Memorable Wildlife Encounters....What's Yours? | Page 2

aj500 · Apr 2, 2021

These stories are very interesting. I'm enjoying all of the reads. Thanks to everyone who wrote their story,

Geezer · Apr 2, 2021

My most memorable wildlife encounter was of the 'gentler' kind. I've seen deer in the woods for decades, with many sightings just a white flag flopping in the distance. I've had many not so distant encounters where I was able to get a decent photo. In my experience deer are curious and want to know what you're up to so if you're lucky they will stand for a short period of time in clear view giving you a chance to focus and burst away. But they don't hang around long, especially if they're fairly close.

One day as I approached a bend in a favorite walking trail I was startled by a large doe that slowly walked out of the thick brush onto the trail about 20 feet in front of me and stopped. I looked in amazement for a few seconds and then remembered I had a camera with me! I usually had the power zoom of the old bridge camera at mid zoom. I needed to zoom wide and quickly took the closeup shot as it stood motionless. I didn't want to move so I just stood there watching and wondering. The doe finally got bored with me I guess so slowly walked away down the trail. It stopped not too far away and looked back at me for a few seconds then walked into the woods and disappeared.

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NorthernFocus · Apr 2, 2021

Doug Herr said:
While I was sitting on a log this Moose cow and calf emerged from the woods to graze in the lake. I got a few photos then realized that as they were grazing they were wandering closer to my log, uncomfortably close....she looked straight at me, lowered her head and stamped her feet....The message was clear: "You're too close". It seemed wise to leave aside for the moment the question of who had gotten to close to whom...

Been there done that. Sometimes moose cows will walk right up with ears erect almost as if they're coming to get a head scratch. But what many people don't understand about critters is what you experienced. No matter how benign they may look, too close is too close. Doesn't matter who approached who. All of a sudden when they decide that their privacy circle has been violated they tend to react poorly.

...Picking the bird up, I reminded him that if I were hungry he'd be in serious trouble. About this time another car came by. The driver apparently knew about springtime grouse because he grinned, waved and left. Getting frustrated, I tossed the grouse over a roadside snowbank. Six times.

Yeah grouse don't rank high on the wildlife IQ scale. Have never run into this problem though. Too funny.

Interesting stories. Thanks for sharing, Doug.

agrumpybirdphotographer · Apr 2, 2021

Doug Herr said:
Several of my most memorable wildlife encounters were in the "good old days" of manual focus film when I spent a few summers in Alaska (1976-1981) though some of the photos don't fully capture the moment.

While I was sitting on a log this Moose cow and calf emerged from the woods to graze in the lake. I got a few photos then realized that as they were grazing they were wandering closer to my log, uncomfortably close. I packed the camera and pondered my options: 1) wait quietly, maybe they'll wander away 2) stand quietly and walk away, risking startling the cow and a defensive charge. I hadn't considered another possibility, revealed when she looked straight at me, lowered her head and stamped her feet. Here eyes were little balls of fire, impending thermonuclear reactions. The message was clear: "You're too close". It seemed wise to leave aside for the moment the question of who had gotten to close to whom and I departed, learning just how quickly I could run through a boreal forest with waterlogged boots and all of my camera gear. I could hear a commotion in the lake behind me but I never turned around to see what the fuss was.

View attachment 16733

I had heard of a Gyrfalcon nest in a remote area and paid a visit to see if any photographs were possible. Keeping a respectful distance across a canyon from the nest, it became clear that the young of the year had fledged, flying overhead and along both sides of the canyon. One of the birds dropped over the far side of a knoll so I cautiously advanced, mindful of the excellent grizzly bear habitat. Peering over the top of the rise I found the falcon was no more than 20' away and curious. I made a few photos as the bird hopped closer, testing then violating the minimum focus distance of my 400mm lens. Eventually the Gyrfalcon hopped within 6' of the rigid form that looked a lot like my 29-year-old self.

View attachment 16734

During my time in Alaska's summers I migrated south for the winter to the lower 48, each spring migrating north again. One spring, tired of the Alcan Highway's 1000 miles of mud & gravel, I took the Alaska State Ferry to Haines AK, shortening the drive considerably. Leaving Haines shortly after getting off the ferry I drove north through the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia intending to pass through Yukon Territory and then toward Fairbanks AK, but fate intervened. I spotted a grouse in the road and since the highway was sparsely travelled I stopped in the middle of the road to prepare my camera with 300mm lens. Once the camera was ready I looked up and the grouse was GONE. I'd had enough peripheral vision to have noticed if the bird had flown away so I thought I had gotten too close and couldn't see it over the hood of the car. I backed the car 10', no bird. Another 10', still no bird. Mystified, I shut the car's engine off and got out to investigate.

