 A young puma looks for Guanaco on an early morning hunt. I had been hearing several favorable reports on the reliability of photographing pumas (mountain lions in AZ, cougars in the Rockies, panthers in FL, but all the same species) just outside of Torres del Paine Park on the southern tip of Chile. So I contacted Charles Munn of Southwild.com and began to set up the trip. As I communicated with Charles, also a biologist, my excitement grew because from all sources they were so visible. I had a hard time believing it though. For 5 years I spent almost 200 days a year in the field capturing and following mountain lions (Puma concolor) in 2 different studies in AZ. My primary disappointment with studying them was that they were ghosts, only seen when placing a radio collar on them. I would follow an 9.892 beep, then a 9.711 beep etc. The only one I ever saw again is when I tromped deep into a canyon with an AZ Highways writer and glassed (binoculars) it up over a mile away. That writer later became the editor and also a friend and I'm still not sure he thinks that spot was real or not. But to me, that was lion work, sweat, a little blood from scratches in thick brush, miles on a mule or horse just to find some sign. I often saw the bears I caught again, and always saw the big game I studied, but mountain lions were just a track, some scat, or a beep, the true ghosts of AZ mountains. I was still dubious when I finally arrived after almost 24 hours of travelling to get to our lodge. Would I really see them as close as advertised? Of course I wanted pictures but just to watch one in a stalk would be a dream come true. The first afternoon out I found out, we saw 4 different pumas, including the one below that walked right by us on her way to find more guanaco, their chief prey in and near the park.  A large female puma forces the 6 of us to move off a game trail as she watches a herd of Guanaco over 1 km away, this was only out first afternoon. Each morning we would leave before light, drive through the park and go to a ranch bordering the park where there were 2 Southwild employees sitting on mountain tops looking for the pumas. Being on the ranches outside the park is key, because they do not allow hiking off trail in the park. We saw some in the park, but most we had to hike too. And if they moved, we were able to follow, you can't do that in the park. As soon as we got to the spot we were to hike, those of us that had binoculars joined in. It wasn't long until one of us saw our prey and off we would go. On day 3, I was to see what I had so hoped for, a lion making a stalk on a group of large prey that was unaware of this magnificent predator. It was the same female as above, and I saw her quietly almost slide on her belly for almost 500 m until she had to run because one of guanacos winded her. She didn't catch one but I realized how lucky I was just to see that, much less get photographs and video the whole stalk. That wasn't the only stalk I got to see either, we got to see 2 more before we left. It was like that the whole trip, we saw 22 different pumas by the end of the 8 day trip (averaging over 10 sightings a day). To "glass them up" was so easy and I was entranced by that. The guanacos were a real help as they would start alarm calling as soon any of them saw a puma moving as it left it's bed. All we had to do was point our binoculars the direction the guanacos were looking and focus on movement. The eagle eyed guides on the mountain tops were usually first to find them but I found a few myself. Whomever found them we would watch, try and see where the animal was going and them make our way over. All morning and afternoon! I get chills just thinking about it as I write these few words. Truly a dream trip, one I hope to do again as soon as I can. Oh, and then we went and watched over 30 Andean Condors fly right over us for a day as we traveled north to catch our first flight home. I really hope to guide this trip soon but I've been diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) [aka Chronic fatigue syndrome]. I would really like to put my past field experience to work with photography to help people learn about Pumas (or mountain lions) as they photograph them. I'm doing every thing I can to get back to my full energy level and hoping to see progress soon. But if you are in a hurry contact Charlesmunn@southwild.com and I'm sure he can set you up. He even guarantees his trip. As you can see from the images below, they are not kidding when he says his crew can put you up close and personal.
