Here you will find all of the images to date from my Year of Photos challenge. While the primary distribution of the photos is via email, I wanted to make them accessible to those that may have joined the list late and even those that have not joined it yet.
Click on any of the images below to open up that month’s collection of images. Once inside click on any of the individual images to start a full-screen slideshow of that month’s photos.
Enjoy!
Chris
August
Nothing says fall to me as much as Canada geese overhead and this photo has a bunch of them. Although we now have a contingent of year-round resident geese, we still get the massive flocks of migratory ones as well. This group simply couldn't resist coming down to pick over the recently harvested corn field. Lucky for them I had a camera, not a shotgun 🙂 This is a small slice of one of the smaller flocks that came through that day. The numbers and noise (and I imagine mess) can be quite intense.
With today's photo we return to Colorado where it is still winter, but only just. These two mallards have come back to Colorado to nest but as you can see the pond they have chosen still isn't completely clear of ice. I can only imagine how cold their little paddling feet are in this one, but you could never tell by their placid expressions.
Pigeons are very common, but I thought this lady had some real style going on with the green feathers on her neck which showed up so well in the evening light. This is a rock pigeon, and they apparently make up the vast majority of pigeons in western North America. They all don't look like this however as rock pigeons can have widely varying plumage while remaining the same species. From what I researched to figure out exactly what this lovely lady was I know kind of think of rock pigeons as the cats of the bird world. All the same but lots of different colors for variety. Regardless of how she looked the behavior was all pigeon. She was hanging out on the railing outside the visitors center of the wildlife preserve I was at, looking for something to eat and pooping all over everything.
Today we have black-necked stilts and American avocets hanging out in the same tidal pool that the duck was in yesterday. I wanted to show a little bit of the mud (on the right) which was tremendously sticky and a bit smelly and apparently filled with all kinds of good eats for these guys. It was also slimy enough that when they walked over it their feet sank in and it appeared to be a real effort to get them out.
As far as ID'ing them I recognized the stilts, but I had the hardest time with the avocets because when I see them every year in Colorado they are in breeding season and they have bright pink heads instead of gray. The dissonance of seeing these types of birds in February strikes again.
One of the fun parts about travel for a bird guy is you get to see species you either don't ever get to see or ones that are 'out of season' in Colorado. In this case, the bird is a male northern shoveler duck who is taking off from a tidal pool off of the southern end of San Fransisco Bay. These guys can and do visit Colorado, just not in February. Unique colors and a huge bill are the hallmarks of the shovelers As often happens with my attempts to photograph ducks this one was moving both its wings and overall self too fast for the shutter speed I had set (1/1600th). My first thought about ducks is them floating on a calm pond, but I tend to forget that once they get moving, they really move. The blur doesn't bother me too much on this one as it kind of fits its sense urgency.
This tree was the one thing that looked like fall to me on this February trip to northern California. I have no idea what kind of tree it is as the seed pods, while odd, are not sufficiently distinctive and there are no leaves. Elsewhere in Palo Alto and the surrounding areas flowers were blooming and most of the trees had leaves but not this one. Perhaps its an import? I took the shot both because the pods are unique but also because it was the only growing thing around that wasn't in full leaf. The odd gets the attention I guess.
I try not to take photos that look just like ones everyone else takes, and I hope that I am successful more often than not. In this case, however, my first trip to a redwood forest I simply couldn't resist taking a shot up the trunks of these two giants. These trees are in the Henry Cowell Redwood State Park, which is just north of Santa Cruz California. This is a small park and the redwoods, while tall, aren't the primary type of tree in the park (as opposed to the Muir Woods) but they are none the less impressive. If you look at the top of the photo, you can see some deciduous trees that are completely covered in heavy moss. This is not a huge surprise as this part was one of the wettest places I have ever been in my life. Cool, but soaking wet everywhere. I guess that is what it takes to have enough water to grow a tree as large as the ones you see here.