The grouse ran out from under the car and started attacking my feet, slapping me with his wings and biting my pants, all the while saying such horrifying things as "wwwukwukwuk!". I looked at my lens, minimum focus 13', looked at the feathered fury at my feet, and thought to myself "this won't do". Switching back to the macro lens I managed a few photos between attacks on the lens then remembered the long drive ahead of me and sought to be on my way. I tried to get back in the car but the grouse tried to jump in the car with me. Even if I had managed to get into the car sans grouse it could have run under the car with unintended consequences as I drove off. I knelt down to shoo the bird away and it jumped onto my knee and attacked my coat.

I had been training for a half-marathon and was is good shape so I figured I'd go down the road a way, the grouse would follow then I'd run back to the car leaving the bird in the dust. What I had forgotten is that I had been training for a distance race and grouse have sprinter's flight muscles. I was seriously outmatched.

Picking the bird up, I reminded him that if I were hungry he'd be in serious trouble. About this time another car came by. The driver apparently knew about springtime grouse because he grinned, waved and left. Getting frustrated, I tossed the grouse over a roadside snowbank. Six times.

The remaining drive to Denali was 20 hours and I was laughing the whole way.

View attachment 16735

My most recent visit to Denali was in 2018; while walking along the Savage River I noticed several Mew Gulls making a fuss over something hidden in the brush on the opposite bank. This often means a predator has been spotted. It could be small like a weasel or large like a bear. Crossing the river I cautiously went to investigate.

Imagine my surprise and delight when a Red Fox trotted out of the brush, down a small gravel bank and sat for a portrait no more than 15' away. From my standing position I was towering over the animal with gravel in the background so I got down to the fox's level to get some foliage in the background.

View attachment 16736

This is brilliant Doug, Im chuckling about the Grouse story

aj500 · Apr 2, 2021

Doug Herr said:
Several of my most memorable wildlife encounters were in the "good old days" of manual focus film when I spent a few summers in Alaska (1976-1981) though some of the photos don't fully capture the moment.

While I was sitting on a log this Moose cow and calf emerged from the woods to graze in the lake. I got a few photos then realized that as they were grazing they were wandering closer to my log, uncomfortably close. I packed the camera and pondered my options: 1) wait quietly, maybe they'll wander away 2) stand quietly and walk away, risking startling the cow and a defensive charge. I hadn't considered another possibility, revealed when she looked straight at me, lowered her head and stamped her feet. Here eyes were little balls of fire, impending thermonuclear reactions. The message was clear: "You're too close". It seemed wise to leave aside for the moment the question of who had gotten to close to whom and I departed, learning just how quickly I could run through a boreal forest with waterlogged boots and all of my camera gear. I could hear a commotion in the lake behind me but I never turned around to see what the fuss was.

View attachment 16733

I had heard of a Gyrfalcon nest in a remote area and paid a visit to see if any photographs were possible. Keeping a respectful distance across a canyon from the nest, it became clear that the young of the year had fledged, flying overhead and along both sides of the canyon. One of the birds dropped over the far side of a knoll so I cautiously advanced, mindful of the excellent grizzly bear habitat. Peering over the top of the rise I found the falcon was no more than 20' away and curious. I made a few photos as the bird hopped closer, testing then violating the minimum focus distance of my 400mm lens. Eventually the Gyrfalcon hopped within 6' of the rigid form that looked a lot like my 29-year-old self.

View attachment 16734

During my time in Alaska's summers I migrated south for the winter to the lower 48, each spring migrating north again. One spring, tired of the Alcan Highway's 1000 miles of mud & gravel, I took the Alaska State Ferry to Haines AK, shortening the drive considerably. Leaving Haines shortly after getting off the ferry I drove north through the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia intending to pass through Yukon Territory and then toward Fairbanks AK, but fate intervened. I spotted a grouse in the road and since the highway was sparsely travelled I stopped in the middle of the road to prepare my camera with 300mm lens. Once the camera was ready I looked up and the grouse was GONE. I'd had enough peripheral vision to have noticed if the bird had flown away so I thought I had gotten too close and couldn't see it over the hood of the car. I backed the car 10', no bird. Another 10', still no bird. Mystified, I shut the car's engine off and got out to investigate.

The grouse ran out from under the car and started attacking my feet, slapping me with his wings and biting my pants, all the while saying such horrifying things as "wwwukwukwuk!". I looked at my lens, minimum focus 13', looked at the feathered fury at my feet, and thought to myself "this won't do". Switching back to the macro lens I managed a few photos between attacks on the lens then remembered the long drive ahead of me and sought to be on my way. I tried to get back in the car but the grouse tried to jump in the car with me. Even if I had managed to get into the car sans grouse it could have run under the car with unintended consequences as I drove off. I knelt down to shoo the bird away and it jumped onto my knee and attacked my coat.

I had been training for a half-marathon and was is good shape so I figured I'd go down the road a way, the grouse would follow then I'd run back to the car leaving the bird in the dust. What I had forgotten is that I had been training for a distance race and grouse have sprinter's flight muscles. I was seriously outmatched.

Picking the bird up, I reminded him that if I were hungry he'd be in serious trouble. About this time another car came by. The driver apparently knew about springtime grouse because he grinned, waved and left. Getting frustrated, I tossed the grouse over a roadside snowbank. Six times.

