Raptor Free Flight Photography Practice

The Desert Museum is really very close to my house and when I want to practice my photography skills or try out different settings it's an ideal spot. I decided to go to the afternoon Raptor Free Flight to see what results I would get setting the camera at ISO 160, Shutter Speed 1000 and Aperature 6.3.

This Barn Owl is the most wide spread owl worldwide. I was happy with the results even though this is a cropped photo shot at 70 mm.

 Only 100 pairs of Gray Hawk breed in Arizona. They use riparian areas with cottonwoods as nesting sites and I have been lucky enough to see over a dozen of them over the last few years mostly in Arivaca and Buenos Aires National WIldlife Refuge.

I plan on returning to RFF sometime soon and shortening the shutter speed to 1250 or faster to see if I can get better results with the wing movement.

Raul Grijalva for Secretary of the Interior

I believe that the appointment of Secretary of the Interior for the next four years is one of the most consequential. I also believe that Congressman Raul Grijalva who is currently my Congressman would be the best choice. This man who exhibits a deep understanding of environmental issues and concern for the planet should be our next Secretary of the Interior. Please sign the Whitehouse petition and move America towards saner public policy.

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
APPOINT CONGRESSMAN RAUL GRIJALVA AS THE 51ST SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
THE SELECTION OF THE NEXT INTERIOR SECRETARY IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT TO PLACE RENEWED EMPHASIS ON SOME OF THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUES OF OUR AGE - CLIMATE CHANGE, THE PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES AND PRESERVATION OF WATER AND WILD LANDS. AS RANKING MEMBER AND FORMER CHAIR OF THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS, REP. GRIJALVA HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE LEADER ON CONSERVATION AND LAND MANAGEMENT ISSUES. HIS EXPERTISE WITH NATIVE AMERICANS ISSUES, HIS STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF BORDER ISSUES, HIS PRAGMATIC CONSERVATION ETHIC, AND HIS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN ADDRESSING FUNDING CHALLENGES MAKE HIM AN EXCEPTIONAL CHOICE. WE URGE YOU TO SELECT HIM AS OUR NEXT INTERIOR SECRETARY BECAUSE HE EMBRACES THE URGENCY OF THIS MISSION AND PRACTICAL PATHS TOWARD REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/appoint-congressman-raul-grijalva-51st-secretary-interior/p6Sc2HLv?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl

Attack on America's Wilderness

These guys never get tired of trying to undo the good that has been done in the name of the environment and wildlife in America. The most effective way to deal with this is to elect people to represent us that believe that America's greatness includes it's wilderness. Help stop the most serious attack on America's wilderness in history.
.http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/01/gop-backed-bill-is-most-serious-attack-on-americas-wilderness-act-in-history/

Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM II Review

                                               ISO 640 Aperture F11 Shutter Speed 1/500

I recently rented a Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM II and a Canon EF 2X Extender and spent a week taking photographs of anything that flew. My first impression was how heavy the lens and extender were but by the third day I was used to it and it didn't seem so bad. The auto focus was slow compared to my usual telephoto and sometimes would not focus at all before the shot dissipated.
These were my only complaints and I was very happy with the results considering almost all of my shooting for the week was hand held. This Black Phoebe shows the detail achieved at 400mm which is the maximum for this set up. Frankly I wish I had more time with this package but at $172 for the week it wouldn't take too many weeks to put a good down payment on a new one. It is nice to know that you can rent lenses when you want to do a special project because you would have to spend a fortune to own all that I want.
My next rental will probably be a super wide angle so that I can do landscapes for a week perhaps at the Grand Canyon which is only 350 miles from here..

