Adorable Canada Goose Goslings Braving a Snowstorm
It seemed a bit unkind for these little goslings to have a snowstorm hit after only hatching a few days earlier. Mom and Dad kept them moving from one side of the pond to the other.
Staying warm probably wasn’t a concern but keeping them occupied and out of trouble was. It was cute to see the first babies of spring. It will only be a few weeks until they look like their parents so it was nice to photograph them while they are so little (and yellow!)
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Shaking and spraying in Belize
We spent a lot of time on the dock at the Anchorage Resort in Caye Caulker. We were there for most of our stay in Belize. The dock extends out into the sea and was usually surrounded by pelicans, cormorants, a variety of shorebirds and a few osprey. It was a wonderful place to photograph these birds throughout their days. Watching the cormorants cycle of diving, fishing and then drying off always held my attention. This cormorant surfaced and then rose up to shake off the water. The droplets flew chaotically while the surface boiled around his tail. With the piercing blue eye sharply contrasting the blur of the wings and the spray, this photograph was one of my favorites from many overlooking the Caribbean.
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The exuberance of chickadees
Chickadees are constant companions in our backyard throughout the winter. These hardy little balls of feather and fluff chitter away as they fly from tree to feeder and back.
Even on the coldest days, they energetically continue their conversations and activities. With winter hinting, somewhat reluctantly, at giving way to spring here in the Foothills, I have taken a few opportunities to photograph these little birds from our second story deck.
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Wildlife photos from 2022
I had some great encounters with animals over the past year. I’d always love to get out more but it was great to have these images and the memories. Here is the link to the gallery with my picks from 2022.
This was probably my absolute favorite of the set. Heavy fog rolled in as dusk approached. Des and I sat above the field waiting for an owl to go hunting. Instead, this white-tailed deer materialized out of the mist and we watched it walk in front of us. At this moment she picked up something in the air and lifted her head to concentrate on that. Her almost silhouette framed beautifully in the scene.
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In a misty field…
A humid afternoon slipped away into dusk with peels of fog rolling over the long grass inviting the darkness of night in earlier. This whitetail walked past Desirée and I a few minutes before I took this photograph. When the visibility dropped away, she raised her head to sniff the air. She wasn’t on edge, her tail stayed down, it seemed just a focus on one sense with another being curtailed. Her profile created a beautiful shape and the moment felt calm and intimate.
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A fawn through the trees
We had a pair of mule deer fawns hanging around our backyard for most of the summer. From wobbly little babies to bouncing youngsters, they entertained us as they learned how to be deer. This was a rare moment where one stood still.
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Watching the hunt
I spent a bit of time with a great gray owl last week. It was later in the evening and it seemed to be looking for a last snack before dark.
I watched it crisscross a meadow of tall grass and make several dives out of sight. It came up without a catch on those.
Apparently, it felt like a change of location was required. Crossing the road she landed on a couple of old fenceposts and stared hard into the adjacent little fields but didn’t find a target worth chasing.
Success came when she flew out of a tall tree she had spent a few minutes surveying from. When she launched, it was a drop to just above the grass and then a sudden drop.
She swallowed while low in the grass and then rose out and flew towards me before alighting on a post right beside me. A couple of minutes later she went across another field and out of sight.
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Inflight fight
This shot of two bald eagles sparring in midair is one I have waited to capture for a long time. I felt extremely lucky to get this dynamic image with the wings flared, one claw wide open and the emotion in the top one’s face.
I have photographed bald eagles in many places over the years. They are dynamic, powerful, cunning, intelligent and emotional raptors who I never tire of watching at rest, in flight or on the hunt. This is one of my favorites of these incredible birds.
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Those eyes…
We had two wonderful encounters with great gray owls yesterday. The highlight for me came when the second owl flew across the field to a tall post about 30′ away. I took some good flight shots there. Then he glided down and landed 2′ away on a fence post beside me. When he was there, it was incredible to share the space. Being that close I was awed by the power and wisdom that I felt from him.
He stayed there for around 10 minutes before I moved further down the fence. The wind picked up as the clouds covered the sun. The owl remained focused on finding dinner in the long grass but after several more minutes, with his feathers whipping around, he flew off into the trees.
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Flaring to land
This great gray owl dove at something in the hillside grasses behind this sign. I wasn’t in a good position for that attack but I was when it returned to the sign post it was hunting from.
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An owl in the rising sun
I went out onto the Foothills last weekend to catch the sunrise. It was beautiful but this great gray owl stole the honors for the morning to me. I loved having her backlit by the warm sunshine while she flew to hunt in the field.
Amid a number of current challenges, I enjoyed getting out for time to photograph and put energy into this passion of mine.
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Hummingbirds in the backyard
Early in the summer, we had a couple of hummingbirds that visited our backyard. We had a feeder out before we went on vacation and I had a couple of great photography sessions sitting on our deck watching them come and go. These are a few photographs from those.
This is either an immature or a female Rufous hummingbird. I don’t know this species near well enough to say which one. Certainly a beautiful bird no matter.
Christopher Martin Photography 