An evening of wildlife

This evening's drive was extra special. Awesome scenery and some cool wildlife sightings. Saw two black bears, a bull moose and a broad-winged hawk!

The Drumming Log

On Friday afternoon I headed out to a location that my friend Paul told me about, where he knew of a tolerant Ruffed Grouse that was drumming regularly between two logs within 100 feet of each other. As usual, Paul's directions were spot-on and I was able to find the log very easily. As I approached the area, I could hear the drumming sounds so I knew I was getting close. I slowed my pace and tried to limit my sound as much as I could.  I started scanning the area of woods where I expected the log would be and sure enough I spotted it with the grouse already perched on it, surveying the forest in between rounds of drumming. 

I watched for a few minutes from the trail before approaching the log. When I spot an animal I like to hang back for a bit and watch, to see how he/she reacts to my presence. If it seems like the animal might tolerate my presence, I will approach a little closer.  With grouse in the spring, you can often approach to within 10 feet or so and they won't seem to mind.  That was definitely the case with this guy, as I eventually able to get quite close to him and get some fantastic photos and video. 

I was able to witness at least a dozen cycles of his drumming behavior.  He would drum 3 or 4 times over the course of about 20 minutes, then hop down from the log and wander around through the woods for a bit before returning to drum some more.  When I left I chose to do so in between his cycles when he was off wandering in the woods, so as not to startle him when I walked away. It's always very special to have an animal allow you to be in its space.  I treasure these moments when they occur. 

Moonlit Night at White Pocket

My night spent at White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument was definitely one of the coolest nights I've spent anywhere. The fact that I had a bit of light from the crescent moon made it even more special.  It had been a long time since I had this much fun with a camera!  

Wood Frog Mating Season

The Wood Frogs are super active this time of year and looking to reproduce like crazy. If you venture out into the woods where there is standing water odds are you'll hear a chorus of wood frogs croaking like loudly. Yesterday I was out driving the forest roads and decided to stop by this swampy area along the side of the road. The combination of wood frog and spring peeper calls was deafening. 

When I first walked up to the edge of the swamp, I could see all these surface disturbances as I approached.  Wood frogs had been floating and swimming all over but as I approached they all dove and burrowed into the mud.  I decided to just sit there for a while and see if they would come back out.  After about 20 to 30 minutes of quietly sitting, they gradually started to come back out and before long they were all over the place.  The longer I sat there the more activity I saw. They came within just a few feet of me and I was easily able to get some great shots. 

It was a challenge trying to time my photos to capture them with their air sacs inflated as they croaked, but eventually I was able to get a good shot of this behavior as well.  I was even able to see one cluster of three frogs that were stuck together as they were trying to mate. As with most wildlife encounters, having patience and the willingness to sit quietly and as motionless as possible proved to be an effective technique for getting a unique glimpse into the animal world. 

Day's End at White Pocket

I loved the transition from day to night at White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.  While I found this landscape immensely fascinating during the day, it was even more so at night.  

Sunset at White Pocket

White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument was easily the coolest, most fascinating location that I visited on my trip.  I was blown away by the unique geology of this place.  Everywhere I looked I found interesting photo compositions. Watching the sunset here and seeing the light change over the landscape was an unforgettable experience. 

Spring Ruffed Grouse

I've been seeing a lot of Ruffed Grouse lately but most of them scurry into the woods so quickly I haven't been able to get any decent photos.  Yesterday I came across one that stuck around in the road for a while and didn't seem to mind his picture being taken. There must have been another one nearby but this is the only one I ever saw.