Mrsroadrunner Photography | Morning With A Muskrat

Mrsroadrunner Photography | Morning With A Muskrat

I headed off as every morning when I go on a walk here in our town. Checking my camera bag and choosing which lens to bring with me, knowing it will never be the right lens ha! Choosing whether to carry the heavy water canteen,or just fill up a bottle I have around here. Filled up a bottle with water that fits nicely into my bag is what I chose to do this morning.

As times before a coyote disturbed the peace at the ponds. Hearing all the racket I new something was going down, however I just kept my slow pace hoping by the time I got there things would be calmed down?

If the Magpies would quit telling everyone I was there things would have went a little better? The ducks were on high alert due to the coyote no doubt?? All of them flew making loud distress calls as they went! Some in pairs going this way and that way! I did notice the farmers were busy doing their thing, which the wildlife get used to here in my part of the High Desert of Oregon. Jefferson County Oregon is a agricultural place after all!

As I looked over the first pond I seen nothing in the pond itself but for some small birds who looked like Robins taking baths. I was  keeping a lookout for the Coyote of course, though Coyotes really do not want anything to do with people! I made my way through the brush to the second pond.

I did see something dive under the water. Whatever it was made a ripple in the water. We do have some pretty large fish here, but not in a pond of this size I thought? Shoot someone would have to put the fish here! Fish just cant walk to ponds! Hence why the state of Oregon is dropping fish from helicopters in the more remote lakes for those who hike to the lakes and want to fish.

Really these seam to be holding ponds that are not really used anymore for the farmer who owns the land. Pipes coming from the ponds themselves as well as what appears to be a machine which I really do not pay any mind to for to have permission to be on the land I have to follow some basic rules. Common sense tells me not to mess around with such things as machinery! The owner did not have to tell me this. However, I do find the pipes nice sitting spots. They are really long pipes that are basically on the ground.

I made myself comfy, and waited. Whatever it was will come up again. Sometime! Sure enough up pops a head with vegetation in it's paws!

The Blackbirds in the tree nearest me were quiet for a second then off the male started doing his display calling to whatever female might happen to be around. The male Red Winged Blackbird did keep me company, along with the female who answered his call.

I watched the Muskrat eat her breakfast taking of course a lot of photographs! No I did not put all the photographs on here, just a couple!

The Muskrat after a time quit diving and bring up more vegetation to eat to what it looked like to me, she was checking on something?? Where she is there, that is the end of this pond, see the cattails and such?? This is a ok sized pond, I just call it the small pond.

In the next shot here, you can see she is contemplating something! Her behavior made me even wonder what she is thinking so hard about? I am only calling her a she, I do not know if this is a male or female? Perhaps the males venture out more then the females??

The morning was still pretty chilly at this time, I still had my sweater on. Though gosh the bugs!! I did have to check if I had ticks on me, though it is a little early for ticks I thought...... No tick thank goodness! I am a tick magnet, that is just the way it is! Guy (my other half), claims if there is a tick within a mile I will not only find it but I will bring it home with me ha! This is what happens when you hang out near the water!

Many places the visitors come to, these places do not have bugs to bother these folks as much for these places are sprayed with chemicals. This way folks can have a good time in our part of the world. You go off the beat and path, well.... you will get eaten up just like everything else by the bugs. However, these places off the beat and path are where I feel the best outdoor experiences come from! The trick is to learn where these kinds of places are.....

Now this next photograph is what made me know without a doubt this is no beaver!

Beavers do not have such a tail, hence Muskrat. Rat..... It is not like you can walk right up to a wildlife species and ask it what exactly do we humans call you?? I think most of my time photographing what I do when I get home is research!! I would of liked this to be a Beaver, why? Well, we do not see Beaver like we used to here! This really is not a place a beaver would be more then likely anyways, due to it not being connected to a river inlet etc.. Well, from what I know of Beaver without looking them up and reading.

I did kind of feel my observation of this Muskrat was over. Thinking just wait.... I am in no hurry, and I refuse to wear a watch or any kind of time piece. Though I did happen to notice the farmers , there was several people out on farm machinery on that piece of land over in that direction. That just happens to be where one can see as plain as day The Three Sisters mountains. What a horrible place to work right?? Where you have beautiful scenery of The Three Sisters mountain, with Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Hood right there in your face ha!

