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.