anyway… sorry for the rambling and philosophizing.

Mostly, I hope you enjoyed the photo.

It’s better than my words.

*GRIN*

Harsi / July 7, 2011 / hillsides, mammals / 4 Comments

Just a Bit More Raven Artwork

Click here to see the companion piece I posted a few days ago.

Harsi / July 6, 2011 / artwork, birds / 0 Comments