The remaining drive to Denali was 20 hours and I was laughing the whole way.

View attachment 16735

My most recent visit to Denali was in 2018; while walking along the Savage River I noticed several Mew Gulls making a fuss over something hidden in the brush on the opposite bank. This often means a predator has been spotted. It could be small like a weasel or large like a bear. Crossing the river I cautiously went to investigate.

Imagine my surprise and delight when a Red Fox trotted out of the brush, down a small gravel bank and sat for a portrait no more than 15' away. From my standing position I was towering over the animal with gravel in the background so I got down to the fox's level to get some foliage in the background.

View attachment 16736

I absolutely love the photograph of the fox.

RH Alberta · Apr 2, 2021

agrumpybirdphotographer said:
If you're like me there are some occasions when I’m out photographing birds that something happens to make one encounter more memorable than others.
It may have just been a chance encounter, something a little more planned such as a hide day, a trip to a specific location or a species never seen before. It also may not result in the best photograph but the encounter with the particular wildlife just stays with you.

Great stuff in this thread so far folks! Thanks very much for sharing!

All my wildlife encounters are memorable, probably because I've only been paying much attention to wildlife for about 10 months now. What makes this particular photo special to me, I suppose, is it was the first time trying out my newly purchased Nikkor 200-500mm. You just can't get images like this using a cell phone camera. No...check that...you actually can...but after cropping you'd be left with an image smaller than the size of a postage stamp. Very much enjoying wildlife encounters of any kind these days!

Male Mallard (handheld, slight crop to 16:9)
Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm, 1/500 sec @ f/8, ISO 400, 500mm

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Rich

agrumpybirdphotographer · Apr 2, 2021

RH Alberta said:
Great stuff in this thread so far folks! Thanks very much for sharing!

All my wildlife encounters are memorable, probably because I've only been paying much attention to wildlife for about 10 months now. What makes this particular photo special to me, I suppose, is it was the first time trying out my newly purchased Nikkor 200-500mm. You just can't get images like this using a cell phone camera. No...check that...you actually can...but after cropping you'd be left with an image smaller than the size of a postage stamp. Very much enjoying wildlife encounters of any kind these days!

Male Mallard (handheld, slight crop to 16:9)
Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm, 1/500 sec @ f/8, ISO 400, 500mm
View attachment 16765

Rich

Nice Rich, thanks for contributing to the thread. The stories folks are putting up are great. Ive been doing this stuff for around 20 years and I’m always learning about photography and always amazed at the wildlife around us, big and small.

Icarus · Apr 2, 2021

Doug Herr said:
Several of my most memorable wildlife encounters were in the "good old days" of manual focus film when I spent a few summers in Alaska (1976-1981) though some of the photos don't fully capture the moment.

While I was sitting on a log this Moose cow and calf emerged from the woods to graze in the lake. I got a few photos then realized that as they were grazing they were wandering closer to my log, uncomfortably close. I packed the camera and pondered my options: 1) wait quietly, maybe they'll wander away 2) stand quietly and walk away, risking startling the cow and a defensive charge. I hadn't considered another possibility, revealed when she looked straight at me, lowered her head and stamped her feet. Here eyes were little balls of fire, impending thermonuclear reactions. The message was clear: "You're too close". It seemed wise to leave aside for the moment the question of who had gotten too close to whom and I departed, learning just how quickly I could run through a boreal forest with waterlogged boots and all of my camera gear. I could hear a commotion in the lake behind me but I never turned around to see what the fuss was.

View attachment 16733

I had heard of a Gyrfalcon nest in a remote area and paid a visit to see if any photographs were possible. Keeping a respectful distance across a canyon from the nest, it became clear that the young of the year had fledged, flying overhead and along both sides of the canyon. One of the birds dropped over the far side of a knoll so I cautiously advanced, mindful of the excellent grizzly bear habitat. Peering over the top of the rise I found the falcon was no more than 20' away and curious. I made a few photos as the bird hopped closer, testing then violating the minimum focus distance of my 400mm lens. Eventually the Gyrfalcon hopped within 6' of the rigid form that looked a lot like my 29-year-old self.

View attachment 16734

During my time in Alaska's summers I migrated south for the winter to the lower 48, each spring migrating north again. One spring, tired of the Alcan Highway's 1000 miles of mud & gravel, I took the Alaska State Ferry to Haines AK, shortening the drive considerably. Leaving Haines shortly after getting off the ferry I drove north through the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia intending to pass through Yukon Territory and then toward Fairbanks AK, but fate intervened. I spotted a grouse in the road and since the highway was sparsely travelled I stopped in the middle of the road to prepare my camera with 300mm lens. Once the camera was ready I looked up and the grouse was GONE. I'd had enough peripheral vision to have noticed if the bird had flown away so I thought I had gotten too close and couldn't see it over the hood of the car. I backed the car 10', no bird. Another 10', still no bird. Mystified, I shut the car's engine off and got out to investigate.

