red rock lakes national wildlife refuge

Swainson’s Hawk in the Centennial Valley

By Mia McPherson, on May 15th, 2013%

Adult Swainson’s Hawk calling

Swainson’s Hawks are one of the three Buteos that I see with regularity on my visits to the Centennial Valley of Montana, Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks are the other two. I photographed this adult Swainson’s Hawk in the evening last year on the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge after a rainy afternoon, the light was low and I had to bump my ISO up to 1250 to get enough shutter speed for flight shots and because of that I could detect a touch of noise in the background so I applied Noise Reduction to the background of all three of these images.

The Swainson’s was calling to another Swainson’s off in the distance and since it had just defecated I was waiting for the hawk to lift off.

Swainson’s Hawk at the moment of lift off

And lift off it did! This sort of reminds me of the Olympic diver images we see that have just their toes left on the diving platforms. The talons have just left the fencepost and there appears to be a determined look in the Swainson’s Hawk’s eye. I do wish the light had been just a bit better so I could have completely froze the action but sometimes that motion blur helps to emphasize the feeling of motion.

Adult Swainson’s Hawk calling while in flight

As the adult flew it also started calling and flying towards the other Swainson’s in the distance.

By the way, the light colored areas in the background is a mist hanging over one of the lakes within the Red Rock Lakes refuge and the bluish colored area is part of the Centennial Mountains.

Mia

~I’m out of town but will be back soon, please feel free to share this post with your friends and family!

Shades of Blue – Wildflowers, Birds, Sky and Sea

By Mia McPherson, on April 17th, 2013%

Blue-eyed Grass – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

Last week I was Thinking Pink so this week I thought I would focus on the shades of blues found in wildflowers, birds, the sky and seas. Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) is one of my favorite blue wildflowers from the eastern United States. Blue-eyed Grass isn’t actually a grass at all, it is from the Iris family and may have gotten the “Grass” part of its name because the leaves are very thin and grass-like. I found and photographed this beauty under the pines of the Osprey Trail at Honeymoon Island State Park in Florida.

Great Blue Heron in the Gulf of Mexico – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 230mm, natural light

It seems to me that Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) are misnamed because they are more gray than they are blue, in fact when I see a Great Blue Heron posted on line that is very blue I scratch my head because they really aren’t that blue. I photographed this Great Blue Heron as it walked along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico at Fort De Soto’s north beach in Florida.

Little Blue Heron stalking prey in a tidal lagoon – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 360mm, natural light

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) adults are more blue than Great Blue Herons, at least from the base of the neck to their tails, their necks have a reddish cast to them. I was sitting in the lagoon with the Little Blue Heron approached me while it was stalking and hunting prey at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida.

Male Lazuli Bunting – Nikon D200, f8, 1/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

Male Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) have a gorgeous azure blue head as well as some blue on other parts of their bodies. The word “lazuli” come from the semi-precious gemstone Lapis Lazuli which comes in various shades of blue with gold colored specks. I photographed this Lazuli Bunting in the San Rafael area of Utah and the background is the color of sandstone found in that area.

Mountain Bluebird - Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4 TC at 400mm, natural light

Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) are one of the bluest bird species I have photographed, especially the males. I didn’t add any color saturation to this image at all, this is how blue the bird looked in the light conditions I had at the time I took this image at Red Rock lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. The males during the breeding season are a rich, vibrant blue.

Blue skies at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana – Nikon D200, handheld, f20, 1/160, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 18mm, natural light

Some of the bluest skies I have ever seen have been at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana where on a clear (or not so clear) day you can see for miles & miles. I loved how this wave of clouds fanned out in this frame and added a nice contrast to the blue tones in the sky.

Amazing blues of Magens Bay, Saint Thomas, USVI – No techs, this is a panorama made from several images that were joined together

The colors of the seas and oceans have always drawn me to water because they can vary from the palest aquamarine to deep royal blues and everything in between. Magens Bay in Saint Thomas and the Atlantic Ocean beyond it give this image wonderful shades of blue that I find very soothing and it brings back nice memories of my stay on the island.

Shades of blue…

Mia

Male Tree Swallow in flight

By Mia McPherson, on March 24th, 2013%

Male Tree Swallow in flight – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

I have been seeing Tree Swallows this past week, another sure sign of Spring’s impending arrival. I’ve seen them skimming over fields looking for insects and enjoyed the brilliant flashes of the sapphire blues of the males.