The farmers drove the farm machinery and parked all in a row. Common farmers like things neat and tidy! I assumed it was around lunch time?? Our town does not have a noon time bell like other towns I have been in. This is how I kind of new it was around noonish, or when it was going to start getting hot so 10ish?? WOW it did get hot later on btw!

I was contemplating getting up and leaving, but thought I would just sit tight.....

By this time a Robin come over where the Red Winged Blackbirds were to check out the situation! Robin birds are pretty much bullies !! They rather feel that everything is their business! Of course they back off when bigger birds then them are around however the blackbirds are not bigger then they are.

As our Muskrat was in the cattails I started watching the birds more. Jumping down getting drinks and heading back up to their perching spot. The male Red Wing showing off all his color as he screams for attention. The Robin bird trying to scare him out of his spot..... dint happen by the way! I also at this time heard hawks, well Harriers perhaps. This is where I typically see them and they make drive by's. Though I have seen my share of eagles out here. Though this was a hawk. Fact was, it was a Red Tailed Hawk soaring way up high. Circling, riding the wave until I could not see it or hear it any longer.

Keeping a eye on where the Muskrat is.... something is at that spot, for the Muskrat did not move from there! All I could see is it's butt, or um rear end for our younger readers! AND I waited.....

I wait a lot by the way!! Thinking most of my life is waiting! Of course I just can not get my lens in there to see what the Muskrat is doing, thus I think it is waiting when actually it is just a time laps for I have no clue of what is going on and I want to know, so I wait! Why I also do not wear any type of watch, or carry a time piece.... That is a stress I just dont need in my life. Since my sibling took my Cinderella watch did I think time should hold so much control over us. Or was it a Snow White, I think it was Snow White come to think of it.... I was always one to think about why folks do what they do. Hey, I wonder how much that watch would go for these days? MMMM, might just be neat to see one of those now a days. Ok back to the Muskrat!

The wait was finally over!! Went by pretty quickly. I had things to think about and other creatures to watch while I waited, and waited.

WHAM with delight and rather a proud look on the Muskrats disposition, I found out what on earth the Muskrat was doing!!

The Muskrat was cutting this down! Well chewing it down! Thank goodness we have a thumb right?

Looks like a pretty good piece of something to eat there doesn't it? If that is you are a Muskrat! Some nice bark, perhaps a bug or more within the bark! Yum Yum ha!

Now to get the piece of wood to go where the Muskrat wants it to go! Some folks say critters are not real smart..... I dont know about that!? We have watched this Muskrat use up a lot of energy to get this piece of wood into the water, so that piece of wood must be pretty darn important!

Off "she", goes with the piece of wood to her desired destination. This Muskrat disappeared where I could no longer observe what the Muskrat was doing.

I did make my way over to that spot, and seen it was built up of many pieces of wood! Though I dont know for sure, however I am wondering if this Muskrat had young and was taking this piece of wood to the young to chew on?? Or for this Muskrat to chew on later?? Or just to repair the nest as Beavers do??

Thank you for coming by and spending time with me and the Muskrat! Check out my other photography at mrsroadrunner.com . I do sale my photography so I can head out and observe our off the beat and path places here in Oregon! Facebook fan page (give a like??), of course Twitter .

Mrsroadrunner Photography | The Golden-Crowned Sparrow in Need

Mrsroadrunner Photography | The Golden-Crowned Sparrow in Need







This is the Golden-Crowned Sparrow. Biggest sparrow we have here and we have big flocks of them at times here at the house. Beautiful song comes from these song birds!!

The Golden-Crowned Sparrows are also a smart species, like all sparrows I guess? Seen at bird feeders, or gardens looking for that something to eat as the one in the photograph is doing at one of our little ponds. I watch these sparrows quite a lot for they are one of the common birds here at the house.