The grouse ran out from under the car and started attacking my feet, slapping me with his wings and biting my pants, all the while saying such horrifying things as "wwwukwukwuk!". I looked at my lens, minimum focus 13', looked at the feathered fury at my feet, and thought to myself "this won't do". Switching back to the macro lens I managed a few photos between attacks on the lens then remembered the long drive ahead of me and sought to be on my way. I tried to get back in the car but the grouse tried to jump in the car with me. Even if I had managed to get into the car sans grouse it could have run under the car with unintended consequences as I drove off. I knelt down to shoo the bird away and it jumped onto my knee and attacked my coat.

I had been training for a half-marathon and was is good shape so I figured I'd go down the road a way, the grouse would follow then I'd run back to the car leaving the bird in the dust. What I had forgotten is that I had been training for a distance race and grouse have sprinter's flight muscles. I was seriously outmatched.

Picking the bird up, I reminded him that if I were hungry he'd be in serious trouble. About this time another car came by. The driver apparently knew about springtime grouse because he grinned, waved and left. Getting frustrated, I tossed the grouse over a roadside snowbank. Six times.

The remaining drive to Denali was 20 hours and I was laughing the whole way.

View attachment 16735

My most recent visit to Denali was in 2018; while walking along the Savage River I noticed several Mew Gulls making a fuss over something hidden in the brush on the opposite bank. This often means a predator has been spotted. It could be small like a weasel or large like a bear. Crossing the river I cautiously went to investigate.

Imagine my surprise and delight when a Red Fox trotted out of the brush, down a small gravel bank and sat for a portrait no more than 15' away. From my standing position I was towering over the animal with gravel in the background so I got down to the fox's level to get some foliage in the background.

View attachment 16736

Great stories, particularly the grouse! Wonderful images too.

Doug Herr · Apr 2, 2021

It has been said that if you hike enough in Colorado's high country, sooner or later you'll trip over a ptarmigan.

It was with this in mind that I set out to find White-tailed Ptarmigan. I'd seen the species many years before in Alaska and had a very poor photo to show for it, and I wanted better photos. I'd gotten quite specific directions to a reliable spot and had a day available in the middle of a long road trip to search for the bird. Arriving shortly after dawn I set out on the arduous 1/4 mile trek to the ptarmigans' favorite location. I kid you not, this was a tough hike. The thin air of 11,000' elevation and a cold September wind combined to put a damper on my enthusiasm and after 4 hours scouring the area I was about to give up when I heard a peeping sound which in my mind could only have been a ptarmigan chick!

With renewed energy I scanned every inch of the terrain, near and far, while the peeping continued nonstop. I had to be close! After several minutes of this I thought I had gotten a directional fix on the sound, but it didn't make sense; it sounded like the peeping was coming from my feet.

Remember what people say about hiking in Colorado's high country? Well here was the proof. A 3/4-grown White-tailed Ptarmigan was literally at my feet. I began to see more Ptarmigans, some at arm's length more at a slightly greater distance, none requiring binoculars to see. Counting them was difficult but I believe there were somewhere between 15 and 25 all around me in unobstructed line of sight, and I hadn't seen any until the loudmouth teenager started telling me how blind I was.

These birds are really well camouflaged! I could be looking directly at one and once it stopped moving it vanished. Poof! Gone! Eventually I learned to distinguish ptarmigans from rocks on the alpine tundra. The rocks that were kind of jagged-shaped? Those are rocks. The rocks that look like they've been eroded into a rounded shape in a stream bed? Those are ptarmigans, there's no stream at this elevation to erode them.

Having gotten a few photos I noticed maybe 30 meters away a party of two scouring the ground so I yelled across the distance (recalling the 11,000' elevation) "Are you" deep breath, deep breath, deep breath, "looking for" deep breath, deep breath, deep breath, "ptarmigans?" They answered in the affirmative so I pointed all around my feet. It was a good day.

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Next time I'll bring a shorter lens.

JAS · Apr 3, 2021

A broad range of encounters here from Red Sea Whale Shark and Manta Ray to a Milwaukee, WI turkey and a closseup Bison and Grizzly from Yellowstone. These cover 2013-2019 and there are many other memorable shots but thia group is more memorble than most.

#1 - Whale Shark - near Al Lith, Red Sea Saudi Arabia, 2014. A small one (5m/16ft). They are not sexually mature until about 7-8m/23-26ft. Got to swim with three different specimens, the largest close to 7m/23ft.
#2 - Manta Ray - near Jeddah, Rde Sea, Saudi Arabia, 2019. A modest size 0f about 3m/10ft across. Just walked off the shore and dopped onto the reef when this one swam by. Encounter was about 1 minute, but just spectacular.
#3 - Wild Turkey - At the Audubon Wildlife Center, Bayside, WI, 2018. Was out looking for turkeys in the Center and saw none. As I was leaving I noticed a couple exiting under a fence so I stopped. Eventually 33 birds crossed under the fence and across the road into the residential area. This was a photegenic one willing to pose.
#4 - Grizzly Bear and cub - At Yellowstone 2013. Last afternoon of the last day. Heading back to pack our bags when my wife saw a roadside blur. We pulled over and there was this pair just off the road looking for things to eat. By the time we left there were another 100 people there taking photos. Truly amazing.
#5 - Bison - At Yellowstone 2013. Arriving back at the Lake Lodge, this one was right on the roadside as we got tot hte parking lot. Pulled over, lowered the window and snapped a few shots. Gorgeous animal aainst an equally gorgeous backdrop. I did crop out the peole who were walking along the lake in the background.

