Mrsroadrunner Photographs

Common Checkered Skipper Butterfly | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Mon, 11 May 2015 08:06:00 -0700

Common Checkered Skipper Butterfly | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet again this Common Checkered Skipper Butterfly! This one is on one of our wildflowers that grow here in our part of the high desert of Oregon!

Skipper Butterflies all have the same structure in appearance. All Skipper Butterflies kind of, "skip", or "Flutter" about. My observations as for photographing the Skipper Butterflies is to find them busy as this one is, and keep your shadow off them. Once you find your own technique , you too will get many photographs of the Skippers doing what the Skippers would do if you are there documenting their behavior or not.

This Common Checkered Skipper Butterfly is rather a pretty one with the hint of blue! I like the color myself and this one is a common Butterfly here on our part of Oregon.

Skipper Butterflies to my understand are found all over America, from the west coast where we are to the east coast! Perhaps not this pacific species of this Skipper Butterfly. However all skippers have this body structure as I have said. This is a good way of knowing what you have seen or photographed. Knowing the Butterfly is a Skipper, then if you choose you can identify what kind of Skipper Butterfly.

Thank you for coming by and checking out this small series of photographs of this Common Checkered Skipper Butterfly!

Wood-nymph Butterfly | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 08:25:00 -0700

Wood-nymph Butterfly | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Wood-nymph Butterfly! See the Butterflies eye spots?

This Wood-nymph Butterfly is feeding on these wildflowers. As you look through this series of photographs, watch this Wood-nymph Butterflies face. You can clearly see this Wood-nymph Butterfly feeding!

The Wood-nymph Butterfly comes in several sizes and the colors can be different as well. This species is found here in Oregon. To be more pacific of where I photographed this Wood-nymph Butterfly I photographed this one in the Ochoco Mountains of Oregon.

You will here me talk a lot of the Ochoco Mountains for we like the Ochoco Mountains a great deal! If you are looking for the big animals deer, elk even Wild Horses that kind of thing, the Ochoco Mountains has those more so then my observations of the Cascade Mountains. The Cascade Mountains it has been our experience of more people then the Ochoco Mountains has, but for hunting season. Hunting season is a crazy time of the year. The Cascade Mountains has the tourists, the Ochoco Mountains has the hunters. That might be easier to explain the two mountain ranges?

We like the quietness and the abundance of all kinds of Wildlife in the Ochoco Mountains! I am not a big snow person, as you can find year round in the Cascade Mountains. Cascades are also found in the Ochoco Mountains, not like the Cascade Mountains of course, many more Cascades in the Cascade Mountains!

Depends what you are looking for, wanting? The Ochoco Mountains in Spring and Summer is a Butterfly persons wonderland!

It is getting to be that time of the year where it is time to head back into the Ochoco Mountains! The wildflowers should be about to bloom if they have not started? Our Lupine and other native species are about to bloom at any time here at home. We live in between the Cascade Mountains to the west of us, and the Ochoco Mountains to the east of us. Which direction do we want to go ?

I left this Wood-nymph Butterfly feeding on these Wildflowers. There is no need to spend to much time with one species of Butterfly for there is so many more to photograph! Most times the Butterflies cooperate with me and my camera. Other times I would love to be a fly on the wall watching haha!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my Wood-nymph Butterfly Photographs!

Red-tailed Hawk In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 07:35:00 -0700

Red-tailed Hawk In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Red-tailed Hawk of The High Desert of Oregon! If you visit here and see a Hawk, this might just be the Hawk you see first?

You may see the Red-tailed Hawk in a topped Juniper as this one is. Why the topped Juniper tree's? The Red-tailed Hawks are not small birds, not the largest birds of prey we have , not the smallest either!

The Red-tailed Hawk is four feetish in length. The females are bigger then the males, as other birds of prey are. We do get the Red-tailed Hawk here at the house flying over to see what there is to see. However this one was photographed away from the house on this topped juniper tree. Normal growing juniper tree's just are not strong enough to hold a Red-tailed Hawk. So the Red-tailed Hawks find topped juniper tree's or they are found a ring or two down on a stronger limb in the juniper tree, or anything that can hold their weight. We just have a lot of juniper tree's here in the high desert to make use of.

The Red-tailed Hawk can be found most places here in the High Desert. The Red-tailed Hawk does not tend to fear people. You can find the Red-tailed Hawk nesting outside of peoples homes in the tree's here where we live. You can find them on the sides of the road hunting, you can find them on electrical lines along the high ways hunting. Keep your eyes open, if you visit here you will see a Red-tailed Hawk!

This Red-tailed Hawk started stretching it's wings so I new it would not be long until the Red-tailed Hawk took flight!

It is pretty easy to get to close to the Red-tailed Hawks when they take flight! The younger Red-tailed Hawks will not fly far, and will kind of, "jump" to close spots to land. Testing out their wings. That is just the behavior of the young birds. The older Red-tailed Hawks already went through this stage of testing out their wings so they do not have to demonstrate such behavior.

You really do not have to stress the Red-tailed Hawk to take flight. Just wait..... The Red-tailed Hawk when we see them out and about like this, they do not stick around on such a exposed spot like this topped juniper tree for long. The Juniper tree was not tall, it seamed to me like just a stopping point for a short time. I have even photographs the Red-tailed Hawks at kills along with the Eagles. The Ravens always, I mean always tell when their is such a kill. Everything shows up! So keep your ears open for the Raven! The big mouths of nature.....

This shot is the last shot I got before it went behind the other Junipers and I really did not feel like following the bird. Plenty of other Birds of Prey to photograph! The Red-tailed Hawk is not always found up in the sky!! Look in the tree's you are hiking by, use your ears to listen for the Ravens telling you and everyone where a meal is, just keep your eyes open other then in the skies of course!

Thank you for coming by and checking out this series of this Red-tailed Hawk I photographed!

Blue Ridge Mine Oregon | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 07:46:00 -0700

Blue Ridge Mine Oregon | Mrsroadrunner Photography

This is the Blue Ridge Mine in the Ochoco Mountains here in Oregon! We typically drive by these mines (there is quite a few in Oregon), however this day we thought we should stop and see what has changed since the last time we stopped by.

Nothing to much changed since the last time we had stopped. The weather in the Ochoco Mountains is taking it's toll as well as folks doing what people do when these kinds of folks have no one watching them.

