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Posts Tagged ‘Tamron 18-400mm’

I am finally nearing the end of my photos from my brief stay in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota at the beginning of November. I captured quite a few images of wild horses, bison, and prairie dogs at the national park and it has been a real joy reviewing the photos on my computer and relive the memories after my return home. Normally I try to post images on my blog that are a week old or less, but I figure that you will forgive me for posting images that are three weeks old.

Here are a few selected images of American Bison (Bison bison) that I spotted at the park in early November. Most often the were simply grazing, so frequently I would try to capture some interesting background, as in the first photo below. I was quite excited to spot the young bison in the second photo. It was quite a bit smaller than the adults, but already seemed to be growing horns.

The bison in the final photo lifted its head momentarily, allowing me to capture this informal portrait. It may look like I was really close to the bison, but I was using a telephoto zoom lens on my camera and I am pretty sure that I took the shot from inside my car. However, the bison was close enough that I had to zoom out a little to 322mm (on an 18-400mm lens) to fit the bison’s enormous head in the frame.

American Bison

American bison

American Bison

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Although I returned from my road trip out West several weeks ago, I am still going through some of the images that I captured. One of the real highlights of the trip was staying for a few nights in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Unlike some other national parks in that part of the USA, like Yosemite and Glacier National Parks, this park is uncrowded and I was able to drive slowly on its roads and observe a variety of wildlife species.

One of my favorites was the bands of wild horses that live in the national park. It’s estimated that there are about 200 wild horses in the park, though it is hard to know for sure. Most of the time I spotted some of the horses at a distance, out of the range of my telephoto lens, but I did have a few closer encounters and was able to capture some decent images of them.

It was interesting to note that the horse in the final photo is wearing what looks to be some kind of tracking collar. I am not sure if this is a normal practice at the national park or if the horse is part of some special study.

I grew up watching lots of Western show on television, like The Rifleman, Bonanza, and Gunsmoke. As a result, I have a special fondness for cowboys and find it really cool to see wild horses and bison herds.

wild horses

wild horse

wild horse

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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When I was a child, I recall hearing and singing an old American folk song called “Home on the Range.” Its lyrics speak of a home where buffalo roam and “the deer and the antelope play.” Those words kept coming back to me earlier this month during my brief stay at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

Over the years I have learned that the song is technically inaccurate, because there are no antelopes in North America. However, the Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) closely resembles the antelopes of the Old World and are known colloquially as “American antelope.” The closest living relatives of pronghorn, though, are the giraffe and the okapi, an animal often referred to as the “forest giraffe” found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Of note, the pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the Americas, capable or reaching speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (88 km/h).

When I first spotted these pronghorns, they were coming down the side of a hill and preparing to cross the road on which I was traveling. There were two young pronghorns and one an adult, that I presumed was their mother. I focused primarily on the young ones, as you can see in the first two photos, and finally got a shot of the adult as the the pronghorns were climbing a hill on the other side of the road. If I remember correctly, I took the first two photos through the windshield of my car.

 

pronghorn

pronghorn

Pronghorn

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Early in the morning on 5 November, I encountered some mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. Initially the deer were lapping up water that had accumulated alongside the road after a rainstorm.

I remained in my car as I captured a few shots of the deer, who looked at me with what appeared to be curiosity rather than fear. I was happy to be able to capture views of the tails and the ears of the mule deer, two of their most distinctive features, before they slowly moved into the underbrush.

mule deer

mule deer

mule deer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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The number of butterflies continues to dwindle, so I was thrilled to spot this pretty little Variegated Fritillary butterfly (Euptoieta claudia) last Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The weather has gotten cooler and it won’t be long before below freezing temperatures arrive, so I will be out chasing these last summer survivors until none remain.

Variegated Fritillary

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Earlier this month I spotted a coyote (Canis latrans) at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The coyote was hanging around a prairie dog town (you can see a prairie dog in the background) and magpies accompanied it, hoping to scavenge some tasty remnants.

I took these photos from inside my car with the windows open, hoping that no other cars would come by and disturb the coyote. Fortunately it was early in the morning and I was able to watch the coyote without interruptions. The coyote was unsuccessful in its hunt while I was there and eventually moved on.