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There were many great photograph opportunities this summer, and we took full advantage of them. This, despite the fish arriving early, and the water being higher than it has been in over 20 years. It did take some more work than in years past and I sure appreciated the dedication of the participants. |
 A male Bar-Tailed Godwit feeding at the mouth of the Nome River The second species I wanted to see was the Bar -Tailed Godwit. They don't fly as far as the Arctic Tern, but they fly the furthest of any species without stopping, making them my "most impressive". The birds you see above and below will spend their summer fattening up as they have quite a feat behind and ahead of them. Because when they head south they don't stop until they hit New Zealand. That's right, a non stop 9 to 11 day 20,000 km flight from the Alaskan or Siberian Arctic to the coast of New Zealand. I used to run half marathons fairly often and can't imagine running all day, all night, with nothing to eat or drink for one 24 hour period. A few well trained athletes that are genetically gifted can, but it's just not in 99.9 % of our genes. And long distance runners or Tour de France athletes is really not a good comparison since flying 40 mph is some much harder than our sprinting. Ten days of sprinting is unimaginable to me. During this flight they maintain a metabolic rate of 8–10 times normal for more than 9 days. This represents a combination of metabolic intensity and duration that is unprecedented. Using the Tour de France Participants as comparison again, they go 4 to 5 times higher than normal during the course of a race, not 8 to 10. And the birds don’t get to stop for dinner and sleep, they just keep flying at 40 mph. They leave with 50% more fat than normal and almost twice as heavy. Their livers, intestines, and muscles also increase but they arrive with 25% of their organs reduced so they “eat them” in flight. Building up that much fat is rare in the bird world because an animal that fly's can't afford to gain that much, but the Godwit can. Burning fat makes them lighter as they continue to fly so they use a little less energy but burning protein (muscles and organs) gives them something that scientists were really confused by, water. Many animals can fast for long periods, but one that burns that much energy without water is unheard of, until now. How Godwits do this still intrigues biologists and they really don't know the answer.  Female on nesting grounds in the Tundra |
Northern Wheatear Photo by Angela McCain.
The third species I really wanted to see was the Northern Wheatear. I call them the non stop traveller. This small 25 g bird (less than on ounce) has one of the largest ranges in the world, certainly for it's size. Although they breed in the northern and western hemisphere (North American Arctic), they choose to winter in sub saharan Africa, the eastern and southen hemisphere. A short 14,500 km away!!!!!!! This journey lasts up to 3 months and they average 290 km a day. This is the only known North American bird with links to Africa. Their route was determined from a new technology known as geolocaters as they are way too small for satelite transmitters. Why this species evolved such a long route is unknown, but they certainly are the smallest long distance migrator.
Many of the species I saw there have impressive journeys, particularly when I think of the physiological and energetic problems all of these species face. Why do they fly all the way to the Arctic to breed???? Well that one is easier to explain, the same reason humpback whales and many other species go to the seas there, an overabundance of food enabled by a 24 hour day of light. As long as there is light, algae and plants will continue to produce energy benefiting every species up the food chain. Many of the species that nest there only need to spend a couple months because they can replenish spent fuel supplies and/or grow so fast. If the plants and algae are growing, the insects, small fish, and crustaceans are also increasing and that's a good thing for breeding birds. But the breeding bird travels certainly are amazing and it was special for me to witness these bird species I have read about, wondered about and lectured about in person and capture their beauty on digital (can't say film any more can I)
I hope to post much more about the arctic and it's species but like the Northern Wheatear I'm off the African next week. I'm going to let Delta do the flying and I'll still complain about the 27 hour trip!!!
Many of the species I saw there have impressive journeys, particularly when I think of the physiological and energetic problems all of these species face. Why do they fly all the way to the Arctic to breed???? Well that one is easier to explain, the same reason humpback whales and many other species go to the seas there, an overabundance of food enabled by a 24 hour day of light. As long as there is light, algae and plants will continue to produce energy benefiting every species up the food chain. Many of the species that nest there only need to spend a couple months because they can replenish spent fuel supplies and/or grow so fast. If the plants and algae are growing, the insects, small fish, and crustaceans are also increasing and that's a good thing for breeding birds. But the breeding bird travels certainly are amazing and it was special for me to witness these bird species I have read about, wondered about and lectured about in person and capture their beauty on digital (can't say film any more can I)
I hope to post much more about the arctic and it's species but like the Northern Wheatear I'm off the African next week. I'm going to let Delta do the flying and I'll still complain about the 27 hour trip!!!
