Tag: point reyes national seashore

African Lion, Badger, Bobcat, Cheetah, Coyote, Favorite Images, Leopard, Lion, Point Reyes National Seashore, Serengeti National Park, Wildebeests

Some of My Favorite Images from 2018

Back in late 2007 a photographer by the name of Jim Goldstein invited other photographers to do blogs showing their 10 best photographs of that year and to send him a link to their blogs which he would then add to a list of the blogs of all who were participating.  It was a great service to all who appreciated good photography.  It gave me a handy list of photographers (mostly nature photographers) so I could easily look at what they were doing and how my work compared to theirs.  I participated a couple of times, but somehow forgot about it.  I saw a notice about it recently and decided to participate again.

2018 for me was highlighted by a trip to Tanzania hosted by the African Wildlife Foundation (Craig Sholley) and Nature’s Best Photography (Jeff Vanuga).  They hired Thomson Safaris to deliver all the necessary services such as camps, food, drivers etc.  All three were superb.  I also made my regular trips to Point Reyes National Seashore, which is a short drive from my home.

Jim Goldstein used to ask that you list your 10 “best” photos.  The limit of 10 was not strictly followed by most and Jim seems to have de-emphasized it nowadays.  Picking what you think are your “best” photos is not easy.  So, below is a list of “some” of my “favorite” photos of 2018 in no particular order.

Finally, Jim’s list of links won’t be out until about the second week in January and when it comes out I’ll insert a link here.  here it is:  https://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog/2019/01/08/photos-2018-jmggalleries-blog-readers/

For now, you can go to his blog touting the 2018 round and linking to all the previous rounds all the way back to 2007 by clicking here.  Thanks Jim!

A healthy-looking coyote moves through a ranch pasture.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A leopard stares from under the overhanging leaves of a palm tree.

Leopard, Serengeti National Park

This is a photo of a bobcat sharpening its claws.

Bobcat with Damaged Eye, Point Reyes National Seashore

Wildebeests become trapped on the steep north bank of the Mara River

Wildebeest Crossing Mara River, Serengeti National Park

cheetahs, cheetah, photo, image, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Two Cheetahs Rest, Serengeti National Park

Mother elephants keep their calves protected inside the herd.

Mother Elephants and Calves, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Male bobcat.

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

Bobcat hunting at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

Male Lion, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Male African Lion, Serengeti National Park

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A group of elephants faces the camera at sunset in Tarangire National Park.

Elephants, Tarangire National Park

A coyote stares at the camera.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A male lion walks through the Serengeti and stares at the camera.

Male Lion, Serengeti National Park

A coyote looks over its shoulder.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A badger stands next to a hole it is digging looking for gophers.

Badger, Point Reyes National Seashore

Coyote

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A healthy-looking coyote moves through a ranch pasture.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

A coyote moves through a silage field on a dairy farm in Point Reyes National Seashore.

The Park Service allows silage growing on national park lands at Point Reyes.  Not only that, but the Park Service allows beef ranchers and dairy farmers to live on the park lands year round, with their cattle, at discounted rents.

Silage mowing is a bit like hay mowing, except while hay is mowed when dry in the summer, silage is mowed when green in the spring.  That’s when ground-nesting and near-ground nesting birds such as northern harriers, mallards, and various sparrow species are nesting in the silage fields.  Mowing kills the nestlings and some adults.  Ravens have learned to follow the mowers.  They get all the injured and dead birds and rodents they can eat.

Neither the Park Service nor the dairies/ranches seem to care about the carnage even though killing the birds would appear to violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

This is a photo of a bobcat sharpening its claws.

Bobcat with Eye Injury

This is a much tighter crop than I would normally do, but I wanted to show you what appears to be a serious injury to this bobcat’s left eye.  There is a black line that runs at a 45 degree angle in the eyeball.  It may be blind in that eye.  I’ve also seen two different badgers at Point Reyes with what seemed to have been serious eye injuries.  One seemed to have no visible pupil in one eye and the other seemed to have no visible pupil in either eye.  I assume the latter was totally blind.  It had two cubs with it and it looked to be in good health.

I don’t know how these things happen, but one possibility is that they get poked in the eye by little bits of vegetation like broken branches or twigs.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

I was at Point Reyes the other day.  My old friend Handsome Bob, the bobcat, was there to greet me.  I have known this bobcat for several years now. I call him Handsome Bob because he has very distinct spots makings along his sides where most bobcats have fewer and fainter markings.

Bobcat hunting at Point Reyes National Seashore.

My Old Friend, Handsome Bob

Male bobcat.

Handsome Bobcat, After Eating a Very Large Gopher

I’m not very happy photographing animals against white skies.  It happens more with birds than mammals and I often don’t even bother, but Bob left me no choice.  He was looking his handsome self and so I cranked up the exposure compensation and fired away.  Bob looks good no matter what.  To see larger versions of Bob’s photos, click to see my portfolio pages here and here.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore

A bobcat stops and poses in Point Reyes National Seashore.

This photo of a male bobcat was taken in March when things were still green out at Point Reyes.  The landscape is mostly bare now, thanks to the 6,000 to 7,000 cattle living year-round on Park Service lands.

I just learned that people like me who blog, and who have arranged it so their blogs immediately appear on their Facebook Profile when published, will no longer be allowed by Facebook to do that starting tomorrow.  One option is to start a Facebook Page.  Facebook Pages aren’t subject to this new rule.  I hope this change has a good purpose, like making it more difficult for the Russians to interfere with the 2018 election.

UPDATE:  Facebook didn’t wait until August 1.  I just checked and this post didn’t make it onto my Facebook Profile.

Coyote

A Coyote “Mousing” at Point Reyes National Seashore

I never get bored watching wildlife.  One f the things I always enjoy is seeing a coyote perform the “mousing” leap to try to catch a rodent.  Here are some photos I took in June of a coyote at Point Reyes doing that.

A coyote spots a rodent.

Coyote, Point Reyes

The coyote begins its jump.

Coyote, Point Reyes National Seashore

It hits the apex of its jump.

Coyote, Point Reyes

Descending snout first.

coyote, mousing

Did the coyote get its rodent?

No, it missed.  However, in my experience coyotes are more successful at catching rodents than bobcats.  I’ve wondered why and whether it’s because they grab rodents with their pointed snouts which fit in rodent holes nicely.  Bobcats have flatter faces and have to use their paws which may not fit in the small rodent burrows as well.  I don’t know for sure, it’s just a guess.

Hawk, Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon, Point Reyes National Seashore

Peregrine Falcon, Point Reyes National Seashore

Female Peregrine takes wing with its prey.

As I was leaving Point Reyes a few days ago I noticed this female peregrine perched on a fence post with her recent kill. I pulled over and photographed her as she alternatively plucked feathers and fed. After several minutes she decided it was time to go. She flew right over me, but I had too long a lens to photograph her once she left the post. Point Reyes is a good place for seeing not only elk and other mammals, but also various birds, including birds of prey.