mammals

Snowy Coyote, Chukar and Antelope Island State Park

By Mia McPherson, on January 29th, 2013%

Chukar in the air – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Yesterday when I saw this running Chukar image on my camera LCD in mid-stride and mid-air I had to chuckle because it looks something like a feathered Nerf football some one tossed across the snow. It does give a great view of the whole bird though!

There was about 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground on Antelope Island yesterday, some of the roads weren’t even plowed yet and while there was lovely light to the west it had not reached the island when I photographed the Chukar.

Snow-covered Coyote – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 640, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 350mm, natural light, not baited or called in

Then later I spotted Old Scarface again, a pale Coyote who has scars on its muzzle, and another darker, smaller Coyote. I think this pale Coyote is a male because he looks slightly larger than the other one, but I can’t be sure. The female hung back but this Coyote came up close and appeared to be looking for voles under the thick layer of snow, this image was taken right after the Coyote stuck its muzzle into the snow to sniff out prey. I have photographed this Coyote before but hadn’t noticed that its eyes are a darker amber than most Coyotes I have seen, maybe it was just the flat light.

This Coyote may have an injured foot, it did walk gingerly on the foot but at times I could see it just walking on its other three legs.

I’ll be posting more images of the Coyotes and the Chukars I photographed yesterday soon.

Snow-covered rocks on Antelope Island – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 400, +1.7 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 42mm, natural light

This image shows the clouds over the island and they were the reason the light was flat, I liked the way the snow covered these rocks and how the drifts seemed a part of them.

More snow is on the way and it might be a few days before I can get back out to photograph. I have plenty of images that need to be edited though. The snow on Antelope Island has been beautiful this winter and hopefully the next time I go out there the sun will shine brightly on it.

Mia

Creatures Great and Small – Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

By Mia McPherson, on June 17th, 2012%

There are many mammals to see at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana, I haven’t seen them all yet but I hope to one day. On this last trip I saw Moose, Elk, Skunks, Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, Foxes, White-tailed and Mule Deer, Yellow-bellied Marmots, and Pronghorns.

Moose with calf near an Aspen grove

It was a first for me to be able to photograph a Moose (Alces alces) with her calf, they had moved up from the gravel road to stand near an Aspen grove at one of the cottages at Lakeview where the headquarters of the refuge is located. I envy the residents there because they get to see Moose often but I was extremely happy to have the opportunity to see and create images of them.

Ground Squirrel – Uinta perhaps?

Just from my observations there appears to be several species of Ground Squirrels on the refuge, I believe this one might be a Uinta Ground Squirrel but I could be wrong and would appreciate an ID on the species. I enjoy hearing the squirrels calling and seeing them scurrying around in the grasses and tops of fallen logs.

Yellow-pine Chipmunk

I think that this is a Yellow-pine Chipmunk (Tamias amoenus), I photographed it as it ate a seedhead perched on a rustic fence in Lakeview. Chipmunks have been a favorite of mine since I was a small child and to this day they still fascinate me.

These are just three mammal species that delight me when I have visited Red Rock Lakes NWR. It would be wonderful to see the Wolves, Grizzlies and Mountain Lions that are in the area too.

Mia

More images and info on Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge