Wood-nymph Butterfly | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Wood-nymph Butterfly | Mrsroadrunner Photography



Meet the Wood-nymph Butterfly! See the Butterflies eye spots?





This Wood-nymph Butterfly is feeding on these wildflowers. As you look through this series of photographs, watch this Wood-nymph Butterflies face. You can clearly see this Wood-nymph Butterfly feeding!





The Wood-nymph Butterfly comes in several sizes and the colors can be different as well. This species is found here in Oregon. To be more pacific of where I photographed this Wood-nymph Butterfly I photographed this one in the Ochoco Mountains of Oregon.





You will here me talk a lot of the Ochoco Mountains for we like the Ochoco Mountains a great deal! If you are looking for the big animals deer, elk even Wild Horses that kind of thing, the Ochoco Mountains has those more so then my observations of the Cascade Mountains. The Cascade Mountains it has been our experience of more people then the Ochoco Mountains has, but for hunting season. Hunting season is a crazy time of the year. The Cascade Mountains has the tourists, the Ochoco Mountains has the hunters. That might be easier to explain the two mountain ranges?

We like the quietness and the abundance of all kinds of Wildlife in the Ochoco Mountains! I am not a big snow person, as you can find year round in the Cascade Mountains. Cascades are also found in the Ochoco Mountains, not like the Cascade Mountains of course, many more Cascades in the Cascade Mountains!

Depends what you are looking for, wanting? The Ochoco Mountains in Spring and Summer is a Butterfly persons wonderland!





It is getting to be that time of the year where it is time to head back into the Ochoco Mountains! The wildflowers should be about to bloom if they have not started? Our Lupine and other native species are about to bloom at any time here at home. We live in between the Cascade Mountains to the west of us, and the Ochoco Mountains to the east of us. Which direction do we want to go ?





I left this Wood-nymph Butterfly feeding on these Wildflowers. There is no need to spend to much time with one species of Butterfly for there is so many more to photograph! Most times the Butterflies cooperate with me and my camera. Other times I would love to be a fly on the wall watching haha!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my Wood-nymph Butterfly Photographs!

Viceroy Butterfly In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography

Viceroy Butterfly In The High Desert | Mrsroadrunner Photography



Meet the Viceroy Butterfly! Pretty Butterfly right?





I learned of this Butterfly actually on facebook..... a wildlife place was posting the difference of the Viceroy Butterfly, and the Monarch Butterfly. I thought it looked familiar, as if I had photographed the Viceroy Butterfly before. Sure enough when I came upon this photo album in my archive (2014), there was this Viceroy Butterfly!

I take many photographs. Someone asked if I could send over a new photograph I just took, well things are not that quick when using a real camera. After the time and effort it takes to get the photograph of whatever, then there is the upload process from which ever camera body that I used. After the upload into my archive, (my archive has the year whatever was taken, and the date, exact time etc.. This gives me a educated guess of where a species might be the next year or the year after that so on. Or the weather conditions , garden changes of whatever flower we grow here at home from year to year), Then I take the time to name each usable file. This way I can go to search, put in a key word and whatever photograph comes up.  This also helps me with the identification process of past species I have photographed.... you get it.

Then I may or may not watermark what ever photograph I upload to the web. Lately since I have been uploading photographs to my own server, all photographs are being watermarked before they go onto the web. My process works for me. Everyone has their own routine, this is just mine. When I need whatever photograph processed into whatever sized photograph I just go into my archive, either choose the photograph that is named already or go to the original file, which ever one I need. The watermarked photographs are resized to a size that is not good for processing, plus who wants a photograph that is watermarked??

So you see I do not just upload a photograph I just took without going through my routine...... Which should teach me not to talk about things I just photographed, but I get excised. When this feeling goes away I will walk away from this whole thing....





This Viceroy Butterfly was very skittish. Was not staying still for me for nothing!! I translate this into, just arriving here at this place I was at? Or, just transforming into a Butterfly at this place I was at? Just not used to people. Where I go for my photography I am lucky to see one other person, typically this is off in the distance. Typically a farmer or rancher working. I do not always go out and about with Guy and/or the dogs. I have a tendency to go by myself.

Because of this butterfly being so sketch I did not get the micro shots that I like to get.

See the "half moon", of black? The "U" shape..... well the Monarch Butterfly does not have that....





The photograph above is a Monarch Butterfly. No black moon shape or a "U", of black. Look at the two photographs and you can see the differences of the two butterflies. Anyhoo read up on your own about the Viceroy Butterfly, and the Monarch Butterfly. I have not as of yet dived into the males and females all that.... I find if I have a reason to do something then the time is not wasted.





This shot above is in another location. Same Viceroy Butterfly. I watched where it went and got this photograph above.





This shot above I used for identification purposes only. Not a clear shot, so I named the file above for id purposes only. You can see this when you go to look at the photograph itself. I go to my search and put in the key words," Viceroy Butterfly id only", and that photograph will come up. As I said in other blog posts some of my photography is used for ID only.

