… late morning we were following a couple of coyotes as they worked their way down one side of a narrow channel at the north end of Lake Pleasant … got some neat shots as they worked their way in and out of the bushes. When we neared the end of the channel, they circled around the back end of it and started up a hill. At that time a Great Blue Heron landed near the shore and began fishing … the sonar showed an abundance of bait fish near the surface so we expected some good shots as he collected lunch from the quiet waters. There is nothing like the arrow like strike as the heron’s head pierces the glassy surface and comes up with a fish in his beak.

One of the coyotes saw the heron land and came back down to the shore with intentions of getting a little lunch himself … he closed in on the heron as quietly as a creature can on terrain like this. Just before he would have had heron tartare, the heron sensed his presence and catapulted himself into the air just in time to avoid being lunch.

To give you an idea of close the coyote was, my depth of field on this shot was just under eight feet … 3.9 feet in front of the focal point and 4.2 feet behind the focal point, which in this shot was the breast of the heron. The coyote is in perfect focus which means he was less than four feet behind the heron when I took this shot.

If you work hard enough at your chosen profession and practice it daily, you occasionally get lucky, and if you love what you do, you are blessed.

The kids (owlets) are growing and still in the cave/nest … the last pass by there today we saw that mom was there, but she was too far back in the cave to get a decent shot.

May send out another photo tomorrow evening of a Red Wing Blackbird I got. Preliminary glance makes it likely my best shot of one in flight. Got it back in the forest at the north end of Castle Creek. A forest of mostly Tamarix trees partially submerged. We get some terrific shots in there when we have enough visibility. (closing out another 22 hour day … it has been great!)

Have a beautiful day … smile and keep breathing … you get to choose how you perceive each event of each day … choose joy!

Cheers,
Ted

The Dawn
One morn I rose and looked upon the world.”Have I been blind until this hour/” I said.O’er every trembling leaf the sun had spread,And was like golden tapestry unfurled;And as the moments passed more light was hurled Upon the drinking earth athirst for light And I, beholding all this wondrous sight,Cried out aloud, “O God, I love Thy world!”And since that waking, often I drink deep The joy of dawn, and peace abides with me;And though I know that I again shall see Dark fear with withered hand approach my sleep,More sure am I when lonely night shall flee,At dawn the sun will bring good cheer to me.
Max Ehrmann