Birds and a Panamint
Yup…more birds, and a BEAUTIFUL Panamint I found with my daughter…
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- Panamint rattler-Crotalus stephensi
That little Panamint was awesome. He was being harassed by a Raven that was evidently trying to keep him in the road to be run over. Lucky for the snake, not so much for the Raven, we were the first car to come along, so I scared off the raven, grabbed my snake hook, and moved the little guy out of the road.
Thanks for looking!
The Buttermilks and Mono Lake
Turkey Vulture
- Panamint Rattler–Crotalus stephensi
- Panamint Rattler–Crotalus stephensi
It was quite a lovely day…
- Kevin trying to get the shot
- Little Peak
- Buttermilk Ridgeline
Kevin’s flight back home was this afternoon, so we left the house around 5am, and headed up to Mono Lake, to get some early morning shots before he had to go. It was another spectacular day…
- Mono Lake Tufa
- Looking for a shot
- South Tufa Portrait
This has been one of the most incredible weeks of my life. I’m really glad I took a chance and reached out to my son. I’m even more thrilled that he responded positively. I think we have a good thing to build on here…
Thanks for taking the time to look!
What a GORGEOUS Day!!
Ahh…it felt like Spring. Hell, it almost felt like summer! Woke up to a gorgeous sunrise, and had my first cup of coffee on the front porch listening to the sparrows as the sun crept up over the hills…
Sparrow at Sunrise
I got home from work and the Sphinx moths were back out, only this time they were after the freshly blossomed lilacs…
I had to go down to Big Pine to water some animals for a friend who is out of town. For giggles, I cruised up one of my favorite roads to see if by chance the snakes were awake, and wouldn’t you know it…
Panamint Rattlesnake--Crotalus stephensi
This little juvenile Panamint was very cool, chilling in the road on the way back down. So it’s official. First snake of the year means spring is officially here! I don’t care the weather thinks…
Thanks for looking!
More Flowers…and Snakes…
Yup…it’s that time of year. The time we photographers live for. The time of year when everywhere you look there is something worth shooting…
Cultivated Honeysuckle
Cultivated Columbine
Cultivated and monsterous flower of some sort...
Sub-adult Panamint Rattlesnake
Thanks for taking the time to look!
Panamint Alley
Took a cruise with John to Old Faithful last night. We thought it was about time to play with a rattlesnake, so we went to one of my favorite Panamint cruising roads. As luck would have it, we found 3 juvenile Panamint Rattlesnakes (Crotalus stephensi)!
Over the last few years, this road has been quite predictable and consistent in it’s Panamint offerings. I think I’m gonna continue cruising here, because frankly…I love me some Panamints!
Thanks for looking!
Old Shots Re-visited
I got a new monitor. YAY for ME!! It is WAY better than the old piece of shit I was using. Since getting it, I have been able to properly calibrate it, so that I can actually view my images the way everyone else sees them!
See…up until now…when I’ve been processing photos, I have been acutely aware of my monitor’s shortcomings, and “guessing” where the photos needed to be to ook right to other people. Well…them days are over!
I remembered taking a bunch of photos that I never processed because I simply couldn’t get them to look good on the old monitor. SO I have re-visited some of these images, and managed to properly process them. So here they are!
Great Basin Gophersnake
Great Basin Gophersnake
Panamint Rattlesnake
Desert Nightsnake
And a closeup shot of a REALLY creepy Dobson Fly I took last night:
Creepy, creepy face. Must be an alien...
Thanks for taking the time to look!!
Riding Along in my Automobile…
Yup…You guessed it! I went for a quick little road cruise the other night in search of my favorite rattlesnake. We left early, hoping to spot a Desert Striped Whipsnake or a Red Coachwhip before the sun set, but unfortunately, luck was not on our side. We did get to see a pretty decent view, though…
Looking east at sunset
Rusted out cement mixer from about 50 years ago...
We did manage to round up a lonely Panamint…
10 buttons, good size, and calm
This was a very calm snake. It didn’t even rattle at me. It tried to get away, but posed long enough for a couple pictures, at least.
Anyhow…thanks for taking a look!
Old Faithful
Last night, my friend John gave me a call. He wanted to go find some snakes. So we went for a quick cruise, along with my daughter, to a road that has become known as “Old Faithful”.
Why Old Faithful? Well…because it is one road, close to town, about 7 miles in length from one end to the other, that almost always produces snakes…and usually a Panamint or two. Last fall, after eggs hatched and litters were born, it was not uncommon to find 10 or 12 babie snakes in one night. This spring has proven just as fruitful, giving up beautiful Panamints, Longnose, and Great Basin gophersnakes everytime we’ve decided to cruise it.
And last night was no different…
Sub-adult
This small-ish sub-adult was really cool. He only gave a coupl quick buzzes of the tail, and settled right down. He was quite content letting us get some photos…
Juvenile
This little juvenile tried to buzz…but he only had one button.
Friends?
Don’t he look cute sitting there with an ant on his head? I think they are friends…
Thanks for looking!
Another Pretty Panamint
Found another stunning adult Panamint this evening. She was actually quite the surprise. I was out in the early evening looking for coachwhips, whipsnakes, and patchnose. They are diurnal and like it hot, so I was cruising around 6pm when it was around 93*F, and sure enough, this pretty girl was sunning herself in the middle of the road. You can see her tail is rattling 100 miles an hour…
Hiding under a bush
Just off the road
We saw a couple of DOR patchnose, and one sub-adult DOR Red Coachwhip, but I really don’t like photographing dead snakes unless they are rare. Unfortuantely, I see DOR patchnose and coachwhips all the time…
Anyhow…Thanks for looking!
