travel history business blog
They're back.
Again this year a short trip by kayak across the cove gives you a visual and auditory treat. The pair of Great Blue Herons who nested at the top of a pine tree on the island across the cove from our cabin have returned this spring and, from the looks of it, they have hatched a second brood of chicks. You hear them first when you go out in the morning. Its an unmistakable, almost prehistoric, cackling of multiple voices. The sound draws your attention to a bank of tall pine trees on the shore of the island. Then you see the adults flying in and landing in the same spot high above and the cackle subsides while a feeding takes place. The nest is near the peak of the tallest tree, at least three stories in the air. In a kayak, you can get within yards of the tree base and, finding the right viewing spot, you can catch a few nearly very young heron sticking their heads up from the nest in anticipation between feedings. Around the nest, flying in wide circles and landing nearby are several older but still immature herons, apparently from an earlier nest. They gather on a nearby nest to beg for food. Their calls were enthusiastic, lots of raucous caws and awks. When joined by the chicks in the first nest, their cacophony fills the air. Our ten year-old neighbor Zander says they sound awful. "It's like having dinosaurs across the cove." Photo and text copyright Clinton Richardson. The image is actually from our Wild Atlanta gallery at TrekPic.com in the Close to Home collection and was taken several weeks ago along Cochran Shoals. I did not take a camera with me on the day I first spied the herons but did later on as discribed in future posts. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. First, let me be clear that Magic Mike was not his real name. I have changed it to protect him from my description. He was a congenial guy but, as you will see, there was no magic in his wildlife guiding skill set. To give him his due, he did arrive on time after driving up from Jackson to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge to pick us up at 8:00 a.m. It was snowing when he started so it wasn't an easy trip. And, his web site had great photos of animals seen on his tours. He was cheerful and talkative and knew his way around Yellowstone, which was important because it was snowing much of the time and half of the roads were still closed. His Suburban was a mess, which was our first clue that maybe this would not be a magical tour. Just a few miles out from the lodge near the Black Sand Basin came our second clue. Driving along at a fair speed, Mike spotted an otter running across the snow. He quickly rolled down the windows and started shouting "take your pictures, take your pictures!" Apparently, otter sightings are rare in Yellowstone. And, from our experience they were quick. Before you knew it he was gone as were we. In his excitement, Mike had forgotten to stop the car. We just kept cruising down the road. What wildlife guide does not stop when there is wildlife to view? Mike was especially keen on spotting a wolf and determined to make it happen no matter how far we had to drive. He was also full of chit chat about his childhood - he read a 330 page book when he was in the fourth grade - but a bit lacking on wildlife and habitat information we were hoping to hear. Off we sped for miles until our monotony was spoiled by a crowd alongside the road. You quickly learn that much wildlife spotting, particularly during the main part of the day, happens by finding cars parked alongside the road and people pointing their binoculars and cameras at a field. Here the the subject was a lone coyote crossing a snow covered field. We pulled over and I took this photo with a very long lens. It was nice to get out of the car and see something. We had stopped a couple of times before but without luck. And, this coyote, nice as he was, did not satisfy Mike's longing for a wolf. Next stop lunch. Now let me say this about guides and lunch. Usually they are clear. You bring your own or they bring a lunch or, in the Parks, they have a spot in mind where you stop for lunch. Nothing fancy usually but palatable. Mike was not clear and had something else in mind - a chili dog from a place near Mammoth Hot Springs that served only chili dogs. The rest of us pulled something together from a nearby snack rack. Not much of a lunch for the guests but there was entertainment value in the stop. Mike wore the residue of his treasured chili dog - his first of the season - proudly on his face for the rest of the day. After lunch, we made a beeline for the Lamar Valley region of the Park still in search of the elusive wolf. At this point, we were as far as we could be from our lodge and still be in the park and I was feeling a bit like I do when I fish with by brother-in-law Bert. He likes to speed off in his bass boat across the lake to a favorite spot, put his lure in for two minutes and when he gets no hit, speed off to another spot at the other end of the lake. And over and over. Mostly boating. Very little fishing. Still, it was nice to get out and the weather was interesting. Snow on and off in bunches. Sometimes good visibility and sometimes not. The image above will give you a feel for how things were in the Lamar Valley. The last image in this blog is from this area and one of my favorites. And we did "spot" a black bear with her cub. At least that's what Mike claims. And, again it was because of a crowd on the side