Advocacy Makes a Difference

You can make a difference. I receive many e-mails this time of year from organizations that I have supported, some with money others by simply speaking out. Nothing is more rewarding than knowing that you did in fact make a difference for the planet, it's wildlife and wild places. So please when you receive those e-mails asking you to speak out, essentially to take a stand consider the good you can do by just getting involved. It only takes a minute to speak up and it can make a world of difference. Thank you to all those who have visited my website over the past year. I hope you have enjoyed your visits and will return often in the coming year. Check out Earthjustice here at: http://earthjustice.org/ Dear Ray, I want to say thank you. This Thanksgiving, as we consider all that we are thankful for, our supporters are at the top of our list. We deeply appreciate your decision to stand with us as we use the power of law to protect the environment and our communities. Your active engagement in our work inspires us to continue fighting to preserve our natural heritage, protect our health and promote a clean energy future. Thank you for believing in us—we won’t let you down. Together, we have accomplished so much during the past 12 months... You helped secure protection for more than 45 million acres of roadless national forests from destructive logging and development You helped force the retirement of dirty, coal-burning power plants, which generate more than a third of the nation’s global warming pollution Your advocacy helped save communities from the toxic practice of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” for natural gas You helped defeat attacks on the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act and preserved pollution standards for new power plants Your support prevented destructive oil and gas development in iconic regions such as the Alaskan Arctic We couldn’t have won these victories without you—thank you. We know that the coming year will bring new challenges and new opportunities, but some things will remain unchanged. Our legal team will continue to take on big-impact litigation to secure the health of the earth. And our staff on Capitol Hill will continue fighting to protect our courtroom victories from an anti-environment Congress. We continue to be grateful for your crucial partnership in this work. From all of us at Earthjustice, thank you. Sincerely, Trip Van Noppen President, Earthjustice

Fremont Cottonwoods at San Pedro

Riparian areas in Arizona are few and far between but they are easily spotted from a distance thanks to the presence of the Cottonwood trees. Cottonwoods can thrive only when there is an adequate supply of water which is why they look very much like a ribbon crossing the desert growing as they do along rivers and streams with a constant flow. Taller by far than all other surrounding vegetation Cottonwoods can be seen sometimes from miles away.

Fremont Cottonwoods growing along the banks of Green Kingfisher Pond. Green Kingfisher Pond was created by sand and gravel operations many years ago and has no inlets or outlets but is filled by ground water. Very young Cottonwoods can be seen along the banks and on the far shore an older but still very young specimen.

The trees surrounding the San Pedro House vary in age with the largest one up to 130 years old. Below Nan is standing on a piece of limb limb and is still dwarfed by the amazing tree.

I have photographed this tree a few times and none of my efforts ever showed it's immense size until I put humans next to it. You can read about Fremont Cottonwoods here: www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/plantae/populus_fremont.html

Buffalo Field Campaign Update

 Update from the Field

We haven't seen any buffalo in Montana since the 31 we reported last week as having been killed by hunters in a matter of days. The few that were not shot quickly walked into Yellowstone, leaving scarcely a trace. BFC patrols remain in the field, seeking signs of the gentle giants.

This week, BFC attended the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) meetings in Bozeman, Montana. These meetings are always frustrating, but it is important that we are there to learn what the agencies and tribes are planning, to speak for the buffalo at every opportunity, and to videotape the proceedings. The agencies lack vision and understanding of the buffalo whose lives -- and deaths -- they dictate. Constrained by livestock industry-driven politics, the discussions and decisions never consider the buffalo's perspective. They have forgotten to listen to the animals.

Maintaining "a wild, free-roaming" population of bison is supposedly one of the two primary goals in the highly controversial Interagency Bison Management Plan. "Wild, free-roaming" is defined as "not routinely handled by humans." A Nez Perce spokesman for the IBMP passionately asked when the IBMP would actually start addressing this goal. The Montana Department of Livestock smugly asserted that this goal is being met. The manipulation, interference and forcible reversal of wild buffalo migrations compounded with capture, slaughter, quarantine and invasive research are stark examples of its failings. Further, seeking to manage a minimum population of the most unique herds of American bison in the country, animals that are ecologically extinct throughout their native range, is disastrous.

The tides are turning. The old excuses are not holding water. While it seems positive change is very slow to come, minds are evolving. We are all making a difference together, for the buffalo. With persistence, resistance and endurance, we are creating a strong, positive future for them.

Wild is the Way ~ Roam Free!

