Category: Photography

Seal Rock, Oregon

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, Photography, Seascape, sunrise, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Seal Rock Beach at Sunrise
Seal Rock, Waldport, OR; AUG 2019

We recently spent a few days on the beach at Waldport, OR. It is located in Oregon Dunes area of the coast. Just outside of town sets a beach amongst a craggy, old volcanic lava flow. It is a beautiful beach with many tidal pools left teeming with wildlife as the tide recedes.

On this visit, the birds really took center stage. We saw some seals, but they were offshore and all I could see were heads bobbing. So, they weren’t photo worthy. But we found some Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus); one with a chick on the nest. We found Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis), many of which were recently fledged juveniles.

The Pelagic Cormorant is found along coastal waters and eats fish and marine invertebrates. It roosts and nests on steep, inaccessible rocky cliffs. It swims and dives for food.

The Western Gull is the common gull that you find on US West Coast beaches. They like fish, marine invertebrates, bird eggs and jelly fish. They will also scavenge on carrion and human refuse.

Our experience with the Western Gull brought some amusement. The juveniles were in the water and along the shore. When they wandered too far inland, an adult would chase after and send it back to the shoreline with the others. In the early morning, we even saw adults force the young into the tidal pools to splash and bathe. It was great fun.

Note: Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution

Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
Seal Rock, Waldport, OR; AUG 2019
Juvenile Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)
Seal Rock, Waldport, OR; AUG 2019
Starfish in Tide Pool
Seal Rock, Waldport, OR; AUG 2019
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)
Seal Rock, Waldport, OR; AUG 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

Grand Canyon Monsoon – Part 2

by Earthwatcher, posted in Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, Grand Canyon, landscape, lightning, Photography, Rainbow, storm, sunrise, sunset, Uncategorized
Sunset Over Grand Canyon – P2;
Rim Trail Between Mojave and Hopi Points,
South Rim, Grand Canyon National; Park; AUG 2019

This is the remaining images from the Grand Canyon that I plan to share at this time. Again, I hope you enjoy these images from this amazing place.

Note: Please click on caption to images at higher resolution.

Lightning Over Grand Canyon – P1A;
South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; AUG 2019
Rainbow Over Grand Canyon;
Imperial Point, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; JUL 2019
Sunset Over Grand Canyon;
Rim Trail Between Mojave and Hopi Points, South Rim,
Grand Canyon National; Park; AUG 2019
Sunset From Imperial Point – P1;
Imperial Point, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; JUL 2019
Lightning Over Grand Canyon – P3A;
Mojave Point, South Rim,
Grand Canyon National; Park; AUG 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

Grand Canyon Monsoon – Part 1

by Earthwatcher, posted in cloud, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, Grand Canyon, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, lightning, monsoon, Nature Photography, Night Sky, Photography, storm, sunrise, sunset, Uncategorized
Lightning Over Grand Canyon;
South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; AUG 2019

I recently had the privilege to photograph the Grand Canyon during the monsoon season of Southwestern North America. It was a marvelous time to visit this national wonder. We were treated to dark and stormy skies, lightning, rainbows and vivid sunrises and sunsets.

I generally don’t think of the southwestern US as having a monsoon season, after all, it is largely desert. I think of torrential rains in places like India and the eastern coast of Africa. But, the monsoon season in southwestern North America is very real. The term monsoon refers to the seasonal wind shift that brings in warm, humid air. Those winds cause most of the rainfall received by the desert southwest each year – all 1” to 8” of it; sometimes more and sometimes less. It can be responsible for torrential downbursts that cause flash flooding and lightning induced wildfires.

The southwestern North American monsoon season generally starts in early July and runs through September.

In this post, I am sharing a few of the images I took while at the Grand Canyon. I’ll share a few more later this week.

Note: Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Sunrise From Imperial Point;
Point Imperial, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; AUG 2019
Milky Way From Cape Royal; Cape Royal
North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; AUG 2019
Sunset Over Grand Canyon – P1
Mojave Point, South Rim, Grand Canyon National; Park; AUG 2019
Sunrise From Imperial Point – P1
Point Imperial, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ; AUG 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

Banff: Glaciers, Lakes and Glacial Streams

by Earthwatcher, posted in Banff National Park, Canada, Geology, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized
Ten Peaks from the Road to Moraine Lake;
Moraine Lake; Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019

Canada’s Banff National Park is filled with stunning mountain peaks capped with glaciers and snow. The steep, rugged mountains are the source of beautiful, turquoise streams that feed alpine lakes.

The turquoise water is interesting. As glaciers move, they polish the underlying rock, producing very fine particles of dust called rock flour. The rock flour mixes with the water traveling downstream. The color is a result of light reflecting around the densely packed dust in the water.  On bright days, with the sun in the right position, the river displays the brilliant turquoise. If the sky is more cloudy, the water will be a milky off-white. When it reaches the lakes, the rock flour eventually settles out. But, if the river is filling the lake quickly, the lakes can be turquoise also.