Although we have coyotes at the wildlife refuge where I do a lot of my photography in Northern Virginia, this was my first time seeing and photographing one.

coyote

coyote

coyote

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) are very skittish and usually take off as soon as they detect my presence. As soon as I spotted one in the distance last week in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I immediately focused on it, anticipating its imminent takeoff. My instincts were correct and I shot off a burst of photos as the cormorant took to the air.

Unlike some other species, cormorants do not rise straight out of the water. Instead they bounce across the surface to generate some momentum before they lift off. The three photos below show the beginning of the takeoff sequence, as the cormorant flapped its wings and started to gain speed. Although I was pretty far away, I managed to capture the orange face of the cormorant, which really stands out against the choppy blue water in the background.

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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As the weather cools off and the insects disappear, my attention has gradually been shifting to birds. This was a real challenge for me a month ago when the leaves were still covering the trees and hid the birds from my view. Now, however, most of the leaves have fallen and I feel like I have a fighting chance of spotting a bird when I see or hear one.

On Tuesday I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and managed to capture shots of some of the resident birds. The bird in the first photo is a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), the smallest woodpecker in our area. You can see a touch of red on the back of his head, indicating that he is a male.

Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), like the one in the second photo, are quite common, but they are small and elusive and therefore difficult to photograph. During most of the time that I was observing this bird, its head was hidden by branches, but I watched and waited and finally was able to get an unobstructed shot of it.

I am not certain of the identification of the bird in the final photo. On the basis of its markings and color, I think that it may be a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), but that is really not much more than an educated guess. I would welcome a confirmation or correction from a more experienced birder.

Downy Woodpecker

Carolina Chickadee

Hermit Thrush

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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By mid-November most butterflies have disappeared in my area as the weather has cooled off. One notable exception, however, has been the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia). I was delighted to spot numerous Common Buckeyes last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The markings on these little butterflies are incredibly beautiful and I was happy to be able to capture some of that beauty in the photo below.

Common Buckeye

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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I can usually count on spotting at least one Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) during my visits to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes, when the tides are right, I will see them in the waters of the bay, but most often they are in the small ponds throughout the refuge.

Last Friday I caught sight of this heron in the shallow waters of one such pond. The heron was intently focused on the water and eventually plunged its head into the water. When the water is deep, the heron will thrust violently into the water, but in this case the movement was much smaller.

I watched and waited as the heron slowly lifted its head to see if it had been successful in catching a fish. As you can see in the final photo, the results were not clear. Obviously the “catch” included a lot of vegetation, but I can’t tell for sure if there was also a small fish. A few seconds later the heron seemed to swallow, dipped its bill into the water to rinse it, and resumed its fishing.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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After a month away on a car road trip, I finally returned home last week. On Friday I ventured out to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to see if I could find any dragonflies. It is pretty late in the season for most dragonfly species, but I was optimistic that I might be able to find some Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum) that are almost always the final dragonflies to disappear in late autumn.

Happily I was able to spot a half-dozen or so Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies, although I was able to capture images of only a few of them. The female in the first photo was quite cooperative and landed on a colorful fallen leaf. The dragonfly in the second photo is also a female and I am pretty sure that it too is an Autumn Meadowhawk—there is a slight chance that it could be a Blue-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum ambiguum), though it would be unusual to see that species so late in the season.

The final image is a long distance shot of another female Autumn Meadowhawk that is almost perfectly camouflaged. You will need to look very carefully at the upper edge of the leaf in order to spot the little dragonfly. I watched it land at that spot, but actually could not see the dragonfly when I took this shot. I will probably be out again with my camera later this week diligently searching for more dragonflies, the final survivors of the 2024 dragonfly season.

Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served or are continuing to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. As someone who served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, this day is a special one for me. It seems a bit trite to say “Thank you for your service,” but those words reflect my heartfelt thanks to those men and women who voluntarily defend our freedoms.

In other parts of the world this day is celebrated as Armistice Day (or Remembrance Day) and I remember well being in Paris, France on this day several times and observing the impressive ceremonies on the Champs-Élysées to commemorate the armistice that ended World War I. Some thought at the time that it would be the “war to end all wars,” but, alas, those hopes proved to be unfounded.