A note from Ray. You can help the Yellowstone buffalo here: www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

Photo of the Week White -Crowned Sparrow

I'm headed down to Sierra Vista to visit San Pedro National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow where I took this picture on a very brief stop over last week on the way to Whitewater Draw. I had a great time with the rental lens and am making plans for the future. For now however it's back to the 70-300 mm lens.
Learn about White-Crowned Sparrows at: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/id

Groove-billed Ani.... Arizona Rare Bird

The Groove-billed Ani is a tropical bird that only very rarely is spotted in Arizona and this one has taken up residence for the time being in Tucson. Information about Ani's can be found at: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/867/_/Groove-billed_Ani.aspx

Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw

We had a great trip to Whitewater Draw on Saturday arriving at about 10 A.M. which is about an hour before the Sandhills return from the grain fields to roost for the remainder of the day. The first thing I noticed was the water levels were low due to the continuing drought in the area. In fact the water levels are being kept as high as they are by Fish and Wildlife pumping in water from a couple of wells.

There weren't as many birds around as we have seen in past visits but there were Wilson's Snipe, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Snow Geese, Ross's Goose, Black Phoebe, Pintails, American Coot, Northern Harrier, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, possible prairie falcon, American Kestrel and a few others .

Whitewater is about a 120 miles from our home in Tucson but it is well worth the trip. It is quite remote and the first time you travel here it feels like you're traveling  into the wilds of the borderlands. For those of you who would prefer to visit Whitewater with knowledgable birders Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory has some guided trips that you can sign up for here: http://membershipandevents.sabo.org/Calendar.htm
SABO is also involved in lots of interesting and fun activities involving birds and birding including the Sandhill Crane Watch and I suggest that you check them out at: http://www.sabo.org

Each morning before sunrise the Sandhills leave Whitewater and head to the grain fields of Wilcox and Elfrida and the surrounding areas. It's a sight I have personally enjoyed only once but I'm happy to say that I have witnessed their return to the roosting area at Whitewater many times. Usually you can expect to see what looks like smoke on the horizon before the cranes are close enough to make out. They come in groups of 3 or 50 or 100 or 300 and sometimes as many as a thousand in the skies overhead. On any given day the cranes start their return around 11 A.M. and continue for a couple of hours until they are mostly all back.

Sandhill Cranes that come to Southern Arizona come from Wyoming, Alaska, Canada, and northeastern Siberia where they breed usually having one or two offspring each season. All of the breeding takes place in the north country but you can see younger birds here in Arizona.

Most of the Sandhills that come to Whitewater are the Lesser Sandhill Crane which is the smaller of the two but if you look carefully you will see that there are quite a few Greater Sandhill Cranes which are a sub species of Grus canadensis canadensis (Lesser Sandhill) mixed in with the flocks. Here are a few web sites that will give you a more detailed look at Sandhill Cranes as well as the other cranes around the world.  http://www.savingcranes.org 

http://www.savingcranes.org/sandhill-crane.html http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/lifehistory

Sandhills mostly like to stay in large groups for protection but if they feel safe some birds will venture out from the main group as can be seen here. It is very rare to see a Sandhill separated from the main flock essentially by itself. There is strength in numbers and Sandhills even though they are large birds they do have predators such as Eagles and Coyotes.

While I didn't get the photographs I had hoped for I was happy to be there and witness approximately 10,000 Sandhills return from feeding. The birds as is their habit stayed fairly far away while I was there I think in large part to the large number of people who came to see them. My next trip will be planned on a weekday which may give me a better chance of some close up photos.

I expect that the number of cranes here will grow considerably by the end of December. There have been as many as 40,000 in Southern Arizona in past years and I have witnessed 30,000 in a single day.

 We're not sure what caused this fly up but it could have been a nervous reaction to a Great Blue Heron that flew over at the precise moment these birds moved from one roosting area to another.

This Great Blue Heron flew right at my camera while I was trying to focus on some Sandhills so I took the opportunity to get a few shots. If you click on the photo you can get a really good look at it's anatomy.

In my next post I will be including some photos of Sparrows that I took during a quick stop over at San Pedro National Wildlife Refuge. I will be heading back there next week for some more photography and walking.

