HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Greetings!

Wishing all my followers a wonderful holiday season and 

best wishes for a Happy New Year.

This is the time I do my best and reach out to family, friends, 

acquaintances and those who follow my blog but haven't met yet. 

You are all appreciated even though we may not have had a conversation 

recently. Looking forward to a chance to catch up next year.  

We all lead busy schedules, none busier then this time of year. 

I wish you relaxation, joy, and a peaceful season. 

Siblings discuss plans for the holiday at Hallo Bay Bear Camp, Alaska

Bosque del Apache

You know sometimes you just can't get a thought out of your head?

Recently I have been thinking of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in southern Socorro County, New Mexico and the fabulous photographic opportunities that await. So here is my post about the place.

In 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt founded our first wildlife refuge, Pelican Island, a three acre mangrove habitat, to protect egrets and other bird populations from extinction over plume hunting.

Now our Refuge System envelops over 150 million acres across the United States and territories. Its purpose is to maintain the biological integrity, diversity and environmental health of these natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Today more than 560 national wildlife refuges attract approximately 46.5 million visitors each year offering activities such as wildlife-watching, hunting, fishing, photography, hiking, canoeing, kayaking and environmental education.

Bosque del Apache was established in 1939 providing a critical stopover for migrating waterfowl and is known for the thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese who visit the refuge annually.

The 57,331-acre refuge is situated between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east and harbors a wild stretch of the Rio Grande, a ribbon of cottonwood and willow trees critical for the existence of native wildlife.

My first trip to Bosque was in 2012. I could only squeeze in a week that December and the first couple days brought a spectacular storm through New Mexico making for dramatic skies and lots of great imagery. A definite plus for any nature photographer!

The image above, from my 2012 visit, was one of three which took the 2014 Grand Prize in New Mexico Magazine's photo competition. Click here to open a link for the article about my experience and for other images which took prizes in the contest.

This year I am planning my third trip to the refuge. Thinking about attending the Festival of the Cranes, an annual event which brings like minded nature lovers together under the crowded skies of a crane or geese lift-off!

WARNING, this video is noisy!

The video is just a sampling of what you will see in the sky as migrants make their way south. And, if that's not enough, below are a few of the other critters who make the refuge their home!

Thanks for looking! Please share if you like. I think it's time to get busy making 2014 plans! Hope to see you there.

Sincerely, Sandy :)

"Caught in the Act"

I've been wanting to post for some time now but it keeps getting harder to sit down at the computer and do so. Really need to discipline myself better. Has anyone ever heard of a July resolution? 

I recently returned from shooting up Yellowstone way with some fun new images. This one I call "Caught in the Act." 

Traveling north leaving Grand Teton National Park you will be on the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Pkwy which connects you to the southern boundary of Yellowstone National Park. In route you will pass over the Continential Divide on a couple different occasions.

Many times along the road you can spot wildlife and that is exactly what happened when this coyote darted across the road in pursuit. He turned only for a moment and was caught in the act. 

If you enjoyed this post and want to see more, enter your email in the box in the top right hand corner where it says Follow By Email then select Submit. Once a new story is added you will receive a message directly to your email account.

Thanks for your interest! Happy shooting!

Sandy

Dubois, Wyoming

For those of you traveling to Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) this summer and want to add a true cowboy, small town experience, don't miss the quaint western community of Dubois, Wyoming. (Population 971 from the 2010 census.) 

"Where real cowboys work and play." 

  

Dubois, (pronounced dew-boyz) is only a short, breathtaking drive east over the 9,695' Togwotee Pass on US Route 26 and well worth the trip. Whether you have a day or longer there are plenty of things to do for the whole family.

Spend time fly-fishing dry flies or nymphs for Browns, Rainbows and Cutthroat on the Wind River, a classic mountain stream that runs parallel to the highway with easy access. Or spend time in town at one of the yummy eateries, unique gift shops or friendly watering holes. Say hello to Bill, an icon of the old west and long time resident. Tell him I sent you.

However my favorite place to visit is the Silver Sage Gallery on Main Street (http://www.silver-sage-gallery.com/) Just park and ask anyone where you can find internationally known western artist Tom Lucas and equally renowned artist Gary Kelmig, owners of the establishment. Sit for a spell and listen to histories about the 14 artists represented by the gallery and shop the exceptional, exclusive work of sculptors, potters, jewelry makers and photographers. Take home a lasting memory of your visit.

