JDW Photos and Life

We travel to many locations on this ranch looking for birds. We are watching tree-lines and listening to calls while looking for the right lighting. We spent 4 or 5 hours capturing these images and a fair portion of that was waiting and seeing nothing. That's OK and not so much different than fishing. The company is good and enjoying nature is part of the experience. Occasionally grabbing a few photos like these make for great memories. We found another painted bunting as he was foraging on the ground. He was probably looking for insects though we did not see him eat anything this day. Just like in the trees, they don't stay in one place for long. Those beautiful colors are likely a liability when it comes to evading a predator! In a blink of the eye, he is flying off again. Enjoy another double photo post today. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

You know me.... As we wait for another bird to show up, we look for anything to photograph. This little skipper butterfly landed on a thistle flower and made for a good capture. He's not a very colorful butterfly but you have to capture what nature give you. This guy was 20-30 feet away (best I remember) and I could still capture this level of detail. The technology is amazing. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

This guy dove back down into cover and provided another spectacular shot in good light. Something caught his attention as he was looking over his shoulder and about to leave once again. You see the light is getting a bit harsh. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

It is not often that you see a painted bunting not buried deep in the brush or tree. This guy made a trip to the treetop so his song could carry further I guess. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

After taking a ton of photos of the first painted bunting, we moved to another location and found another one not surrounded by smilax (a hated thorny, invasive vine). This guy was more hesitant to be in the full open as you see in the first picture. Just like all small birds, they don't stay in one place very long before taking flight. I lucked out with another decent in-flight photo in the second photo (too blurred to be called a good photo). I like the background bokeh in the second shot. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

Yes, another painted bunting photo. When you get lucky enough to find these guys and then get decent photos, you just have to accept that there will be many photos to share. It is hard to pick a favorite shot. This guy was checking us out with the sun catching his colors nicely. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

These guys are tough to photograph once you find them. They show themselves for a second and then disappear into the deep thicket. They then reappear quickly moving from branch to branch in and out of light. The camera exposure is entirely in manual mode as automatic settings get very confused with light and dark backgrounds. This is the typical shot where he is a bit obscured in the shadows. The light hit him for just a couple of seconds as he paused to sing his song reminding us that this was his territory. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

The photo yesterday showed the painted bunting preparing to depart. The photo today is the next frame using an electronic shutter at 20 frames/second. The time difference between the two photos is literally a blink of your eye. It is easy to compare the two photos and see the same branch and leaves to see the bird has moved just a few inches in that time. I didn't have the shutter speed quite high enough (1/1000 sec is slow for this action) to fully freeze the wing motion but I am still very pleased with the results showing the beautiful colors of this bird. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

As the painted bunting stayed on the move in the bramble, you start being able to anticipate his moves (barely). Here, he is in the pre-flight crouch. This pose only lasts for a fraction of a second before he takes flight. That speed is even more obvious as I'm looking through the camera trying to maintain focus and framing knowing it is all about to change. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

The painted bunting would fly in and out of the treeline / tangle of vines. Every once in a while, he would land in the open light instead of deep in the shadows. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

This little beauty was the real reason for my trip to the Waco ranch. Painted buntings are an absolute treasure in Texas. They are relatively common but no less spectacular. In the spring, they are establishing territory, finding mates, and establishing nests. We found this guy in a line of trees adjacent to the jack rabbits. He flew down to the rocks in the dry creek bed and was fluttering his wings in a shimmer and telling us this was HIS domain. His feathers were vibrating on his back in the direct sunlight causing an odd blur effect on his upper back despite the 1/1000 shutter speed and clear focus elsewhere. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

A bit long today and no original photos... Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. We all see the memes to cherish the times but those words are easier to copy/paste than to live by. Dad died in August 2019 after 89 years. In hindsight, it is amazing how it all worked out. He would not have dealt with the COVID mess very well nor the increased political turmoil since. In his last years, he spent too much time watching Fox News but stayed in touch with the gossip of The Clairmont (assisted living location). He passed in less than a day after falling ill - as good an ending as I could hope knowing his dislike for hospitals and long decline deaths. Mom and I both look at his death with peace. Growing up on a sharecrop dryland wheat farm/ranch was a different experience than most of my peers. Dad had to balance so many things including how to get work done. Children get pulled into the workstream at a young age on a farm and I was no different. Being the only boy, I had a larger

We continued to "chase" these rabbits for longer than I would have ever anticipated. We kept hoping for a photo (took nearly 300) with them close enough to capture better detail and in good light. These guys were very persistent in staying between us and the sun with practically every photo severely backlit. We finally were able to close the distance a bit but never cleanly solved the backlight problem. This is my best photo of this big jack as we were about 20 yards away. The backlight again highlighted the ear detail while the photo also shows the whiskers with the backlight. Full grown jack rabbits are odd looking creatures when seen in detail. Their face is rather elongated compared to bunny rabbits. The front legs always look fragile in comparison but serve mostly as balance as the hind legs do the majority of work. The second photo (bonus today) shows one of the rabbits in action staying in front of us. It provides a better view of the legs and tail. The rabbits were no

