As JFK once said: “Those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside”
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©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2020 – JBRish.com
When we think of turkeys, it is quite often related to Thanksgiving when we feast upon their bounty. We don’t often see humans feeding wild turkeys for the turkey’s benefit.
The Tom turkey in this picture was proudly watching over two hens. Being very protective of them, he would puff up and turn vividly colorful if we approached too near.
They were enjoying the feed left for them by the custodians of Brown Canyon Ranch located in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains, near Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Read more about Brown Canyon Ranch HERE
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©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2019 JBRish.com
We decided to take a hike at Lake Pleasant to see if we could locate the wild burros that reportedly live there. As we travel along the highways, we see signs to watch out for the burros, but we have never seen one.
The park has a Wild Burro Trail so naturally we decided this would be our target destination. Lucky for us we were less than ten minutes into the hike when we spotted a lone burro. Upon further exploration, we came across the tres amigos (three friends) pictured here.
So…there really are wild burros at Lake Pleasant!
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©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2019 – JBRish.com
We were up early and exciting about taking a hike along the Beaver Ponds Trail at Yellowstone National Park. As we began the moderate incline to start the hike, a male elk was standing watch with a doe a bit farther down the side of the hill.
As we waited a moment before proceeding, the elk sensed our presence and took a look over his shoulder. I quickly snapped a photograph with my least capable, but longest telephoto camera to grab this shot.
Looking at him in this photograph, viewers can tell that this adolescent male was very confident and proud. Shortly after capturing this picture we were called back by park rangers and headed for another access to the trail. After all, this is their home!
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Edited in Lightroom
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©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2018 – JBRish.com
As readers of JBRish might recall, I volunteer at the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) in Phoenix, AZ. It is the second most visited tourist attraction in the state after the Grand Canyon. After all, what can compete with the Grand Canyon?
The DBG recently constructed a new and much improved butterfly pavilion which houses two different butterfly exhibits each year. One focuses on the Monarch butterfly while the other shows a variety of butterflies.
The picture above was taken during a recent visit to the DBG and the butterfly exhibit. These are beautiful and dainty creatures. It is always breathtaking to see so many of them up close among a captivating floral setting.
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Edited in Lightroom & Photoshop
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©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2018 – JBRish.com
JBRish readers know that one thing we enjoy and write about on this blog is hiking and exploring natural places. We appreciate all forms of wildlife and types of terrain, but the mountains and canyons have a special pull on our adventurous spirit.
The Grand Canyon is indeed one of earth’s treasures and it is a shame that mankind has tried to take advantage of its bounty by harvesting natural resources and obliterating some of the pristine beauty.
Below is just one photograph I took on our visit to the North Rim. It was taken with a very simple point-and-shoot camera with only 8 megapixels of resolution when most of today’s cameras start at twice that number and many go to three or four times that and beyond.
Even with the limited ability of the camera and the photographer, I think you will agree that this is a pretty, colorful picture taken near “the Lodge” at the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
I am also sharing the trailer to the movie Dust in the Blood detailing the journey of filmmaker/photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedark as they try to hike the 750 mile length of the Grand Canyon.
Dust in the Blood – Trailer from Pete McBride on Vimeo.
From the Vimeo web page hosting the trailer:
In 2016 filmmaker/photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko set out on a 750-mile journey on foot through the entire length of the Grand Canyon. From the outset, the challenge was far more than they bargained for. More people have stood on the moon than have completed a continuous through hike of the Canyon. McBride and Fedarko took a sectional approach, achieving a feat that many adventurers have taken decades to complete. Others have lost their lives trying. But their quest was more than just an endurance test – it was also a way to draw attention to the unprecedented threats facing one of our most revered landscapes.
Throughout their passage, McBride and Fedarko encountered an astonishingly diverse and powerful landscape, rich in history, that is now facing perhaps the gravest crisis in the 98-year history of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Directed by Pete McBride and produced by the award-winning team at Insignia Films, THE CANYON is a story of extreme physical hardship that stretches the bonds of friendship and a meditation on the timeless beauty of this sacred place. It is an urgent warning about the environmental dangers that are placing one of America’s greatest monuments in peril and a cautionary tale for our complex relationship with the natural world.
