Tag: tule elk

Tule Elk

Favorite Spot To Photograph Elk; Point Reyes National Seashore

photo of tule elk cow at sunset.
Tule Elk Cow at Sunset; Tomales Point Elk Preserve

I took this photo during the last hour of the day on the side of the road just before the Pierce Point Ranch complex.

The mile or so before the ranch complex is my favorite place in the Seashore for the end of the day.  The reason for that is that I can usually find some elk crossing from the west side of Pierce Point Road to the east side of the road then.  It’s easy then to position your car close to the elk and with the car between the setting sun and the elk.  The backgrounds are usually clean also.  Close-up photos like the above are easy there then.

Badger, Bobcat, Coyote, Hawk, Other Mammal, Owl, Tule Elk

Best Photos of 2011

I learned about Jim Goldstein’s blog project some time in 2011.  To learn more about it click here.  Basically, you do a blog about your best 10 or so photos of the year and Jim will link your blog to his list of blogs that participate.  I recently looked at some of the 2010 participants’ “Best 10” blogs.  It’s a great way to find good nature photographers you weren’t aware of.

I photographed a lot at Point Reyes National Seashore in 2011 so I decided to use Point Reyes wildlife photos that were in my blog in 2011.  I want to say at the outset that I never really photographed much at Point Reyes before 2011 and I was very surprised at how good wildlife photo opportunities are there.  I’m a big fan of Yellowstone, but Point Reyes is almost the equal of it and in some ways it’s better.  For example, I’ve never seen a single bobcat in Yellowstone and hardly ever fail to see one at Point Reyes.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Point Reyes wildlife photos that were in my blog in 2011.

Photo of long-tailed weasel peering out of a burrow.
Long-tailed Weasel, Point Reyes National Seashore

Long-tailed weasels are one of my favorite animal subjects at Point Reyes.  Unfortunately, they are hard to find.  I saw four last year in Point Reyes, but this guy is the only one I was fortunate enough to get close photos of.

Photo of a bobcat daydreaming.
A Bobcat Daydreams, Point Reyes National Seashore

Bobcats are a lot easier to find, especially in the winter. This male lived on one of the ranches along Pierce Point Road.  I saw him a lot last winter, but he disappeared in the early spring.  I’m not sure what happened to him, but I think a pack of coyotes got him.  I saw them pass through the open area he used to hang out on.  I think he could have held his own with one coyote, but I doubt he could do so with two or more.  There were no trees or other means of escape anywhere near where I used to see him.   I photographed him a lot and miss him.

Photo of a coyote looking back at sunset.
Coyote at Sunset

Point Reyes has a healthy population of coyotes.  Like the bobcats, they are easiest to find in the winter when they spend more time out during daylight.

Photo of a badger after it awakens from a sunbath.
American Badger, Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes has a good population of badgers, but they are somewhat hard to find because they are such nocturnal critters.  In 2011 I photographed two single adults plus two females in the spring with two cubs each.  This is one of the single adults.  I found this individual a couple of weeks ago.

Photo of a 7-point bull bugling during the rut.
Tule Elk Bugles During Rut; Point Reyes National Seashore

Of all the wildlife Point Reyes has I think the species people think of first is the tule elk.  They are fairly easy to find and photograph at Point Reyes.  Needless to say, this photo was taken during the rut.  With his angry-looking eyes and wide-open mouth he looks pretty fierce.  Every time I see how big his mouth is I picture four canine teeth in there and wonder what life would be like if elk had canines.

Photo of peregrine falcon eating its prey.
Peregrine Falcon Holding Its Prey

Point Reyes has some resident peregrine falcons.  They are often seen from Chimney Rock to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.   This one decided to dine in ranch country.

Photo of a male california quail.
Overseeing His Covey

California quail are quite common in the Seashore.  When things are slow they can save the day.  I think the peregrine above was feeding on a quail.

Photo of an osprey perched on a dock.
Osprey; Tomales Bay, California

There are several ospreys that live and nest in and around the Seashore.  This one decided to perch on a dock in Inverness which is just over the ridge from the Seashore.

 

Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a red-tailed hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Red-tailed hawks are common at Point Reyes, especially in the winter.  They are probably the raptor seen most often in the Seashore.

