Dog Day

Growing up on rural Prince Edward Island, my sister and I were occasionally summoned by our father to the back field where we took turns throwing clay pigeons for him to shoot. It was fun to see who could toss the disk the highest and the farthest but we always rooted for Dad to hit the target, even though it meant spending twice as long cleaning up the scattered debris at the end of the evening. 

What I have never been able to comprehend is how someone can find pleasure in shooting live animals with the sole purpose of using them for target practice. In several of the western states, those creatures of choice are often Black-tailed Prairie dogs. I can only surmise that the shooters have spent no time observing or learning about these fascinating, social animals.

 According to researchers, Prairie dogs have some of the most complex vocabularies of any mammals. They actually have different vocalizations for "human with a gun" and "human with a camera"! I don't know if they have the facial recognition capabilities of some animals but it does seem to me that they settle down a little quicker each time I stop to photograph this particular colony.

One funny thing that happened yesterday: When I decided I was going to try and get some close-up images of this group, I threw my small one-person blind in with my camera gear. When we arrived at the town I got out of the car and started setting up. After a few alarm calls the dogs seemed to settle down and go back to their business. That is until I pulled out my blind and slipped it over my head. Then the air exploded with many more and much louder alarm cries from every direction. I pulled off the blind and tossed it back in the car and immediately everything went back to calm. Apparently they are willing to accept the lady with the camera but seeing her being "eaten" by some strange piece of fabric is terrifying!

My goal was to capture several specific behaviors of the animals that I find incredibly interesting - in particular "kissing"and "high fives".

The nose touching is a form of recognition and communication among ward members. Black-tailed Prairie dog towns are carefully laid out. Coteries are family groups consisting of one male, several females and their young up to two years of age. Several coteries together form a ward and the various wards all together make up the town, which can be many acres in size.

 The "high five" is used to signal the all clear. One animal will rear up on its hind legs, then throw its head back and its arms out before returning to all fours. What makes it fascinating is that there is often a wave effect where one or more animals will mimic the behavior of the first, resulting in the appearance of a synchronized celebration.

 Another behavior I witnessed yesterday was the high five stretch followed by collapse. I have no idea what it signifies but it was hilarious to observe. The difference between the usual high five and the stretch is that the latter is initiated from a lying down position and after the huge stretch, the dog appears to collapse as if exhausted. He stays in place for about 10 seconds and then jumps up and resumes activity.

 In the case of the animals above, the stretches were simultaneous, as were the collapses.

 There is no doubt in my mind that these animals are very attached to their family groups. The idea of someone randomly executing members of the family is truly incomprehensible.

Olympic Peninsula

On a recent trip to Washington state we were lucky to have a little time and perfect weather to re-do one of our favorite hikes along the Olympic Peninsula. This particular route takes the hiker through tight forest for a couple miles before dropping down to the shore where you walk on the rocky beach for a mile to a lagoon where bald eagles tend to hang out. In the past we have been blessed to observe a Northern Spotted Owl for some time in the wooded portion although I was not lucky enough to get any shots of the rare bird. 

 But my favorite part of this hike is actually along the shore where I can see birds that I rarely have the opportunity to view. The first surprise on this trip was the Harlequin Ducks. I have spent countless hours shooting them in Yellowstone over the years so it was a real treat to see them in their winter habitat. Strangely enough, even though the males are the focus of almost every photographer - for obvious reasons - my favorite shot from this group of images is the female claiming her rock, above.

 The lagoon did not disappoint with several eagle sightings. They seemed to be hanging around the nests in the trees so my shots were long distance.

 One of the shore birds I most look forward to seeing is the Oystercatcher. There were two pair hunting for mollusks in the rocks. I find their long black toenails on flesh-colored legs fascinating!

 Another tree bird we saw was the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. They are hard to identify if they are calm as their namesake ruby crown is inconspicuous unless they are disturbed.

The last surprise of the beach hike was this pair of Surf Scoters. The bill of the male is unmistakable and so beautiful!