This was written for a magazine that requested I write a bear biology article for them. When I sent them this they liked it but wanted me to remove the section about the controversies of controlled burning. I refused and they decided not to publish it. I was pretty disappointed since it's the major issue facing the conservation of black bears in the SW US, but I hope many enjoy reading it here. As always, thanks for looking.
It was mid April when the sow awoke for the 4th time since October. The sounds coming from the 3 cubs suckling eased her instinctive caution. She inspected her den, the nest of dead leaves, shredded agave and yucca was still dry. Although she had not defecated or urinated since October, the 3 month old cubs had. She ingested the small amount of cub feces and looked outside, alert for danger. Having smelled none she rolled so the cubs could easily find her nipples. The cubs were getting larger each day, their eyes had been open for a month and their claws allowed them to climb almost anywhere. Although she could move quickly, a protein in her circulatory system caused strong fatigue. After a short wakening she would again be in an almost comatose sleep known as torpor. Her heartbeat dropped from 40 to 10 bpm, her metabolism slowed 50 %, but her body temperature remained the same. Because the cubs were growing fast, she had to manufacture more of the richest milk (20 -25% fat) known among terrestrial mammals. Three cubs is rare in AZ and cost her over a pound of fat daily; each required up to 30 oz of milk per day.
Although she had moved little over the past 6 months, her muscles and bones remained strong as waste products from fat metabolism rebuilt them. Evolution had formed an animal that could “ignore” a 6 month period of starvation by shutting down. Finding and duplicating the torpor causing protein called Hibernation Induction Trigger (HIT) was a high priority for biologists as it could mean extending the life of transplanted organs by 300%. Discovering how waste products recycled to rebuild muscle and bone could save humans suffering while bedridden. That meant nothing to the sow. Evolution had also created an animal that thought only of self preservation, feeding, and protecting her offspring; also an excellent adaptation. Too much thinking is dangerous in a world that moves fast.
In another month she was finally awake, although groggy and slept often. Her cubs were persistent with suckling and playing, sometimes chewing a little too hard on mom’s ear. The den was home until mid June. It was located on a north facing canyon slope and not much more than a short 2 foot by 12 inch diameter tunnel opening into a small compartment. A large boulder over the hole kept moisture out and provided afternoon shade. The den was surrounded by dense brush and 2 large alligator junipers. The junipers provided berries, some of sows first foods. She had lost 70 lbs the last 6 months. Her first forays were close and the cubs remained in the den. Since she had not eaten or drank since last October she headed to the canyon bottom to feed on sprouting grasses and drink from a stream. Her hunger was strong but the instinct to protect her cubs was stronger so she didn't travel far enough to eat as much as needed. For a week she made multiple trips alone, but soon the cubs followed and she fed longer. She preferred patches of juniper berries, old acorns or manzanita berries but they were rare and she predominantly ate grass. Although grass was plentiful, its nutrition was limited. Bears don’t have the advanced digestive system of deer, and she ate over 8 pounds a day just to not lose weight. Gaining the 70 pounds back would have to wait until mast (berries and nuts) became ripe. The cubs imitated mom and grazed, but it was mom’s milk that gave them energy for growth and stamina. They returned to the den to sleep until Mid June.
When they left the den permanently the sow’s nose was high in the air during this dangerous period. Males (boars) were moving now, up to 20 miles a day looking for females ready to mate. She was lactating and would not go into estrus, but that would not stop a male from investigating her. Males know if they kill the cubs and the female stops nursing, she could come into estrus within 36 hours. If he killed the cubs and stayed around he would father a litter; it had happened to the sow before. Therefore the sow preferred areas of thick brush with tall trees but with less food. Tall trees were essential as the cubs could now climb an 80 foot conifer. Males could climb but not as high where the trunk was narrow and limber. Each day after feeding the sow dug a flat bed with loose soil near the base of a large tree surrounded by dense brush for the 4 of them to lie.