This image was taken two years ago at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana and for some reason I had not processed it until now. The Tree Swallows were looking to take over an active Mountain Bluebird nest box and the Bluebirds were busy defending the nest box while still trying to find food for their chicks. It was actually very interesting to watch and photograph the skirmishes.

Mia

Isn’t it time for the National Wildlife Refuge System to create a Wildlife Conservation Stamp?

By Mia McPherson, on March 7th, 2013%

Stormy sky over Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

I am a bird, nature and wildlife photographer. I am a nature lover, a citizen scientist, and a lover of the great outdoors. I am fascinated by insects, vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, topography, geology and the unique environments I see and travel to. I am a star watcher. I am a hunter of knowledge about our natural world and a conservationist. I am an advocate who wants to protect the wildlife habitats that the National Wildlife Refuge system contains.

Welcome to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

I am also a non-consumptive user of the National Wildlife Refuge system who supports the creation of a Wildlife Conservation Stamp which could provide a revenue stream for the National Wildlife Refuges to preserve and protect the existing 560 wildlife refuges and promote the creation of more.

Short-eared Owl at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

A 2011 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted 71.1 million wildlife watchers in the U.S., and 13.7 million hunters, wildlife watchers and non-consumptive users are increasing whereas the number of hunters are decreasing. The Duck Stamp program can only do so much to provide revenue for the National Wildlife Refuge system and the creation of a Wildlife Refuge Stamp could provide a parallel revenue stream that is needed during this time of budget cuts and austerity.

Pronghorn buck at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

If only a quarter of the 71.1 million wildlife watchers in the U.S. spent $20.00 on a Wildlife Conservation Stamp that could provide a revenue of $568 million dollars. $55 billion dollars each year is spent by wildlife watchers in pursuit of wildlife activities and that is a great benefit to local economies.

Elephant’s Head at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

I am a supporter of the Wildlife Conservation Stamp which could create a community of wildlife watchers, birders, nature photographers, artists and the nature loving general population who share a commitment and passion for wildlife and who want to be proactive in protecting, preserving and maintaining the National Wildlife Refuge System today and for the future for everyone.

Juvenile Swainson’s Hawk at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Many refuges today do not have adequate funds for operational costs that involve maintenance and administration or educational programs. Without adequate funding programs that reduce invasive species suffer, habitats are not restored or maintained, illegal activities such as poaching rise with less staff to go out into the field and wildlife suffers.

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah

I do not know why it has taken so long for a Wildlife Conservation Stamp to be created. Isn’t it time? Right now when funding cuts are hitting the refuges hard?

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah

The future of our Wildlife Refuges depend on all of us whether we are hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, birders, nature photographers or nature lovers. A Wildlife Conservation Stamp and the additional revenues could help to save them.

Adult Bald Eagle at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge

Ask birders, photographers, wildlife photographers and wildlife watchers if they think spending $20.00 on a Wildlife Conservation Stamp is too much to help our National Wildlife Refuges and I’m certain that the majority would open their wallets so they can be counted and so their voices can be heard.

Please visit the website for the creation of the Federal Wildlife Conservation Stamp at http://wildlifeconservationstamp.org/the-proposal for more information. If you support the Wildlife Conservation Stamp please leave a comment or send in your bio to the email address on the “About Us” page.

This is a win/win proposal for the National Wildlife Refuge System and for everyone who visits them. For every person who is concerned about the future of out National Wildlife Refuges and for every organization who supports conservation of our public lands and the nation’s wildlife.

Mia

* Think about it, the cost of a Wildlife Conservation Stamp is usually less than the cost of a fast food lunch for a family of four.

Red-tailed Hawk adults

By Mia McPherson, on February 8th, 2013%

A pair of adult Red-tailed Hawks – Nikon D300, f9, 1/250, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

I photographed this pair of Red-tailed Hawks while enjoying Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley of Montana last summer in early morning light. These adults were being bothered by some American Kestrels so they may have been to close to the falcon’s nest or young.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited, called in or set up

I found this adult on Antelope Island State Park in Utah last September, it was near a location where I had been photographing three different juvenile Red-tailed Hawks. I like how the same rufous tones can be found in the rocks and the hawk’s plumage.

The eyes on this particular adult red-tailed seem rather light to me, normally in adults the eyes are a darker brown.

Just a few Red-tailed Hawk images that I have been meaning to process and share.

Mia

More Red-tailed Hawk images