Invisible Woman

a surprise in the mistletoe

Last week, I went looking for Western Bluebirds at Coon Bluff, my favorite birding site along the Salt River. The bluebirds arrive in winter to feast on the berries of the desert mistletoe that grows parasitically on mesquite.

This was my first clear glimpse of a male's unmistakable brilliant blue.

As I continued searching, and hoping for a closer bluebird shot, I spotted something quite surprising:

Mr. & Mrs. Great Horned Owl, nestled together high in a mesquite, nearly hidden among the clumps of desert mistletoe.

My winter birding is off to a doubly happy start!

 

finally!

It's taken nearly 7 years of living here to see (much less photograph) a female Northern Cardinal at my backyard feeder.

Cardinals were our year-round backyard companions when we lived in Virginia. But even though our Phoenix NFL team is named for them, we've rarely glimpsed them here at our edge of the desert foothills.

So yesterday afternoon, I could hardly believe my eyes when this little lady appeared. She sampled from both the peanut and sunflower feeders, enjoyed some rest in the shade in the bougainvillea, and eventually flew away.

Sure hope she'll be back.

Horses & Hummingbirds

 

^{Photo credit: SAM, www.SaltRiverWildHorses.com}

Lately, I've spent some afternoons helping to pack & mail orders for the Salt River Wild Horses 2013 Calendar. Proceeds go the Society for the Preservation of the Salt River Horse, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (status pending) whose intent is to establish a legally protected status (long overdue!) & assist with future management of our unique Salt River wild herd.

^{Photo credit:  www.SaltRiverWildHorses.com}

It so happens that the first, eighth, eleventh and twelfth photos in this calendar are mine. Part of my Salt River obsession lies in my desire to photograph & share images of these wild horses, in hopes of earning public attention and action to ensure their future welfare.

And by the way, calendars are still available for order here. But quantities may be limited, so if you want one, order soon!

Apart from the satisfaction I've derived from contributing to the calendar project, I earned another significant reward -- an opportunity to photograph a colorful little hummingbird visitor to the backyard of calendar wizard & devoted birder Peggy Thomas.

Peggy Thomas put the calendar together & got it produced & took all the orders & headquartered the packing and shipping at her home. And so I was lucky enough to take a break from packing Saturday afternoon and get some photos of this little guy.

I suspect this tiny Broad-billed male hummingbird recognized a gentle, nature-loving soul when he saw one. These hummingbirds are rarely seen around Phoenix, but this one has recently chosen to hang out in Peggy's backyard.

Smart little guy.

rebuilding their nest

Rarely am I at the river in the afternoon, but yesterday my worries for our sick kitty (now much improved) postponed my morning excursion. So I went at midday, hoping but not expecting to see any horses or eagles. Sometimes, just the sound of the water and the colors and scents of the warm desert are gifts enough.

But when I went to my lookout spot for an eagles' nest, I could see a Baldie sitting down in the tree where its nest was collapsed by a fierce storm last spring.

It's a bit of a hike to get to the spot where this photo was taken, and there was no guarantee that the eagle would stay put, but it seemed worth a try. There have been many mornings lately when I've seen both eagles atop this tree, but this was the first time I'd seen one back down in the nest location.

So I hiked to & from vantage points along the river and took photos from a variety of angles. The nest perimeter zone across the river is closed by law from December through June, but I would never enter it when the eagles are present at any time of year, for fear of disturbing their home territory. So all my eagles' nest photography is shot long-zoom & cropped, and thus not super sharp -- a small tradeoff for getting to observe this beautiful pair.

What I was photographing (basically aiming at a white blob with a smaller yellow spot above the dark shadow of the nest) proved, when I finally saw the photos on the computer, to be both eagles in their nest.

Clearly, they have already been at work rebuilding what was a badly collapsed nest structure. I'm told they have nested in this tree for at least 6 or 7 years, and apparently they are staying put for the upcoming nesting season, which is very happy news indeed.

It will be exciting to watch them (from very afar) over the coming months. The devotion of wild creatures to raising their young is amazing, and I hope their efforts will be rewarded with two healthy eaglets.

 

moody daybreak

Majestic saguaros against blue-grey mountains and sky, with just a glimmer of sunshine peeking through the clouds.

Daybreak yesterday morning, near Goldfield along the Salt River.

I came upon the saguaro scene just after I'd taken some photos of this guy and his group out grazing in the desert...

Handsome Salt River band stallion Tex, sporting some seasonal burrs and bugs.

 

new kid on the block

Out at the river this morning, I got my first glimpse of this young foal, likely born last weekend. Not sure of its gender yet, but already it looks strong and sure-footed, and it knows to stay very close to mom.

Welcome to the Salt River wild herd, little one.

Turkey Vulture!

 

_{Turkey Vulture, 9-16-12.}

Sunday afternoon, I saw a large shadow through the kitchen window shade...

It was a Turkey Vulture perched on our back fence.

Not sure what brought it to visit, but it sat and looked around for a few minutes and then flew off.

My visits to the river have brought a new appreciation for these fierce-looking but harmless creatures, who clean up carrion on behalf of Mother Nature.

Still, if this one chooses not to frequent our backyard, I probably won't complain.

layering photo filters

 

Grazing in the early morning sun, King's white mare & foal near the Salt River, 9-15-12.

So, to demonstrate the effects of the multiple filter layers, first I'll remove the copyright layer & the vignette (corner shadowing) filter layer:

  

Next, I'll remove the photo fading effect filter layer:

Then I'll remove the tonality adjustment filter layer that brings more detail to shadowed areas:

Above is the basic version I started with, not completely RAW from the camera, but with no filters -- just normal cropping, contrast and minor sharpening edits -- the standard formula for most of my photos.

Again, the final filter-layered version:

  Fun stuff to play with when you get a good subject like this. 

this morning

 

This morning I spotted the Gambel's Quail breakfast club through the kitchen window. The hen on the right was sporting a very chic double plume.

Then, while out on errands, I stopped by the shopping center where my favorite American Kestrels usually hang out. I hadn't been there for several months since their babies were fledglings. Today only the Dad was there, but he posed very nicely on his favorite palm perch.

And I couldn't get out to the river to see the horses today, but I'm sharing this photo from Wednesday 9-12 because I was thinking about them. Especially this new little guy, who was just a week old when I took the photo. But already he's strong & brave, and so sweet.

Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me, especially when I see how the birds and the wild horses take care of each other. We humans could learn a bit from them.

Not-So-Daily Bird: September 13

 The only thing better than one Bald Eagle is two Bald Eagles in one photo, this taken 9-12-12.

Double thrill!

Obviously they're mates -- perhaps they're prospecting for a new home, or maybe just enjoying a change of scenery for a bit.