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agrumpybirdphotographer · Apr 3, 2021

JAS said:
A broad range of encounters here from Red Sea Whale Shark and Manta Ray to a Milwaukee, WI turkey and a closseup Bison and Grizzly from Yellowstone. These cover 2013-2019 and there are many other memorable shots but thia group is more memorble than most.

#1 - Whale Shark - near Al Lith, Red Sea Saudi Arabia, 2014. A small one (5m/16ft). They are not sexually mature until about 7-8m/23-26ft. Got to swim with three different specimens, the largest close to 7m/23ft.
#2 - Manta Ray - near Jeddah, Rde Sea, Saudi Arabia, 2019. A modest size 0f about 3m/10ft across. Just walked off the shore and dopped onto the reef when this one swam by. Encounter was about 1 minute, but just spectacular.
#3 - Wild Turkey - At the Audubon Wildlife Center, Bayside, WI, 2018. Was out looking for turkeys in the Center and saw none. As I was leaving I noticed a couple exiting under a fence so I stopped. Eventually 33 birds crossed under the fence and across the road into the residential area. This was a photegenic one willing to pose.
#4 - Grizzly Bear and cub - At Yellowstone 2013. Last afternoon of the last day. Heading back to pack our bags when my wife saw a roadside blur. We pulled over and there was this pair just off the road looking for things to eat. By the time we left there were another 100 people there taking photos. Truly amazing.
#5 - Bison - At Yellowstone 2013. Arriving back at the Lake Lodge, this one was right on the roadside as we got tot hte parking lot. Pulled over, lowered the window and snapped a few shots. Gorgeous animal aainst an equally gorgeous backdrop. I did crop out the peole who were walking along the lake in the background.

View attachment 16810 View attachment 16811
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Terrific stuff thanks for contributing to the thread. All cracking shots but I love the Manta Ray and Bison

NorthernFocus · Apr 3, 2021

Geezer said:
One day as I approached a bend in a favorite walking trail I was startled by a large doe that slowly walked out of the thick brush onto the trail about 20 feet in front of me and stopped...

Thanks for sharing. Any short range encounters like you described are memorable for me too.

I'm convinced that animals are much smarter than we, or at least scientists, give them credit for. IMO based on a lifetime of observation much/most of mammal and bird behavior is learned behavior rather than "instinct". The behavior in your story is a good example. The doe obviously recognized that you posed no threat. I transitioned into photography from hunting. And I've long since noted that animals behave much differently when I'm carrying a camera than when I carried a gun. Some sixth sense of danger or intelligent recognition of predatory vs benign behavior?

RH Alberta said:
All my wildlife encounters are memorable, probably because I've only been paying much attention to wildlife for about 10 months now. ...

Here's to hoping that the wonder never fades for you, Rich. Photography is a great way to study/learn about this wonderful world. Really a nice shot of the mallard.

Doug Herr said:
It has been said that if you hike enough in Colorado's high country, sooner or later you'll trip over a ptarmigan...

Interesting story, Doug. Who'd have thought to take the saying literally? Thanks for sharing

NorthernFocus · Apr 3, 2021

JAS said:
A broad range of encounters here from Red Sea Whale Shark and Manta Ray to a Milwaukee, WI turkey and a closseup Bison and Grizzly from Yellowstone. These cover 2013-2019 and there are many other memorable shots but thia group is more memorble than most.

#1 - Whale Shark - near Al Lith, Red Sea Saudi Arabia, 2014. A small one (5m/16ft). They are not sexually mature until about 7-8m/23-26ft. Got to swim with three different specimens, the largest close to 7m/23ft.
#2 - Manta Ray - near Jeddah, Rde Sea, Saudi Arabia, 2019. A modest size 0f about 3m/10ft across. Just walked off the shore and dopped onto the reef when this one swam by. Encounter was about 1 minute, but just spectacular.
#3 - Wild Turkey - At the Audubon Wildlife Center, Bayside, WI, 2018. Was out looking for turkeys in the Center and saw none. As I was leaving I noticed a couple exiting under a fence so I stopped. Eventually 33 birds crossed under the fence and across the road into the residential area. This was a photegenic one willing to pose.
#4 - Grizzly Bear and cub - At Yellowstone 2013. Last afternoon of the last day. Heading back to pack our bags when my wife saw a roadside blur. We pulled over and there was this pair just off the road looking for things to eat. By the time we left there were another 100 people there taking photos. Truly amazing.
#5 - Bison - At Yellowstone 2013. Arriving back at the Lake Lodge, this one was right on the roadside as we got tot hte parking lot. Pulled over, lowered the window and snapped a few shots. Gorgeous animal aainst an equally gorgeous backdrop. I did crop out the peole who were walking along the lake in the background.