If you have your dog/s with you as we do, make sure you give your dog/s a good drink from the fresh water you packed for your dog/s! The contaminated water supply is no good for your dog/s and hate for you to find out what the water supply around some of these mines can do to your dog/s as we did!! Don't allow your dog/s to play in, drink have much to do with the water that is found around these mines.....

This is just one of the Mines that can be found in the Ochoco Mountains! No longer used, no workers are around all that you will find is history. Or the left overs of what once was.....

Again if you have dog/s with you be careful of the nails, and other debris that can be found around such structures. These places are not maintained, if there is a sign there is a reason for that sign.

It seams as if every time we do choose to stop at the Blue Ridge Mine something has changed! Oh doors are off their hinges or something has been torn off. Garbage laying around. Pack it in, pack it out.....

As I am writing this I recall passing the Blue Ridge Mine many times! We just don't choose to stop all the times we are up here in the area.

The dogs are the main reason we choose not to stop every time we pass the Blue Ridge Mine or the other mines. One of our Mastiffs really likes water and was hospitalized after a jont to several of the Mines. We would rather not have this happen again.

If you are in the area just to go to the Mines without dog/s, well..... You will not be disappointed! We are not in the Mountains for the Mines, this is a secondary for us. Wildlife photography is why we are here in the Ochoco Mountains..... I just happen to like history, and Guy worked up here in the area so he knows a lot of the stories of such things as the Blue Ridge Mine that has been passed around from generation to generation. I believe I wrote this in my last post? I will look and revise this. That post might now be in my archive, when I used to post to a place that is now shut down..... Put this on my list of things to check on.

This is the main building. This is the building I seam to notice changes on the most when we do stop, or just driving by since we drive by this the most. Such as that ladder there. That ladder does not belong there. Someone had torn that ladder off I believe the back of the building where it was left many years ago. I took photographs oh, five plus years ago when this was not like this. The bullet holes seam to be new to me as well.....

This building tends to get the most attention for this is seen from the road. You come around the corner and BOOM, there it is! Again a interesting place if you have never been! Keep in mind if people are driving the road.... stay out of the road! This is common sense and many folks have been by here so much that they do not expect people or your pets to be in the road....

I do not do the driving, so to get directions to visit check the internet. Guy is the driver of this team and he knows these roads, I would get us lost if I was the driver hahahaha Please pack enough water for you and if you bring your dog/s! It can get hot up here in the Ochoco Mountains!! Make sure you have extra tires, and enough gas! If you don't know the area bring a map!! You wont find a gas station, a store nothing for quite a ways away! We have seen more visitors get a flat tire, and getting lost. I have no clue if internet is around in this area? OMG during hunting season be a little more careful! If you run into fire wood folks, sheep herders, cowboys moving cattle or other folks working in the area, give them the road..... Again pack it in pack it out.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my photographs!

American Goldfinch Fledgling | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 08:48:00 -0700

American Goldfinch Fledgling | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet this American Goldfinch Fledgling. This one is older then the others I have shown in another post! This one has his color coming in. Not quite all the way yet, but we can identify him as a American Goldfinch.

As with many places the American Goldfinch finds everything the bird needs here at home to raise young at. Because of this we get to see the fledglings grow up to a curtain age before they leave.

The Sunflowers are very popular with the American Goldfinch! Even the insects that live on the Sunflowers are tasty! Rarely do these American Goldfinch's need to come to the bird feeders. The garden seams to have enough growing the need to supplement their diet is just not needed here at our home. We see the American Goldfinch manly in the garden, in the trees they go and just sing and sing!!

This American Goldfinch Fledgling has been raised here and rather used to my camera's click!

A little longer and this American Goldfinch Fledgling's feathers will be full of color, loosing the "baby", look.

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photographs of this American Goldfinch Fledgling!

Fenders Blue Butterfly In Its Natural Environment | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 06:58:00 -0700

Fenders Blue Butterfly In Its Natural Environment | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the tiny Fenders Blue Butterfly!

This is one of our visits to the Ochoco Mountains. I look for water, and typically a prairie like area for the butterflies. Since everything needs a drink, and Butterflies do not drink as we do, they need mud! So this is what I look for. Typically I am not disappointed! As the photograph above shows, this Fenders Blue Butterfly is getting a drink.

This photograph above shows a little more detail of the Fenders Blue Butterfly drinking. This strategy of mine usually does not fail me. This day many butterflies were at this spot up in the Ochoco Mountains!

Since these butterflies are horribly tiny for what we consider a size for a butterfly, I have to get right in there with my camera. Guy keeps the dogs with him, and away from where I am! The running water is not far away and this area is full of Deer and other critters the dogs noses find desirable to pay attention to. Folks wonder how I get ticks on me, well......

The biggest population of these Butterflies is said to be over the mountain west of Salem Oregon. I found this interesting. I personally would have no idea if I were in some ones backyard if I were over there looking for butterflies...... I wish them the best over the mountain to keep areas free from progress!

Lupine is again the hero of these Butterflies. Lupine is very common flower plant over here! The wild lupine grows in many places, and different kinds of Lupine! However the Kincaid's lupine was on the endangered plant list itself!! Might still be?? If the Fenders Blue ONLY feeds on this Kincaid's lupine, then the Kincaid's lupine must be growing over here as well?

Since I also take photographs of the wildflowers, it might be time to look for Lupine Photographs in my archive. Though to be honest.... Lupine is so common over here.... I may not even take photographs of it anymore? I will have to keep this in mind when out and about. Doing my research I have seen photographs of the Fender's Blue Butterflies on the Lupine that we (Guy and I), consider common Lupine......we see Lupine everywhere!

The Fenders Blue Butterfly is one of the Butterflies that are on the endangered list. Recovery plans are in effect and it makes me wonder if in our mountains are the places that these recovery plans are in action?? Is this why I am finding and photographing such species as the Fenders Blue?? Without going into my archive, I believe another spot I photographed these Fenders Blue Butterflies was in the Mount Jefferson wilderness area, part of the Cascade Mountain range.

East of the Cascade Mountains is not like the west. We do not have the population of people like they do. This means we have wide open places for such things to thrive. We have acres of public lands, large privately owned ranches and farms over here. Unlike west of the Cascade Mountains we have the areas that many creature need to survive. If a person is willing to take their time, gas money, reliable vehicle,packed lunch and water etc. to head out into these areas to photograph in such places, it can be rewarding.

