Raucous Blue Jay

I have always admired the beauty of the colorful Blue Jay. As a young hunter I was frequently disturbed when a flock of Jays discovered me and sounded the alarm with their incessant calling. As my outdoor experience grew I soon realized that most woodland creatures ignore the Jays. Perhaps they have learned the Jay is much like the character in Aesop’s Fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

I recently learned an interesting fact about the Jay. The striking blue coloration of their feathers is not the result of pigmentation but is rather the result of light refraction caused by the internal structure of the feather. Wikipedia explains that if one crushes a blue feather the color fades as the feather structure is destroyed.

I have tried repeatedly over the last few days to obtain a good photograph of a Blue Jay. Low light, harsh sunlight, shadows, motion blur, missed focus, poor backgrounds etc. have been the common obstacles. I cannot say I am completely satisfied with this shot but suffice it to say it is the best I have obtained to date.

Falling Leaves

This evening’s blustery wind was busily ripping the few remaining leaves from the trees

After noticing the leaves sailing through the air it became a challenge to capture one as it sailed by on its one way trip to the ground. This endeavor proved to be no easy task and the beautiful evening passed by all too quickly.

Last Leaf to Leave

With winter just around the corner, this single Maple Leaf tenaciously hangs on

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who visit Country Captures and in particular those who take time to post a comment. With a slow dial-up connection and my limited time I must apologize for not being able to get back to each of you frequently. I am pleased that many of you enjoy what you find here and I promise to keep fresh rural/wildlife photographs coming.

Running Buck

With deer season in full swing, this buck needs all of the speed he can muster.

I captured this image last week. I wonder if his speed and whit have been sufficient to keep his hide intact.

White-Breasted Nuthatch

The Poachers Moon

As the beautiful full moon rose on Friday evening my mind wandered back to the days when Willard and I were Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officers.

November was the month of the Deer Poacher.

Sporadic reports of night shooting would begin filtering in during August and increase with each passing week. As late November approached the calls of illegal hunting activity were coming in almost daily. The nature of the call would vary from that of late night gunshots being heard, to finding deer with only heads removed, to incidents where the landowners encountered or chased the offenders.

As Deputy Officers we worked whenever we could find time between our full time careers and family obligations. November was the month of little sleep. Weekends were spent doing long nights of patrol, often barely making it to bed before the dawn.

Watching this moon rise reminded me of those times. It reminded me of those beautiful cold clear nights standing outside our vehicles watching and listening for the poachers. By the light of the moon the dark shapes of deer would frequently pass by. The bark of a fox was always a pleasure to hear. The howls of the coyotes would sometimes filter past on the breeze. Along with the quiet sounds of nature were other sounds, squealing tires, roaring engines, blaring two-way radios and wailing sirens.

Night Patrol was my favorite part of the job. Catching the criminals, who think that it is great fun to drive the country roads late at night shining a light into animal’s eyes and then gunning them down, that was what made the job worthwhile.

Flying South

With the mercury hovering around 20 deg F this morning the inclination to follow the geese is strong. Unlike the geese I must stay here to face yet another winter.

Where did we humans go wrong? We proudly say we live in freedom but we must only look to the birds to see an example of true freedom.

Consider the life of a Wild Goose; energy, home building, food prices, insurance, taxes, education, child care, and health care are of no concern. The goose is not bound by any laws. He goes where he pleases, gathers food where ever he finds it, and rest wherever he pleases. He has no concern for water bills or sewer; why only yesterday as I jumped into my truck I noticed where a high flying goose had “bombed” my bed mounted toolbox making a total mess of it and the rear window.

Looking up at a flock of high flying geese I see freedom, true freedom; a freedom that for we humans is utterly unattainable.

Autumn Bulrushes

The soft browns of the bulrushes against the small lake in the background caught my attention. This shot was taken moments before the sun set.

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

This morning while photographing with Willard we encountered a flock of Eastern Wild Turkey Gobblers, just in time for Thanksgiving!

As the Pennsylvania turkey hunting season is past; Thanksgiving should present no problem for this beautiful Gobbler.

Frosted Pine Needles

Temperatures were hovering just below the freezing point and a heavy fog enveloped Sidling Hill Mountain on Monday. As I reached the summit I was pleased to see the woodland turned into a winter wonderland by the exceedingly heavy frost.

If it were not for photography I probably would not have stopped and noticed the unique pattern the frost had formed. Photography has taught me to “see” as I have never seen before and to notice that which I once would have never given a second glance. In doing so I have found beauty that most will never see.

I expect that those of you who visit my blog feel exactly the same and we all are richer for the experience.