of the road. It was snowing pretty hard at the time and I could make out a black dot near a tree at some distance but I cannot say with any certainty whether I saw a black bear or participated in a mass hallucination. Judge for yourself below. The weather cleared as we headed back from the Lamar Valley, sighting mostly bison. On our way back we made a major stop and got out of the Suburban to hike through a valley to a vantage point that would let us point our binoculars on a hole in a far away hill that serves as a wolf den. To get to the vantage point we had to walk near a small herd of bison with their young and not far from a small herd of antelope. More than solitary wildlife at last. Bison are impressively large and wild looking when you get up close, which is what we ended up doing when we headed back to the car. While we were searching unsuccessfully for wolves, the bison herd moved behind us, blocking our path to the car. We made it back to the car using a circuitous avoid-the-patty route as the bison continued to move in our direction. If you look closely at the photo below and check out the injuries on the bison you will see why we kept a safe distance. The presence of the young bison make the females particularly unpredictable if they feel threatened. So, by now you are probably thinking this trip was a bust. Too much driving and not enough wildlife. But, no, I would call it a resounding success. Just to be in Yellowstone is a treat. And, the unpredictable weather and guide added an element of excitement to the trip. For all his shortcomings, Mike was pleasant and much better than our last guide at Yellowstone. That involved a trip years ago with our son when an emergency back home left us with just one day to visit the park. The last-minute guide I found was a Jim Carey/Ace Ventura clone who did not smell very pleasant. When he jumped out of our van to get closer to a grizzly that was crossing the road all I could think of then was the old adage that to survive a bear attack you just have to be faster than at least one person in your party. He survived and there was no attack and, yes, that was a great trip too. Perhaps we will return talk about Ace at a future date. Travel is an adventure. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. All photos and text copyright Clinton Richardson. These and other images from Yellowstone and Grand Teton are posted on our sister site at www.Trekpic.com in our Wild Wyoming Gallery.
If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Here's the idyllic scene along the Madison River earlier this May. If you caught my last post, you will know I was out early this morning looking for wildlife to observe and photograph. We had snow the day before and the temperatures, while rising, were still in the mid-30s. After a couple of hours of roaming the park and about 7:30 a.m., these two elk greeted me near an overlook off the road to West Yellowstone. The closer elk was actually on the lip of the overlook when I pulled up and walked slowly toward the river and it's companion on the other side when I got out of my car. As the picture shows, the elk seemed unconcerned about me and my camera. In fact, all their attentions were focused on grazing as I stayed a respectful distance away. As I was watching, and about 150 yards east of this scene (to the left as you look at the elk), a lone wolf trotted out of the woods and started making his way in the direction of the elk. His progress was not hurried and you could not tell if there were others still in woods nearby. The elk seemed unaware of the wolf even though my heart raced a bit even though I was a good 100 yards away across the river and near my car. This continued for several minutes as the wolf made its way deliberately toward the elk. Eventually the female did lift her head to look in the wolf's direction. But she put her head back down and continued to graze. At this point the wolf had advanced to within about 50 yards of the elk. The wolf continued it's leisurely stroll toward the elk, getting to within 15 to 20 yards before the male elk on the far side of the river took notice and started walking in the direction of the wolf. The wolf slowed down and waited intently. Within a couple of minutes a stare off ensued, wolf against elk. No other wolves appeared. Apparently, he was alone or the others didn't want to tackle and adult elk. Perhaps, sensing this, the elk lowered it's head and charged. The wolf quickly turned and ran into the woods. The whole episode took about ten minutes from the wolf's arrival to his escorted departure. Spotting a wolf in the park is somewhat rare and this was not near a known den.
You never know what you are going to find when you head out with your camera. Sometimes it's nothing but rarely does it include a confrontation like this one. So, this city boy counted himself lucky that morning to see the wolf and elk interact. The elk returned to what they were doing, not making any effort to move further down the river. I watched for awhile longer and made my way back to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge to meet up with friends. All photos and text copyright Clinton Richardson. These and other images from Yellowstone and Grand Teton are posted on our sister site at www.Trekpic.com in our Wild Wyoming Gallery. IfIf you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. It's that time of year again. Prime season in the northern hemisphere for photographing the Milky Way in the night sky.