Some of you who keep up with my twitter or facebook page may remember a hurt one who I found inside the house? This flock has watched my morning routine and learned where I keep the bird seed at, and learned the door is kept open for the dogs to come and go.  The dogs have been taught from puppyhood that birds are left alone. With this said some birds actually steal food from the dogs bucket inside the house or outside the house! Never have actually hurt one of these birds after they had grown up. So the birds do what birds do, and as soon as they see me they take off. The dogs do get to come and go as they please.

I have a lot of cages around!! So many more in the past, but I do not need them now. Heck I even had custom cages made up one time. There is one bird cage outside, this cage was used as a carrying cage for my parrot who passed on. Now this cage is a table for a large flower pot that in winter time the flower seeds are wintering within the soil.

Yesterday my Australian shepherd was acting funny. Well, this is not a new thing with her.  She is rather funny! This was not the normal "funny". Something was wrong..... We who pay attention to critters know when they are saying, hey something wrong here!!

I followed my little girl as she went into the snow and stopped. It was getting on evening and gosh it was cold with no boots or even socks on. I was not dressed to go outside! However, it looked like I was going to have to get more cloths on then what I had!







I finally heard then seen what my little girl was trying to tell me! A young Golden-Crowned Sparrow somehow got into my parrot carrying cage!! Mind you this cage is not made for little birds. The wire is to wide. So how on earth did this Golden-Crowned Sparrow get into this cage??

With the frantic chirping and the obvious distress of this little wild Golden Crowned Sparrow was in I had to do something!! I really had no idea how long this bird had been trapped in this cage? I did notice all the birds went real quiet , so the only bird making any noise was this Golden Crowned Sparrow.

I went inside and got some sweats on and did not bother with my boots. I was not going to be outside that long! Since I have not used this cage for a cage but for a table for the potted plant for so long I did not realize where the door was to open the cage? I did find it and opened it up! The Golden Crowned Sparrow took off like a flash of light!! FREEDOM!

How on earth that bird got into this cage with no open doors is anyone's guess? Perhaps there is a spot within the cage that is wider then the rest of the cage?? I went and left the door open just in case this happens again! At least the little bird was out of the snow in the cage...... and my little girl aussie has common sense to let me know when something is wrong within our world.

Wild critters can get themselves into situations all by themselves, well our pets can too!!

Thank you for coming by and reading our little experience last night here in the High Desert of Oregon!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Washing Himself

Mrsroadrunner Photography | Ruby-crowned Kinglet Washing Himself



Folks who keep up with my photography know home is where the heart is and I spend a lot of my time just watching the visitors show up.
This day was no different. Watching the common birds here and there and taking my photographs, though just watching and listening I can do this for hours waiting for a bird to impress me. Well this little man impressed me!
One of the small birds who have been here before showed up, the only difference this time is..... the little bird perched not far from me!



Quick little birds! So when he was in range and not way up on top of the tree I was pretty happy. He did threaten to fly off, but felt he needed to wash himself off. This is the series of shots I photographed. This Ruby-crowned Kinglet washing himself.


I do not hide when I am photographing the birds here at home, they know I am here.


When this Ruby-crowned Kinglet flashed his color all this was happening so fast I thought his color was a leaf or something else in the December, winter tree. When in the photography "zone", I dont stop to see what photograph I have when photographing such a quick little bird as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is!


When I read these Ruby-crowned Kinglet can actually starve to death in one hour, due to how much energy they spend just living. I thought you know, capturing one of these birds would be most cruel! How someone would capture one was my next thought ha! This is due to my research seeing someone holding one of these birds in a photo.
Typically seeing these birds in the apple tree, way on top of the apple tree! Fluttering around up there grabbing bugs is what it looks like to me what they are doing? I have observed quite a few at the apple tree, at that time I just figured there had to be a nest somewhere? Though this series of photographs was taken just a couple weeks ago and only this one was seen.


This Ruby-crowned Kinglet was cute to watch him clean himself. Someone told me they have dozens of these at their house and this is cool!! I do disagree with the things I have heard and read about the Ruby-crowned Kinglet only showing color during breeding season and/or at times of aggression.
From my observations of this little man cleaning himself, he felt secure on the little limbs he was on and it may have felt good having a good clean? I do also believe it when I read these are the smallest songbirds in North America! They really are small birds!