Where the sow travelled was similar to the area she learned from her mother. Sows often adopt part of their mom’s home range, and her range extended just east of the area she had grown up in. The 3 cubs, one black and 2 brown, followed their cinnamon red mom over the same area that she led her last 2 litters. Only now the sow was having a difficult time finding tall trees. Four years ago a catastrophic fire had burned part of her home range, killing tall trees. The shrubs were coming back, there was plenty of grass and burnt trees harbored insects, but the lack of trees concerned her. She would have liked to avoid the area but the need for food and the fear of searching new areas forced her to remain. That the area was supposed to have been treated with a controlled burn before the fire was unknown to her, as was the politics and financial cuts that prevented the controlled burn that might have saved the large trees in a wildfire. Concerns over EPA air restrictions, paper work to burn in an area near spotted owls, and lack of money for the fire crew were beyond her. Unknown to the sow, this unfortunately was occurring throughout the SW as drought, warming trends, and lack of prescribed burns increased the number of catastrophic burns in black bear habitat. The sow continued her vigilance but she was still hungry, and the burned area still had the most grass and insects available, berries were not ripe yet.
Toward the end of June the four were in the burn when the sow smelled another bear, close! She woofed for the cubs to scramble and turned to meet the oncoming bear. A large boar met the sows advance but immediately bounced around her. The female followed but the male was faster and soon both he and all cubs were gone in the brush. She followed calling to the cubs. Two came to her and she had to lead them to a tree almost a quarter mile away. After they climbed she went back for her missing cub, still cautious of the male. Her calls continued over 2 hours when she finally got a scent and bounded to its source. All she found was the skin of the brown cub. The male had killed the cub, then noting the female had left, ate it to replenish his own hunger. The mother nosed the skin as if to wake it and then lay down next to it but after 5 minutes was back to the tree where she collected her remaining cubs. They left the burn into an area of thicker cover, the 2 cubs playing chase and occasionally bounding off their mothers back. Any observer would have not have noted anything unusual had happened. The sow kept her cubs in deep brush for 2 days until hunger forced them back to grazing areas.
Life was easier in mid July. Manzanita, chokecherry, and squawberry all ripened and ant nests reached peak populations. This allowed the trio to stay in thick cover and the berries allowed the sow, now 125 lbs, to begin putting on weight. Not only was there more food, but the cubs were able to digest berries easier than grass and their demand for milk decreased. The cubs continued to play with one another, and sometimes got Mom involved. She concentrated more on feeding since boars were moving less and she avoided the burned area.
The sow and her family lived on one of the many ‘sky islands’ found in Arizona, a mountain range that rises straight up from valley floors and is surrounded by a "sea of desert". The elevation range results in different temperatures, influencing precipitation and resulting in a wide variety of plants in close proximity. If there was not ripe food at one elevation, there probably was at another elevation allowing for some of the highest bear densities in the western United States. For the remainder of the summer this was what the trio did, moving up or down depending on where the sow’s memory and smell determined there might be food.
One day in late July the sow noticed a young Coues’ whitetail fawn that unknowingly walked within 15 yards of the sow’s bed. In the back of the sow’s mind the instinct to attack the fawn occurred. Black bears throughout North America, particularly Alaska, areas of the Rocky Mountains, and along the east coast frequently attack and eat large mammals. Occasionally it happens in AZ, but as with this sow, the majority of AZ’s black bears ignore larger more nutritious protein. The sow was beginning to gain weight quickly now so she let the fawn go. Neither the sow, nor the biologist that study them, understand why bears in the SW seem to be strictly herbivores when protein is available.
By mid August, 3 of the local 6 species of oaks were producing acorns. Acorns are primarily carbohydrates and the reason bears do well in the SW, particularly on sky islands. A bear in the White Mountains might have to walk 20 miles to get to this rich food source, whereas a sky island bear can go 500 to 1000 feet up or down. After finding a thick canyon overgrown with oaks, the three would not move more than 500 yards in any direction for the next 5 weeks. She ate up to 5 lbs of acorns daily and gained over a pound each day. Valuable fat reserves were now just as important for the cubs. Nursing had decreased and would stop during the upcoming winter.