Photo of a great horned owl sitting in a barn window.
Great Horned Owl in Barn Window

Great horned owls are also common, although you don’t see them as often as their numbers would suggest because of their nocturnal ways.  Find any good sized clump of trees, though, and odds are good that you will find one or more great horned owls in there.  Pound for pound they are about the most deadly bird in North America.  While they normally prey on mammals and birds smaller than them, they have been know to prey on such things as house cats, canada geese and even bald eagles.  Field Guide to Owls of California and the West, Hans Peeters, at 191.

There are a lot of other wildlife species at Point Reyes , many of which I blogged about, but it’s time to stop.  If you’d like to see some more images from Point Reyes or elsewhere you can continue viewing my blog or you can visit my website, www.jimcoda.com.

Happy New Year to All, and thank you Jim Goldstein.

Tule Elk

Tule Elk Cow, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of cow tule elk.
Caught with her Mouth Full

I drove out to Point Reyes recently.  Things look a little greener in places.  Red-tailed hawk numbers have increased.  The Pierce Point Ranch area was free of fog for a change.  This cow, along with some others, was grazing near the ranch.  I don’t particularly like the background (or foreground) in this photo, but I do like the expression on her face.  She is wondering what my intentions are and why she failed to see me until now.   Now if I were a mountain lion ….

Song Bird

Western Bluebird, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a western bluebird perching near the Estero Trailhead.
Western Bluebird, Point Reyes National Seashore

I’m almost done upgrading my website.  Having to search for the master file for every image on my website so I can enlarge it has caused me to look at nearly all the images I have and that has taken a lot of time.  It’s been very beneficial though because I’ve found a number of images that I should have put on my website when I took the photos.   This little bluebird is one.  It has everything I look for in a good wildlife photo.  It has an appealing subject, good body position/pose, good light, good color and a clean, out-of-focus background.  No distractions.  It’s now on my website.  To see the upgraded/larger image click here.

I’ve added a number of other overlooked images as well.  The tule elk portfolio is a good example.  I’ve added about 10 new images to that portfolio.  I’ve also removed several.

One thing I’ve realized doing the web upgrade is that I’ve not been paying enough attention to my website since I started doing this blog.  I’m probably not the only photo blogger doing that.  Keeping current with my website seems like a good New Year resolution.

Tule Elk

Seven-Point Bull

Photo of a 7-point bull bugling during the rut.
Tule Elk Bull Bugles, Point Reyes National Seashore

I’m still upgrading my website by making each image larger.  It’s a lot of work, but I think it will be a nice improvement to the site.  One extra benefit is that I’m finding some images that I like that I didn’t know I had.  This photo was taken in early August.  As I often do, I came back to this photo after I published the blog and was struck by how wide this bull can open its mouth.  For some reason, I pictured a set of canine teeth in there, developed for defensive purposes.  I wonder what wolves would say — if they had any say in it?  For that matter, I wonder what elk hunters would say?

Tule Elk

A Lot of Bull, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a tule elk bull at end of rut.
Bull Tule Elk

The day I photographed the peregrine (my last post) I also saw this big 7×8 point bull.  He was with about 40 cows and calves a short distance west of the Drake’s Beach Road.  I don’t like the background, but I think the size of this bull warrants a posting.

My postings have slowed down recently because I decided a month or so ago to make the images on my website much larger and it is taking a lot of time.  When I started I thought I’d use one or more actions to speed up the process.  However, as I assessed what was ahead of me I came to the conclusion that my Photoshop skills had improved enough that I could improve most of the images if I went back to the background layer of each image.  It’s going to take a few more weeks to get the revised site up, but I think it will be well worth the extra time.

Tule Elk

Bull Tule Elk During the Rut

Photo of bull tule elk.
Bull Tule Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

The rut is in full swing at Point Reyes.   This bull had a harem of six or seven cows and a few yearlings and calves near Pierce Point Ranch.  He got into one big fight with another bull of about equal size.  He prevailed, but these bull elk sure work hard to pass on their genes.  I saw a bull limping due to some problem with his left foreleg or shoulder.  It reminded me of a limping bull on the D Ranch near Drake’s Beach.  He also had something wrong with his left leg or shoulder.