The mountainside on this image from Kootenay National Park is beautifully colored. But the coloring is deceptive. The rust color is dead conifers. The black is foliage that was consumed by fire. Many of the conifers died due to pine beetle infestation.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Kootenay RIver and Mount Harkin;
Kootneay National Park, British Columbia, Canada,; MAY 2019
Color born of tragedy: The rusty red color are evergreens damaged by the mountain pine beetle; the black is fire damage.
Bow Lake and Crowfoot, Bow Crow and Bow Peaks;
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019
Moraine Lake;
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019
Mistaya Canyon;
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019
Bow Lake and Crowfoot Peak;
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019
Herbert Lake; Banff National Park,
Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us

Some Recent Shorebird Sightings

by Earthwatcher, posted in Photography
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis);
Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY; MAY 2019

I’ve been busy and have gotten behind in posting some bird images I took this past spring. So, here are a few. I hope you enjoy them.

Note: Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution.

Green Heron (Butorides virescens);
Sailor Bar, American River Parkway, Fair Oaks, CA; APR 2019
Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias);
Willow Creek Recreation Area, American River Parkway, Folsom, CA
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius);
Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Sacramento, CA; APR 2019
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus);
Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Sacramento, CA; APR 2019
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula);
Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Carmichael, CA; MAR 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us

It Was a Dark and Stormy Day

by Earthwatcher, posted in Photography

To all of my followers, I just made a new post, It Was a Dark and Stormy Day, on my new page. Please follow the link to my new page and begin following me there.

New page link: www.earthwatcher.photo.blog

I will discontinue this page at the end of July.

Regards,

Earthwatcher (Larry)

New Images Posted

by Earthwatcher, posted in Photography

To all of my followers, I just made a new post, Bison at Yellowstone, on my new page: www.earthwatcher.photo.blog. Please follow the link to my new page and begin following me there.

I will discontinue this page at the end of July.

Regards,

Earthwatcher (Larry)

Bison At Yellowstone

by Earthwatcher, posted in Nature Photography, Photography, Travel, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography, Yellowstone National Park
Herd of Bison along the Lamar River;
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY; MAY 2019

Bison (Bison bison) are an iconic species at Yellowstone National Park. As many as there are and as often as I see them, I am still in awe of them. This trip was especially fun because of the large number of babies. They were standing, sleeping, scampering about; all the things babies do.

For the first few months of their life, the baby bison have a reddish colored coat; many people refer to them as red dogs. The adults were losing their winter coat, so patches of fur were missing or dangling on many of them. Others had a beautiful coat that appeared gold in the sun.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

Momma and Baby Bison (Bison bison);
Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY; MAY 2019
Bison and Babies;
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY; MAY 2019 #Photography
Morning Discussion;
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY; MAY 2019
Momma and Baby Bison (Bison bison);
Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, WY; MAY 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

I’m Switching to Official WordPress Blog Site

by Earthwatcher, posted in Photography

I was getting concerned that my free WordPress site was displaying ads that might not fit the philosophies I try to live by or the image I want for page. So, I am moving to a paid plan that will eliminate the ads.

The content of my blogs will not change, only the presentation format.

I am inviting all of you who now follow me on earthwatcherphoto.wordpress.com to begin following me at earthwatcher.photo.blog.

Thanks you for following me

Regards,

Larry.

Sunrise at Pyramid Lake

by Earthwatcher, posted in Photography
Pyramid Mountain at Sunrise from Pyramid Lake – P3;
Pyramid Lake, Jasper, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019

On our recent trip to Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada, we watched a quiet and beautiful sunrise over Pyramid Mountain and Pyramid Lake near Jasper, Alberta, Canada.

On this morning we had an almost perfectly clear, blue sky. The alpen glow on Pyramid Mountain made it glow in gold, orange and red. A large portion of the evergreen forest at its base was colored a rusty red; sad and unfortunate damage caused by the mountain pine beetle. But it added depth and color.

Looking across Pyramid Lake in another direction, we saw a row of snow-capped mountains, also glowing in the sun.

The lake itself was a deep emerald green from the glacial meltwater and the positioning of the early morning sun. The reflections off the water were deep and mystical.

I tried my best to capture moment. Please kick back and try to imagine yourself there. Visit it sometime; it is well worth the visit.

Note: Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution:

Sunrise Over Pyramid Lake;
Pyramid Lake, Jasper, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019
Pyramid Mountain at Sunrise from Pyramid Lake – P2;
Pyramid Lake, Jasper, Alberta, Canada; MAY 2019
Pyramid Mountain at Sunrise from Pyramid Lake – P1;
Pyramid Lake, Jasper, Alberta, Canada; May 2019

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting: larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.