Arkansas Wildlife Photography Gallery and Blog -- 12/12/08

It's been a while since I published a more in-depth report on a shoot. If there ever was a day when a photographer should have been in the Boxley Valley, it was yesterday. It seemed like the choice of subjects was deep and they just kept coming as the day unfolded.

A nature photographer's life is uncertain, we spend a lot of days coming up empty. Too many variables to control, and no control anyway. Animals just hiding out, or running all over the place and the weather often disappoints. It is damn mess. But them there are days like 12/12 that keep us coming back. I ended the day with having shot over 1,000 exposures and 3 dvds full of images to process.

The morning started out with a show from the elk who had overnighted in Boxley Valley. In the small field there were large spots of green that contrasted with the blanket of frost coving the small meadows. These are places where the elk covered the grass as they slept. It is typical on a cold December morning to see frostless patches, and to see frost covered elk grazing nearby. Elk hair is hollow and great insulation that protects frost on their coats from their body heat. These little things are a part of the magic of this place.

After shooting elk in Lost Valley, I drove down the valley looking for more elk. The prime directive is that there can never be enough elk photos taken. Heading south down 43, I noticed my first bald eagle in Boxley Valley this winter. I had heard they were down in the valley. They are carried in by cold winter blasts each year about this time. I noticed this bird sitting on my favorite snag at the mill pond. I dropped any thoughts of elk and setup to get pictures of the bald eagle. As it turned out I would see three different eagles.

I like pictures that tell a story, so when a couple of crows showed up to harass the bald eagle, I was in my element. I got lucky and got a decent picture of the crows with the eagle, an image I hope to improve on this year.