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photography of this Viceroy Butterfly!

Lazuli Bunting birds Visiting

Lazuli Bunting birds Visiting




Meet the Lazuli Bunting bird. Isn't he pretty?





I had to be in my archive yesterday. I came upon these photographs I have never shared before. Actually, it looks as if I did not look through this whole file..... ? These days I put notes for myself in my photography albums of what day, so I know what I did when. Otherwise the photographs get lost in the shuffle.

This series of the Lazuli Bunting Birds I am showing today is the two feeding here at the house. This is when I had yet to designate this area as the bird area here at home. This is almost four years ago.... I have been doing this for a little while now, those who have read my blog know how much I like taking photographs and talking about the subjects of the photographs!



Like most of the birds who show up here these Lazuli Bunting birds are no different! They are a little mistrusting at first, then they find out I have my space, they have theirs. All I ask for is some photographs! In turn they get the seed that is placed in the feeder, they get nesting material if it applies. They get water which is a biggy here in the High Desert of Oregon and I wont let anything happen to them while in my space.

After some times these Lazuli Bunting birds noticed this, they were safe here.



I do believe I have photographs of the female in another photo album, however at the time I did not know what I had? I have to go back and find that photo album of that day.... My archive is organized by the year, month and the day. Then as I go through the photographs I name the photograph , if that is I can? This way all I have to do is go to the drive my external hard drive is plugged into, go to the search option type in whatever, hit search! If anyone has a better way..... I am all ears haha!

By naming the file before it is uploaded, the search engines grab the name of the photograph file. This just helps with the search engine optimization. I have done this for years, again if you have or think you have a better way......



Being a agricultural area, the seed we buy typically comes from the feed store at the livestock auction. At one time there was a well known feed store there in Madras we bought from, however with the economy the way it is... this is now a tire store (It looks like a tire store, could be a mechanic shop).

There is also a feed store now in Culver Oregon. Though we just find getting into the livestock auction easier and it is closest to us. Which ever case the seed to our understanding is from our area. Now a days we buy bulk seed. 40-50 lbs bags.

We also provide suet here for the wild birds. This I have yet to find a bulk supplier hint hint, if you know where I can buy this in bulk......



What I felt was a little strange for these Lazuli Bunting being here is, we are not a wooded area like I read they are found. We are the High Desert. For this reason I think these Lazuli Buntings were here at the house just resting until they went on their way.

We get many creatures just stopping in. Migrating birds the most! Whatever species might be here for a day or two, or could be here for only hours before they pack up and move on! I think this is the case with these Lazuli Bunting birds?



As you can see from this series of photographs, the Lazuli Bunting birds are filling up on seeds. They were in the fruit trees as well, so perhaps they were also feeding on insects? I watched these Lazuli Buntings while they were here. Their behavior and how they interacted with the birds who are here normally at this time of the year, (May). There was some fighting going on with the other birds trying to run off the Lazuli Buntings, however the Lazuli Buntings were not easily ran off!

I have photographed the Western Bluebird which one website claims is similar to the Lazuli Bunting, no there is no confusing the two birds one bit!! However, if the two do share the same space, this is even more confusing to me as to why the Lazuli Bunting were here at the house..... There are three spots that we know of that the Western Bluebirds always are and it is not here at home! Again why I feel these Lazuli Bunting birds were here during migration?

The Lazuli Bunting I have read is pretty common bird, so I hope to see it again! Thank you for coming by and checking out my little write up and hope your weekend went well if you celebrated the holiday or not!

Spadefoot Toad Back in Oregon

Spadefoot Toad Back in Oregon




Meet again the Spadefoot Toad that lives here at our property showing up once in a while in our pond.



Since our weather has been warm for this time of the year, I started watering. The next morning this Spadefoot Toad was in this fabricated pond. We placed these fabricated ponds into our natural ponds for water conservation. Our part of the High Desert has been getting drier then normal due to the limitation of water. We felt in 2014 that 2015 might be worse thus the prefabricated ponds.

As soon as we installed these two prefabricated ponds, this Spadefoot Toad showed up in this one. Last year the tadpoles hatched,grew and left the pond. This cycle looks as if it will continue in 2015. We have no clue how long this species of toad has lived here on our property? Since we have other species of frogs here, the singing of frogs and toads coming from our ponds goes on both days and nights. I try and photograph the visitors or the residence of wildlife we have here at home.



The photographs you see here are from two days. The first day this Spadefoot Toad wanted nothing to do with me, kept coming up in the shade mind you. As soon as the Spadefoot Toad noticed movement down it went into the dark depths of the pond!



The Spadefoot Toads head usually was in the shade. Might be to hot in the sun? Frogs and toads skin is very thin.....



I took several shots of the feet. Being diggers the feet of the Spadefoot Toad is different then water based creatures.