Today's photo is a good example of why you always keep your camera with you and ready to go. I caught this fine fellow sitting in some landscaping at the local Del Taco drive through one day at lunch. He is (I believe) a gray-crowned rosy finch, and if that is the correct ID, he is at the extreme southern limit of his range as they primarily live in the northwest US, western Canada, and Alaska. There was quite the flock of them, and they hung out in the neighborhood for a couple of weeks. I saw them about the same time for a couple of years (this one was taken on January 29th, 2014) and I imagine we are their warm south migration spot if they are used to Alaska and Canada. Their behavior was very interesting, they would hold their ground and stare me down (as you can see) then suddenly one would flinch, and the whole swarm was off to another perch. They are the type of bird where the flock moves in an undulating mass as starlings do. Glad I had my camera.
Today we have another Swainson's hawk, this time a little further away and higher than the last, but with no safety glass in the way. This one was one of a pair that was out hunting pigeons a fine January day. They were successful soon after this shot (grabbed it right out of the air) but at this point, he was just soaring majestically and looking over the world below.
Another one of the regular visitors at the yurt is the pine squirrel. The national park service describes them as "...an extremely vocal squirrel, chattering, stomping its feet and scolding any intruders to get them to leave." and I would say that fits this guy to a tee. He was definitely not happy we were there and considering the relative difference between our sizes he is an extremely brave rodent. With no traditional nut trees at this altitude, he will survive primarily on pine cones, which we have no interest in so I am not sure why he is so unhappy, perhaps he was just camera shy.
Today is the last from the trip to the botanic gardens and this one is from outside. Again not sure of the grass species but I love the seed heads on this one. Why it still has the seeds still on a freezing cold January day is anyone's guess, maybe they only drop in the spring? Regardless, I am glad they were still there.
Another shot today from the visit to the botanic gardens. Obviously, some sort of orchid but to be honest I wasn't taking notes on the plant names so your guess is as good (or better) than mine. Again with the unique sunlight of a January afternoon interacting with the glass in the greenhouse. I can remember how vibrant I thought these flowers were, especially in comparison to the snow cover outside. It's nice to be able to visit a bit of summer in winter, even if it's just for an hour or two.
I have no idea what the plant in this photo is, just that I like it. I took this photo on a frosty January Monday while on a trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens with my wife. Nothing better on a cold day than to hang out in the greenhouse where it is nice and warm (and humid) and take photos. The greenhouse has lots of glass, of course, but also has large arches of concrete framing the glass and those are what is causing the shadows across the plant that I think gives this shot such a unique feel. The low January sun didn't hurt either. Sometimes its all about timing.
Today's photo is one of those almost great ones that kind of break your heart. It is compositionally very good in my opinion, and you can't complain about the subject matter, in this case, a banking Swainson's Hawk. So, what's wrong with this picture? From afar it looks good, but if you click the image to get the full size and then zoom in you will see that it isn't as sharp as it should be, particularly since the hawk was only about 20' away when I took the shot. The issue here is this was taken through my office window and that extra layer of glass, but particularly a fine wire mesh embedded in it, that causes the issue. The fact that the glass causes these issues and the windows can't be opened is a source of constant frustration for me as the hawks come and play in the updrafts next to the building most afternoons. You don't get many chances to be 40' up in the air and 20' away from a hawk in flight, it would be great to be able to get the best picture you could of it. Just another of the many things that make photography a constant challenge.
Today's photo is of a kestrel falcon that I came across near the Big Dry Creek in Westminster, CO. Kestrels really seem to like this area as I have seen plenty of them over the years. This one was braver than most and didn't fly off so I got a better photo of him than most. They are small as far as raptors go with huge (relatively) eyes compared to hawks and eagles. The males are very brightly colored as you can see are bold as he is giving me the evil eye. I went back to this site recently and unfortunately, the hill had been scraped clean and a new subdivision was going up. I hope that the kestrels still can find enough room to stay in the area, I would miss them if they left.
The bird in today's photo is a bit odd. She is a brown creeper (or American creeper as this is the only species of treecreeper in North America) and as you can see she has quite long claws which are used to 'creep' up a tree from bottom to top. Along the way, she will listen for insects in the bark (thus her head against the tree) and dig them out with her beak if she hears them. Their preferred environment is the heavy forests up in the northwest US up into Canada. While they can be seen anywhere in the lower 48, they aren't all that common, and this is one of two that I have seen over the years. I wish they were more common as I think they are pretty cool.