One evening in mid September the sow took the 2 cubs down slope over 2000 feet into the Sonoran desert, a place the cubs had yet to visit. They would spend the next 3 days bedded in thick chaparral during day, but in early morning and evening twilight they gorged on the red ripe fruit of prickly pear cactus. The sugar in the fruit attracted the bears, and the increased blood insulin increased the amount of glucose stored as fat.
Unknown to the bears; they were being watched through matching sets of 10 x 50 binoculars mounted on tripods. The couple had scouted this area the weekend before and was excited to spend opening day of bear season watching canyon slopes littered with prickly pear. As night became day, the young lady spotted the movement of reddish brown first. She jabbed her husband, pointed, and whispered bear. As she reached for her rifle her heart sank when her husband whispered “Cubs, two of them”. It was illegal and unethical to shoot a mother leaving 2 cubs to die. The hunters sat sullenly for just a moment, but started enjoying the show as the bear family ate cactus fruits. The hunters felt there was nothing else in the world but them, the bears, and an AZ sunrise and it became a day they would reminisce about for years. That afternoon the sow took her cubs back up the mountain to an area near her previous den. She never heard the gun shot that took a boar in the same canyon by the couple two days later.
The sow found a large boulder in close proximity to thick Manzanita and Juniper and began digging, with rest stops for more gorging of oak and juniper. Within a week the den was finished and all 3 bears began bringing bedding materials as mid October approached. By this time the sow was almost 200 lbs and the cubs were between 50 and 60. The HIT protein began to flow and they spent most of their time in the den as their metabolisms slowed. This was the sow’s 3rd litter of cubs, but the first time 2 had survived. One litter she lost entirely, she managed to enter a den with one of 2 cubs the other time. When she awoke she would drive these 2 away in anticipation of breeding again if age didn't prevent it. But for now, she was only aware of fatigue. Soon all 3 were torpid, and would hardly move over the next 6 months.
Many people that love bighorn sheep like I do know that they can age a ram by counting the horn rings but there are a couple tricks and concerns if you want to do it correctly. On the young desert ram above you can see each horn ring all the way out to the end of the horn. But you are only going to be able to see all the rings on a young ram, as the older ones will "broom" off the edges when the horns get long enough they affect their vision. (NOTE: I realized these smaller images in the text are more difficult to see so I've put them in the Gallery below as well. You can click on those images for a larger size).
If you look at the ram above, you can see the ragged edges of the end of the horn. He's broken those ends off, most likely by banging them against a rock. I believe I can see the first year's ring just a few inches from the ragged edge but on larger rams they could have the second, and on occasion even the 3rd year broken off.
Before I go too much further I should explain why bighorn have these rings. The horns on a bighorn ram, and other horned species (antlers are shed each year, horns are permanent), grow until the animal dies. The core beneath the hard sheath is alive with blood running through it. Although the growth will slow as the animal gets older, it will continue and later in life the horns will get more "mass" or thickness and a large ram becomes more obvious. Bighorn, like almost all wild animals, go through a rough period each year as well. For the Rocky Mountain Bighorn above it would be the winter, for the Desert Ram at the top it would be mid to late summer. During this period the animal is nutritionally stressed and the horn growth really slows, leaving a ring which you can see later. Ewes (females) do the same but their horns are so short it's impossible to really distinguish a horn ring from the normal texture you can note above.
What has been studied and is used as a general guide is the deepest ring is the 4th year. If you use that method on mid to old rams you don't have to worry about how many years have been broomed off. Just start with 4 and count to the base as I did on the 2 below.
Before I go too much further I should explain why bighorn have these rings. The horns on a bighorn ram, and other horned species (antlers are shed each year, horns are permanent), grow until the animal dies. The core beneath the hard sheath is alive with blood running through it. Although the growth will slow as the animal gets older, it will continue and later in life the horns will get more "mass" or thickness and a large ram becomes more obvious. Bighorn, like almost all wild animals, go through a rough period each year as well. For the Rocky Mountain Bighorn above it would be the winter, for the Desert Ram at the top it would be mid to late summer. During this period the animal is nutritionally stressed and the horn growth really slows, leaving a ring which you can see later. Ewes (females) do the same but their horns are so short it's impossible to really distinguish a horn ring from the normal texture you can note above.