Beginning in late May and into August or September, the rotation of the earth makes the galactic core of the Milky Way visible north of the equator. In April, when this image was taken, the Milky Way arrives late into the night with only part of the core showing. This shot was taken just as dawn's glow was beginning to peek above the Eastern horizon. Later in the summer the Milky Way will rise earlier and stand more perpendicular in the sky. For now, though, it rises in an arch low in the sky before disappearing below the horizon. We were out all night last April to take this and several images, including one of the zodiacal light just after sunset. This image is a composite of 12 portrait style images stitched together to make one panorama. It's also edited to enhance the sky and the foreground. The camera sees more that the human eye in this low-light situation. The actual experience of standing in rural Utah away from all artificial light to watch and photograph the Milky Way cannot be easily described. While the photos are great and evocative of the experience, being out in the quiet (and cold this time) with thousands of visible stars above is an invigorating and humbling experience. This is the sky that we can no longer see from our aggressively lit cities and towns. This is the sky that until less than a lifetime ago, greeted people when they looked toward the sky. It is the sky of constellations that peoples around our planet believed housed their gods. It is the sky that inspired poets and provided clues for navigating our oceans. Today, we are lucky to see 150 stars in a typical urban or suburban area. To see it you have to travel to where human light pollution is less prevalent, which in this country means mostly out West but also in some more remote areas east of the Mississippi. If you do it once, you will probably want to do it again. It's invigorating and a bit disorienting at the same time to be out in the dark away from your comfort zone. You can easily get lost if you are not careful. And, working in the dark is different from working with adequate light. But, one thing for certain you will share an experience that came easily to your grandparents and great grandparents. And, you will be reminded of the vastness of the universe and our small place in it. By the way, when I mentioned editing the image did you notice that the sky is black and white while the foreground is in color. I admit to taking some license here but found making this change helps recreate some of the mood from the experience. Let me know if you like it. Images and text copyright Clinton Richardson. More night sky images at our TrekPic.com web site in the Night Lights Gallery. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. The southern Tufted Titmouse, pictured above, is known for its attraction to backyard feeders and its active song that sounds something like a high pitched peter-peter-peter. You find them in wooded areas throughout the Southeast and farther north nesting in tree cavities and nesting boxes.
This soprano was sitting in a tree behind our house belting out a tune that got returned regularly from a distance. Was he issuing a territorial warning? Calling for a mate? Or, maybe, announcing a newly filled feeder to his compatriots. I don't know. Whatever it was, he filled the air with song. Perhaps it is fitting, given how prone to song many species of birds are, that those who oppose the theory that traces bird origins to the dinosaurs call themselves BAND, or the "Birds are Not Dinosaurs" movement. I don't know who's right but I favor the majority view that ties birds to the flying Archaeopteryx and similar dinosaurs. It's not that I don't appreciate a good disagreement. Anyone who went to law school appreciates the value of a good debate. But we also understand that not every position is a good one. Darren Naish, British vertebrate palaeontologist and science writer, opines in last November's Scientific American that BAND "proponents have seen themselves as crusaders, true skeptics and better scientists than those who support what is now the mainstream model; they’ve – I think unwittingly – molded themselves into a distinct social group, even going so far as wearing special badges at conferences." He goes on to say that enthusiasm does not make them right and that the evidence for birds descending from dinosaurs is compelling. And, even though I always wanted to be in a BAND, I am going to skip this one. Instead, I think I will just enjoy the thought of having flying dinosaurs in my backyard. Image and text copyright Clinton Richardson. More Wild Atlanta images are available at our TrekPic.com web site in the Wild Atlanta Gallery, which is part of the Close to Home Collection. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. It's also the first of what we hope will be many more photographs by our oldest granddaughter, now ten. She and I have started meeting regularly to share a love for photography. She's been clicking away on her own with a new version of the Polaroid instant camera not unlike the one we enjoyed when it came out for its ability to deliver near instant pictures. On our first day out, we introduced a single zoom-lens 35mm digital camera to the mix, went over the functions and basics of handling a camera and then headed out to start shooting, talking about some basic composition elements as we shared an afternoon. This image was the best one from her camera. The goose was a willing participant, hoping for a handout. But the granddaughter was a serious observer. What I like about the image is that it captures the goose talking and uses the composition rule of thirds to help draw your eyes to hers. What do you think? Image and text are copyright 2018. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. One of the great pleasures of retirement is the extra time it gives you to spend with grandchildren. While walking on the path at Cochran Shoals, this adult Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, rare for these parts, flew to a tree just a few feet away and was spotted by my grandson. Cochran Shoals is national parkland that runs along the Chattahoochee River just outside the perimeter highway for about a mile and a half. Its a great place to see water birds and the occasional woodpecker.