One more shot of the old Route 66 through Holbrook Arizona. In this one, you can see that the dinosaurs (or at least very loose artists interpretations of dinos) still roam the earth! I particularly like the T-rex sort of dinosaur that is sitting on its tail and eating a little one. The towns that have remnants of the old highway tend to be a little kitschy and tend towards tourists traps. A little bit of Americana going back to the '60's I am guessing.
All of the photos I have sent from our yurt trip were taken from the deck around the yurt, and this one is no exception. This is the view as you come out of the door and it is a fantastic one. These are the Never Summer mountains looking east and as you can see even though it is relatively early in the season, November 10th, they are completely covered in snow. The footprints in the snow are a combination of moose and human (primarily moose).
The evergreen trees are suffering a bit from mountain pine beetle and as you can see quite a few in the foreground of the shot are dead. There are also aspen groves in the area. You can see them in the middle ground as the beige color on the hills. By this time of year, the leaves are long gone, and we have never gone up early enough to see them in their glory, but I imagine its stunning.
The yurt we stay in is called Dancing Moose, which we always thought was just a cute name for us tourists but as we found out on this trip, the moose took it seriously. When we came into camp the first evening, there was a lone juvenile male moose that was just on the other side of a log fence from the yard of the yurt. He hung out for some time and didn't seem to bothered by us, but unfortunately, it was too late in the day to get any good shots. The next morning was another case entirely when we awoke to a mother moose and her baby inside the perimeter fence and just a few feet off the deck around the yurt. To say my wife was surprised to see them when she headed out of the yurt about sunrise to use the facilities would be an understatement. We were graced with their presence for just a little while as they sampled the brush. After a few minutes of me clicking away on my camera, they slowly wandered off and were not bothered in the slightest by the six-foot-tall fence, simply jumping over it effortlessly and wanding into the forest. So while I can't say we saw them dance, they can certainly Grand jeté.
Once a year we take a long weekend and stay in a Yurt in the northern Colorado mountains. It is very remote and at about 9000' it is typically very cold and snowy in early November. Regardless of the weather grey jays, like the one in today's photo are always around and looking to see what is going on. I have pictures of these guys going back to 2011, and they are always looking at me with one eye, very intently. I am sure they are simply hoping we will feed them, (they are also called camp robbers and for a good reason), but to date, they have always been disappointed. They are bold as brass, and the cold doesn't seem to bother them, and it just wouldn't be a yurt trip without them.
Today we have a different view of one of the playful seagulls. This one is cruising low over the water and looking to find a fish that he can make his breakfast of. You can see the reflection of the trees that were central in yesterday's shot reflected in the semi-still water. I have seen these gulls drive to fish, but this is the first time I saw this particular behavior. It didn't result in a catch, at least not while I was watching, but I am sure at some point success was had.
We return to Colorado for the next set of images, and nothing says Colorado like seagulls. What, not what you think of when dreaming of the Centennial State? Well, while they aren't the state bird, they are everywhere, at least in the urban areas, and as I mentioned during our swing through Florida, I really like them. Colorado seagulls are ring-billed gulls which are fairly large birds (say, in comparison to the laughing gull in Florida) and are very majestic when soaring. This one was playing with a group of gulls early one morning on a bright fall day. I happened to see them near a lake I drive by to work, and I had my camera with me so...late for work but I got some great shots.
This last of the set from Chaco was of a lovely sunset taken looking due west across the Chaco area towards the Chuska Mountains on the New Mexico/Arizona border. My wife and I took this lovely sunset as a sign that things were getting better as we had been flooded and blown out of camp by a very strong thunderstorm, losing our tent and soaking all our gear and selves in the process. After all that it was nice to see this beautiful, calm tableau.
Before we leave the southwest United States, a couple more shots showcasing the vastness of the area. Today we have a shot of Fajada Butte which we saw a few days ago as a background to the lizard. It looks fairly compact here but in fact, the top is over 400 feet higher than the surrounding plain. So obviously this shot is from a ways away but the distance was necessary to capture the fantastic cloud formation forming over the central portion of the photo. The sky is so vast and the clouds so massive and low it's almost like you can feel them moving overhead. And the patterns of shadows cast on the surface only add to the magic. Lovely place.
