Fantastic Fox Family

May 16, 2012 Posted in Animals, Fox 1 comment

(click on any image to enlarge it)

A week ago my husband looked out the bedroom window when he woke up and came running downstairs. He took me quietly to one of the downstairs windows and there resting on the ground a couple feet from the house was a Red Fox. I was surprised yet so excited. I grabbed my camera and began taking photos of the Fox through the glass window even though the quality would be compromised. I knew if I went outside I would scare the Fox off.

As I clicked away I tried to think how I could take a picture without having to photograph through the window.  So I made a mad dash up the stairs thinking I might be able to open the upstairs window without disturbing the Fox. First I took several photos of the Red Fox through the bedroom window…

Red Fox photographed through window

…then I tried to slowly open the window and as I did that sent the Fox running. As the Fox headed for the woods I wildly ran downstairs, went on the porch and set up my camera with the 300mm telephoto lens and 1.7 teleconverter (making the lens  700mm).  I could see the Fox at the edge of the woods and then he was gone. Though I was in luck because a minute later the Fox poked its head out of the woods and I was able to click off a picture. Being so far away the Fox looked very tiny through the viewfinder so I knew I would need to enlarge the image a lot.

When I downloaded the images of the Fox it was a bitter sweet moment because in one of the photos this is what I saw…

Red Fox with Chipmunk in its mouth

Two days later in the evening I took some vegetable scrapes out to the yard to leave for the animals and I was shocked to see some Fox Cubs way out in the distance playing on the lawn at the edge of the woods. I quickly got my camera equipment and crept out slowly where I had a clear view of them. The Fox Cubs were so enthralled in their wrestling that they did not notice me standing still as a statue out in the open (a long way away).  Even though it was almost dark I started photographing the little ones. I had to use the highest ISO setting on my camera- 12,000 ISO which made the photos extremely grainy; they almost look like paintings. Thank goodness the digital camera has an ISO range which allowed me to capture such amazing images that would have otherwise not been able to be made.

As I started feverishly clicking images of the Fox Cubs it got even better when the mama Fox appeared; and her ‘babies’ were as ecstatic to see her as I was…

Female Red Fox and her Cubs

Never having the opportunity to watch or photograph a Fox family this was a giant thrill for me. I got to watch the Foxes behavior as they wrestled, and bit at each other playfully. ..

Female Red Fox playing with her Cub

After my amazing photo experience I decided to move one of the blinds so that I could get a little closer to where the Foxes were the night before (if I got too close the sound of the camera shutter clicking would frighten them away).

The next day I could not stop thinking about the Fox Cubs and hoped they would come back.  I looked out the window about 5pm and I saw one of the Cubs. I snuck out to the blind and set up my equipment. For the next three evenings the Fox Cubs came back to the Backyard Wilderness property (moving the blind in position days before paid off) without their mama. I got to watch these four adorable little creatures as they pounced, wrestled, and chased after one another. Take a look at the gallery of images below…

Four Red Fox Cubs

Adorable (Red Fox Cubs)

Red Fox Cub biting sibling's tail while third Fox Cub looks at the sky

Red Fox Cub watches a Robin

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Suzanne Yacowitz Dragan RP "70 - May 17, 2012 - 3:54 pm

Jody, these are beyond great!

New Goslings: The First Six Days

May 9, 2012 Posted in Birds, Goose No comments

Goslings 1st Day: On April 29th the Canada Goose sitting on her nest on the roof of the shed had six cute little Goslings.  In the early evening before the sun went down the mama Goose had her little ones swimming in the pond (not sure how they got off the roof)…

Goslings 2nd Day: The next day the Goose family spent time near the pond and occasionally walked to the yard near the house.  As the little Goslings ate the father Goose stood guard…

Goslings 3rd Day: Early in the morning on May 1st, I set up my camera equipment on the porch.  I wondered about the Goslings and if they survived the night. Soon enough the two Geese walked into the yard with their six scurrying little Goslings trying to keep pace with ma and pa.  The Goose family found the food that I had left out and while they were eating four Deer suddenly appeared (the one in the tall grass looking very pregnant)…

The Deer were also interested in the food. As they approached the area where the Goose family was feeding I was surprised when the male Goose looked as if it was going to attack the Deer. He was protecting his family. It looked funny to see the large Deer back away and the other Deer run away.

