Jim Coda Nature Photography

August 12, 2010Uncategorized

Brush Rabbits, Point Reyes National Seashore

A couple of years ago I was on the road to Pierce Point when all of the sudden the road became full of rabbits. They seemed unusually small to me at the time and I couldn’t believe how many there were. If I researched what they were then I’ve forgotten. Well, just the other day I saw a few more of these small rabbits and I was able to photograph them. Here’s a photo of one of them.

A brush rabbit stops briefly in an opening in the brush at Abbott's Lagoon. — Brush Rabbit, Point Reyes National Seashore

Now that I had photographed one I had to find out what it was. That was easy thanks to Google. These small rabbits are brush rabbits. The name sure fits given where I found them. If they look like cottontails to you that’s because they are a type of cottontail. They are different in two ways though. First, they don’t have any white on their tails. Second, they are noticeably smaller than other cottontails. As I photographed them I noticed that they didn’t stay in the little opening where I photographed them for very long. I think that those that do stay longer tend to live shorter lives.

August 8, 2010Uncategorized

Another Bobcat

I decided to go out to Point Reyes National Seashore last Friday to see what was going on there. My main hope was to get a good photo of a bobcat. I don’t think I’ve been out there since late June when I was fortunate enough to see and photograph one. Not long after leaving the house I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. It was a bobcat sitting in a farm field.

A Bobcat sits in a field in Marin County, California — Bobcat, Marin County, California

Lucky me. I wanted to stop, but couldn’t. The road’s shoulders were steep and narrow and there were cars going in both directions. I drove about a quarter mile to where I could turn around and drove back. The bobcat was still sitting there. I drove past it to a spot where I could pull off the road. Some trees screened me from the bobcat. I usually don’t assemble my gear until I get to Point Reyes. My gear was all neatly stowed away and I’d have to pull the big lens out, attach the Tele-converter and camera body to it and then attach my Wimberley head to the tripod and extend its legs and attach the camera/lens to it. I also noticed I hadn’t put a flash card in the camera. (Good thing I noticed that then.) After what seemed like forever I had everything together and walked quietly along the trees to where they ended hoping the bobcat would still be there. It was. I shot several frames before the bobcat turned and looked at me. It let me shoot about 30 more frames and then decided that it didn’t like the fact that I was staring at it and not moving. It finally decided it had had enough of me and split.

It was a good day regardless of what I’d see at Point Reyes. As I drove on to Point Reyes I vowed to be ready to photograph when I left home from now on. That bobcat could have moved on while I was fumbling with my gear. Next time it could be the holy grail — a mountain lion. One was spotted near here a year ago.

June 27, 2010Uncategorized

A Day at Point Reyes National Seashore

I went out to Point Reyes recently. My friend Jeff joined me. We hoped to find some owls and bluebirds to photograph. We found this adult great horned owl and its mate and three young which we had seen before. No luck with bluebirds.

A great horned owl roosts on a limb. — Great Horned Owl, Point Reyes National Seashore

Canon 500mm f/4, Canon 1.4 TC, Canon 7D

After a couple of hours Jeff decided to head back to his home in Inverness. I decided to drive up to Pierce Point. I saw some big bull elk there, but they were in a canyon and getting any decent photos of them would have involved a long, steep hike. Not today. I checked for bluebirds at that end, but didn’t see any. I saw a couple of red-tailed hawks getting harassed by some ravens, but decided not to try for them. I also saw signs of badger activity, but no badgers.

Driving back I saw something that looked like it might be a bobcat. It was lying in some tall, light-colored vegetation. I stopped. It was about 40 yards away on the passenger side of the truck and almost completely obstructed by vegetation. I was going to have to get out of the truck with my lens and tripod. I slowly and quietly got out and set up my tripod and lens. Fortunately, the bobcat hadn’t moved. This wasn’t going to work. There was too much vegetation between us for a decent photo.

A bobcat is lying down in tall grass. — Bobcat in the Grass, Point Reyes National Seashore

Canon 500mm f/4, Canon 1.4 TC, Canon 7D.

The bobcat didn’t seem too anxious to move. I decided to wait him or her out. I checked my gear and found I only had 11 exposures left on the card. Glad I caught that. After about 20 or 30 minutes the bobcat decided it was time to go. It headed north parallel to the road and I quickly lost sight of it in the tall grass and brush. I walked up the road and saw it had stopped behind a bush. I waited for it to move and this time it took a step or two and then continued north. This is the best image I got.

Canon 500mm f/4, Canon 1.4 TC, Canon 7D

Foiled by vegetation (again). This is the fourth time I’ve photographed a bobcat in west Marin and each time has been frustrating. They are beautiful animals. Hopefully, some day I will get a good photo of one. Look at how muscular its upper back and shoulders are. They also have very long and muscular hind legs which is not so noticeable until you get a clear view of one sitting.

As I’ve said before in this blog, Yellowstone is my favorite place to photograph wildlife. However, it’s nice to have places like Point Reyes nearby.