Protected Oregon Frog Northern Red-legged Frog Rana Aurora

Protected Oregon Frog Northern Red-legged Frog Rana Aurora

Northern Red-legged Frog Rana aurora. Protected In Oregon.

I found this frog in the cascade mountains of Oregon.

Dragonfly

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Dragonfly

There is two dragonflies found at the same pond we stopped at up in the Ochoco Mountains here in Oregon.

March At Lake Billy Chinook

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

March At Lake Billy Chinook

We always seam to catch ourselves down in the canyon.

I LOVE the canyon!! All year around there are things to see and do!

Crooked River Pigeon and The High Bridge

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Crooked River Pigeon and The High Bridge

We started out on our outing yesterday heading towards the Ochoco Mountains.

Well, as soon as it started snowing on us, and the snow on the ground started getting deeper we decided to turn the truck around.

We made our way to Smith Rock , which was surprisingly busy!

Made our way to hwy 97 and onto the Ogden Wayside, or as it is called now Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint (say that ten times fast!). Guy laughed when I told him what the official name of it is!

We left the dogs in the truck and headed to the High Bridge. Or um that is what we call it.

Jefferson County is where this bridge is located at. The crooked River is down almost 300 feet below. Smith Rock in one direction, Crooked River Ranch in the other. Do not let the word Ranch fool you, it has not been a working ranch in a long time. It is a residential community. Cooked River Bob used to entertain us with his goofy commercials.

The day really was not a day to get fully the beauty of the gorge! So I took this photograph of the bridge itself. What amazed me and I do not know why it surprised me as it did, I just do not remember so many pigeons!!

Ok so pigeons are everywhere. I like pigeons. Since I like birds it only stands to reason I like pigeons too!

This pigeon was on the canyon wall as many pigeons were. I hung over the wall the best I could to get these photographs of this bird (oh my we had rain, then hail along with thunder now I see blue skies! If you do not like the weather wait ten minutes it will change HAHA).

Manipulating Nature Indoors

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Manipulating Nature Indoors

Manipulating nature is not as hard as some people like it to be.

All plants need is an atmosphere that they like.

These are some photographs of my indoor plants.

I have the Coleus which I have had as a indoor colorful plant ever since I can remember (I started having plants as a little girl). I have several species and they flower and give off seeds which the new plants grow from. I used to save the seeds, now I just fling them, or um just let them grow where ever. They grow everywhere! Some of the species grow pretty tall, 3-4 feet. One species makes a canopy that is oh, 2-3 feet tall before the flowers and seeds come. Others are shorter. All of the coleus species are very colorful and I really enjoy them! Purples, whites, orange, reds on and on!

One of my mistakes was the Avocado. Let me explain. Guy like avocado, well I went ahead and just tossed some pits into my room. They got buried and sprouted. Guy got a huge laugh when both plants got 6' tall. When they reached the ceiling he told me I better start cutting them back!! The ceiling is around 12' !! I never seen a avocado tree and never had them grow this tall inside! One of them I started cutting back, of course this just shot up shoots. The other is out of the way pretty much and kind of looks cool climbing the one wall and over the light. I have had to pull the limbs out of the way and use supports but this is ok.

The Peace Lily. Well these plants were a surprise!! If someone does not want a plant and I am offered that plant, I take it in. Two different plants had peace lily bulbs in them. When the first one started growing I admit I did not know what it was. This one is the one that blooms profusely. My other one I have not found the forever home for it yet. I may move it next to the one that blooms and make it one big area for the lily?

My spider plants. I have several species. Solid and variegated. Both of them bloom profusely!! Seeds are then formed and if I remember I take the seeds and put them up, usually I forget and let them drop. These flowers are from the variegated plant and that bug in the one photograph I thought it gave a little more flavor to the photograph.

I can never do a post like this without adding in some African Violet shots!! I have 7-8 of these and hate it when I have to thin them out!!

I added in one of the Pacific Tree Frogs that are always seen and heard in my room.

The slug tells me I have watered to much!! To much standing water! Here in the desert the humidity can be NONE, but in the winter time we do have more humidity and I know this! BUT telling my brain to not mist and water so much is another story. This photograph brings some emotion when ever I see slugs!! It is part of nature and I should not hate slugs so much, but I really dis like anything that eats my plants!

Oregon Junko Bird

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Oregon Junko Bird

This is the Oregon Junko.

I told my birds as I was taking care of them, cleaning water bowls , food bowls that if they were not going to eat their seed, I could find someone else to eat them real easy!

The junkos showed up for this treat!

I do my best not to waste anything and those who have inside birds know, inside birds can be picky! Messy as well but that is a whole other story!

The black pipe this junko is on is our irrigation pipe for our flowers and veggie gardens.

See that grass, we do not have much grass here so look quick HAHA! We would rather water flowers and food then grass!

If it was illegal to water grass it would not hurt our feelings!

Guy was saying how the Oregon Junkos are not going to stick around for much longer here. They are more of our winter guests here.

Not sure about all of Central Oregon, or the High Desert but here at our home.

Pacific Tree Frog of Oregon

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Pacific Tree Frog of Oregon

The Pacific Tree Frog is one of the most common frogs in Oregon.

It is said if you hear frogs in the movies, you may just be hearing the Pacific Tree Frog!

They can get VERY loud!!

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Shamrock Flower Happy St. Patricks Day!

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

I have several species of these "Shamrock" plants.

I have the pink buttercup or the Oxalis adenophylla. This one has the green leaves, and the pink flowers.

This one as kids I found out the stalk tastes like sour apples. Now I do not advice eating stuff that one does not know what it is, but us kids ate this!

We had this species growing in our flowerbed where I grew up. I got my bulbs when I bought a aloe Vera plant and someone planted this in with it. I do have mine growing inside the house.

