A couple of weeks ago, one of my co-workers and I spent a few days down on the Guadalupe District of the Lincoln National Forest.Here are a couple of shots from that trip… enjoy!
A visit from the Neighbors
Yesterday, Katherine and I were walking the dogs and saw four of these guys in our of our plum trees. There were too cute to resist, so I snapped of a few. Amazing how they remind me of the kits I shot in Fort Collins a couple of years back. Guess cuteness transcends species…
Hooting Mexican Spotted Owls
Last Friday, I was invited out to survey for Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) with Todd Rawlinson of Rocky Mtn. Research Station. I was a great morning, and I think I got some really nice shots. A couple of weeks back, my nikon telephoto lens died on me (expired warranty, of course) so I brought along my sigma telephoto and I had to manually focus to get these shots. It’s a great lens and Dad got it for 25 bucks! Most of my shots were junk, but some turned out nice. I’m thinking I need a new camera body, one with a motor in the body (unlike my D60). Maybe if I save for a year…
Like I said, it was a great day. We basically left at 6:00am form Cloudcroft and went to the general area. Todd started calling, and I heard the young respond right off the bat. We then followed their calls to where the two juveniles were perched in an old Douglas-fir, and set out “bait”. They didn’t come in, but a few minutes later, Mom showed up and took the the free meal (hence the closer shots). Unlike most owls, Mexican spotted owls have dark eyes, which was the first thing I noticed. They really are beautiful. They are an ashy-chestnut brown color with white and brown spots on their abdomen, back and head – but in most of my pictures they’re soaking wet and really dark. Todd assured me that they are usually light in color. These three were between 18-20 inches tall and typically females are larger than males.
I’m looking forward to getting out and seeing some owls in more hospitable weather, and with a better camera.
4th of July in New Mexico
Katherine and I met the In-Laws up on the Res Sunday for the final day of the Mescalaro Rodeo. It was a lot of fun and really enjoyable to watch. Surprisingly, we didn’t get any rain making for some nice, mud free shots. I’ve also added in a couple of shots from around the house and from the fireworks show in Alamogordo. I didn’t carry the tripod up, so there was only one fireworks shot in focus.
Dog Canyon Hike
Yesterday, I participated in a wonderful going away event (she moving elsewhere within the agency) for a fellow worker, the Annual Dog Canyon Hike. The weather was perfect, the views were amazing, and the company was excellent. Here are the pictures form the trip… I certainly hope this event continues and look forward to doing it each year! Thanks to Mickey for putting it together…