If you are still looking for something to do, Friday night Dubois hosts a rowdy rodeo at the Clarence Allison Arena. Photograph the rodeo clowns, barrel racers, bull riding and cowboy characters honing their ranch style craft.

The Dubois Museum, a living history museum, is a great place to discover times gone by (http://www.duboismuseum.org). Make sure to ask about the summer interpretive program series and you may be lucky enough to tour Sheep Eater Indian bighorn sheep traps, teepee rings, petroglyph sites and tie hack ruins.

If it's wildlife viewing that brings you to town, start your journey at the National Bighorn Sheep Center (http://www.bighorn.org/) where you can learn the biology of the species then wander the gift shop to bring home a bighorn inspired souvenir.

Looking for a way to stretch your legs? Find solitude hiking the granite domes or craggy 13,000' peaks of the Wind River Range. Or take an easy stroll through the town park for peace and quiet.

You will find a number of places to rest your head for a good nights sleep. There is a KOA and other RV parks in the area. Many historic ranches offer accommodations, horse pack trips and all inclusive vacations. Why not take the kids on an adventure they will never forget?

When you are ready to find out more information about Dubois visit http://www.duboiswyoming.org/ to get started and  http://www.duboiswyomingchamber.org/ to see a calendar of events. Or leave a comment/question and I will do my best to answer.

How about it? Have you planned your trip yet?

Whoo whoooo!

Day two! And another post to delight you.

OK, thought my Mom would get a kick out of that little rhyme! Hi Mom! My goal today is to introduce you to these cute great horned owlets, just out of the nest, and tell the tale of how I got the shot.

Great horned owls are found everywhere, females typically larger then males. Often perched high in quiet, secluded habitat taking up residence in trees that include deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. They prefer areas of open habitats, where they hunt, and woods, where they tend to roost and nest.

I found these owlets on the grassland located in the South Platte River basin on the Colorado Eastern Plains. It was at the end of a three day workshop on the Pawnee National Grasslands and only the hardy participants were left. We photographed this pair in the golden light of the evening and came away with some super shots then headed back to our vehicles to call it a day.

Just before packing up the gear, I turned to the owlets to say thank you for the opportunity (as I often do to my subjects) and OMG! This is what presented itself. With a quick exposure adjustment and a few frames later I knew I had something special. Hope you agree! I call this image appropriately "Owlets" and it has been a favorite of viewers and clients alike.

Really???

It has taken me this long to add a new post? Believe it or not, I am back!

And just like the last post, I am reporting luck has intervened again and this July will be the third time I'll have the chance to camp and photograph brown bears at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska. It can't be possible! I am still pinching myself. Three permits in eight years? WOW!  So appropriately I feel the need to post a bear photo! OK?

Glad you agreed. I have been amiss in processing images from McNeil for quite a long while. Shame on me. Please forgive my tardiness. So, inspired by Arthur Morris and his 175 straight days of blog posts, I will try to post on a more regular basis. Hopefully you will follow along!

Let me take you back to July 2012 and the circumstances surrounding this photo opportunity. I call it an opportunity because it is so rare to win a permit a second time. Our small group had hiked up the trail to overlook Mikfik Falls and were watching brown bears consume dying salmon in the pooling waters of Mikfit Creek. Occasionally a bear would sneak off upstream with a mouthful, disappear for a time, then suddenly reappear to delight of the photographers and bear watchers. This is one of those extraordinary moments when a bear actually raised its head and made eye contact.

If you would like to know more about the bears and permit opportunities at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary check out http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewingpermits.mcneil_overview. I can't recommend it enough!

If you get a chance, let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you! It has been a while.

Lucky Again...

I thought once was my limit but who knew? I have been lucky enough to be drawn again for a permit to view bears at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge. You don't know how excited I am! I will be joining two of my best buddies and the biologists at the refuge to walk among, observe and photograph some of the most beautiful, mature brown bears in Alaska.

Alaska here I come! I have already purchased the current Photo-ID spiral book to study the bears before I arrive in anticipation of coming home with the best photographs I possibly can. Today I will be coordinating details, reviewing my journal from our 2009 trip and booking travel arrangements.

Anyone interested in learning more about McNeil River Bears can check out the book The Way of the Grizzly by Tom Walker, visit Friends of McNeil River at http://www.mcneilbears.org/ or read Moose Peterson's BT Journal Volume 13.2. And watch my posts!

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Sandy :)