What has been studied and is used as a general guide is the deepest ring is the 4th year. If you use that method on mid to old rams you don't have to worry about how many years have been broomed off. Just start with 4 and count to the base as I did on the 2 below.
I've labeled each year, the one on the left is about as old as most sheep get, and you can fairly easily see the rings all the way to the base. And it's fairly easy to see the rings on the out of focus ram on the right as well. I didn't even bother to try and determine if or how much either ram broomed off and went straight to what I thought was the deepest ring. The study that looked at this determined that the deepest ring is the 4th year close to 90% of the time. We don't have laws in Biology like Chemistry or Physics, just "most of the times". The problem still is which ring is deepest is in the eye of the beholder.
I've labeled what I think is each year's ring, but I would not bet my next paycheck on it. I think he's broomed his first year off, but that's more based on the thickness of the horn where I see that ring. As I say above, it's not easy. Several times I've aged a hunter killed ram with another biologist and we disagreed on how old the bighorn was. That's more common than we would like to admit but it was rare that we were more than one year different. I tell my students on exams as long as they get within one year of what I think it is they're good. Rarely do any of them miss it with that amount of leeway.
The lighting can not only affect your image quality, but also your ability to see the rings as with this nice desert ram above. The problem with photographing Desert Bighorn is the easiest way to get close to them with all that large photo gear is to wait until the summer when they come to water. Unfortunately they don't need to drink in that sweet early morning or Dusk light that all photographers love. They drink during mid day and the AZ sun is brutal. Even on a photo it's hard to see the rings.
This Desert ram is really tough to age, and I used my 10 years of field experience with horn diameter (mass) to help me pick out the 4th year ring. But I'm not taking any bets I'm correct. Any one who thinks they are right all the time is worth walking away from. The gesture you can see the ram is giving the ewe is known as a lip curl in bighorn, but it's not uncommon in other species and it's also known as a Flehmen response. The theory is it helps a male smell and taste if the female is receptive. It's also interesting to note that he has lost all of his lower front teeth (incisors and canines). He's not that old so I'm assuming he fell or lost them when horn butting with another ram. That will make things difficult for him.
I've put a series below in the gallery and see if you agree with me. Get some practice before you go out shooting bighorn again.
I've put a series below in the gallery and see if you agree with me. Get some practice before you go out shooting bighorn again.
The best way to age a bighorn, or any other mammal. Pull a tooth. Mammal teeth continue to grow, although barely. And rings are laid down during that stressful period just like the rings on the horns. After the tooth has been pulled, it can be sent to a lab where they acid melt the enamel off, freeze the tooth then take very narrow shavings. Then stain those shavings on a microscope slide. That's the most accurate way for any animal I've ever photographed, BUT, except for a few species like bears it can leave the animal in poor condition. Therefore it's only done with animals that have already died, or in extreme research situations.
I had hoped to spend many days with a couple different populations but the monsoon rains coming early spoiled my plans. I still may try in August. I say that because the best time to get desert bighorn shots is during the hot summer when they are forced to come to water. I have 2 places I like to go, one a river the other a lake where I can cover a lot of territory in a boat. It's just too hot and I'm too old to try and go chase them through bighorn habitat with all that gear and temps in the 120's near the rocks these guys live in. As usual, I've got some bighorn natural history on the captions on the photos below. I hope you enjoy the images and the information.
A sharp tailed grouse dances and screams in hopes of attracting nearby females. Because of family illnesses and loss I had to put photography on the back burner from December to May. However I was able to get away in mid April for a Colorado Chicken Photo Tour with Tropical Birding. The trip advertised visiting both prairie chicken lek sites and sharp-tailed and sage Grouse with possibilities for other species as well. A lek site is an area where males display or dance and females visit eventually choosing a mate. I had always dreamed of visiting and photographing just one species lek site so I didn't want to pass on the chance to visit all 4 prairie species. We met in Denver and our first stop was a small lesser prairie chicken lek less than 6 miles from the NE border. I was surprised we were even able to visit the site since the species has just been listed as Threatened just 2 months before the trip. Although the birds were some what timid and stayed a distance away we were still treated to a great show as the pictures below indicate. Just after we were done we were stopped by the Colorado Division of Wildlife that asked our guide not to get that close in the future because of the recent designation so we were quite lucky.
