The End of Color

It's about gone, only tiny pockets of color remain. I've often thought November is the toughest month to reveal in a photograph. The difference between March and November can be subtle. Crisp leaves and intact puffballs are one of the few indications of the end of autumn. If you can find some color to photograph, go for it. You won't see it again for a few months.

Technical: recorded a couple weeks ago. Off camera lighting, converted to black and white in Silver Efex Pro

Learning a new technique

I have had a time-lapse feature on my trail camera but never used it until now. There are still some technical issue with camera motion but I like the technique and will be working on it more. The concept of seasonal transition intrigues me and this might be a way to represent it in motion.

One sick raccoon!

Not all of nature is pretty and sometimes it is downright ugly. Predator/prey relationships have a certain synergy and although appearing brutal they are a part of the natural world. A less natural relationship is the interaction of domestic animals and wildlife. We usually think in terms of how pets are affected by wildlife and not the other way around.  My wife and I almost tripped on this raccoon last week and yesterday it was still alive. A Google search has lead me to believe it has a fatal case canine distemper.

Woodland Robins

I see robins in our yard but rarely think about their lives in the woods.

Busy Mice

Elves are not the only little creatures busy at this time of year. These field mice were recorded over 13 nights of camera trapping at Townsend Woods SNA.  I hope to get out during a full moon to record their activity in person.

Winter Coat

Not needed today. The longer it stays warm the happier this guy will be. Red squirrels and grays tend to sleep in cold weather but fox squirrels are out most of the winter, benefiting from more fur and body fat. The red squirrels we see at feeders are taking advantage of a free meal and in the process giving us a few hours of entertainment.

Three blind mice

The title is the first thought that comes to mind when I see this camera trap image. When watching them scurry around I can understand how that term was coined. There was near constant motion for around this pile acorns nestled at the base of the log. About 2500 files were captured over a 2 week period. The task of reviewing them for unique content or other creatures has been completed so now the fun of putting a video together is the next step.  It will be M rated, definitely not for those who are squeamish at the sight of a mouse.

Fox squirrel at the knot

I love this pose. Squirrels frequently stopped for a picture on their in and out of this log. Shots coming out are much more appealing than those going in. I thing these are the second most colorful animals in the woods with the red fox being number one. I have yet to capture one of those in a camera trap here. That seeks to their scarcity in the habitat or extreme shyness. My guess is the former.

Technical: It could be argued the squirrel is centered but I think the composition works because of the depth provided by the distant trees.

Gray Squirrel Framed

A little light on blogging recently but should be getting into the swing of it again. I was unable to get my camera trap for a couple weeks and had a few thousand files to review, among other things. Most files were mice at night but a few were squirrels during the day. This hollow log is a treasure chest for squirrels where they eat acorns while sheltered from the weather and birds of prey.
Technical: still image from Reconyx Ultrafire, medium tone curve in Lightroom and slight sharpening.

Winter Begins

What a difference a little snow makes! I was in the woods when the first snow came on Thanksgiving and watched the animals while staying warm but getting a little wet. 

Are you done?

Getting two animals interacting in a single frame is always exciting. Their communication is left to the imagination and creativity of each viewer. How would you title this image? If you are interested in creative squirrel photography follow this link: The Secret Life of Squirrels

Keeping Dry

I was in the woods as it started snowing yesterday and recorded some good fall to winter transition footage as the ground turned white. this guy was busy stocking up but could not figure out who else would be moving around in this kind of weather.

Technical: My last post had some footage uploaded directly to the blog instead of going through YouTube. Apparently it is not visible on all platforms so I'll go back to the intermediate step unless someone knows how to get footage visible to all using a direct upload.

Camera trapping

I start camera trapping this time of year and have just finished the preliminary edit of over 2000 files. I think I left in location too long. This hollow log was the site of all the activity. While I am determining a story line for a short video I'll share some of the more interesting clips. The trap is set up in an area where travel or activity is likely and left in place for at least a week. This location was used for almost 2 weeks with over 90% of the recorded activity from field mice at night. No lures or bait is used.

Are you watching me?

This guy was busy burying acorns when he looked up and suddenly realized I was not a tree. Working in such close quarters I had a hard time maintaining focus and keeping him in the frame.

Technical: cropped vertical from C100 video frame

Planning Ahead

Fox squirrels are busy storing acorns for the winter. An interesting article about how their stored nuts are found and how they choose to put certain acorns in the ground can be found at: How do squirrels find their nuts?

Technical: Frame capture from C100 video, cropped to 35 mm format

Getting the "eye"

After this fox squirrel had foraged for acorns to within 4 feet of me he discovered I was not part of the normal landscape. He then climbed a nearby tree and watched me for a few minutes while trying to make up his mind. Finally he moved on. 

Technical: still image taken with Canon C100

November Color

The golden color of October has faded. I'm grateful for blue sky in November. One of my current projects is recording squirrel behavior. Yesterday I donned an orange vest and went out looking of them. I saw a nice deer but the final shot of my sequence did not happen. 

Yellow

During autumn leaves make the tree. In a few short weeks textures and branches will be its signature. This small tree will once again be hidden under its larger neighbors.

Strutting their Stuff

I wish I could have been there but I would have probably been too interested in the camera settings to enjoy the show. This pair performed in front of what I have called my "carcass cam" which has had lots of coincidental activity but very little attention directed toward the raccoon carcass that has been cropped out in this image.

Spring Turkeys

Spring is here and turkeys are noisy, busy, and on  the move. There are a couple dozen turkeys at Townsend Woods SNA that I have been trying to record for the last 6 months. The only shots have been distant shots with them walking away. This trail cam was in place for a month and recorded these birds. Some of the birds seem to be aware of the camera attached to a tree.