Penstemon and Mexican Poppies

Continuing with wildflowers for now, here we have Penstemon (the purple flowers in the foreground) and Mexican Poppies. Photographing wildflowers is one of those very acceptable "interruptions" (for me) from moose, elk, bear, etc.  And, although a "macro photographer" would probably be able to take much better photos, I can get some wonderful color and composition. And, since most people have digital cameras, there are wonderful opportunities (for all) in the Tucson area now to have fun trying different angles, distances, compositions, and focuses. There is such a wide variety of wildflowers that you can get many different colors too. And, as you look at the photos you have taken, you realize that you have been able to capture some of nature's most beautiful and totally "wild" flowers.

Wildflower Season has Arrived!

Well, another interruption from Mule Deer is in order. As I had mentioned in earlier blogs we have had an unusually wet winter. So, everyone has been anticipating a beautiful wildflower and cactus blooming season. Well, that season is upon us. And, it was worth the wait. Guests had driven up to Globe, Arizona the day before and said how beautiful the wildflowers were. So, we decided to take the same route, which included a 32 mile stretch between Winkleman and Superior (Arizona) that was supposed to be particularly nice. As you could probably guess, these are small towns. In fact, so small that the best they can do is a Motel 3. (Bad joke).  But, the report was correct, all along the way, the shoulder was filled with wildflowers of every color: purple, yellow, red, orange, and white. I'll share some of these photos with you over the next couple of days. Here we have (purple) Silvery Lupine with a few Mexican Poppies thrown in. The Audubon Society's Field Guide says that the Silvery Lupine is poisonous to livestock, although I have photos of Bison stripping the flowers off of them, so I don't know about that .... but I do know that they sure are beautiful to look at!!!

Mahleur National Wildlife Refuge - Part II

Before we leave Mahleur National Wildlife Refuge in Central Oregon I thought I would share with you one of Christine's favorite photos of mine. It is a young Mule Deer buck who had stripped the lower part of the brush of all its nutrients and was now working on the very tops -- stretching to reach them. Between Mahleur, Upper Klamath NWR in Southern Oregon, the Lower Klamath NWR in Northernmost California, and Hart Mountain NWR in Southeastern Oregon, you have within a couple hundred miles or so, several wonderful wildlife viewing opportunities.

Mule Deer at Mahleur

Another wonderful wildlife viewing spot is Mahleur National Wildlife Refuge in Central Oregon. It was established on August 18, 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt as the Lake Malheur Reservation. Roosevelt set aside unclaimed lands encompassed by Malheur, Mud and Harney Lakes “as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.” The newly established “Lake Malheur Reservation” was the 19th of 51 wildlife refuges created by Roosevelt during his tenure as president. At the time, Malheur was the third refuge in Oregon and one of only six refuges west of the Mississippi. As I continue my coverage of Mule Deer, I was reminded of this photo taken at Mahleur NWR. The LBB (little brown bird) would appear to have a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the deer. 

Chiricahua Mexican Jay

I will have to come back to Mule Deer later. We went to the Chiricahua National Monument to hike the Echo Canyon Trail. The Echo Canyon Trail is in my "Top Five" best hikes for its sheer beauty. (The Redwood National Park is another). As many of you know, there are certain birds that seem to hang around picnic areas. The Mexican Jay is one such bird. And so, if you spend much time picnicking in Arizona mountain wilderness country, you are likely to see the Mexican Jay. And, in fact, likely to get a decent photo. So, it is not really a rare bird; or, a difficult bird to photograph. And, yet there are occasions when you get a photo that turns out better than expected -- one you can be particularly pleased with. This is one of those.

Hart Mountain Mule Deer

Once on Hart Mountain NWR (in Oregon) and while looking for pronghorn, I came across this Mule Deer buck. He didn't have a huge rack of antlers, but something about the composition struck me. And, although I hadn't found any pronghorn yet, I felt confident that I would find and would be able to photograph them, so decided that this deer was worth pursuing. Good decision. Sometimes, when animals see you they run away; sometimes they walk away; and sometimes they decide to pose for a photo. This was obviously the latter. I have sold a great many of these as winter holiday greeting cards.

Hop, Hop, Hopping and We Are Not Talking the Easter Bunny

On to Mule Deer. I was headed to Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Oregon to look for Pronghorn. As I came down the Fremont National Forest into the valley and turned north at Adel (population 12), I saw a dozen or so Mule Deer just to the right of the road near some water. I had this premonition that they would not want to stay out in the open and would likely cross the road in front of me and head up the mountain. I realized that if they did that they would have to hop a fence. So, I drove the car into a position where I could get a clear view of the fence out of the driver's side window. I wanted to remain in the car to use somewhat as a "blind."  And, sure enough those Mule Deer obliged. This was back in the 35mm film days, but, I snapped as many pictures as I could. It is a photo that reminds me that the story that goes with every photo is a memory I cherish and is as important (to me) as the photo itself.