Then there is the purple variety of the Oxalis. I have seen this called the "Charmed Wine". However my plant is two toned and the charmed whine looks like a one tone color?

My plant came to me with a story behind it.

I trade around plants with people and this lady had this one and got it from around about way from Ireland. The story goes that a women saw it in Ireland and just had to bring it back home to America.

This is the story and I notice this one of mine loves to bloom! I feed both species, so this might help....

These flowers are from the purple plant.

Abandoned Cabin in the Ochoco Mountains Oregon

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Abandoned Cabin in the Ochoco Mountains Oregon

Whomever tried to keep the roof up to date, kind of. At one time while at this spot a doe jumped out of one of those windows scaring the crap out of me since it ran right by me.

Young Red - Tailed Hawk Hunting The Town Information, Facts

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Young Red - Tailed Hawk Hunting The Town Information, Facts

As we were sitting outside we were fortunate enough to get a show.

The show was put on by our resident Red - Tailed hawks also known as (AKA), the chicken hawk.

Two of the hawks have bright red tails and red within their feathers. This one has no red tail yet.

This is a youngster red tailed hawk. Now if I had not seen all three together I really would not have known what species of hawk this was.

But, since they were all together and the other two protect this one.....

Now falconers do capture the "passage hawks", the young hawks that are out of the nest, but are under a year old. These young hawks are not of breeding age. Thus from my reading are the ones who are taken and trained. They are smart birds!

Birds of Prey or Raptors are something I like to capture with my camera. At close range these young Red - Tail Hawks irises (their

eyes), are yellowish. As they mature the iris turns a reddish color and the tail has the "bars" on them as you can see.

Feathers are very easily found laying on the ground, however I still think it is illegal to have these feathers. Though really I have not read this anywhere, but because I collect feathers, and I have sold feathers and had gotten in trouble with the fish and game part of the federal government it is just best to think of these feathers as illegal?

In Europe I had read where these are known as "Buzzards". However here in America, at least where we live here in Oregon a buzzard is known as a vulture. All of these birds of prey are scavengers. That is they will not pass up a free meal, dead or alive. Including cats and small dogs.

I had a education experience by someone who explained to me about wind, aerodynamics of these birds of prey's flying. Though because I might be passing on information which is not but information I was just told I would rather not pass it on.

Now one

tid bit of information which is very true and I really never thought about it until this person brought it to my attention has to do with power lines. When Raptors take of in flight some have a habit of ... going to the bathroom (this is a friendly, family oriented web site ), this "squirting" as it is called by some of us, if it hits these power lines the electricity runs up and can kill a bird, electrocution. Not sure about you but I really never gave this much thought!!

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Branch In The Icy Creek mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife,Nature Photographer,Oregon

Branch In The Icy Creek

I like photographing such things, nature makes it's own designs and we need to do nothing but look.

Guy has quit asking me what I am seeing, sometimes he gets curious so I tell him.

Relaxing Mule Deer Perry South Campground

Relaxing Mule Deer Perry South Campground

We found ourselves the only ones down in the canyon and came across these mule deer taking it easy.

As you can see they really did not want to get up!

Young Central Oregon Bald Eagle

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Oregon

Young Central Oregon Bald Eagle

As a pair of bald eagles were perched in a tree I started making my way to them when Guy got my attention and pointed in the direction of this young Bald Eagle.

It was not far from the adults at all. Though not in the same tree.

I am thinking this one maybe 2-3 years old?

Not much white yet, but maybe next year or the year after that it will have it's white !

This young bald eagle did fly and land on this tree, you can see that the tree top dose not hold his weight all that well!!

Art Gallery Show Update

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Oregon

Art Gallery Show Update

The local art gallery show came and went.

We are still not 100% healthy and thought it best not to be around a group of people. We did show up, we stayed for a half hour or so (until Guy started coughing real bad).

With the economy going as it is here in our area, I was skeptical of anything selling. It was nice to see my photography on the wall and being looked at!

I called the gallery and spoke to another artist there who gave me the run down.

This is just the way it goes. I will add what I have over there at this time. If you are ever in Madras Oregon stop in and look around!

Art Adventure Gallery
185 SW 5th Street
Madras, OR 97741
541.475.7701
info@artadventuregallery.com

Monday - Friday:
11am - 5pm (all year)
Saturday:
10am - 3pm (June - December)
or By Appointment

Coralie

Wild Turkeys Gobble Gobble!

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Oregon

Wild Turkeys Gobble Gobble!

I first saw these turkeys roosting in the trees.

I headed out and did not realize that I had to go through swamp to get to them !

They allowed me pretty close, than started walking off. Surprising how fast they move for just walking!

One of them even stops to eat! They were really scared HAHA!!

They looked like all Toms. I have been told the toms will stay together until breeding season. Not sure if this is true or not but from my observations of the wild turkeys we have here in Central Oregon it sounds right.

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The Tale Of The Steller's Jay

mrsroadrunner A Wildlife, Nature Photographer, Oregon

The Tale Of The Steller's Jay

I was down in the canyon, see the hawk photographs, when something caught my eye.

The little guy made it obvious that I was being followed.

So, with my camera ready without knowing what it was, whatever it was was going to get it's picture taken!!

I looked up in the tree where I seen the movement and low and behold it was a Steller's Jay!

More than likely watching for bugs that I was kicking up as I was walking??

Regardless of why, this Jay was funny to watch!!

The photo of it tilting his head was when I was talking to it!

On another note, I came down with the goobers. Well it was a long time coming. So by Friday it should be gone enough to go to the art gallery thing!! Been sleeping and taking care of myself! Well except for right now, I am awake, but by the time I get done with this I should be ready to sleep again?

(As one of our visiting frogs is "talking" to me! Rib it!!)