The vegetation these Fenders Blue Butterflies are on is notable! The Fenders Blue Butterflies were not feeding. Keep in mind there were more then just the ones I photographed! I pay attention to the individual Butterflies and what they are doing. This area is for getting drinks.

Keep in mind, these are my photographs, my observations, my time, money spent and the research I have done. I reserve the right to be wrong, to learn and my contact information is out there if you have information that could be useful to me! I do pass on information to others......There are more photographs to this series.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my photography!

South Fork Crooked River Oregon | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 07:37:00 -0700

South Fork Crooked River Oregon | Mrsroadrunner Photography

This is the South Fork of the Crooked River in the Ochoco Mountains here in Oregon!

The Crooked River is a tributary of the Deschutes River and is 125 miles long. "Crooked", is a good word for this river too haha! The Crooked River winds it's way here and there!

We spend a lot of time around the Crooked River! Many creatures have to have water! Depending what you are looking for, depends where you want to go! I look for meadows, I look for places with standing water for my Butterfly and other insect photography.

Cottonwood groves will produce Owls and other birds. So will the Cattails. Wooded areas are quite popular with all kinds of wildlife! Along with the wooded areas, Mushrooms are found to photograph! Sometimes you can run into watersheds. Watersheds are fenced off so the horses, cattle can not get in there and tear up these water sources. I admit we do not spend time at the watersheds. No real reason, just do not see to much movement.

Some areas you will find fly fisher people. Crawfish are found in some places. Campers are found along with their horses at time as well. These things are typically all found within the same places and we do not bother with these places typically. Why bother? Wildlife just does not care for such human activity.

We go to the more quiet places. The places where people are not! Sure we do stop into some of the camping places to read the boards. This is where important information is at, such as cougars in the area etc..

Most people do not see anything, those who are looking for the big that is. Which there is Elk, Mule Deer, Antelope (Pronghorns for the folks who want to get technical). It is good to pay attention to the hunting seasons!

Wild Horses are found in these mountains as well! The Wild Horses are easy enough to spot at the tree's with high grasses growing. A lot of dung in the road, they use the roads too! Driving quickly in the Ochoco Mountains may not result in a great outcome! Sheep, lots of sheep graze in the Ochoco Mountains. Cattle are also brought into the Ochoco Mountains. You do not think the campers and our taxes pay for everything do you?

Just keep your eyes open if you are around the Crooked River, any part of it! The wildlife might be small, might be hard to see if you do not yet have the eyes to see. Wildlife is there! You just got to slow down, look around!

PLEASE if you pack it in, pack it out! Sure there are garbage cans here and there in the parks, however people have to empty these and in today's economy just pack it out yourself!

Thank you for coming by and visiting Oregon!

Viceroy Butterfly In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 06:54:00 -0700

Viceroy Butterfly In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Viceroy Butterfly! Pretty Butterfly right?

I learned of this Butterfly actually on facebook..... a wildlife place was posting the difference of the Viceroy Butterfly, and the Monarch Butterfly. I thought it looked familiar, as if I had photographed the Viceroy Butterfly before. Sure enough when I came upon this photo album in my archive (2014), there was this Viceroy Butterfly!

I take many photographs. Someone asked if I could send over a new photograph I just took, well things are not that quick when using a real camera. After the time and effort it takes to get the photograph of whatever, then there is the upload process from which ever camera body that I used. After the upload into my archive, (my archive has the year whatever was taken, and the date, exact time etc.. This gives me a educated guess of where a species might be the next year or the year after that so on. Or the weather conditions , garden changes of whatever flower we grow here at home from year to year), Then I take the time to name each usable file. This way I can go to search, put in a key word and whatever photograph comes up. This also helps me with the identification process of past species I have photographed.... you get it.

Then I may or may not watermark what ever photograph I upload to the web. Lately since I have been uploading photographs to my own server, all photographs are being watermarked before they go onto the web. My process works for me. Everyone has their own routine, this is just mine. When I need whatever photograph processed into whatever sized photograph I just go into my archive, either choose the photograph that is named already or go to the original file, which ever one I need. The watermarked photographs are resized to a size that is not good for processing, plus who wants a photograph that is watermarked??

So you see I do not just upload a photograph I just took without going through my routine...... Which should teach me not to talk about things I just photographed, but I get excised. When this feeling goes away I will walk away from this whole thing....

This Viceroy Butterfly was very skittish. Was not staying still for me for nothing!! I translate this into, just arriving here at this place I was at? Or, just transforming into a Butterfly at this place I was at? Just not used to people. Where I go for my photography I am lucky to see one other person, typically this is off in the distance. Typically a farmer or rancher working. I do not always go out and about with Guy and/or the dogs. I have a tendency to go by myself.

Because of this butterfly being so sketch I did not get the micro shots that I like to get.

See the "half moon", of black? The "U" shape..... well the Monarch Butterfly does not have that....

The photograph above is a Monarch Butterfly. No black moon shape or a "U", of black. Look at the two photographs and you can see the differences of the two butterflies. Anyhoo read up on your own about the Viceroy Butterfly, and the Monarch Butterfly. I have not as of yet dived into the males and females all that.... I find if I have a reason to do something then the time is not wasted.

This shot above is in another location. Same Viceroy Butterfly. I watched where it went and got this photograph above.

This shot above I used for identification purposes only. Not a clear shot, so I named the file above for id purposes only. You can see this when you go to look at the photograph itself. I go to my search and put in the key words," Viceroy Butterfly id only", and that photograph will come up. As I said in other blog posts some of my photography is used for ID only.

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photography of this Viceroy Butterfly!

Checkered Skipper Butterfly In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 05:41:00 -0700

Checkered Skipper Butterfly In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Checkered Skipper Butterfly! This skipper Butterfly is a common Skipper here in our area.

The area in which I was for these photographs is a marshy area. If you are not careful where you step you may get wet! This is part of a gully that we have here in our town. I have hiked quite far in this gully and it just keeps going and going! Not all this gully has water, though more then on top does!

The Skipper Butterflies are called Skippers for how they seam to, "skip", as they fly. All Skipper Butterflies have the body structure you see above. This is how you break down this species of Butterfly when identification is needed.