Keep in mind these photographs and this Ruby-crowned Kinglet came, cleaned himself and went within... 5 minutes?? I am sure he took off to find something to eat after he left this spot?
I do have some links for you to check out if you wish?
Wikipedia is always a nice place to check out! Make sure to read all the links! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinglet
Without fail I always check out the State of Oregon site ; http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/birds/wrens_kinglets.asp Which lead me to this link to hear the Ruby-crowned Kinglet http://macaulaylibrary.org/audio/136164/play

Red-breasted Nuthatch by Coralie

We had yet another visitor to the garden just the other day!

I do not believe I have seen this little one here before in Jefferson Count Oregon? We are a small town here and not exactly a spot to find such a bird. However we did have another species of woodpecker show up just the other day (other then the flicker) as well as a owl here too so this might be a good year for migration?

These nuthatches are quick!! Dang..... here one second BAM, there another second! This one was actually thirsty, so stopped by for a drink of water from one of our little ponds.

 

This little one was only here for a very brief time. They reminded me of myself who can not sit still either!

This is a example of how truly small this bird is. The chain link fence is a standard, everyday fence. You could fit two of these birds in one of the squares!

Of course I am big on anything flying if I can get the shot!

I did find a good Oregon State website where you can read about this visitors and a link is there to hear their song!

Thank you for coming by!

Pacific Orangetip Butterfly

This butterfly is also called Sara's Orangetip butterfly.

Update on this to 2013 and learning more of the behavior of this butterfly. I have observed them in our area of the high desert in the more remote canyons with streams running through them, or very near to them in big numbers.

Very quick and they do not like stopping as some butterflies do not mind if I am around with my camera,however these just do not like any movement so it seams??

At least here in our area.... I have seen a half a dozen to a dozen of these at one spot. Several years ago I thought I was fortunate to see one!

I am thinking the top photo is a male, while these bottom photographs are of a female?

Shaggy Mane Inky Mushroom Photograph by Coralie Mrsroadrunner

Oregon is well known for our mushrooms.
We have the rich soil of the volcano of the Cascade Mountains, mixed with the rich soil of that which the trees leave behind during our wildfires. One thing to be certain of is, the Pacific Northwest has been and always has been known for our mushrooms.


The Inky Cap is known as such for the black "ink" type substance that drips from the mushroom at curtain times of the mushrooms life. I of course had to touch this.... and it does not come off all that easily!!



I personally like finding them in clusters growing here and there in our mountains here in Oregon. Being mindful of course of those who make a living off of picking such things as mushrooms. Staying out of these areas where their signs are typically posted when they are at work. Mushrooms are a thriving business in our part of the world. However I really can not say I know the laws of the inky cap..... I hear they are edible at curtain times of their life. Though I enjoy photographing them and that is it.


The clusters can consist of many mushrooms all bundles together, or just one whose spores traveled somehow to a spot to establish itself.


One rule of thumb I grew up with here in Oregon is, dont eat mushrooms you do not know exactly what they are. If you are on of these folks who want to go mushroom picking, keep in mind their are rules set forth now. As I said mushrooms are big business in states like ours.
Thank you for coming by my post!

Long Eared Owl

Our weekend started off like others week ends. Wondering what we were going to do other then chores around the house.
Sunday came and we had to head to the dump like a lot of other people do at this time of the year.
Instead of going home and just hanging out, we went back out to the national grass lands stopping at several places.


One of our stops was at a creek bed that is mostly dried up at this time of the year, but not all the way.
Guys attention got onto something and of course mine was not there, and I wondered off down the dry creek bed.
The trees were green here due to the creek bed and I seam to get a lot of different insects getting drinks. The butterflies and dragonflies are something I like to get.
A couple of the dogs came with me, as one stayed behind with Guy.

We came upon more of these trees and thought I would check them out as the dogs were more then willing to check them out before I got there!
Something flew out of the tree and went so quick I did not see what it was, so further investigation under the tree canopy was a must!
The scat and feathers proved to be some kind of bird. I really like birds and needed to find out what bird was making this grove of trees home.
I found out!

