Monday in Nature Weekly Photo Feb. 3, 2014

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<p ><strong >Basic Guidelines</strong>: Nature based subject matter. Please, declare captive subjects. Keep your image at/under 700 pixels on the long axis for in-line viewing and try to keep file size under 300kb. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site at Flicker, Photobucket, your own site, etc. Do you have a series of great shots to compliment your post? Please, tell us where they are so we can see them.</p>

<p ><em >In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include hand of man elements. Try to minimize man made features, keep the focus on nature, and let common sense be your guide. <strong >Let's make this a true Photo of the Week and only post 1 image per week.</strong></em></p>

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<p> Monday Morning Greetings,<br>

If we weren't curious about nature we wouldn't be out there with cameras. Most of us look at nature with more than a casual glance. Many folks who post here conduct research of some kind and nature photography plays an important role. Sometimes the research takes on an urgency. An unusual event starts to happen and interested parties grab their gear (whatever that gear may be) and seize the opportunity. Such is the case with the ongoing "irruption" of Snowy Owls in North America. Operation SNOWstorm is an important effort to gain a better understanding of these birds as large numbers have come south for the winter. Traps, technology, caring people, birds, nature, all share a moment that is up close and personal. Hands of man/woman all over the place, they capture and release the birds, then go watch the radio tracking and learn new things. A couple of the owls have, unfortunately, met sad ends. One could get a little misty eyed in the excitement.</p>

<p>Many of you have spent some very cold days out there looking. We head out with the best information and hope for a sighting. We never know what's going to happen.....it's nature. An exciting communiqué led me out with the camera. What we didn't know was that a team of researchers would be trapping and banding the owl. We shook our heads in giddy disbelief at our good fortune. I went looking, and nature looked back at me, up close and right in the eye. I was able to get some close-ups as this owl was lovingly cradled while waiting to be banded. He's part of a snowstorm we can all appreciate this winter.</p>

<p>As it's snowing again this morning. Good luck to all the Snowy Owls and the researchers out there, as well as those of you still looking to see one this year. It's Monday, so what has nature brought your way?</p><div></div>

<p>That must have been quite an enchanted experience to be that close to one of the Snowy Owls. Wow! Now I'm really envious. </p>

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<p>Mark, it took awhile for that high to wear off. I was far from home with approaching darkness so I missed the release. I am feeling some fungal envy though looking at your image..........I can't wait till spring.</p>

<p>While often we go out into nature for our images, some times nature brings it's opportunities to us. As I was getting wood for the stove, I found an expired moth in the stack. As there was a fair amount of snow, & a heck of alot of cold I took it inside.</p><div></div>

<p>This shot was taken several years ago at Presque Isle, Erie, Pa. <br>

A glob of Milk Weed bugs gathered on what else, Milk Weed.</p><div></div>

<p>That shot was actually taken with a Nikon not a Nikkkn. ;-))</p>

<p>Egret In Flight (North Texas)....</p><div></div>

<p>No great excitement here, just warmer! A nice sixty degree afternoon.</p><div></div>

<p>Thinking of Spring.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17668527-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="510" /></p>

<p>With work and now a cold I haven't been out for awhile and am getting antsy to get on some trails. This is from a couple of years back. Near Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite Nat'l Park, a large lizard zipped right in front of me and went under a rock. It appeared larger than normal so I flipped the rock over to have a closer look and this is what I found. He apparently ran right into the mouth of this young and hungry gopher snake.</p><div></div>

<p>Laura, what a wonderful experience . <br>

Despite the cold and ice , the migrating rufous have not flown further south. Still enjoying these little ones.</p>

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<p>quite a catch Daniel...i probably would have jumped 5 ft. in the air if i turned that rock over and seen that.......:)</p>

<p>nice one Laura......the MetroParks had their annual birds of prey weekend at the RR Nature Center Saturday and it gave kids and parents an up close look at some rehabbed hawks, owls and falcons.....there is something special about being up close and personal with wild animals regardless of whether they're in their natural surroundings or being cared for by man.....</p><div></div>

<p>Nice capture Roberta. A hummingbird from me this week as well.</p>

<p>Exposure Time: 1/1600.0 seconds s;<br />FNumber: f/6.3;<br />ISOSpeedRatings: ISO 400;<br />ExposureProgram: Other;<br />ExposureBiasValue: +1/3<br />MeteringMode: Other;<br />Flash: Flash fired, compulsory flash mode;<br />FocalLength: 500.0 mm mm;<br />Software: Adobe Photoshop CC (Windows);<br>

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-Dave</p><div></div>

<p>No snowies here down south but this is another instance of "fungal irruption" (Sony a65 + 30 2.8 macro at 1:1)</p><div></div>

<p>Bachelor elephant seals just south of Piedras Blancas, California. Stay overnight in the hamlet of San Simeon near Hearst Castle (what happens when too much money collides with not enough taste) and it's a brief drive to Piedras Blancas in the morning. (OM-D E-M1 and 50-200/2.8-3.5)</p>

<p>Laura: at the risk of projecting human emotions onto birds, that is one indignant looking owl! I am glad you had the opportunity to participate, and just a wee bit jealous.</p><div></div>

<p>From the archives. Species of Tridacna Giant clam, embedded in a reef, along with various soft and hard corals. Verde Island, Philippines.</p><div></div>

<p>Minus tide on the mid-California coast last week. Fortuitously timed for the sunset.</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Coyote Stalking In Snow</strong><br>

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<p><a title="Coyote Stalking In Snow by dcstep, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5497/12244663255_49eb0bb96e_c.jpg" alt="Coyote Stalking In Snow" width="800" height="534" /></a></p>

<p>Here is one more from last January of a white Ibis foraging at Tigertail Beach on Marco Island, FL. I should have some brand new photos to show later in the month. </p><div></div>

<p>David, that coyote image is pure joy.</p>

<p>I went whale watching off Kaikoura, NZ. We saw a whale, and that was great, but it was the dusky dolphins that stole the show, leaping and backflipping alongside the boat.</p><div></div>

<p>In the midst of the latest 'Polar Vortex' the only signs of the local fauna I could find were these tracks around a hole in a frozen stream. </p><div></div>

<p>Went out today looking for winter birds...and found this squirrel watching me...</p><div></div>

<p>Very enjoyable images this week. Laura's snowy owl looks actually like it might be enjoying the contact. Out here we finally got some precipitation after an essentially rainless wet season. Some of it decorated a dried out tendril of a wild cucumber.</p><div></div>

<p>Wow Laura, what an amazing opportunity! I agree with Bing, the owl looks quite relaxed. My post this week is from a few shots I took in a friends backyard. She lives on a property about 2 hours drive from my home. We got there about 11am. She told me about some Kangaroos that come right near the house for a feed first thing in the morning. She was hoping that she could get them to come up for a feed while I was there, but her son, not realising, had apparently already fed them. *Sigh* Maybe next time.<br>

Anyway, I did mange to grab a shot of this Orange Dart butterfly, so called because of their short and jerky flight. Initially, I though it might be a type of moth, but after some research, found that it was indeed a butterfly, but one that rests with its hindwings partly open. </p><div></div>

<p>Great that you were able to determine that, Anthea. I spotted this specie in GC next to Colo River and was wondering myself.</p>

<p>Bit of a silhouette for a change.</p><div></div>