This Checkered Skipper Butterfly was not feeding, but seamed to be sunning itself in the shot above? All Butterflies tend to use us as kind of a shield when hiking. The Butterflies tend to flutter around us, my theory is so the birds will stay away?? If you have noticed I have a lot of Butterfly Photographs, many more then I share! Identification on my part takes me a lot of my time.....There are so many Butterflies!!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photographs of this this Checkered Skipper Butterfly!

High Desert Game Bird | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 07:34:00 -0700

High Desert Game Bird | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet these game birds found here in our town in the High Desert of Oregon! These birds are typically in this area every time I take a walk this way and every time they seam to make me jump even though I know they are there haha!

Without looking at the photographs Guy, (he is my other half ), says they are probably the common sage hens. This could be for I looked up ,"Sage Han", here on the computer and the females and young do look like these photographs I took.

These birds are pretty quick! I try and be quiet, however we are never as quiet as we think we are! This is a NO HUNTING zone and I find year after year this flock is growing. I would like to run into the adult males, since this is a sure way of identifying the species. Well, a easier way! The males being the flashier one with colors and such.

I did get these photographs as the chicks were not quite full grown. The photograph above you see a chick, with what appears to be a older bird. These birds are the size of chickens, smaller then some chickens my grandparents raised.

I know these birds are in this locations, though they always make me laugh for they start taking off to hide and I seam to jump in surprise every time haha For a long while I just assumed they were quail. Quail are very common here! Not sure why I just assumed this other then quail are every where!! The Quail are even found at our home, walking down the roads, stopping traffic (like we have a lot of traffic in this town haha).......

Watching the Quail on one of my walks into a gully I even came face to face with a Coyote who was hunting the quail I was watching.... surprising both the dog and I !

I have seen Coyote around this flock of birds as well! The NO HUNTING only applies to people with weapons. Coyotes are nothing to fear, they don't want anything to do with people around here. More then likely if a Coyote has reached adult hood it has been shot at, probably a couple times....

These birds also have to watch out for the Birds of Prey we have here! The Harriers are quite humorous for they will fly low to see what you have kicked up out of the brush for them! Harriers are said to be one of the only Birds of Prey who use their hearing more then other Birds of Prey. Might be why the Harriers fly so low and typically found on the ground?

I have seen both the Bald Eagle, the Golden eagles in this location. The Red Tailed Hawk of course! The Osprey fish around this location. The Owls can be found both day and night here in this location. Other miscellaneous Birds of Prey can be found here in our town as well.

If one goes to the Train Depot here in our town and look out in the direction of the Cascade Mountains, if one just waits you will see Birds Of Prey! I see them most every day, hearing them is not uncommon! Our town is Metolius Oregon if you ever come with way. Just keep in mind the areas are private property so just keep to the Train Depot or the roads and you are fine. You might have folks wondering what you are doing, though many folks show up here with their binoculars. Then the locals know what you are doing. Heck you may even see me walking around with my cameras?

If you have any information about these birds, do share! They could be the Sage Hens as Guy has guessed? I had told the farmers who allow me on their land that I would not give the location of that in which I photograph and I mean to keep my word.

I have been working on a project in which my hands/arms really hurt. I will try and not be to cranky haha

Thank you for coming by and checking out these Game Birds who are found here in our town in The High Desert of Oregon!

Vivid Dancer Dragonfly Eating A Spider | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:39:00 -0700

Vivid Dancer Dragonfly Eating A Spider | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Vivid Dancer Dragonfly! I captured this one eating what I think is a spider!?

Dragonflies are great helpers when it comes to controlling insects! I think I see wings there, so perhaps that is not a spider?

This happening was not captured here at the house, but in a area I like to go to here in our town! This area was near a water holding pond, there was plenty of activity going on! Of course you have to stop and look around to notice all the activity!

The Vivid Dancer Dragonfly is a common Dragonfly here. They are the smaller species of Dragonflies stalking and feeding on the smaller insects.

I get a kick out of the Dragonflies for the Dragonflies are our friends. Anything that helps control the insects is ok in my book!

I think that is a spider this Vivid Dancer Dragonfly is feeding on, however I thought I seen wings? Thought it looks like the cotton wood tree's cotton is on the insect so?? We do have the cottonwood tree here and I can honestly say I do not care for that tree haha! I just think it is cool to see the Vivid Dancer Dragonfly helping out as it is doing!

Thank you for coming by and seeing my photographs of this happening!

Froglet in The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:10:00 -0700

Froglet in The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Froglet , or Baby Frog here in Our pond! This Froglet is the common frog we have. The Pacific Tree Frog has to have a place to lay eggs and for those eggs to grow into adult frogs. Of course the Pacific Tree Frog uses any source of water for this process, this pond of ours is one of those places.

At this stage of growth this Froglet is still not mature enough to leave the water for good. However at this stage the Froglets start coming out of the water checking out things.

The shot above there are at least one Froglet and a tadpole under the water. This small pond of ours is the one pond this species of Frog likes, the other pond has Toads that make the other pond theirs so this species is not to fond of that pond. Or if they are, I do not get the chance to observe them.

You can see from the above shot, the Tadpoles are of different sizes, we do have several different species of Frogs and Toads that show up here at home. So the two above may not even be the same species?? The eyes seam to be the same color, so I feel these two are the same species just different sizes and in different stages of growth. I am not expert, I just spend time with the Tadpoles, Froglets. Much like folks who spend time with their fish.....

This pond has Raspberries growing around it which brings in many creatures, plus the berries themselves have a way of dropping into the water. The wild birds also use this and the other pond. Because of all the life in the ponds we do add fresh water to the ponds at least two times a day. We were thinking of putting one of those waterfalls in the pond, however I like all the life in the ponds and do wonder if we did add such a feature would it do something to the life in the pond? Would the waterfall disturb the eggs??

The mature Frogs do branch out. Moving to where a food source is. Food sources being any creepy crawling thing they can find. I even watched a mature Pacific Tree Frog eat a dung beetle, which the mature Frog instantly spit out of his mouth. Not tasting to good perhaps? This of course made me laugh!

What I get a kick out of is when the neighborhood kids find a mature Frog!! The small kids get such a kid out of seeing them, and perhaps catching them? I asked a child of perhaps age 8 who was new to me, if he likes Frogs. Instantly telling me NO. So I do worry about our small friends who helps with our organic garden. However we do have a healthy population of these common frogs. I still hate to see them killed for nothing more then surviving to adulthood.