I was quite tickled to see this owl. I have wanted to get shots of a owl, but unfortunately I do not do night time photography.
I like using the natural light of the day time. As some of you can guess, most of my photography is just that. I don't use any special nothing.
After the shots of this Long Eared Owl were taken I did my best to see where it flew off to. These owls are smart things! Using the trees to hide in, to fly on the other side of, and just basically to be sneaky! The so called ears are the way they are to make them look bigger to predators.

I feel the first one up there was young. Just because it did not know to be scared of us.
Now this one, this is a different story! I snapped off a couple shots and it took off flying;

This one just seamed older, wiser. No pun intended there!!

This next one allowed me a couple shots, but took off like a bolt of lightening too!

By now Guy and the dog who was with him showed up. All heck broke loose! We had Long Eared Owls flying everywhere!!
Quietly, swiftly they swooped and dived and went this way and went that way. I caught a couple of them flying....






Guy said he counted 15 Long Eared Owls. Guy told me there were more like 20! It was truly crazy there for a while!!
We were talking about all this after everything was said and done. The elder ones must of caused this chaos to protect the younger ones?? They seen us as a threat and this was their way of protecting the younger birds?

We decided to change our tactics as to not freak them out again. This is the last thing we want is for any wildlife to hurt themselves trying to get away for fear as taken over.
This tactic we used seam to do the trick. The dogs could care less about birds and they found a place in the shade to keep a eye on us and to cool down. I think if the dogs did care about birds, I would have asked Guy to take the dogs away. A bird dog would have went nuts and some of these owls flew low to the ground.

This next series is two birds. One photograph of one, then the next one was hidden pretty well and felt secure in the spot in the tree. You can see the owl move forwards as to take off flying, but settled back down when I stopped moving towards the tree in which it perched itself.

This next photograph shows how close to the ground these Long Eared Owls flew to the ground and you can see why I am very happy our dogs do not care about birds. These Long Eared Owls are not small birds. They are part of the larger owl family and you can see why.

Now this next bird, I just wished it would have stayed on this branch. BUT these are wild birds! I am fortunate these birds stayed long enough for me to get the snaps I did get!! I got several of him just checking me out. I put one photo up that is not the greatest, but it shows the owl looking for another spot, then the owl moved himself into a flying position, moving forwards on the branch. This is a sure tail sign of a big bird getting ready to fly and it did!

Now in this next series there are two birds here. They were VERY secure on the limb they were on and I did not do anything to scare them off. By this time Guy was just watching all the activity. You can look at the owls eyes, where they are looking to find out where Guy and the dogs are to me, the owls see me but they are paying attention to Guy and the dogs.

Do I still have you looking at photographs?? As I said there was quite a few Long Eared Owls in this spot and I did my best to capture the experience with my camera!! This next Long Eared Owl was intent on watching me. I snapped some off then left him alone.

By this time Guy has walked back to the truck, brought back water for us. I was making my way back out, but just had to snap off more photographs! Whe n is this ever going to happen again?? Each one of these birds are showing different behaviors, they are different birds and I am just really curious about each bird!

This next bird looked rather skinny to me..... When he flew he sure dint, but when he was just perched there he sure did! You can see where I had my lens right on him, but when he started looking around I pulled my lens as far out as it would go. You can see the owl looking around, then in the position to fly, then flying! If you are curious, I don't use auto on my lens. The manual I find easier to use. The auto feature just is not quick enough for me! I would be very upset if I lost a photo due to waiting on the auto feature of my camera!!

This last Long Eared Owl got me back for waking up his family. He scared the crap out of me!!
I was heading out and the last tree I was sure no one was in it, right? I walked in and this owl was right in my face! Heck my hands were tired, I was tired off grabbing ticks off me and thirsty and just ready to get out of this grove of trees and get to the truck. Guy and the dogs were already off and pretty much all loaded up in the truck! I happened to snap off one more photo....

Thank you for coming by. Since the original post was made that spot shut down on all of us,therefor the photographs had to be pulled from my archives and reconfigured.