Today we have a photo from Chaco of a bird I would just as soon not have following me around; a turkey buzzard. These are the dominant raptors in much of the Colorado Plateau and while they look majestic on the wing, they have a face only a mother could love. As such, you get a photo showing the wingspan and coloring of the bird, but thankfully not showing its mug.
While I haven't been sending out a lot of bird pictures lately (more coming soon) they are what a lot of people know me best for. I often get asked how I get such close-up pictures of the various birds I have captured on silicon over the years. Well, the secret is, they come to me. This little bird is a canyon towhee and it had followed me for about ten minutes as I took my morning stroll through the campground at Chaco Canyon. It had landed on plants, the split rail fence, and the ground as I walked, always a bit away and never staying put for a picture. When I got back to camp, however, it landed on my side view mirror and posed for me. The swallow shown in the fourth picture of my birds gallery did much the same thing. I was on a dock taking pictures of some water birds and he flew over and landed on the guardrail about two feet away to see what was up and he didn't even fly away when I turned the camera on him. I swear he is posing.
So, that is, in part, how I get my bird photos. I have a little help from the birds.
Today we have a shot of Pueblo Bonito, one of the largest of the great houses in Chaco Canyon. As you can see there has been a great deal of erosion over the years since it was inhabited, much more so than in the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. It's hard to believe that the shelter of being below the clifftops and partially covered makes that big of a difference but it appears to. All of the Pubelo's for the Chacoan's that we saw that were exposed had were basically down to the base of the original wall. It's a very harsh climate in the region, and we are fortunate that there is as much left as there is. Love the deep blue sky and the pure white clouds against the reds/browns of the stone. It is a beautiful place to visit, and fun to imagine what it must have been like full of life.
As a part of the images from the Chaco Canyon area I was going to upload a photo of some petroglyphs, but I found I didn't have anything that was suitable. So instead, I am sending you this rock painting from some other ancients, just not as ancient as the Chacoans. This painting was just outside a restaurant in Mexican Hat, AZ. I wonder what future civilizations will think of it 🙂
The little lady in the photo is a plateau striped whiptail lizard and she is striking a pose in front of Fajada Butte, one of the most iconic natural features in Chaco Culture Historic Park. These little girls were everywhere in the park and this one showed no fear as I took lots of photos before finally getting the composition with the butte the way I wanted it. As Chaco is one of the least visited parks I have ever been too I was surprised how casual she was.
While I try to mix genders when speaking of the animals I capture in the photos in this case 'she' is absolutely accurate. This subspecies of whiptail are all female and reproduce by parthenogenesis, in which unfertilized eggs hatch into clones of the mother. Perhaps a harsh environment leads to unusual adaptations.
Today's shot is more informational than artistic. It is a view into Casa Rinconada, looking back to the other side of the door entrance from yesterdays shot. I really wanted to give you an idea of the size of the structure as well as the construction details. The roof was at the level of the posts prodruding from the wall and it was 12' high. There are alcoves all arround the room as well as a continious bench. The room must have been able to hold hundreds of people which makes sense as they think thousands lived in the area at the time it was built.
I love the way the color of the stone makes it blend into the environment. From a distance, you have to really look to pick it out against the bluffs in the background. It's another example of how at all these sites from the Chacoans they fit into nature, rather than over it.
Today we start a series of photos taken at Chaco Culture National Historic Park in northwest New Mexico. This is the same base culture that we saw in both the photos of Mesa Verde National Park and Wupatki National Monument but with a bit of a twist. While Mesa Verde was mainly cliff dwellings and Wupatki was more out in the open, Chaco is a combination of both styles. The civilization at Chaco Canyon was also the largest of the settlements by far. In this picture, you can see a kiva such as we saw on day 54 but on a much grander scale. This is Casa Rinconada and it is 64' in diameter and could hold many people with seating all the way around the perimeter. When it was in active use it was enclosed and the squares you see inside were fire pits for lighting. The opening I took the shot through the north door which aligns with the other along true north/south (to a fraction of a degree). The kiva also has east and west windows which perfectly align to allow the light of the solstice sunrises to pass directly through