View attachment 16810 View attachment 16811
View attachment 16812 View attachment 16813
View attachment 16814

Nice set of photos and memories. I have a good friend who's a diver and I gather from conversations with him that both the whale shark and manta are highly prized encounters. Really a nice shot of the turkey showing its colors. Of course bears are always special. And the shot of the buffalo is nicely executed. Thanks for sharing.

aj500 · Apr 3, 2021

Doug Herr said:
It has been said that if you hike enough in Colorado's high country, sooner or later you'll trip over a ptarmigan.

It was with this in mind that I set out to find White-tailed Ptarmigan. I'd seen the species many years before in Alaska and had a very poor photo to show for it, and I wanted better photos. I'd gotten quite specific directions to a reliable spot and had a day available in the middle of a long road trip to search for the bird. Arriving shortly after dawn I set out on the arduous 1/4 mile trek to the ptarmigans' favorite location. I kid you not, this was a tough hike. The thin air of 11,000' elevation and a cold September wind combined to put a damper on my enthusiasm and after 4 hours scouring the area I was about to give up when I heard a peeping sound which in my mind could only have been a ptarmigan chick!

With renewed energy I scanned every inch of the terrain, near and far, while the peeping continued nonstop. I had to be close! After several minutes of this I thought I had gotten a directional fix on the sound, but it didn't make sense; it sounded like the peeping was coming from my feet.

Remember what people say about hiking in Colorado's high country? Well here was the proof. A 3/4-grown White-tailed Ptarmigan was literally at my feet. I began to see more Ptarmigans, some at arm's length more at a slightly greater distance, none requiring binoculars to see. Counting them was difficult but I believe there were somewhere between 15 and 25 all around me in unobstructed line of sight, and I hadn't seen any until the loudmouth teenager started telling me how blind I was.

These birds are really well camouflaged! I could be looking directly at one and once it stopped moving it vanished. Poof! Gone! Eventually I learned to distinguish ptarmigans from rocks on the alpine tundra. The rocks that were kind of jagged-shaped? Those are rocks. The rocks that look like they've been eroded into a rounded shape in a stream bed? Those are ptarmigans, there's no stream at this elevation to erode them.

Having gotten a few photos I noticed maybe 30 meters away a party of two scouring the ground so I yelled across the distance (recalling the 11,000' elevation) "Are you" deep breath, deep breath, deep breath, "looking for" deep breath, deep breath, deep breath, "ptarmigans?" They answered in the affirmative so I pointed all around my feet. It was a good day.

View attachment 16803

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View attachment 16806

Next time I'll bring a shorter lens.

Wonderful story with a fantastic result. Isn't it great when everything works as planned, except for not having a shorter lense.

Viathelens · Apr 3, 2021

I took a trip with Alaska Expeditions to Katmai NP that had us taking photos of the brown bears as we waded about in the stream in full wading gear. It was a wonderful trip and we got very close to some of the bears. Being in the stream with them allowed us to get a different view of the bears and the first shot shows a mom and baby playing in the water together. At some point she slapped him hard as he was getting too rough with her. My Tamron 150-600 got wet and fogged up (could not use the entire trip) so everything I took was with my Nikon 80-400 and I think a converter....always bring two lenses at least on a trip.

The fox shot is from Yellowstone. There was a group of us lined up on a hillside with tripods and long lenses all pointed down the hill toward a lumbering bear. Someone from the street above yelled down to us that there was a fox nearby. All I had to do with turn the lens on the tripod and take the shot...he was simply sitting there contemplating his next move.

The moose shot is from Alaska. We saw this moose in the morning and he was fighting with another moose through a wire fence that included razor wire on the top, we took a couple of shots and moved on. On the way back we stopped again in the same area and someone told us about a moose that got wire in his antlers and they had to tranquilize him to get the wire out, they also told us the spot where he was recovering. This shot is him waking up from the ordeal.

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RAN · Apr 3, 2021

aj500 said:
The topic Memorable Wildlife Encounters brings to mind my most favorable encounter, 2014 Maasai Mara, Kenya. While on a 2 week photo safari we found a cheetah having breakfast. A pack of hyenas decided they would take her meal. They cheetah moved away from them towards our truck, she walked around to the back and jumped up on the spare tire and then the roof-top. Our group had 2 trucks and Chris Bray provided some photos as it was a little difficult to photograph her from inside our truck. Were we scared? No, more like terrified. As everyone went to the floor John"Patch" and I kept saying "Take the girls they will taste better than us old guys". After a short period of time everyone calmed down and the cheetah laid down on the roof and hood. She appeared to have little interest in harming us. Out came the wide-angle lenses and we took our "up close and personal" photos. At one time maybe a little too close as she took a swipe at my lens. Chris used this as part of his promotions for his photo work shop/tours.

Nothing I've encountered comes even close.