Autumn Meadowhawk

Autumn Meadowhawk

Autumn Meadowhawk

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Two years ago I had the awesome opportunity to view some of the wild horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota at relatively close range. During my recent visit to the same national park, I was not quite as lucky and spotted wild horses only in the distance.

The horses were grazing on an elevated spot, so I was forced to shoot at an upward angle. Consequently my shots of them all had only the sky in the background. Still, I was really happy to be able to spot some wild horses during the somewhat limited time that I spent at the park.

wild horse

wild horse

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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The Little Missouri River runs through Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and I was delighted to capture these shots of it during a recent visit there. There were some indications of autumn colors in the foliage and vegetation and especially in the reflections in the water, as you can see in the second photo below.

Little Missouri River

Little Missouri River

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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During my recent visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota I encountered several colonies of Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). It was a lot of fun observing these active little creatures scurrying in and out of their interconnected holes.

Some of them seemed to be foraging for food, but many of them seemed to be playing and/or interacting with each other. I had the impression that some of them were youngsters, but they never stood still long enough for me to get an impression of their relative sizes.

prairie dog

prairie dog

prairie dog

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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One of the highlights of my recent visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota was having the chance to see quite a few American Bison (Bison bison). Unlike during a previous visit there two years ago, the bison were not blocking the road, but some of them were alongside the edges of the road.

These mammoth creatures seemed to be almost as large as my KIA Soul, so I often stayed inside my car when taking photographs of them. I ventured outside of the relatively friendly confines of my little car only when the bison were a good distance away from me.

bison

bison

bison

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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On several of my drives through Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota I spotted Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with fawns. I was always struck by the proportionally large ears on the youngsters—apparently they grow into them as they age.


deer and fawn

deer and fawn

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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I captured this shot of a mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) early in the morning during my recent visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. I woke up before dawn and crawled out of my warm sleeping bag on a frigid morning to drive slowly through the park.

I spotted several small groups of mule deer grazing alongside the park roads and this was my favorite shot of one of them.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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After making my way last week through Montana and the panhandle of Idaho, it felt good to finally reach the state of Washington. There were still a few hours of driving to go, including the mountain pass at Snoqualmie Pass at 3022 feet (921 meters), but I felt like I was on the home stretch of my cross-country drive.

The views were breathtaking as I made my way through the mountains and occasionally I would catch a glimpse of the glacier-capped peak of Mount Rainier. Even through there was a lot of haze, I was able to get a decent shot of the mountain from one of the rest areas along the highway.

With an officially recognized summit elevation of 14,410 ft (4392 meters), Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma, is the highest mountain in the state of Washington. When conditions are good, the mountain is visible from almost the entire the Seattle/Tacoma area.

Mount Rainier

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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For the next few weeks my postings will be sporadic as I spend time visiting family members. I know that some viewers are used to seeing almost daily posts and I wanted to reassure in advance them that nothing is wrong. I am hoping to be able to give a few updates during this period, if possible, and plan to resume my “normal” schedule in early November.

I spotted this Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week when the skies were completely cloudy and overcast. The light was limited, so the subject is nor illuminated very well, but I was happy that I was able to capture the texture of the snap on which the woodpecker was perched. If you look closely you can see some small holes in the tree where the woodpecker has been pecking away.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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At this time of the year, a lot of Black and Yellow Garden Spiders (Argiope aurantia) show up, like this one that I spotted recently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. One of the features of this species is the distinctive zigzag pattern in the center of their webs.

When a prey lands on the web, the spider moves forward quickly to wrap up its victim in webbing material, as you can see in the second photo. Spiders will often wrap up several victims and leave them on the web for a later snack.

Black and yellow garden spider

spider

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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The weather has been uncooperative this past month and I’ve spent more time indoors than usual, so I have not been able to take as many bird photos as I have in some other months. Now that the leaves are starting to fall off of the trees, I am hoping that I will have the chance to spot and photograph more birds. As the weather gets cooler, there will also be fewer and fewer insects around, I will inevitably have to switch my focus.

Last week I spotted this Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) perched in a nearby tree while I was wading my way through Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It was a gray and overcast day and many birds seemed to be sheltering in the trees, hidden by the foliage. This mockingbird was hopping about in the tree and I was happy to capture this shot before it flew away.