Since these are wild Frogs I can only hope they survive the cats, people, birds, snakes etc.. I do remove snakes when I smell or see them. I am not bad at catching what I want to catch. Then Guy and I drive them at least a mile away so we never see that particular snake again. Though snakes are pretty good about coming back......

I thought this shot of this Froglet swimming was a good shot to end this post with. I can spend a lot of time watching the Froglets! The birds who stop for a drink or a bath are so funny when they see the bigger Froglets! We get many fledglings here who have never yet seen a mature Frog or a Froglet! The first time seeing them is just a cute funny!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photographs of this day of photographing the life in the pond!

Foxglove Hybrid Flower | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 07:24:00 -0700

Foxglove Hybrid Flower | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet this Foxglove Hybrid Flower! If you are new to my blogs, photographs you may not have seen this Hybrid in the past? We have had these growing now for three years I think (without going back and looking).

As with the past years these Foxglove grow near the Bell Flower, or the Bell Flower grow near the Foxglove? Either way this is what I believe this Foxglove Hybrid came from, these two flowers interbreeding with each other. Of course this is just my theory of observation in my garden.

Since these Hybrids grow as a Foxglove would, I do not know which Foxglove will look like this until blooming time. The Bell Flowers took some time to establish themselves here. Once the Bell Flowers established themselves, and we chose to grow the Foxglove inside our private area, did we get this funky looking flower blooms.

You can see from the shot above, the top flower blooms are the ones who open up in this funky manor that the typical Foxglove Flower Blooms just do not open up as these hybrids do.

I have read some of the hype on the computer about this funky looking Foxglove Hybrid. Some saying there is no way that a species like the Foxglove can possibly breed with another species of flowers. Why not? Why cant a species of flower breed with another type of flower? I personally feel trying to control nature is like holding back the tide from coming in.....

This Hybrid Foxglove Flower Bloom was not something that was planned here in our garden, it just happened one year and has continued year after year. The seeds are the only way I can think of, of how this can happen the past what three years here in our garden? We do contain this hybrid flower within the private part of our garden so far. The typical Foxglove Flower that folks know of is one of those Flowers that we, or I have to contain within our yard.

As some people know the Foxglove is also a plant that if used in the wrong manor, or if it spreads to livestock it may not have the effect people really want. Thus containing the very good seed producing seed pods, or dead heading. As soon as a seed pod is forming, pinch it off before the seed pod matures. Keeping only the color of Foxglove you want.

The Hybrid Flower above has not opened up all the way yet. It takes them some time to fully open up in the funky manor you seen above. We do keep the Foxglove Flowers away from the dogs who have chewed on the leaves they could get to before, as puppies it was more so. Making the dogs sick of course! These Hybrids I do not recall the dogs being able to get to? We grow the flowers in our private area inside the six foot dog fence, inside another fence. We just find this way best for our Flowers and to keep the dogs from chewing on leaves the best we can. The dogs are allowed to chew on the Raspberry leaves and stems all they want to, the raspberries are safe to eat. I can not express enough, Foxglove Flowers are NOT safe for dogs, cats etc., people to eat!!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my Hybrid Foxglove Flowers!

Butterfly On The Sweet William Flowers | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 06:53:00 -0700

Butterfly On The Sweet William Flowers | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly we have here at the house in the High Desert of Oregon!

Of course this species of Swallowtail are not just at our garden, but many places here in the High Desert! There were several of these Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies here at the house on this day , I chose these Sweet William Flowers and their visitors to pay attention to!

Since this Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly is in perfect shape I do feel this one is new to the Butterfly world coming from close by! Some years is great for all kinds of Butterflies to show up here to our garden!

We grow the Sweet William flowers by seeds. The Sweet William flowers did very well the first year we put them in and the butterflies of all kinds like them so much we put more of them into the garden here and there!

The Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies have everything they need right here in our garden! From food to the mud we supply for water the butterflies drink from. We even do not mind when they lay their eggs here and there! Though I really feel the trees that are close by are really where the caterpillars live and feed. Way up high in those trees you can see where the Caterpillars are, this is where I feel they metamorphoses into butterflies.....

I may make a blog of one of these Yellow Swallowtails who look as if it just emerged, drying it's wings on a leaf.....

I do like this shot I took of the Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies sets of wings. Front are up while the back wings are down.

This shot above I wanted to show the Sweet William Flowers with the Yellow Swallowtail in the shot but more in the background. I sure do like these Sweet William Flowers! Easy to grow, we have the Sweet William Flowers in several locations of our small properties garden.

Thank you for coming by and checking out this Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly!!

Bumblebee Hard At Work | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Thu, 9 Apr 2015 09:05:00 -0700

Bumblebee Hard At Work | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet again this Bumblebee! This Bumblebee is working on a Foxglove Flower, even this big Bumblebee can still fit into the flower blooms!

This Bumblebee acts aggressive but really, never had a bad experience. This species will challenge you by aggressively flying quickly into your face, or check you out by circling you. This is what bumblebee's do with flowers, they go round and round. They work on some flower blooms by circling them as well. This is just from my observations, if the Bumblebee does that in front of me I am sure they show the same behavior in your garden?

I do like the shot above showing the two sets of wings!

Some photographs I use ONLY for id use, some are stand alone photographs. Which is which is something I have to decide as the photographer. I feel I may put a couple of these shots out in the public as stand alone photographs? We will just have to wait and see?

I do not use my tripod all that much. Why? I feel tripods are restrictive when it comes to wildlife. I am not that far away from my subjects. If they would allow me closer I would change lenses and get in closer ha! Fact is I had a visitor here yesterday who did not stick around long and who was just to close! I did not have the time to change lenses..... if you are a photographer you know not everything comes out the way you see it in your head. All we can do is do our best!

This is the last photograph of this series I am showing. I am going to try to limit my photographs on these blogs to six or less. Lets see how I do with that ha!

Thank you for coming by and checking out this Bumblebee working hard on this Foxglove Flower. BTW the Foxglove does have it's bad point however the great thing about growing Foxglove Flowers is? The pollinators LOVE the Foxglove!

Mud Dauber Wasp in The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Wed, 8 Apr 2015 08:26:00 -0700

Mud Dauber Wasp in The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Meet the Mud Dauber Wasp that we have at our pond getting what else? Mud!

At this stage of the game these Mud Dauber Wasps have never given me any reason to think they are aggressive. They come for the mud provided by this small pond of ours. Never have seen them at the other pond.....