Yellowstone Slaughter Continues....

Dear Ray,

Your dedication to protecting wild bison is our greatest strength. We thank you for making Buffalo Field Campaign possible.

At the beginning we were hopeful that our presence in the field and our grassroots advocacy would stop the slaughter within a few years. Protecting the buffalo, we have learned, requires a long-term commitment and sustaining hope through incredibly difficult times.

In the past two weeks more than thirty buffalo, nearly all the buffalo that have migrated from Yellowstone, have been shot by hunters. The living members of the family groups that the buffalo were taken from have fled, and all that remains on the landscape are hoof prints and gut piles.  After having spent the summer months being admired and photographed by millions of Yellowstone National Park visitors, the seasonal changes have replaced cameras with rifles, and buffalo are falling by the dozens.
When the struggle gets particularly difficult I like to picture the buffalo, migrating from Yellowstone through deep and drifting snow, trudging single file, slow and steady. Making the journey a step at a time, hauling their massive bodies through the drifts, the buffalo in front bear the brunt of breaking trail.  Those behind have an easier time stepping in the hoof-prints of their herd-mates.  After a while the one in the lead, exhausted, steps aside and another steps up, sharing in the work and keeping the line of buffalo always moving forward.

Being with the buffalo day in and day out, sharing their story with the world, and speaking for them in the legal and policy arenas will bring about their protection.  But it won't happen overnight and it won't happen without your help.
State, federal, and tribal governments are aiming to kill more than 450 buffalo this winter through hunting, slaughter, or both.  The agencies state that they want to "even the sex ratio" and have placed a heavy target on female buffalo, wanting to kill 400 that migrate north of the Park into the Gardiner Basin.  The herds that migrate north include buffalo from both the Northern and Central herds, which also means that the Central herds (which migrate both to the west and to the north) will be doubly impacted by hunting and slaughter.

Yellowstone National Park states that a "skewed sex ratio" has resulted from recent capture and slaughter operations, which have removed more bulls than cows from the population. In other words the managers are saying: We have to slaughter more buffalo to mitigate the impact of slaughtering so many buffalo.  Talk about playing God in Yellowstone.
Buffalo Field Campaign volunteer patrols are up and running along the Yellowstone boundary for the 16th consecutive winter. Our attorneys are working in the courts to allow bison room to roam in the Gardiner Basin, to halt the commercial privatization of Yellowstone bison offspring, and to ensure that the Department of Livestock's helicopter is not allowed to terrorize the Yellowstone ecosystem or America's last wild bison this coming spring.  We are networking with members of Congress to change the laws and policies which result in the senseless intolerance and slaughter of the sacred buffalo.  None of these efforts are cheap and none come easy.  We need your help to continue to move forward in our work to protect the buffalo. Please give today so that we can stay strong in our fight for the buffalo's right to roam.
Thank you for your actions, your ideas, your hard work, and your donations. Together we will press on until America's only continuously wild buffalo are honored and protected and their right to migrate is respected.  Without you there would be no Buffalo Field Campaign.

For the Buffalo,

Dan Brister
Director
Buffalo Field Campaign

Mockingbird and Robin

I went to Sabino Canyon this morning to practice with my rental lens before I head to Whitewater Draw on Saturday. The last time I was there , not that long ago, there were birds everywhere but this morning it was really very quiet. We saw mockingbirds and phainopepla and robins and a few western bluebirds but not much else.

The bluebirds would not cooperate but I did get some shots that allowed me to practice. The lens is very heavy and carrying it on a monopod is a chore but I have to say so far I like the results. The image quality is excellent and I'm still achieving a good rate of acceptable photos. Photographing birds is not as easy as you might think even when they are just sitting in a tree or bush if you don't get proper eye contact and a decent pose the picture turns out to be worthless.

Nan and I both love seeing Robins and Sabino Canyon is one of the few places that we have seen them consistently at this time of year. We saw several today all of them females. Still an exciting find for a New England boy who grew up with Robins as the harbinger go spring. Tomorrow we're picnicking in Madera Canyon for the holiday and some more practice. Have a happy Thankgiving.