On CREATIVE ARTS/THURSDAY/FRIDAY … Can't Prove It, But …
I've been photographing a family of RED FOXES for roughly two weeks, making myself as inconspicuous as possible, but still, not eluding their keen awareness entirely.
Initially, any time I first entered the woods -- almost 100 yards from their den, if they were out, they spotted me almost immediately and disappeared. Otherwise, it was get behind a tree that offered a good shooting angle and shoot in bursts of 10 frames per second … and hope for at least one good shot out of every ten recorded.
But, in the last few days, although I know the foxes are aware of my presence, they seem to accept that presence with a sense that I'm not there to harm them -- as they go about their business, often staring at me directly. I CAN'T PROVE IT, but this seems to be the case.
Most often the family is around the outside of the den at 7:00 PM or later; the light being low at that hour, I shoot at ISO numbers that enable me to get the shot (this objective pertains above all else). A "grainy" image beats the hell out of no image!
Last evening, the "dog" (male) came to the den with one of the kits and a squirrel dinner.
© A. Mac/A.G.
For a life-long city boy, I am blessed with my simultaneous life in the forests of Pennsylvania and its wildlife. More FOX FOTOS LATER.
Please check out my FoxArt at the top of the article.
Post what ya' got!
Great shot of the Father and Kit foxes having dinner. And the artwork of the Fox at the top of the page is truly beautiful.
Beautiful shot of the foxes. We had some neighborhood city foxes here a few years ago, but the DNR live trapped them and now we are over run by rabbits.
As for images... Gooseberry Falls is a MN State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Here is a shot of the lower and middle falls respectively. They were taken on Monday using my new set of Neutral Density filters.
Beautiful photos EG.
I've been there many times. I have some cousins that live around Silver Bay.
We were also at Black Beach on Monday. LOL!
Another great photo EG...
Nice work, EG. Check for a couple of water spots on your filter or lens in the bottom picture … we outdoor photographers get them a lot -- usually a soft cloth will remove them.
I noticed them after editing and then forgot to go back and do a reedit.
Very beautiful pictures EG. The one at the top is especially elegant. The falls spilling down into the rock bed below is very Spiritual.
What is it about waterfalls that so attract people to them?
Falling Water...?
I love see the water falls. However, not in person, or I would have to make a trip to the bushes every ten minutes for a potty run from the sound of the tinkling and/or rushing water.
LOL. I can't pour a glass of water from my cooler without a similar result.
LOL!!
One year for Christmas my Mother gave me one of those table top waterfalls that is supposed to make you calm and relaxed. The tinkling and gurgling sound of the water in that thing kept me running back and forth to the Loo and I got tired out just from running back and forth to the Loo.
I finally had to give it back to my Mother, who gave it to my SIL for the same reason I had to give it up. In turn, my SIL gave it to her Mother who loved it and really enjoyed it. I was glad I didn't visit her often or I would spend most of my time there sitting on the throne in the Loo.
LOL. A portable urination facilitator.
Indeed. I often cursed my Mother for potty training me by turning the cold water faucet on slowly to encourage me to go. Now every time I start to do dishes and run the water to fill up the dish pan I wind up having to run to the Loo before I can even start to do the dishes.
A waterfall on the Hilo side of the Big Island.
Wow! That is a very tall water fall. And falling from so far up into such a small lake below. The water fall itself is very inspirational. Just beautiful.
I spent little time on the Hilo side, (most of it on the Kona side) and never saw that waterfall. In China, this one at the Geological Park near Luoyang is similar, if less dramatic.
Happy Thursday everyone....
Looking at me? "Here's looking at you, kid."
Good one, Buzz. "Casablanca"
Yep.
Just got this one before sunset.
© A. Mac/A.G.
How adorable. What a sweet little face.
A/noon....Have to admit cuteness overload Raven...Afraid I could not shoot them but my brother does as he has seen the damage they do to our Fauna...
I could not shoot one either, shona. Even an adult, but, especially not a young one. I guess every area has their kind of pest. For me with my garden it was groundhogs. I had to keep my dog on a chain when it was out in the yard to do her business after I moved to a new house and planted my garden, as there was no fencing around the yard. So I had to put the front yard fence up first to keep the other dogs in the neighborhood out of my yard and leaving me their unappreciated gifts to clean up.