Since I do not pick up the toads or the frogs here without cause, such as death, this Spadefoot Toad is not touched by anyone! I do not allow us to pick  the Spadefoot Toad up by our hands. I just do not want to hurt them! So this Spadefoot Toad comes and goes as it wants to. Only seeing one adult stuck in the fabricated pond so far. Tadpoles are a different story and I have a net for these, again I just do not want to touch them.



You can see the side of the prefab pond in some of these shots. On day two the Spadefoot Toad seamed very.... it no longer was darting down under the water to the black depths of the pond. This concerned me due to the Spadefoot Toad behavior when it first was seen in the pond the day before. The question, what would happen to this Spadefoot Toad if it was unable to get out of the pond and go back into it's burrow went through my mind. I dont want to hurt the Spadefoot Toad by being ignorant!

I expressed my concerns to Guy when he got home from work and he seen the Spadefoot Toad was not expressing the liveliness of a creature who is doing well. So Guy placed a board in the pond, if the Spadefoot Toad wanted out, this could be a way it could get out. Since we have no idea how on earth the Spadefoot Toads even get into the pond? Assuming the need to breed is so great, getting into the prefab pond is easier then getting out for the creature.......



The next morning the Spadefoot Toad was gone. I like getting the photographs I do of the wild creature who show up here, but I am not going to go so far as stressing out the creatures who show up here. Stress is a killer of both small and large creatures. That to me is not a good host.

Who knows there might be Spadefoot Toad eggs again in 2015? It is still very early in the year..... We may just see this species in this pond again?? I have yet to see a grown Spadefoot Toad in the other pond. I did photograph several of the tadpoles last year in the other pond. Lets hope the snakes do not move in and wipe out our little ponds this year? I am on the watch for snakes, and the smell of such snakes!

Thank you for coming by and checking out these photographs that were taken ..... oh last week? A few days ago now.... If you would like to read the blog post of last year when I just learned what I have photographs of you can read that post here if you would like or copy and paste the url http://www.mrsroadrunner.com/blog/2014/6/spadefoot-toad .

American Robin Bird Fledgeling

American Robin Bird Fledgeling




Meet this American Robin Bird Fledgeling!



This Robin Bird Fledgeling is in the Lilacs. The Lilacs even after blooming season give such things as these fledgelings a nice place to hide! My observations is, the fledgelings either stop here at the Lilacs if they are to young to make it to the fruit tree. Or the fledglings are to afraid to get into the fruit tree just yet?

The fruit tree is a community of birds. Different birds collect in the fruit tree of ours and perhaps the young American Robins are being taught to get to the fruit tree by the parents? I notice the adult Robins will not feed the young who are in the Lilacs. Once the Fledgelings reach the fruit tree then the adult will feed them.



The photographs above is a good example of a young fledgeling of the American Robin. Spots, not much of a tail. These youngsters are also very loud!! I mean they are loud!! They cry for the parents. It is rather sad.... the adults must know what they are doing?



I may have photographs of the next stage after the fruit tree? I watch them so I more then likely have photographs?? After the fruit tree and more growing they will then follow the adults, the male or the female around on the ground.

Mind you the ground is the most dangerous time for these fledgeling. I feel the lilacs is a dangerous time as well. This is when I find dead American Robin bird fledgelings. I do spray down the Lilacs every morning , evening and when I see or even think a predator is hiding in them.

At this moment we have another predator here other then the cats. A bird of prey. However the bird of prey more then likely will move on before the Robins Fledgelings are old enough to get out and about?



I do have to shoot through the fence so to give the youngsters their space and not freak them out in the Lilacs, then the leaves of the Lilacs get into the way at times.



This is the last shot. I walk away when I feel I have enough photographs. I do not want to stress out the little ones. However the birds really do get used to me here! After all they are born right here and I do walk our small property at least two times a day if not more as well as being outside a lot when the second batch of fledglings are ready to leave the nests.

Thank you for coming by and seeing this American Robin Bird Fledgling! If you would like I have several more series of photographs of the American Robin Bird Fledgeling photographs and blogs of those fledgelings, Robin Bird Fledgeling then The Robin Fledgeling That Left The Nest

Gloriosa Daisy Blooming in September

Gloriosa Daisy Blooming in September




Meet again the Gloriosa Daisy! These flowers were still blooming in late September 2014!



Unlike the Black Eyeed Susan these Gloriosa Daisies have a ring of color, if not color through out the yellow. Nice looking flowers if you ask me!







Gosh does any two Gloriosa Daisies look alike? That is the question?



The Gloriosa Daisy grew most everywhere we sprinkled some seeds at!

Pretty easy to grow!



Thank you for coming by and checking out our Gloriosa Daisy's and my photographs of them!

Moss Roses in Bloom

Moss Roses in Bloom




Meet again the Moss Rose!



These Moses Roses were in full boom and photographed on September 04 2014. We grew these in a container, since the Moss Ross seams to do better for us in a container then they grow in the ground here in the High Desert.



The Moss Rose also seeds pretty well!











Thank you for coming by and checking out my Moss Roses! Color , color color!