In the afternoon I photographed the mama Goose resting on the ground as her little Goslings pushed their way under her wing to get some rest from their eventful day…

Goslings 4th Day: By now the Goslings were getting curious and more brazen.  From time to time when one of the Goslings ventured a little too far away from ma and pa the female Goose would chase the lone one back toward the group…

It was fun to watch as the Goslings discovered a mud puddle. One little Gosling used the puddle as a means to quench its thirst…

Goslings 5th Day: I saw the Goose family from the kitchen window unfortunately I was unable to photograph them that day.

Goslings 6th Day: Before I set up my camera on the porch I filled a large plant saucer with water. Shortly after I got my camera equipment ready the Goose family made its way to the yard.  The Goslings found the watering spot immediately as they stretched their little necks and sipped the water (guess it was more appealing than the mud puddle) …

One Gosling even decided it was easier to drink while standing in the saucer…

Eventually the female Goose took a rest as one of the little Goslings went over to mama and tried to get her attention…

Within minutes the little Gosling cuddled with its mama and the two of them rested peacefully…

During the first six days of the newly hatched Goslings I am sure that the Goose family had many more adventures than what I had time to photograph; though I was lucky to have the opportunity to document the special moments that are posted on my Backyard Wilderness website.

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Fox Den Discovered

May 2, 2012 Posted in Animals, Fox 1 comment

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From time to time I see the Red Fox darting across the Backyard Wilderness property but within seconds the Fox runs off into the woods. It seems when the Fox sprints through the Backyard Wilderness property it is a route to somewhere else.  As a result, there is not much opportunity to photograph the Red Fox; once in awhile it is a rare treat.

About two weeks ago as I arrived at the house my ‘eagle eyed’ husband who was waiting for me said “grab your camera equipment and follow me”.  As we quickly dashed through the woods, Tom filled me in that he found the Fox’s den earlier and he saw three or four Fox cubs playing near it. The location was just on the other side of our property line, about a two minute walk.

As we approached the area quietly we saw three Fox cubs playing among a pile of dead branches.  They were frisky little animals.  I set up my tripod and camera with my 300mm lens plus the 1.7x teleconverter. It was late in the day so the lighting was not perfect. The foxes moved in-between the pile of branches making it almost impossible to get a good view of the energetic little critters. I was hoping to get a photo with all three Fox cubs but because of the clutter of branches I was not able to. I made one picture with two of the Fox cubs yet it was not very good (though it is proof that there was more than one)…

I found the best way to get an unobstructed photo was when a Fox cub went near the den…

Chances are I would have walked right past the area where the Fox cubs were and never noticed them because they blended in with the landscape. Those little rascals were a treat to photograph even though it was a challenge.

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Suzanne Yacowitz Dragan RP "70 - May 3, 2012 - 11:09 am

So fantasic, thanks for sharing!

Duck, Duck, Goose

April 25, 2012 Posted in Birds, Duck, Goose, Miscellaneous 1 comment

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One day while in the swamp blind I saw a beautiful, multi-colored duck that I had not seen before. Suddenly another duck appeared which I recognized immediately; it was a female Wood Duck.  I have photographed the female Wood Duck for the past two summers but I had never seen the male Wood Duck. I was excited to get the opportunity to make images of a Duck that I do not have posted on the Backyard Wilderness website.

As I watched the two Ducks I was rather surprised when they flew out of the water and perched on some dead trees. Guess that is why the Wood Duck is classified as a perching Duck, and the reason for the Duck’s long claws.

The male Wood Duck has a green head, a swept back crest, distinct bright red eyes, tricolored bill, and bold white lines on its head and body….

The female Wood Duck is a dull brownish color with a distinctive white eye-ring, a black bill and an occasionally seen blue patch near its wing…

As the Wood Ducks flew from the trees I was able to capture a picture of the female taking off before they disappeared…

A few weeks later while in the swamp blind I saw another duck that I did not recognize. In less than a month this was the second Duck that I had never seen on the Backyard Wilderness property.  I had no clue what type of Duck this was.