Northern Mockingbird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Last Wednesday I was thrilled to spot multiple Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the most Monarchs that I have seen at one time this entire season. I do not know if these are local Monarchs that are preparing to migrate southward or if they are migrating Monarchs that are stopping by to refuel their bodies as they continue on their journey.

In either case, the butterflies were really active, in almost constant motion as they moved about the the open thistle flowers. I was hoping to get multiple butterflies in a single shot, but was never able to capture more than two of them in any photo, as you can see in the first image below.

The final photo shows the kind of photo that I was trying to take, a sidewards view of the Monarch in action. If you look closely, you can even see the butterfly’s extended proboscis. I also love the wonderful contrast between the orange of the butterfly and the pink of the thistle flower.

Monarch butterfly

Monarch butterfly

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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The Potomac River is affected by the tides and, as a result, the levels of water off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge are also affected. Some of the trails at the refuge run parallel to the water and when tidal levels are unusually high, those trails are sometimes flooded.

This past Wednesday I visited the refuge. We had had some rainstorms recently, but I did not anticipated that I would encounter so much water on the trails. There were signs at several locations that warned of potential flooding, but they have been there before when there has been little, if any, flooding.

This time, however, there was a significant amount of flooding. In some cases, there was standing water on the trail, but in other cases, as you can see in the second photo below, the waves were washing onto the trail. There was a lot of debris on the trail as well, complicating my passage. I thought the water might be ankle-deep, but in a number of places, it reached my lower calf.

I was wearing boots that were somewhat waterproof, though they were inundated when the water levels were higher than the top of the boots. Fortunately, only about a third of the length of the trail was covered with water, so I was able to make my way down the trail without having to turn back. Needless to say, I did not see too many birds or dragonflies as I sloshed my way through the water, but strangely enough it was pleasant to experience to see these familiar trails in a different way.

We were mostly spared from the effects of Hurricane Helene, but I suspect that the water levels are still high in the Potomac River today. We had a fair amount of rain the last couple of day, but the sun appears to be shining right now, possibly encouraging me to go out with my camera today, though usually I avoid doing so on the weekends when the wildlife refuge is more likely to be crowded.

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Several months ago, Great Blue Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula vibrans) were quite common at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As we approach the end of September, though, they have now become an uncommon sight and those that I do spot are often survivors that show signs of advanced age.

Last week I spotted this female Great Blue Skimmer. This species is quite easy to identify, because both males and females have white faces. Younger females are yellow and brown in color, but those colors gradually get duller and darker with age. Interestingly enough, their eyes also change colors—younger females have eyes that are reddish brown over a dull green and as they get older their eyes often become blue, like those of the dragonfly in the photo below.

I could not help but notice that this dragonfly has some damage to her wings, a frequent sight as the dragonflies get older. Still, she was getting along pretty well, a testament to the resilience and determination of these senior citizens of the dragonfly world.

Great Blue Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Last week I spotted this female Big Bluet damselfly (Enallagma durum) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few damselflies still around this late in the season. Big Bluets are primarily a coastal species in our area, which helped me to narrow down the possibilities when trying to identify the damselfly species. Generally female damselflies are tougher to identify than males, but I pretty confident that this one is a Big Bluet.

UPDATE: A sharp-eyed viewer pointed out to me that this is probably an immature male Big Bluet, not a female, based on a number of specific physical features. I think he’s right! It is not the first time that I have misidentified a damselfly and it almost certainly will not be the last time.

I love the way that the light green in the background matches the color of the damselfly’s body and makes for a really pleasing image.

Big Bluet

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Last Thursday I captured my first shot of a Bald Eagle in a few months during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I have spotted Bald Eagles several times this summer, but I did not see them from a distance, because of the foliage on the trees, and my first indication of their presence was when they were flying away from me.

There are still quite a few leaves on the trees, so I was startled when I flushed an eagle last week. I was fortunate, though, the eagle flew across my field of view and I was able to snap off a couple of shots before it disappeared from sight. This is a crop of the image that came out of my camera and I am pretty happy with the results, especially considering the fact that I had no time to make any adjustments to my camera before taking the shot.

I am still trying to focus primarily on insects, but know that before long I will be switching my focus to birds. However, as this photo shows, I will rarely pass up an opportunity to get a shot of a Bald Eagle, irrespective of the season.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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It is getting to be that time of the year when certain dragonfly species, like the Common Green Darner (Anax junius), begin to migrate southward. Most people are aware of the migration of Monarch butterflies, but are surprised to learn that some dragonflies also migrate.