We both whipped out our cameras to see if we could photograph this elusive neighbor. The picture above is our prize. My grandson wanted their to be no confusion about which of the two Clinton's on the hike spotted the woodpecker first. Hence, the title of this blog entry and the photo. This picture, along with others of wild Atlanta, can be found on the 13 Plus 1 Gallery of Photo by Kayak at https://kayak.smugmug.com/East-Coast/ or through a link on the Photos page of Readjanus.com, the host of this blog. All images and content Copyright Clinton Richardson, the elder one. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Sadly, Clay's Corner, extraordinary gas station, meeting place and host to the unique New Year's Eve Possum Drop is no more. Clay has retired and the station and Possum Drop that marked the beginning of each new year in Western North Carolina are now relegated to a past tradition.
No more country bands at Clay's Corner to accompany the dropping of a live possum in time with the new year's beginning. No more celebration of this unique but abundant creature. Locals who have enjoyed the tradition for years must now find other entertainment. PETA advocates, however, are probably quietly celebrating the news. To see more images of the self proclaimed Opossum Capital of the World and other unique images from the Blue Ridge area of Northern Georgia and Western Carolina, check out Blue Ridge Gallery in the Close to Home Collection at our TrekPic.com photo website. "Welcome to Clay's Corner" image above courtesy of TrekPic.com. Text and image are copyright Clinton Richardson. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. And, feel free to share this blog. The more readers the better. Click here to subscribe to a weekly email that tells you when we issue new entries. Or, click in the column to the left to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. We are introducing something new to our TrekPic.com photo resource.
Check out the New page and Coins pages when you are there. In addition to our works that inform (Ancient Selfies and the Growth Company Guide 5.0), we will now be including photographic 'images that inspire' with links to our TrekPic resource. The image was taken in late Spring from a relatively remote spot on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. A mile long hike through a light snow and past a tree recently maimed by bears was all that was needed to reach the site. The reward was the chance to see and feel a snow storm sweep toward Shoshone Point just after dawn. Shoshone Point is shown on the right. MY FIRST TIME ON THE WATER this year came late. Building we did to improve our access to the lake finished late and clean up work for me to get the new deck and dock ready took the late weekends in May after our return from Utah.
Every year the lake - in the mountains of North Georgia - becomes a little less remote and a little more populated with people. The last couple of years have seen a small wilderness area on the lake thinned and readied for single home construction. More boats and more docks will fill our cove off the main channel in the next several years. When we first bought the cabin on the water, we thought the lake and boating would be the big attraction but we have come to appreciate the quietness, the lightness of the air, the dark nights and the native wildlife more than the water over time. So with increasing development, my expectations were diminished for this first trip out in my kayak. My practice is to go out early in the morning, taking different routes on different days. I don't fish our hunt, except with my eyes and sometimes a camera. I look for sunrises, the lifting of the fog off the water, fish surfacing and wildlife in general. Over the last decade I have seen bass and trout surface, great blue herons and their smaller green cousins flying, perching and fishing the waters edge. Kingfishers are active and noisy when you approach and disrupt their attention. Pileated woodpeckers,, flocks of wild turkey and the bald eagle are among my favorite sightings, not to mention the single siting of a bear swimming across a channel. This morning brought its own surprises. I got a bit of a late start and so missed the the lifting fog and expected little more than some exercise. It did not take long to shatter low expectations. Within minutes a green heron flew by low to the water. Hard to spot, this seemed like a good omen. Then two great blue herons flew high over head in my general direction and the edge of the nearby woods cackled to life. They landed high in the top of a tree near water's edge. In full few view, the two fed several noisy and active youngsters for several minutes before the male took off again. I made a mental mark of my location to return the next morning and headed further out into the lake. After a while I spotted a pair of kingfishers in a cove. Then there was another and another. Before long I could count five and expected six to be in the group. Rather than fly off down the shore as they usually do, this group stayed in the cove and took turns circling me. I was near a nest but could not see it. I moved on to give them peace while watching an early morning water skier in the distance on the channel. By now I had been on the water for over an hour and headed back to the cabin, taking a route back by the herons' nest. Still there, I could hear the young sound their parents approach and watched them feed again. Then low to the water a long bird with white under her wings flew by and landed on a dead tree on a small nearby island. Jumping up the tree and to the left, she quickly revealed the unmistakable red tuft and long beak of the pileated woodpecker. My morning was complete. I hope your week goes well and that any low expectations you might have are shattered as mine were. |
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