Every so often the Duck would make a long underwater dive till I could not see a trace of it and then the Duck would surface in a different spot…

Even though it was fun to watch the Duck dive it did not make for the most interesting photographs.  After awhile I decided to pack up my equipment and go back to the house to edit the photos and try to identify it. I looked through lots of Bird Field Guide but I had trouble figuring out what type of Duck I had photographed.  In the end what made it so difficult was that I never saw the male (which would have given me an obvious visual clue); however this was a non-descript female. What finally helped me narrow down the mystery was the Duck’s tuft on the back of its head and neck, and the black and orange bill. I am not one hundred percent sure but I believe I photographed a female Hooded Merganser…

From the research that I did the female Hooded Merganser does not seem that common.  They do like wooded ponds and they will lay their eggs in a tree cavity or they may share the nesting cavity with a Wood Duck.

Several days later I went back out to the swamp in hopes of possibly seeing the male Hooded Merganser. Instead, what I did see were two Wood Duck couples. I took lots, and lots of photos.  The light made the male Wood Duck’s magnificent brilliant colors glow…

The male and the female swam near each other most of the time that I was in the blind. A few different times while I photographed them together it looked as if the male and the female were doing the beginning of an affectionate mating ritual (but never completed the act in my view)…

Once in awhile the female went off for a brief rest…

 

And then she would go back to swimming and seeking food. ..

One of her favorite spots was swimming in between the lily pads and eating whatever food she could find on top of the pads…

 The male liked the lily pads as well and met the female in the maze of lily pads whenever she chose that area to find food…

At the end of the long day the Wood Ducks made their exit while a Canada Goose watched them as they swam by…

I am hopefully that not only will I get to photograph the little Goslings that hatched last week, but that I will also get to photograph little baby Ducklings sometime this year.

(“Oh, by the way, in case you were wondering, the Wood Duck is no relation to me, Jody Wood.”)

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Suzanne Yacowitz Dragan RP "70 - April 26, 2012 - 5:43 pm

Terrific photos! I really enjoy your work! FYI: I am a hard core duck person.

‘Mother’ Goose

April 18, 2012 Posted in Birds, Goose No comments

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In my blog on March 22nd Rare Nature Moments (Part Three of a Three Part Series) I wrote about how I watched a female Canada Goose lay three eggs right in front of the blind I was sitting in.  As a follow up in my March 26th blog Goose Saga I noted that then were eight eggs in the Goose nest.

After all the eggs arrived, (the first three laid on March 14th), I photographed the female Canada Goose sitting on her nest numerous days in March. During the month of April, I often checked on the nesting Goose in the morning and in the late afternoon; being that there is a 25 to 30 day incubation period. This past week I became obsessed with watching the motionless eggs and the rather inactive female Goose doing her important task.

Yesterday (April 17th) I decided not to walk out to the swamp to check on the eggs in the morning. I had a feeling it was time for the eggs to hatch and the mama Goose did not need my intrusion.  By the end of the day my curiosity got the best of me so I grabbed all my photo equipment and headed down to the swamp.  As I approached the area the ‘Mother’ Goose stood up and I saw two newly born tiny yellow Goslings, and some broken eggs, while nearby stood the stern, protective papa Goose…

It was exciting to see the cute, little Goslings trying to steady themselves as they stood up and walked…

Many times when the Mother Goose sat down she would fan out her feathers and cover her two newly hatched Goslings…

… and then there was a third one…

Soon it got to dark to photograph anymore so I packed up my equipment and went back to the house to edit my new pictures.

Today (April 18th), I decided to check on the Goose family in the early morning. I counted the new Gosling arrivals and now there were a total of six adorable Goslings…

About midday I grabbed my camera again and walked outside when I suddenly spotted the Mother Goose and her family swimming in the pond to the side of the house. Typically a mother Goose gets her Gosling in the water within a couple of days after they hatch. I was glad I had the opportunity to photograph the special event…

As for an update of the female Goose on the roof of the shed, she is still sitting on her nest. Her Goslings should arrive any day now.  I am not sure where the other Goose couples on the three acre Backyard Wilderness property have built their nests. What I am sure of is that for the next three months there will be a lot of Goose activity (including goose poop) on the Backyard Wilderness property before the Goslings get their feathers and they fly away.

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