The Mud Dauber Wasps do what they do, then fly off. We are pretty good about checking for nests of any kind here. Never have seen a nest of these! Nor do I want to.

I am a sucker for shadows, I just like them and when I see a shadow like above I have been known to show the photograph! When the Mud Dauber Wasps are busy they do tend to turn their head and the activity away from me. I have noticed this behavior in other species as well.

Since the Mud Dauber Wasp has done nothing to make me think they are a pest, I just let them be. However to my understanding others do consider these Mud Dauber Wasps pests. I do make such things as nest building undesirable here, even though other species can make a nest rather quickly! Surprising the both of us as to how fast and where nest building happens. We do have to destroy some nests due to the stinging behavior of some of these species.

In this shot you can see where the stinger is, perhaps this is why the Mud Dauber Wasp turns it's head away from me? I have no intentions of taking the mud this Mud Dauber Wasp is working on, however the Mud Dauber Wasp does not know this right?

In the above shot, you can see the round ball of mud this Mud Dauber Wasp is working on. Seeing them fly with the mud is quite funny for take off is a tad bit hard. There has to be a thinking process?? These photographs I got right in there due to the Mud Dauber Wasp has never shown any aggression my way. Though I do not think I push the creature either. The Mud Dauber Wasp just does not act as if it wants to sting.

Thank you for coming by and checking out these new photographs I worked on yesterday however took these photographs back some time ago... just never got around to looking at.

Rose Bloom in Orange

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Tue, 7 Apr 2015 08:28:00 -0700

Rose Bloom in Orange

Meet our one of our Roses! Like several of our other Roses this to is a climbing Rose, with a nice color and the scent is not to bad either!

Roses are one of those flowers many people have. Guy is the Rose buyer here at our home. He looks at peddle count, and is real fond of the climbers!! This Rose is not a huge climber as our others. It does cover quite a lot of the six foot fence with many blooms! We actually gave away recently a couple of our climbers due to space. We do not have much land so every inch of space is valuable. I will miss those climbing Roses, however they all went to good homes!

This Orange Rose has a hint of yellow inside the peddles and we have had it for several years now! We did not have scare with our Roses. Warmth then we got a freeze! It looks like all our established Roses are coming back! The black death was clipped, and new shoots of growth is being seen! Black death is something I just say for if you grow roses you know of the black death and how much you do not want to see it!

Guy claimed he was not going to buy anymore Roses..... guess what he brought home lately??

The Roses attract Butterflies, Hoverflies,I have even photographed frogs inside the peddles of our Roses!!

Thank you for coming by and seeing my photographs of this Rose!

Lazuli Bunting birds Visiting

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Mon, 6 Apr 2015 08:06:00 -0700

Lazuli Bunting birds Visiting

Meet the Lazuli Bunting bird. Isn't he pretty?

I had to be in my archive yesterday. I came upon these photographs I have never shared before. Actually, it looks as if I did not look through this whole file..... ? These days I put notes for myself in my photography albums of what day, so I know what I did when. Otherwise the photographs get lost in the shuffle.

This series of the Lazuli Bunting Birds I am showing today is the two feeding here at the house. This is when I had yet to designate this area as the bird area here at home. This is almost four years ago.... I have been doing this for a little while now, those who have read my blog know how much I like taking photographs and talking about the subjects of the photographs!

Like most of the birds who show up here these Lazuli Bunting birds are no different! They are a little mistrusting at first, then they find out I have my space, they have theirs. All I ask for is some photographs! In turn they get the seed that is placed in the feeder, they get nesting material if it applies. They get water which is a biggy here in the High Desert of Oregon and I wont let anything happen to them while in my space.

After some times these Lazuli Bunting birds noticed this, they were safe here.

I do believe I have photographs of the female in another photo album, however at the time I did not know what I had? I have to go back and find that photo album of that day.... My archive is organized by the year, month and the day. Then as I go through the photographs I name the photograph , if that is I can? This way all I have to do is go to the drive my external hard drive is plugged into, go to the search option type in whatever, hit search! If anyone has a better way..... I am all ears haha!

By naming the file before it is uploaded, the search engines grab the name of the photograph file. This just helps with the search engine optimization. I have done this for years, again if you have or think you have a better way......

Being a agricultural area, the seed we buy typically comes from the feed store at the livestock auction. At one time there was a well known feed store there in Madras we bought from, however with the economy the way it is... this is now a tire store (It looks like a tire store, could be a mechanic shop).

There is also a feed store now in Culver Oregon. Though we just find getting into the livestock auction easier and it is closest to us. Which ever case the seed to our understanding is from our area. Now a days we buy bulk seed. 40-50 lbs bags.

We also provide suet here for the wild birds. This I have yet to find a bulk supplier hint hint, if you know where I can buy this in bulk......

What I felt was a little strange for these Lazuli Bunting being here is, we are not a wooded area like I read they are found. We are the High Desert. For this reason I think these Lazuli Buntings were here at the house just resting until they went on their way.

We get many creatures just stopping in. Migrating birds the most! Whatever species might be here for a day or two, or could be here for only hours before they pack up and move on! I think this is the case with these Lazuli Bunting birds?

As you can see from this series of photographs, the Lazuli Bunting birds are filling up on seeds. They were in the fruit trees as well, so perhaps they were also feeding on insects? I watched these Lazuli Buntings while they were here. Their behavior and how they interacted with the birds who are here normally at this time of the year, (May). There was some fighting going on with the other birds trying to run off the Lazuli Buntings, however the Lazuli Buntings were not easily ran off!

I have photographed the Western Bluebird which one website claims is similar to the Lazuli Bunting, no there is no confusing the two birds one bit!! However, if the two do share the same space, this is even more confusing to me as to why the Lazuli Bunting were here at the house..... There are three spots that we know of that the Western Bluebirds always are and it is not here at home! Again why I feel these Lazuli Bunting birds were here during migration?

The Lazuli Bunting I have read is pretty common bird, so I hope to see it again! Thank you for coming by and checking out my little write up and hope your weekend went well if you celebrated the holiday or not!

American Goldfinch and Fledgelings

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Thu, 2 Apr 2015 07:41:00 -0700

American Goldfinch and Fledgelings

Meet the American Goldfinch Fledgelings!