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©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2018 – JBRish.com
“Curiouser and curiouser!” Cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
I think humans like to look at other living creatures and assign to them characteristics of our own species. We anthropomorphize other living things. We immediately understand that animals feel fear and love of some kind. I am not sure if all non-human animals share a sense of curiosity, but some obviously do. Dolphins, whales, primates, etc have all demonstrated behavior we would tend to classify as curiosity.
I have found that some birds are curious as well.
In the picture above, there is a bird sitting far away from where we were standing. Because of my interest in birds, we stopped to watch it for a while. You can’t make out the bird in the yellow circle in the photo above, but there was a very pretty bird sitting on that rock. A bird I had never seen before.
It took me a while to get out my superzoom camera and take a closeup of that particular bird, but here it is.
As we rested a good number of yards away, sitting on a rock, the bird continued to flit around, but at one point it landed on a tree stump that was only about twenty feet away; relatively close for a wild creature. I had the distinct impression that this bird was curious about us and what we were or weren’t doing. Since we were sitting quietly watching the bird, taking a drink and resting, I think the bird realized we had no bad intentions and it took chances to come close to us. It didn’t “park” there or stay very long in any one spot, but it did fly away and then come close again.
Eventually we packed up and moved on. Later I was able to identify this bird as a Green-tailed Towhee. This is one of the prettier birds I have seen with it’s red-orange tuft atop.
NOTE – Green-tailed Towhee. Park Ridge Fire Lookout Station Trail, Kings Canyon, CA
Read more about the Green-tailed Towhee
See previous JBRish posts about birds HERE
All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.
©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2017
One of my favorite wildlife photographers, Tin Man Lee, has created a moving and beautiful tribute to mothers in honor of their special day. Although it is a year old, the message and pictures are timeless.
I hope you enjoy this brief video as much as I did.
A celebration of Mother's Day 2016 with wildlife photography from Tin Man Lee on Vimeo.
You can visit Tin Man Lee’s website HERE
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms!
The first marmot I saw, as far as I know, was at Yosemite National Park. I thought it was a beaver scampering across Tuolumne Meadows, but after doing some research and speaking with others, I came to the conclusion it was indeed a marmot. I had never heard of a marmot before that encounter.
“Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) are one of the largest members of the squirrel family. They can be two feet in length and weigh up to 11 pounds. Their large body size is an adaptation to the cold, high elevation sites in which they live. Marmots have reddish-brown fur and a yellow belly, from which they get their name. They are related to woodchucks and groundhogs in other parts of the country.” (Via link below)
We recently visited Rocky Mountain National Park and they have their share of marmots as well. One day we drove along the Trail Ridge Road picking spots to get out and hike. It was bitter that day especially when considering we were coming from the N. Phoenix (100+ degree) area. The temperature was 34 degrees with serious wind gusts. Nevertheless, we braved the wind and cold to see beautiful vistas and whatever else we came across.
As I emerged from the car wearing a hiking shirt, hoodie, nylon rain jacket, lip balm, gloves and toting two cameras, I walked to the end of a paved path outpost and sunning themselves on the distant boulders to gather whatever heat they could were two marmots.
Two marmots sunning themselves at Rocky Mountain National Park
Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross – All RIghts Reserved”
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You can read more about marmots here – Rocky Mountain National Park (Service)
Tin Man Lee is one of the photographers I follow and he has created a slide show about motherhood in the animal kingdom, but I am certain you will see behaviors that will remind you of your mother and her relationship with you! This is truly and visual ode to mothers and motherhood.
One of the last slides in the show by Victor Hugo says it all: “A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.” Happy Mother’s Day!
A celebration of Mother's Day 2016 with wildlife photography from Tin Man Lee on Vimeo.
If you like the work of Tin Man Lee (and who wouldn’t?), you can see more here:
Tin Man Lee – Wildlife Photographer Extraordinaire
Tin Man Lee – Vision and Talent of a Wildlife Photographer
See previous posts about talented and extraordinary photographers HERE
See previous photography posts, click HERE