Back to Bastrop

Well we haven't been to Bastrop in a while.  Last time I helped my mother-in-law clean up her burned home!  The fires were devastating to the area...but many folks are rebuilding and moving on.  I'm anxious to see the site where our home once stood and to see the new life I know is sprouting from the ashes by now.

Burned Mary Jpeg - Shot this last time I visited my mother-in-laws place.  This statue was one of the only things left standing at the property.  The photo captures the eeriness I felt going back for the first time after the fires.

Oregon Zoo

We took a little trip across town...actually only 15 minutes...to the Oregon Zoo a couple weeks ago.  It was really cold but the exhibits were still nice and most of the critters were up and about.  And the coffee and hot chocolate made it a little more pleasant!!

I didn't have the 200-400mm zoom with me so all shots were taken with the D300s and 18-200mm zoom. Click on any shot to get the enlarged slideshow.

Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus)
The wolf photo is my favorite of the trip.  He just hangs out like that for hours and the pose just happens to make a nice shot with the colors this time of year...

African Lion (Panthera leo krugerii)
This large lioness kept coming over to the glass and licking it.  She was looking at me and then decided to show her chops.  Made for a neat shot...

Caracal (Caracal caracal)
These feisty little guys were the coolest cats we saw.  They were so lively, jumping and chasing each other all over the enclosure.  Then they decided to climb the rock wall behind them and disappear.  They normally range over western and south Asia and Africa...they seem to like Portland as a second home.

Golden-breasted Starling (Cosmopsarus regius)
I wasn't planning on bird photos on this trip...but this one kept flying in front of me and posing.

Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)
I love this shot...it's almost hard to tell it was taken at the zoo.  I could have been hidden behind a rock on a mountain stream and seen this guy drinking just like this!

So thanks to the Oregon Zoo for a nice visit.  A nice way to spend a chilly afternoon...just don't forget the warm drinks!

Until next time...

Brad

PHOTO OF THE WEEK!

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - Birdwatching Magazine

I'm honored to have this photo chosen as Photo of the Week by Birdwatching Magazine.  They receive hundreds of submissions each day and decided this one was the pick of the week!  I guess it's a very appropriate photo for Halloween week!!

Until next time...have a great one!

Fall Feathers

On the weekend of my sister's wonderful wedding I got a chance to get some closeups of a few songbirds at Bubba and Shirley Cameron's bird feeder.  We were there to clean up after the festivities...but I took some time out and grabbed my D300s and set up for a few shots.

Click on any photo for a larger view.

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 

 I love this shot...the colors and subject just make me happy!!

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

 These small passerines are sometimes hard to photograph.  They flit around from limb to limb and before you can focus...poof, they're gone!  I watched this one land on the same limb three or four times...so instead of following his path around in circles...I focused on the limb and waited for him to land.  It worked...and I love his attitude in this shot!

Juvenile Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

 I like this shot because the juvenile male isn't quite as brilliant as most cardinal photos you see.  His unique grey and the pose made the shot for me.

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 

Another shot where I focused on a limb and waited for the cardinal to come back.  Sometimes shooting in a back yard can be just as rewarding as being out in the woods...and just as challenging!

Thanks again to the Camerons for letting me capture some great images (oh...and letting Britt get married) at their place!

Until next time...have a great one!

Fall on Sauvie Island

I had the opportunity to get some pretty nice shots on Sauvie Island, just north and west of the Portland city limits.  I went out to deliver something to the ODFW office and decided to scout around for some future photo opps...

Click on any photo for a larger view.

Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) dancing in a field.

This is one of my favorites of the year!  I never imagined it would look so much like a painting.  I slowed the shutter speed just enough to keep some movement on the wings so you could see the dance the way I did in the field...

Great Blue Herons (Ardia herodias) skirmish line

I had to look twice to determine these weren't Sandhill Cranes...I'd been photographing cranes just a few minutes before.  These herons were stalking forward in this formation apparently trying to flush out prey.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 

This hawk dive-bombed something in a plowed field and was then nice enough to pose for a couple shots.  I never saw what he was after, but apparently he missed!  I love the browns and rust colors in this photo.

Cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii) - formerly Small Canada Geese

I thought these guys might fly right in the truck with me!  There were literally thousands of geese, cranes, and other birds on the island when I was there.  I love the way the geese pop out of this photo...and the colors aren't bad either!

All in all it was a great day on Sauvie...for what was supposed to be a scouting trip!  I'll be heading back in a few weeks with a focus (pun intended) on raptors.  

Until next time...have a great one!

Summer Color

Front yard daisy.

Cosmos.

More Cosmos.

Sunflowers went crazy this year...

American Goldfinch on Cosmos.  They love them in the fall.

A great summer for flowers and veggies this year.  We are just getting done with the last of our tomatoes and peppers!

I have some great wildlife shots from a couple trips this fall...so check back soon!

some late summer pics

Had some great family visits this summer...a few of my favorite pics below.  

Cousins.Barrett, Lauren, Jared, Nathan.  On the trailhead at Multnomah Falls.

Cool shot in the tunnel under Hwy 84 at Multnomah Falls.

Jared, Barrett and Lauren in a tidepool - Newport Beach.

Mom and Dad on the dock at Newport Bay.

Cousins at the "Octopus Tree".

My favorite from the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  Anchovies!

Puffin at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  He was the king of the aviary.

Mom, Dad, Glo, Becky, Nathan and Barrett all came up and hung with us for a while during our great summer.  Did a lot of driving around and checking out water falls, the coast, the mountains, a couple lakes...and our great neighborhood.  Can't wait to do it all again soon!