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Wow!!!

gKhan · Apr 3, 2021

Doug Herr said:
Several of my most memorable wildlife encounters were in the "good old days" of manual focus film when I spent a few summers in Alaska (1976-1981) though some of the photos don't fully capture the moment.

While I was sitting on a log this Moose cow and calf emerged from the woods to graze in the lake. I got a few photos then realized that as they were grazing they were wandering closer to my log, uncomfortably close. I packed the camera and pondered my options: 1) wait quietly, maybe they'll wander away 2) stand quietly and walk away, risking startling the cow and a defensive charge. I hadn't considered another possibility, revealed when she looked straight at me, lowered her head and stamped her feet. Here eyes were little balls of fire, impending thermonuclear reactions. The message was clear: "You're too close". It seemed wise to leave aside for the moment the question of who had gotten too close to whom and I departed, learning just how quickly I could run through a boreal forest with waterlogged boots and all of my camera gear. I could hear a commotion in the lake behind me but I never turned around to see what the fuss was.

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I had heard of a Gyrfalcon nest in a remote area and paid a visit to see if any photographs were possible. Keeping a respectful distance across a canyon from the nest, it became clear that the young of the year had fledged, flying overhead and along both sides of the canyon. One of the birds dropped over the far side of a knoll so I cautiously advanced, mindful of the excellent grizzly bear habitat. Peering over the top of the rise I found the falcon was no more than 20' away and curious. I made a few photos as the bird hopped closer, testing then violating the minimum focus distance of my 400mm lens. Eventually the Gyrfalcon hopped within 6' of the rigid form that looked a lot like my 29-year-old self.

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During my time in Alaska's summers I migrated south for the winter to the lower 48, each spring migrating north again. One spring, tired of the Alcan Highway's 1000 miles of mud & gravel, I took the Alaska State Ferry to Haines AK, shortening the drive considerably. Leaving Haines shortly after getting off the ferry I drove north through the extreme northwest corner of British Columbia intending to pass through Yukon Territory and then toward Fairbanks AK, but fate intervened. I spotted a grouse in the road and since the highway was sparsely travelled I stopped in the middle of the road to prepare my camera with 300mm lens. Once the camera was ready I looked up and the grouse was GONE. I'd had enough peripheral vision to have noticed if the bird had flown away so I thought I had gotten too close and couldn't see it over the hood of the car. I backed the car 10', no bird. Another 10', still no bird. Mystified, I shut the car's engine off and got out to investigate.

The grouse ran out from under the car and started attacking my feet, slapping me with his wings and biting my pants, all the while saying such horrifying things as "wwwukwukwuk!". I looked at my lens, minimum focus 13', looked at the feathered fury at my feet, and thought to myself "this won't do". Switching back to the macro lens I managed a few photos between attacks on the lens then remembered the long drive ahead of me and sought to be on my way. I tried to get back in the car but the grouse tried to jump in the car with me. Even if I had managed to get into the car sans grouse it could have run under the car with unintended consequences as I drove off. I knelt down to shoo the bird away and it jumped onto my knee and attacked my coat.

I had been training for a half-marathon and was is good shape so I figured I'd go down the road a way, the grouse would follow then I'd run back to the car leaving the bird in the dust. What I had forgotten is that I had been training for a distance race and grouse have sprinter's flight muscles. I was seriously outmatched.

Picking the bird up, I reminded him that if I were hungry he'd be in serious trouble. About this time another car came by. The driver apparently knew about springtime grouse because he grinned, waved and left. Getting frustrated, I tossed the grouse over a roadside snowbank. Six times.

The remaining drive to Denali was 20 hours and I was laughing the whole way.

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My most recent visit to Denali was in 2018; while walking along the Savage River I noticed several Mew Gulls making a fuss over something hidden in the brush on the opposite bank. This often means a predator has been spotted. It could be small like a weasel or large like a bear. Crossing the river I cautiously went to investigate.

Imagine my surprise and delight when a Red Fox trotted out of the brush, down a small gravel bank and sat for a portrait no more than 15' away. From my standing position I was towering over the animal with gravel in the background so I got down to the fox's level to get some foliage in the background.

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All are very good but the fox is outstanding!!

SandyW · Apr 3, 2021

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Many years ago, in the days of film, I was SCUBA diving off the coast of Akumal, Mexico. I was at about 60-80 feet down, just drifting across the top of a ridge line, when this sea turtle swam right up to me and stuck his head into the "lens" of my Ikelite housing! I was so shocked I froze, but managed to keep snap a few photos before my fin accidentaly drifted up and touched his fin and he swam off. It is still one of my favorite memories!

agrumpybirdphotographer · Apr 3, 2021

SandyW said:
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Many years ago, in the days of film, I was SCUBA diving off the coast of Akumal, Mexico. I was at about 60-80 feet down, just drifting across the top of a ridge line, when this sea turtle swam right up to me and stuck his head into the "lens" of my Ikelite housing! I was so shocked I froze, but managed to keep snap a few photos before my fin accidentaly drifted up and touched his fin and he swam off. It is still one of my favorite memories!