Because we have the Lesser Goldfinch here in Oregon and they show up at the house as well, I use some of my photography only for identification purposes, this is the case with these shots I am sharing with you.

The American Goldfinch Fledgelings are very noisy! I can not express to you how noisy these babies really are!! This is how the fledgelings got my attention, the begging almost made me want to feed them myself haha! I spend a lot of time on identification of whatever species I happen to photograph.

If I happen to get stuck on a identification or Guy and I disagree with a identification of whatever I have been known to contact someone to help with identification. As with one of the hawk species I photographed, even though I contacted someone in the field of birds of prey, Guy is still being obstinate that he is right ..... it makes for good conversation here at home!

I have went back to this series of photographs, (there are many more photographs in this series), for the fledgelings and females just do not look like the males that everyone thinks of as The American Goldfinch. The males being the flashy, pretty ones that people like to photograph and think of as the American Goldfinch.

Thank you for checking out these identification photographs I took here at home! Identification photographs are not for anything but id......

Rufous Hummingbird In The High Desert

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Wed, 1 Apr 2015 08:08:00 -0700

Rufous Hummingbird In The High Desert

Meet the Rufous Hummingbird! This is the Hummingbird we have most here at the house. The Rufous Hummers show up here for the breeding season.

The hummers like the pine trees we have here. This Hummer had followed me around so I took some photographs!

All the Hummingbirds react to the click of my camera. Pretty aggressive birds during this time of the year!

This Hummingbird was so curious that the hummingbird did not appreciate a neighbor stopping by to chat! The hummingbird dove at the neighbor I am assuming trying to run off the neighbor haha!

Hummingbirds really do get used to us! This species of Hummingbird will show back up here at the house at any time. We have had this species here for quite a few years now, do not expect 2015 to be any different.

I think this Hummingbird followed me around because I kicked up bugs? Even "talking", back to the click of my camera haha!!

Hummingbirds do not relax very often and I just feel these Hummingbirds here at the house like to watch what I am doing as much as I like watching them!

Thank you for coming by and checking out this Rufous Hummingbirds photographs!

Spadefoot Toad Back in Oregon

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 06:14:00 -0700

Spadefoot Toad Back in Oregon

Meet again the Spadefoot Toad that lives here at our property showing up once in a while in our pond.

Since our weather has been warm for this time of the year, I started watering. The next morning this Spadefoot Toad was in this fabricated pond. We placed these fabricated ponds into our natural ponds for water conservation. Our part of the High Desert has been getting drier then normal due to the limitation of water. We felt in 2014 that 2015 might be worse thus the prefabricated ponds.

As soon as we installed these two prefabricated ponds, this Spadefoot Toad showed up in this one. Last year the tadpoles hatched,grew and left the pond. This cycle looks as if it will continue in 2015. We have no clue how long this species of toad has lived here on our property? Since we have other species of frogs here, the singing of frogs and toads coming from our ponds goes on both days and nights. I try and photograph the visitors or the residence of wildlife we have here at home.

The photographs you see here are from two days. The first day this Spadefoot Toad wanted nothing to do with me, kept coming up in the shade mind you. As soon as the Spadefoot Toad noticed movement down it went into the dark depths of the pond!

The Spadefoot Toads head usually was in the shade. Might be to hot in the sun? Frogs and toads skin is very thin.....

I took several shots of the feet. Being diggers the feet of the Spadefoot Toad is different then water based creatures.

Since I do not pick up the toads or the frogs here without cause, such as death, this Spadefoot Toad is not touched by anyone! I do not allow us to pick the Spadefoot Toad up by our hands. I just do not want to hurt them! So this Spadefoot Toad comes and goes as it wants to. Only seeing one adult stuck in the fabricated pond so far. Tadpoles are a different story and I have a net for these, again I just do not want to touch them.

You can see the side of the prefab pond in some of these shots. On day two the Spadefoot Toad seamed very.... it no longer was darting down under the water to the black depths of the pond. This concerned me due to the Spadefoot Toad behavior when it first was seen in the pond the day before. The question, what would happen to this Spadefoot Toad if it was unable to get out of the pond and go back into it's burrow went through my mind. I dont want to hurt the Spadefoot Toad by being ignorant!

I expressed my concerns to Guy when he got home from work and he seen the Spadefoot Toad was not expressing the liveliness of a creature who is doing well. So Guy placed a board in the pond, if the Spadefoot Toad wanted out, this could be a way it could get out. Since we have no idea how on earth the Spadefoot Toads even get into the pond? Assuming the need to breed is so great, getting into the prefab pond is easier then getting out for the creature.......

The next morning the Spadefoot Toad was gone. I like getting the photographs I do of the wild creature who show up here, but I am not going to go so far as stressing out the creatures who show up here. Stress is a killer of both small and large creatures. That to me is not a good host.

Who knows there might be Spadefoot Toad eggs again in 2015? It is still very early in the year..... We may just see this species in this pond again?? I have yet to see a grown Spadefoot Toad in the other pond. I did photograph several of the tadpoles last year in the other pond. Lets hope the snakes do not move in and wipe out our little ponds this year? I am on the watch for snakes, and the smell of such snakes!

Thank you for coming by and checking out these photographs that were taken ..... oh last week? A few days ago now.... If you would like to read the blog post of last year when I just learned what I have photographs of you can read that post here if you would like or copy and paste the url http://www.mrsroadrunner.com/blog/2014/6/spadefoot-toad .

Bumblebee and the Cosmos Flower Bloom

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 07:13:00 -0700

Bumblebee and the Cosmos Flower Bloom

Meet one of our common pollinator here at our garden! Round and round the bee goes!

If photographs do talk for us there is not a whole lot more I can say! You can see the photographs I took for yourself!

This flower is the Cosmos Flower.

We do have several kinds of Bee's here at the house now, even though there is not to much to eat out there at the moment!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my Photographs!

Heliotrope Flower Bloom

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 04:18:00 -0700

Heliotrope Flower Bloom

Meet the Heliotrope blooms and plant!

Not sure why I do not give these container plants more attention then I do? These have to be the top fragrant flowers we have? Profuse bloomer of these purple little flowers and the foliage dose not look bad either!

Here in our part of the High Desert of Oregon we grow this in one of our big containers! For us this Heliotrope does not survive our cold winters. Guy claims if we brought it inside it might?

Pollinators - no real pollinators to speak of that I have observed.