That is when the groundhogs ran wild in the back where my garden was until I could get it fenced off.
The dang groundhogs would taunt my dog by hanging out at the end of her chain and teasing her, knowing she could not get them.
You should have seen to look on their faces after I took the dog off the chain and the first time they came into the yard after that. I swear those groundhogs crapped themselves all the way over to the fence and tried to climb it to get out. They never can in the yard again after that.
A/noon Mac...Are Foxes not regarded as pests or vermin over there?? And are they protected??? Here they are shot on sight and regarded as a pest. Do the foxes have any predators there Bears, Coyotes etc....
Fox is native to North America so they are not a pest, they are not protected. In fact they help keep rodents under control.
Since they were an introduced species to Australia I can understand the damage they do. There are many introduced species in Australia and NZ that have devasted the local/native population of animals/birds.
Yes, they will do that as well. A much bigger problem for birds are cats. Feral cats are very destructive of the bird and small mammal population.
Good to see you, shona and hope you are doing well.
Let me answer you question as the BIOLOGIST me.
Humans destroy natural habitat to create "civilization" and in the process, either destroy or compromise indigenous flora and fauna; animals like foxes must then find other habitat, or, do what they must to survive in their compromised habitat … like become the "fox in the henhouse," a.k.a. "THE PEST".
If all of the foxes in a compromised ("civilized") area are shot and killed, the NEW "PESTS" WILL BE THE RATS AND MICE and other CONSUMER ORGANISMS they ate prior to being killed off, the rats, etc. that begin to overrun farms and other "civilized" areas, get into homes, spread disease, etc. .
To the GREATEST "PEST" of all time, Homo sapiens, anything and everything that gets in its path of "destruction-in-the-name-of-'progress'-and-civilization" … is deemed a pest and must be destroyed! And we "humans," do the same to other human beings by creating permanent underclasses of people, withholding resources, discriminating … then deeming them as "pests' or worse!
Getting down from my soapbox momentarily, but first, Trump pulled out of the Paris Accord, calls climate change a "hoax," calls COVID-19 a "hoax", and two days ago, the "hoax" rain in Michigan causes two dams to burst, flooding out some 40,000 people, who, then, needed to be evacuated MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING because of the "hoax COVID-19" … most of the evacuees being elderly!
Yeah … those pest foxes …
Be well, shona.
No foxes to be seen here, but there are many trees...
Trees (Joyce Kilmer. 1886–1918)
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
A great poem, and one of my favorites. And it fits very well with the beautiful photos.
Really nice visualization, Buzz!
Here's a Friday special for your enjoyment....
Peace.
Don't bogart that pipe, my friend. Pass it over to me....
I don't think it is peyote, but, who knows.
An outstanding Native American genre work!
Thanks Mac.
Waanakin (peace) The Medicine Pipe, often mistakenly called the ''Peace Pipe''.
Excellent RW.
Thank you Kavika.
For those who did not know, it got the name "Peace Pipe" from the meetings between the Native Americans and the White officials or officers where the pipe was smoked by all in attendance as a way to seal the treaties or other types of deals that were made between the two sides.
Black Sand Beach at Silver Bay, MN
The top shot is without an ND filter the bottom with an ND filter.
Great shots, brings back some memories having spent more than a few days on those beaches.
The only black sand beach I was ever at was on the Big Island - so it was really lava rock sand.
Which one is more accurate colour-wise?
The bottom one is probably more color accurate.
That's interesting. I would have thought it to be the other way around.
We're looking good … let's keep it going! Waterfalls, boats, fishing, Native American theme, foxes …
© A. Mac/A.G.
Split Rock Lighthouse from the roadside rest stop @ 150mm
Since this is Friday I'll add another to the mix...
Great addition.
Thanks Mac.
The waterfall is just above Lake Tahoe.
The women in the lower right of the photo gives you a good idea of the size of the waterfall.
Shortly after this photo was taken the women had to be rescued. Mist and the splashing of the water had made the rocks very dangerous and falling into that water would have been the end of her. The water is very very cold.
The waterfall is at Fallen Leaf Lake close to Lake Tahoe.
Icy cold.
Editorial Comment.
© A. Mac/A.G.
For Memorial Day - Poppies from the Pudong area of Shanghai.