The Birds

This flock of Red-winged Blackbirds was truly a sight (and sound) to behold! It's hard to estimate the number of birds in this flock, but a guess would be 3,000 or so, possibly more. The first image shows about 1/4 of the entire flock, so your guess is as good as mine.

The flock was feeding on grass seed heads in a low, damp area of a dormant cultivated field. They would all land on the grass or ground for a few seconds, then take flight again, swirling and gyrating for a few seconds as they gathered and landed once again to feast on the seed. It appeared to be a black cloud at times and when they turned perpendicular to the sun, the red patches on the shoulder of the males would become visible.

It's amazing what you see when you go look!

Adios

Thumper…making a quick exit! Unfortunately, this is how we usually see big bucks. Fortunately, Thumper did give me several seconds of good photo opportunity, although the lighting conditions were less than favorable.

Eight Point Buck

The rut is on and the deer are active. The neck of this buck has just begun to swell and his activity in daylight hours lends to the fact that the rut is starting.

Lip Curling

Typically lip curling is a breeding trait of the whitetail buck trying to locate the estrus doe, but in this photo the buck seems to be trying to catch a whiff of me. Interesting. Once the buck realized what was going on, he quickly disappeared in the timber.

Old Arkansas Bull Elk

This old bull elk is past his prime and was replaced as herd bull by a younger bull. He looks a little worn, but in good health, so I'm sure he'll be around for few more years. His left side antler shows a drop tine that is very unusual, matter of fact, it's the only Arkansas elk that I'm aware of that has the coveted drop tine.

Thumper

With the hunting seasons upon us, I thought it would be appropriate to start sharing some of my recent Arkansas Whitetail images. Might as well start with the best -- Thumper. I call him that because ANY hunter would thump this one given the opportunity.

As the sun was setting Thumper finally came out of the timber and exposed himself long enough and close enough to get some shots. What a great buck!! He's a typical ten point with kicker points on both G-3's, so in my book, he's considered a twelve point buck. He's one of the best bucks I have ever seen in Arkansas and definitely the highest scoring buck I have ever photographed.

The Eye of the Deer

SUNLIGHT!!! What a rare commodity on the mountain at Compton this past month. (ha)

Sunlight can be harsh and make for difficult photography, but when the sun is low in the sky and the subject orients properly, it can be great conditions to capture some awesome detail. I think seeing the pupil and the iris color of this deer is something that everyone will appreciate.

Tamias Minimus

It was fascinating to watch this chipmunk work at collecting and storing the corn that I put out for the deer. At first it would eat until full, then fill its cheek pouches and scamper back to its borough only to return in a couple minutes for two more cheeks full of corn, then repeat the collecting/storing trip several times over the next hour. It must have thought it had found the mother lode when it came across several pounds of corn scattered near its home. Makes me wonder how much corn it has stored for the winter.

Beaver Creek II

This past October brought near record rainfall amounts and fabulous foliage. The peak foliage seemed to have been earlier this year than the past two or three, with the second and third weeks of October being just awesome in the upper Buffalo River area. Getting photos wasn't easy with all the precipitation and cloudy skies, but the opportunities that did present themselves were well worth braving the rain, wind, fog and cold.

This photo is another from Beaver Creek and was taken just a couple days before a rain/wind storm finished shedding the trees of their leaves. This is a spectacular area that never ceases to amaze me with its beauty.

Beaver Creek

This is just one of many gorgeous scenes to be enjoyed along Beaver Creek. The terrain is very rugged and it's quite a trek to get to this spot, but well worth it for its seclusion, serenity and splendor. The upper Buffalo River area never ceases to impress me!

Close Encounters

Shooting from a blind is always an experience, sometimes boring with little to no activity, but usually there is plenty of action from the birds, squirrels, chipmunks and deer. This rainy, dreary day (and some feed) brought this whitetail doe in for some very close shooting. She was curious what the clicking noise was coming from behind the camouflage material and would often look directly into my lens as she was rewarded with a few bites of food. It was a great close-up experience!

I was prepared for not-so-close encounters and had my longest lens mounted. The 600mm lens has a shallow depth of field at close range, as is shown in these two images taken from less than 20 feet.

Waterfall

The deluge that took place last Thursday night created this brief, 150-200 foot waterfall at Steel Creek on the Buffalo River. It was raining as I took this picture so the clarity is hazy, but I like the effect. It's just amazing what you find when you go look, no matter what the conditions are.

Arkansas Elk

For anyone who has never experienced the elk in Arkansas, I would highly recommend a trip to Boxley Valley right now. The elk rut is on and there are several herds scattered along the length of Boxley with the highest concentration between the hwy 21/43 junction and Ponca.

The fall colors are also really firing up with the maples turning red and orange. Anytime within the next 2-3 weeks should prove worthy of a trip to the area for viewing the foliage and elk.

Notice the cattle mingling with the elk in the photo below. That is very odd and I've only seen them share a pasture a couple times before and never have I seen them intermingle like this. Not sure if the elk are competing for the fertilized graze pastures that the cattle rancher has provided or if they are just becoming acclimated to the cattle.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Fire Tower Cottage

This has been a busy summer at the Fire Tower Cottage. It's looking pretty good for a 65+ year old house that was built by the federal government to house the person that manned the fire tower.

The ice storm that occurred in January caused several problems, some were immediately recognizable, but others took months to show up. Repairs have been completed as well as some improvements, like a fresh coat of paint and cleanup. This years projects are winding down just in time for fall. I'm excited that the work is done and now it's time to enjoy the place.

The sunrise shot was taken from the east side of my property showing the fog as it settled in the valley over the Buffalo River. Just a spectacular sight that a picture will never do it justice.

Praying Mantis

The Praying Mantis' were active today. First time I've seen them in what appears to be breeding mode - two males and one female. Notice the "Deer in the Headlights" look…almost comical. Interesting to see the differences in the male and female, with the male having dark brown colors as opposed to the green female…I'm assuming.


I'm glad to have them around since they seriously reduce the bug population as opposed to the Walking Sticks that eat foliage.

Burning Vehicle

I was awakened at about 11:15 last night to a spewing sound coming from in front of my place. I got up, looked out the window and saw a Chevy SUV in the parking lot across the street with the interior engulfed in flames. I grabbed the cell and dialed 911 only to find it had already been reported. Five minutes later it was totally engulfed when the police and fire departments arrived. Once the firemen stretched out their hose, it only took about a minute to reduce the fire to just a smolder.

I haven't seen a report on the news, but I feel pretty sure nobody was hurt since there wasn't much of an investigation after the fire was extinguished.

I didn't get a nighttime photo of the blaze, but I did get this one this morning. It sure looks like the Chevy owner had a bad Saturday night!

Morning Glories

One of the most striking blue blooms you'll ever see. It's unfortunate that they only last until the sun warms them, but a new batch will bloom the next morning.

Brand New Blog

Thanks again to Steph (my webmaster) for pushing me to update my website and to TRY and stay current.