The spot for the Heliotrope is a extremely sunny location which is not shared with the public. The soil is my own mix, part low grade cheep house plant soil (found anywhere and everywhere. To me I see this as a filler, like white rice. It does not have to much value however it fills a belly),part peat moss, part high quality soil we have to drive to get, part mushroom, part steer . When I can find good guano I have a tendency to throw that into the mix.... this works for us!

Watering is two times a day with no exceptions ! A big misconception some folks have in our part of Oregon is, you can water one or two times a week and your garden will flourish. This is just not the case! Guy did stick up for folks saying if they keep the water on all day and night two times a week they may get away with some plants? We also disagree with the using the run off from the big farms and ranches. I wont use this water that we pay dearly for. If I can not drink the water, the dogs, cat can not drink that water there must be something nasty about it, right? I am sure it is fine for such things as lawn? Water is a hot topic for me so I will leave this issue or start ranting.....

I highly recommend this flower to grow! Perhaps we should try it in the ground some day??

Thank you for coming by and checking out the photographs of this day of the Heliotrope!

Honeybees on The Red Poppy Flowers

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:09:00 -0700

Honeybees on The Red Poppy Flowers

Meet the Honeybees that were on these Poppy Flowers of August 1, 2014!

We do seam to be a stopping point for many pollinators during the peak blooming time of the year. This is now March still and we are getting the flower beds ready for 2015 flowering season by pulling weeds, seeding,waiting on a tuber delivery, working the soil, still needing to run the tiller and the chipper since we have piles of brush here and there from last year! Everything is taking off early this year!

You can see from the photographs above, there are two different poppy flowers! These are both from Red Poppy Flower Seeds, though the one Poppy Flower has more of a orange tint to it!

By August I spend a lot of my time outside if you can imagine! A lot of work to do and this is the busy time of the year here at home and all over Central and Eastern Oregon!

The Honeybee's photographed here start arriving early in the morning when sun starts to warm everything up. The honeybee's stick around until evening time.

Since the Poppy Flowers are so delicate of a flower, over head watering is a no go. The Honeybee's are found at our ponds or the other hardier flowers getting drinks from the mud we provide. Honeybee's like other insects do not drink water as you and I do, then back to work they go!

Every dang time I get visiting people here they swat at the bee's! These Honeybee's are more then likely from the shipments of Honeybee's we get from California to pollinate the big farms. Though since we have many species of bee's visiting us at any giving time at the peak blooming season, it is not wise to swat at the bee's. Some bee's do not like this!

Our place just hummmmms with the sounds of the Honeybee's doing their thing and I kind of like the sounds!

A place with Honeybee's is a healthy place! I worry when I see no Honeybee's in a location!!

Thank you for coming by and checking out the photographs from August 1, 2014!

Dragonfly of the High Desert of Oregon

mrsroadrunner2000@yahoo.com (mrsroadrunner) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 08:40:00 -0700

Dragonfly of the High Desert of Oregon

Meet the Dragonfly of our home here in the High Desert of Oregon!

Hope you all had a good weekend? We got some things that needed done , done in the garden. Now it is time to start putting out the seeds for the future flowers and the visitors to our garden! Many of my photographs of 2014 did come from our own garden. These photographs of this Band-winged Meadowhawk is no different!

These photographs came from one of our ponds, and fruit trees that hang over that pond.

I do get really good questions asked of me! The questions that is on my mind this morning was if I just push a button and take many photographs of the subject? Well...... one thing that folks may not understand is, keeping that button pushed results in oh lets just say a lot of photographs!! So unless I want to go through what a thousand, two , five thousand photographs of the same exact subject the answer is no. I do not just keep the button pushed. If that was the case I would have so many photographs to go through!! OMG makes me wince at the thought!

Like many folks who have to have a lot of stimulation, one day I can have many photographs of many different things if that day has been a active day! This of course is out of my hands, wildlife is going to do what wildlife wants to do!

The photograph above is the first of these three photographs I took. I really do not know if the subject is going to stick around? So, first thing to do is get the subject used to the sounds of my camera, and to get whatever used to me per say. Walking slow, everything has to be done with purpose!! Taking a step, you better think about that step!

Adjust the lens, since I do not mess with my camera settings I do not have to worry about that. I do not use a tripod, typically. So I do not have to worry about a tripod scaring whatever wildlife. Take a shot, or a couple shots.

Step closer, depending on how the wild creature is behaving! This Meadowhawk or dragonfly was not showing signs of stress. Adjust the lens, take some photographs.

I personally refuse to put my lens on "auto". This is a lazy, bad habit when dealing with wildlife photography! Some lenses do not even have a auto feature! Get used to "manual", mode. Depend on your own ability to act quickly as well as the ability to read the creatures behavior. You know if a creature is ready to fly away! If you do not, practice, practice when you have practiced, practice some more! I also keep all my lenses on the "stabilizer", feature. If that lens has one?

When you do not use a tripod you have that chance of doing what everyone does, move. When dealing with such things as branch of a tree, and a creature, the branch moves, the leaves move and the creature will move on and on and on. This is just the way it is. You have to deal with this!

Depending on the creatures behavior, step closer. The shot above is the closest I felt I could get! I do not want to run off the creatures that visit our garden! These Band-winged Meadowhawks or dragonflies mate here in our garden. We also get other kinds of dragonflies here who will mate if they can find a mate! This took us years to build however a creature who can come and go as they please will not feel secure if they are constantly being threatened by people.

The background on these photographs is just the garden. Since this was August 1 of 2014 the garden was in full bloom. Seeing the leaves the Band-Winged Meadowhawk is on tells me this was our fruit tree that hangs over one of our small ponds. This tells me that the background on these shots is pointing out of the six foot dog fence, and that flower bed. Blurring out the fence, leaving the green and some other colors that are flowers!

Editing my photographs: These photographs had nothing done to them. I try to not do anything to them. I dont know photoshop and frankly neither does many of the people who think they know photoshop! Shutters at some of the photoshopped photographs I have seen .....

Just had a scare, news from Bend Oregon just said it was snowing! We have the door wide open and some of the windows, does not feel cold enough to snow!! It is not , raining here! We have flowers in bloom already! Others are getting ready to bloom with buds on them, like the lilacs! Last thing we need is snow or that horrible frost!! We even have some birds in nests here at home!!

Thank you for coming by and checking out these photographs of the Band-winged Meadowhawk from August 1, 2014!