The Science News website described this amazing migration in an on-line article, “At least three generations make up the annual migration of Common Green Darner dragonflies. The first generation emerges in the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean starting around February and flies north. There, those insects lay eggs and die, giving rise to second generation that migrates south until late October. (Some in that second generation don’t fly south until the next year, after overwintering as nymphs.) A third generation, hatched in the south, overwinters there before laying eggs that will start the entire process over again.”

Last week I spotted a formation of helicopters flying in formation overhead as I was searching for dragonflies at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. For a moment the helicopters, which look to be UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, reminded me of migratory dragonflies. Before long their loud engines disturbed my reverie and I realized that they were probably flying to Fort Belvoir, a nearby military base.

The image I captured of the helicopters may look like it was turned into black-and-white after the fact, but that was actually the way that it came out of the camera. I really like the stark,  monochromatic feel of image that works well with the subject.

helicopters

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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I have seen quite a few Viceroy butterflies this summer, but have had real difficulties finding Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). I have repeatedly heard warnings about how their habitats are threatened and fears that they might soon become extinct.

I was therefore quite thrilled when I spotted this bright orange butterfly on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It seemed to be a bit larger that the Viceroys that I am used to seeing, so I chased after it, full of hope that it might be a Monarch. It landed for only a moment and I was able to capture this shot of the beautiful creature—it was indeed a Monarch butterfly.

The Monarch took off a few seconds later and flew out of sight. I stayed in place a bit longer, still filled with awe and wonder at the brief encounter, before I too moved on. It is amazing how much moments like this one lift my spirits.

Monarch

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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After searching diligently for the last few weeks, today yesterday I finally spotted a Fine-lined Emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora filosa) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In the past this species has appeared on the scene in early September and is quite uncommon in my area.

As you can see from the photos, Fine-lined Emeralds like to hang vertically when they are perched, unlike many of the familiar dragonflies that I see throughout the summer that perch horizontally. When I spotted this dragonfly initially, it was flying back and forth at about knee-height and I immediately suspected that it was my target species. I have been watching dragonflies for a number of years and can identify some species (or at least make a good basis) on the basis of their flight profile.

I first spotted this species in 2017 at this refuge and have searched for them every year since then. The last few years it has grown increasingly hard to find Fine-lined Emeralds, so I was really happy yesterday to see this one.

This was actually my second encounter of the day with the species. A bit earlier, I observed one flying, but lost it in the vegetation while tracking it. This one might possibly be the same dragonfly, though it was far enough away that it could be a second one. Later in the day in another part of the refuge I caught a glimpse of another one as it zoomed by me. I chased after it, but came up empty-handed.

I will probably return to the wildlife refuge early next week to see if I can find another Fine-lined Emerald or perhaps I will find a Blue-faced Meadowhawk or an Autumn Meadowhawk, two other autumn dragonfly species.

Fine-lined Emerald

Fine-lined Emerald

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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As I have mentioned previously, I have real difficulties in identifying many of the dark swallowtails that I encounter. However, sometimes I get a perfect view of one and the task is vastly simplified.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, for example, I spotted this Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on a blooming thistle plant. I could tell it was a Spicebush Swallowtail because its row of inner orange spots was interrupted by a swoosh of blue that looks a bit like the tail of a comet. Additionally, the position of the butterfly made for a beautiful composition of the image that I was able to capture.

Spicebush Swallowtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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I had not seen a Swift Setwing dragonfly (Dythemis velox) in several weeks at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge and feared that they might be gone for the season. I was therefore thrilled when I spotted this one last Thursday. Most of the previous times when I have seen Swift Setwings, they have been perched with their wings pulled forward, but this one had its wings fully extended.
A bit later that same day, I spotted a Swift Setwing that appeared to be missing an entire wing, as you can see in the second photo below. I looked carefully at other shots of the same dragonfly and in a couple of them I can see at least a partial wing in that spot. It is interesting that I did not notice this problem with the wing while out in the field, and the dragonfly flew away without any issues whatsoever.

Swift Setwing

Swift Setwing

Swift Setwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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