The next stop was a private ranch in northern Colorado for greater prairie chickens. This rancher opens his ranch to many birder type trips and all he asks is that he meet everyone and give his side of ranching and how he perceives conservation. It was an interesting presentation and from the photos on his wall I was quite excited for the next morning. When we arrived the lek the next morning we first saw activity from the van headlights. However, as light increased so did the wind and we endured up to 50 mph gusts. The birds were still there in numbers and were seemingly unconcerned about us but strong winds affect all animals. I only saw males and the lack of females reduced the display activity. We were still able to get some good shots but not some of the displays we had seen the day before. I'm sure a visit on a less windy day would have been great. The birds were there in large numbers.
Again we hit the road after the lek activity and drove another couple hundred miles with a couple stops for some other Colorado birds. This time our quarry was sharp tailed grouse which proved the be the show of the tour. We were actually allowed on reclaimed strip mine land by the mine and I was quite impressed with their reclamation process. We also saw elk, deer, and pronghorn there along with numerous other species. Given the number of awards the mine has been given I wasn't the only biologist impressed with their reclamation. We had a couple blinds and soon as we had them up we were surrounded by sharp-tailed males dancing even before first light. The pictures below give an indication of just how good it was, but it was better.
Our last stop was the one I was most looking forward too, sage grouse. I had seen many in the years I lived in Wyoming but never a lek. The fact that sage grouse populations have drastically reduced even heightened my interest in this large lek area. As with every morning, we arrived well before first light and we were treated to quite a show acoustically and then in low light. My conservative count of "booming males" was 50 but I'm sure there were more as a blind limits visibility. I was super excited and took a few shots even in the low light. Glad I did because right as the sun was about to rise 2 Golden Eagles zoomed through the lek causing all the birds to flush, never to return. If sage grouse are disturbed they normally don't return and this group followed that rule. A few males returned to see if any action was going to start and we were able to photograph a couple of them from close range but none of the booming we had seen before it was light enough to shoot. Although disappointing it's hard to pout over 2 golden eagles breaking up the action. That's nature and photography. I will have to be happy with what I got below and the guide, Andrew, gave me the GPS location of the lek so it looks like a trip to Colorado may be in the cards next April.
Trip Synopsis
I have no problem recommending any one interested going on the this trip with Tropical Birding. (http://www.tropicalbirding.com/us-and-canada-birding-tours/colorado-photo-journey/) I thought the guide Andrew Spencer was extremely knowledgeable about his home state and even more about the birds. I was also able to shoot other species such as the white tailed ptarmigan we were able to find at Loveland Pass. This trip has a marathon like pace as you are up well before the sun and normally have a couple hundred miles of travel that day at least. I thought the trip was some what similar to mine in that Andrew shared quite a bit of expertise on birds but little about photography but every one on this tour knew what they were doing and didn't ask for advice. I thought the price was reasonable especially since it includes your guide, travel, all lodging, AND food which I didn't expect. If you go you will come home tired but excited as you will get to see and photograph some of nature's most interesting behavior in a short period. Good luck.
I have no problem recommending any one interested going on the this trip with Tropical Birding. (http://www.tropicalbirding.com/us-and-canada-birding-tours/colorado-photo-journey/) I thought the guide Andrew Spencer was extremely knowledgeable about his home state and even more about the birds. I was also able to shoot other species such as the white tailed ptarmigan we were able to find at Loveland Pass. This trip has a marathon like pace as you are up well before the sun and normally have a couple hundred miles of travel that day at least. I thought the trip was some what similar to mine in that Andrew shared quite a bit of expertise on birds but little about photography but every one on this tour knew what they were doing and didn't ask for advice. I thought the price was reasonable especially since it includes your guide, travel, all lodging, AND food which I didn't expect. If you go you will come home tired but excited as you will get to see and photograph some of nature's most interesting behavior in a short period. Good luck.
