Assorted Critters (non-avian) – Australia, Belize, USA

Assorted non-avian critters from Australia, Belize, USA. Most taken with Canon 30D camera and Canon 100-400 mm lens (predominantly handheld). All of these animals (excepting the domestic dog and horses) are wild and “free”.

Bottlenose dolphin and red snapper.

 

American Alligator.

 

American Alligator and Roseate Spoonbills.

 

American Alligator - a mating behavior.

 

a very loud, and in this case fatal, chomp on a turtle.

 

American Black Bear just prior to hybernation.

 

American Black Bear (same individual as prior image).

 

Australian Shepherd and snow - not wildlife but a handsome dog nonetheless.

 

Bee (unidentified).

 

Bee and Morning Glory flower.

 

Another bee, another flower.

 

Black Iguana.

 

Green Iguana - cryptic coloration.

 

Green Iguana.

 

Coyote - "fearful and aggressive" behavior. This individual has been ravaged by sarcoptic mange, hence the lack of fur and the open flesh wounds. The temperature was 20 degrees F on the day I captured this image - surely this individual perished soon thereafter.

 

Coyote. This individual heard the camera shutter and looked "straight at me" but I was apparently sufficiently camouflaged to not "spook" it. Also, the wind was blowing strongly from right-to-left in this image so my scent was apparently not detected.

 

Eastern Chipmunk - too cute are these little fella's.

 

Eastern Grey Squirrel in winter.

 

Golden Silk Spider - large strong web.

 

Gulf Fritillary.

 

Gulf Fritillary - another look.

 

Gulf Fritillary - last look.

 

Horses and wildflowers.

 

Morelet's Crocodile.

 

Northern Bluet Damselfly.

 

Platypus - approximately 30 cm (12") in length.

 

"Bluebottle" (Portuguese man o' war) on the beach.

 

This raccoon was swimming across a rather wide lake. It made several attempts to "join us" in the boat.

 

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar in our yard - feasting on vitex sp.

 

Unidentified caterpillar with external parasites (the white bits on the posterior 2/3).

 

Unidentified water snake.

 

Wallaby.

 

Adult and "Joey" (juvenile) wallaby.

 

Water Moccasin.

 

Water Moccasin - the "business end."

 

White-Tailed Deer juvenile.

 

White-Tailed Deer buck.

 

 

May 11-22, 2011: The Junction experience with Wyman Meinzer

Two weeks based out of the Texas Tech University campus at Junction, Texas, shooting with Wyman Meinzer and others. Conditions are very dry yet beauty abounds. What follows is a sample of the images captured from various locales visited.


Day 1: 05/12/2011

Started out up nice and close with a western diamondback rattlesnake.

 

Then off to “paint” a Church at night. Wyman does all the work and we just compose and shoot the image. This image was actually taken pre-painting, as there was a pretty sunset and the “street” light (on left, out of frame) was providing sufficient light on the left to balance the sunset light on the right.
Day 2: 05/13/2011
Morning shoot of rapids on the Upper Llano River.

 

Evening shoot on the Llano River.

 

 

 

Day 3: 05/14/2011
More Llano River images – this time from the gorgeous property of artist Bill Worrell.

 

 

These next few images were taken with moonlight – a wet and chilly shoot.

 

 

 

This next series is from a different location on the same river.

 

 

 

Day 4: 05/15/2011
Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area – a very dry though still magnificent location.

Three looks at prickly pear cactus:

 

 

 

Dusk

 

And then it was dark…
another “painting” – Wyman was running back and forth in the dark and somehow didn’t fall whilst painting.

 

Day 5: 05/16/2011
The following flower images were captured at Native American Seed company.

 

 

Church at dusk – another splendid paintjob by Wyman Meinzer.

 

 

Day 6: 05/17/2011
Independence Creek Preserve is a holding of The Nature Conservancy. The artesian spring contributes significantly to the Pecos River. The riparian area is truly in contrast to the desert region surrounding it.

The following two images are of a Round-tailed Horned Lizard.

 

 

Here is a Black-chinned Hummingbird:

 

and here are some black-tailed prairie dogs:

 

 


Day 7: 05/18/2011

A typical scene at Independence Creek.

 

and another:

 

This scene is a result of a beaver dam on a seep that feeds into the main creek:
Day 8: 05/19/2011

More “typical” views:

 

 

 

Day 9: 05/20/2011

Back at Junction. New bridge leading to the Texas Tech at Junction campus painted by who else but Wyman:

 

Another night shoot so captured these oaks at dusk:
Day 10: 05/21/2011

Back to 377 Falls.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 11: 05/22/2011

Sabinal River near Utopia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 12: 05/23/2011
A morning shoot – Portrait work – in a feedstore warehouse with natural light.
“Wild Dave” was the first model:

 

 

Then Maddee:

 

Then back to Bill Worrell’s property on the Llano River for an evening shoot:

 

 

 


Day 13: 05/24/2011
This morning we visited a ranch to image more western diamondback rattlesnakes:

 

 

Evening shoot at Fort McKavett – time to ponder the past and the lives of folks back then:

 

Then another “painting” by Wyman:

 

After the shoot Wyman and “Wild Dave” wanted to refine a shot they had planned of Wyman “painting”. As they were practicing the shot I grabbed an opportunity shot which changed the approach of the final shot. Here is that first “inspiration” image:

 

After Wyman and Dave saw the image, we three, along with Trevor White, began to discuss how to create the final image. What follows is the image we decided on shooting (all light painting by Wyman Meinzer):
Day 14: 05/25/2011
Back to Native American Seed farm – the breeze came up making macro work very challenging so I switched to capturing zoom-blur images instead:

 

 

 

We ventured back to Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area for our last evening – a time to shoot, visit, and enjoy our last evening as a group. Frienship abounds.

 


Day 15: 05/26/2011
The final shoot was an opportunistic one of a water moccasin and patchnose snake:

 

 

 

So long from Junction.