Moose News Blog

Very endangered, the hen is in a brood pen with its ten chicks while the chicks grows under the protection of the temporary home. These critters are on the bottom of the food chain, they are meant to be eaten which when you’re endangered, isn’t a good place to be on the pyramid. The hen’s name comes from its very unfriendly greetings during the every other hour feeding. Aggressively “greeting” you at the pen’s door is her trademark. She does this because she is such a good mom, protecting her chicks making sure they have the very best opportunity for survival.

Photo captured by D2Hs, 12-24DX on Lexar digital film

Mike is showing off the new primaries on this 4+ day old chick just before it gets weighed and cased. The chicks and their mom get a new home every other day for the chick’s 1st two weeks of life to give them better odds of survival. This single photo in no way depicts all the time, energy and heart that goes into the survival of this very endangered species!

Photo captured by D2Hs, 17-55AFS w/SB-800 on Lexar digital film

Aaaaahhhhhhh! There is nothing cuter, cuter than baby birds and these are just hours old. Three were still wet and in the nest, and these six are part of the 10 chick brood out exploring the area. At one point, two chicks climbed into the shade of the 105micro stopping my shooting for the moment. Yeah, I was lying on the ground where the real photography was happening. Regrettably, my other camera body was out of reach and because they are an endangered species, I had to just wait and chuckle at being out foxed by a couple of 2 hour old chicks.

Photo captured by D2Hs, 105VR on Lexar digital film.

Yeap, I’m cleaning up on this project! This project, which I won’t say what it is until I leave this week, is more intense and diverse than probably any other I’ve done in a long time. Here, Wade is literally doing what the biologists call sweeping. They collect up to 10,000 live, wild insects everyday here that are used as live feed. My comment as I took this photo was, “at least they don’t issue you tweasers!” I spent the afternoon with the Stacey who put out all the insects to feed the chicks. A long, 13hr, killer day…just finished filling the 1100 images and will be out again in 6hrs shooting. I love it!

Photo captured by D2Hs, 200f2VR on Lexar digital film

I’m down in TX starting a new project (stay tuned). I was advised to take the longer, but prettier drive down Hwy 71. The advise was excellent! I believe these are flowers from the old Lady Bird Johnson beautification program but however they arrived here, they are quite stunning. I was dodging thunderstorms when I came upon this knoll with spotty light. If there wasn’t a field being burnt off in the distance, it would have been perfect.

Photo captured by D200, 12-24DX on Lexar digital film.