The Mearn's quail, otherwise known as the Harlequin and Montezuma quail is a species I thought I'd probably never get a clear photo of. The reason why is this primarily tropical species lives in grass, tall grass, associated with Arizona's Pine Oak woodlands also referred to as Madrean woodlands. I've been fortunate enough to see them several times in various sky islands in SE Arizona all the way up to the Mogollon rim. But always in at least knee high thick grass and my only view was their back side as they flew away. From the pictures you can see they are quite an attractive species and sought after by both birders and hunters. The distribution map below shows they are also found in some pockets in West Texas and into New Mexico, but the bulk of their population is south into Mexico.
As a quail species they are highly prized by quail hunters. Because of their secretive nature it takes a really dedicated hunter with an excellent pointing dog or three to find them. This characteristic tends to bring out the best of the quail hunters that often end up very taken with the species. So much so they have often forced the Arizona Game and Fish Department to lower limits and seasons even when the data biologist collect show that the harvest is minimal. I know for those of you that don't hunt this may be hard to understand but hunters often become very fond of their prey and hold a deep respect for them. They can become the best conservationists as they are willing to put a great deal of volunteer time and money into preserving and enhancing the species and it's habitat. Mearn's quail hunters are some of the best in my opinion when it comes to concern for the species and it's habitat.
Mearn's quail are different from Gambel's and scaled quail in that their reproduction is dependent on summer rains, not the winter. They are paired up now (June) but won't start nesting until after the first of the monsoon rains in July. Several studies have shown that the amount of summer rain is the most important factor influencing the population, good rain - good populations and visa versa. That's assuming the habitat stays in good condition. Two factors found to negatively influence the habitat, thus bird numbers, is overgrazing by cattle and over harvesting of oak by fuelwood cutters. A reduction in grass height or tree density tends to increase the amount of predation. Since those 2 factors were identified by earlier studies (60's and 70's) the AZGFD and the Coronado National Forest have done a good job of protecting the habitat and the population is stable, but fluctuates a bit depending on the rainfall.
The only reason I was able to get this photo is a friend of mine alerted me to a small guest ranch outside of Sierra Vista where several pairs are coming into water. I sat in a blind at the water source and was able to get some great shots. I'm hoping the birds will keep coming and the access with continue. You do have to pay a fee to enter the property though. Contact me if you are interested.
Until then, Good Shooing!
Stan
As a quail species they are highly prized by quail hunters. Because of their secretive nature it takes a really dedicated hunter with an excellent pointing dog or three to find them. This characteristic tends to bring out the best of the quail hunters that often end up very taken with the species. So much so they have often forced the Arizona Game and Fish Department to lower limits and seasons even when the data biologist collect show that the harvest is minimal. I know for those of you that don't hunt this may be hard to understand but hunters often become very fond of their prey and hold a deep respect for them. They can become the best conservationists as they are willing to put a great deal of volunteer time and money into preserving and enhancing the species and it's habitat. Mearn's quail hunters are some of the best in my opinion when it comes to concern for the species and it's habitat.
Mearn's quail are different from Gambel's and scaled quail in that their reproduction is dependent on summer rains, not the winter. They are paired up now (June) but won't start nesting until after the first of the monsoon rains in July. Several studies have shown that the amount of summer rain is the most important factor influencing the population, good rain - good populations and visa versa. That's assuming the habitat stays in good condition. Two factors found to negatively influence the habitat, thus bird numbers, is overgrazing by cattle and over harvesting of oak by fuelwood cutters. A reduction in grass height or tree density tends to increase the amount of predation. Since those 2 factors were identified by earlier studies (60's and 70's) the AZGFD and the Coronado National Forest have done a good job of protecting the habitat and the population is stable, but fluctuates a bit depending on the rainfall.
The only reason I was able to get this photo is a friend of mine alerted me to a small guest ranch outside of Sierra Vista where several pairs are coming into water. I sat in a blind at the water source and was able to get some great shots. I'm hoping the birds will keep coming and the access with continue. You do have to pay a fee to enter the property though. Contact me if you are interested.
Until then, Good Shooing!
Stan
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AuthorStan Cunningham |
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