Sandy thats outstanding

rrzentz · Apr 3, 2021

Some amazing photos and experiences everyone has had! Mine occurred several years ago, well before getting my first DSLR. Just an iPhone pic, but it was a close encounter for my wife and I...out of cell phone reception on a Vail mountain hike in CO. Cheers all.

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NorthernFocus · Apr 3, 2021

Once this thread started me thinking about memorable encounters I realized how many I've had with moose. Not unexpected for someone who lives in Alaska. On top of that I live at the base of the mountain pass where several dozen moose congregate for the mating season(aka the rut) each fall. So I've spent many many hours in their presence mostly just watching them and waiting for something interesting to happen. Even during the rut they spend a lot of time laying around doing nothing. But it's interesting which encounters stand out in my mind as "favorites". Some of those were in fact when nothing exciting was happening i.e. no bulls fighting, etc. Following is what occurred one of those morning that not much was going on.

I located a decent sized bull moose that was lying down and decided to just sit with him while I continued to scan the area for more interesting activity. Also in the mating ritual the cows are the aggressors and will come find bulls that are lying down and roust them out of their slumber. After a bit he got up and began to move rather purposefully up the valley. I stayed a respectful distance away and paralleled his course. On broken terrain is it difficult to keep up with a moose walking even at a moderate pace.

All following images were shot with a Nikon D4 w/80-400mm G.

1) Here's my boy right after he stood up.

About half a mile or so up the valley we came across a group of four smaller bulls that were hanging out together. Now I was in a bit of a quandry trying to keep track of several moose at once on mostly open ground. In these situations I've found the young "teenagers" to be the most problematic. My theory is that they are always getting pushed around by the big bulls so when they see something smaller than them they try to push it around. They were all much smaller than my guy but to my amazement the largest one of the four began to posture and challenge him. Moose bulls try to intimidate one another by turning broadside and walking around each other while swaying their antlers from side to side. I guess trying to show off how big they are in hopes of scaring the other one away without having to fight. This sort of thing really needs video to show well but I did my best.

2) You want some of THIS?!!! Note the big guys ears are pinned back, whites of his eyes are showing, and his head is leaned over as he sways his antlers. I don't think the bigger bull took this as a serious challenge. When I've seen them do this for real either one backs down or one charges before they get nearly this close.

After the posturing display the four smaller guys went on about their business and my bull continued on up the valley for another quarter of a mile or so. Then much to my disappointment he lay back down in a wide open area. I found something to sit on a few yards away and settled down again.

3)

And finally something unique in my experience up until then happened. While I sat just a few yards away the bull stretched out and lay flat down in a totally vulnerable posture. It was so cool to have this happen. One of the more interesting things I've witnessed in many years. I guess having by this time spent several hours in my presence he was pretty comfortable that I posed no threat. Oh but wait, there's more. As I watched him he began to dream. Just like a dog his nose started twitching and his feet made tiny running motions. I have no idea what a moose would dream about but apparently something. And as a bonus now I have a photo to share in testosterone filled rooms where men share photos of all the things they've killed. And I knocked mine down with a camera

4) Sweet dreams.

I mentioned earlier that cows are the aggressors in the moose courtship ritual. That included fighting each other quite violently over rights to mate with a bull. So as I sat there a cow came along and took an interest in my moose pal. She took exception to my presence and since I was on open ground with no trees to hide behind things got a little dicey. I was armed with pepper spray but it didn't come to that. So like most guys my bull pal dropped me and wandered off into a thicket with his new lady friend. Can't say that I blame him she was a beauty.

5) The cow getting a little pushy with me.

splatbass · Apr 3, 2021

My wife and I were on Kauai and went to Kilauea Lighthouse to take landscape pictures. It is next to a wildlife refuge, but it was closed due to COVID so we weren't expecting to see wildlife on the lookout area for the lighthouse. But on the hillside next to the lookout area, almost level with us, there was a red footed booby with a baby. Luckily I had a 200-500 with me. D750, 200-500. It would have been nice if it wasn't mid-afternoon, but I'm still happy with it.

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ProperFrame · Apr 3, 2021

This one comes to mind for me. A sow feeding her cub in Wapusk

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This already scarred young Bruin in the Brooks River

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Bill Schone · Apr 3, 2021

Outstanding each & every one! Wow.

NorthernFocus · Apr 3, 2021

splatbass said:
My wife and I were on Kauai and went to Kilauea Lighthouse to take landscape pictures. It is next to a wildlife refuge, but it was closed due to COVID so we weren't expecting to see wildlife on the lookout area for the lighthouse. But on the hillside next to the lookout area, almost level with us, there was a red footed booby with a baby. Luckily I had a 200-500 with me. D750, 200-500. It would have been nice if it wasn't mid-afternoon, but I'm still happy with it.

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Nice shot.

ProperFrame said:
This one comes to mind for me. A sow feeding her cub in Wapusk

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This already scarred young Bruin in the Brooks River

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Couple of nice ones, Mike.

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