This little group of three jack rabbits led us all through this pasture keeping about 50-75 yards between us. The sun was in our face backlighting the rabbits for the majority of the time. Fortunately, we were on a golf cart during this cat and mouse (photographer and rabbit) game. We would try to position ourselves for a better shot and they would move to a less-prime location, look back at us, and laugh. If you ever wondered about the design of a jack rabbit, this shot tells you something. Those huge ears are not just about hearing predators. The backlight provided a great view of the ear structure with the supply of blood acting as a radiator to deal with the Texas heat. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

I took another trip to Waco in late May to visit the ranch with Spencer again. The first thing we see driving into the property was several adult jack rabbits. Jack rabbits have a special place in my memories growing up. As I plowed the fields in the spring, it was pretty common to stir up jack rabbit nests with a handful of youngsters. Some of the smallest were convinced they were camouflaged well enough to not run from the tractor. What they didn't realize was that I had 15-20 feet of plow to my side that would not be so easy to evade. If our dog (another story) was not with me, I would stop the tractor before plowing over the babies and chase them away. Sometimes I couldn't keep myself from catching several of them. I would have a cardboard box on the tractor to hold them until I got back to the truck where they got placed in the shade with some water. More than once, we raised 3-4 jack rabbits in the bathtub in our house feeding them milk until they were weened and then we

It's been a good 24 days sharing our 3-4 hour trek in Palo Duro Canyon in early May. This is the last photo I took in the canyon that day and it is a good one to end this portion of the blog. This is the Lighthouse rock formation taken from the far end of the table. It really is a majestic formation worthy of being the signature rock of the canyon. For those that want to know more of the geologic detail of the canyon, I found a wonderful (and free) e-book at the following link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/52179/52179-h/52179-h.htm#c9 Some of the information is a little dated but I loved it as it matches my memories around my high school adventures. No, I have not read all of it but what I have read is very interesting. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

Another perspective photo. This is the formation opposite of the Lighthouse. There are still a couple of guys on the very top (barely seen in the top crevice). Josh wanted to explore the trail for curiosity sake. You see him standing on the ridge to the right about 1/3 of the way up. The next "step" to go past that point was a bit of a leap up to catch a ledge and then he would have to pull himself up to that level. He wisely decided to not take that risk though he bet his older brother would have already been there! I include a second photo in this message that is a close crop of the first photo. As I edited this photo, the rock profile above and to the left of Josh reminded me of a Mario Brothers character profile - the chin, nose, eye, mustache, cap - it is nearly perfect! You also see that the vulture was still keeping an eye on us. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

A view of the Lighthouse from up close standing on the table. The vulture in the sky may have been foretelling of how my right hip felt by the time we got back to the car ! Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

As we stood on the table between the two towers, we had a gorgeous view of the canyon. This panoramic view is composed of three photos with the Lighthouse tower in the far right of the photo. You will really want to look at the photo on something larger than a phone. It is one of the largest files I have sent. I'm hoping it goes through everybody's e-mail system OK. You can also view the photo on the blog by opening the post and then clicking on the photo. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

My climbing buddy Josh on the table between the two towers. You can see from the shadows that the sun is high in the sky and it was clearly hotter than when we started the hike. Yes, you see two guys on top of the far formation. I could take them out of the pic easy enough but decided to leave them in for a perspective a scale. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

A late delivery today due to the internet in our neighborhood being down this morning. I offer yet another view of the Lighthouse formation. This shot give a little more perspective of the trail leading up to the formation. The sun is getting a bit harsh for photography at this point but it is still a beautiful day. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

Another shot from a slightly different angle. Every view adds its own perspective. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

A pretty classic shot (and probably my favorite of the trip) of the formation and the trail leading to it (this portion of the trail is not what was steep). Fortunately, there were only a few people ahead of us and they were easy enough to remove during the edit. Like so many popular sites, getting shots without people is nearly impossible these days. Yes, I am sure I hindered somebody's shot also. This one may actually get printed . Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

We are finally at the base of the Lighthouse. We have to make a decision whether to continue the hike as the trail became much more rugged - particularly when we head down the wrong trail. The trail from the picnic table at the base of the formation is MUCH less worn due to the more difficult climb. We are a bit tired after the 3 mile hike so we take a break to make a decision. Josh and I decide to go the remaining distance. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

Another scenic shot to enjoy. I'm sure cell phone cameras do a lot of this but I remain sold on the color depth and lens clarity of my camera - despite its weight and bulk. Call me old school - it's a compliment to me. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

First, answers from the rock formation yesterday. Thanks for those that replied! If I get replies after this e-mail, I will update the answers on the blog post if you are interested. I also have a closer crop of the formation in the second photo of this message. Native American looking at the sun A laying lion surveying its kingdom Old man with a big nose Large lizard on top poking his head over the top ( Large Gila Monster) I see a man with long hair running along a trail A lion A face looking up with a slight breeze Indian chief Harbor seal The bust of a lone Indian with the traditional "Roman "  prominent broken nose Old Indian chief looking over the canyon! My original thought on the trail: A Komodo Dragon looking down at us. Looking at the close crop photo, it may be an Egyptian sphynx (or Native Indian) with some kind of headdress. My hiking partners catching up with me after they stopped to watch lizards without telling me they had stopped. Notice that one of them has

"Just" another pretty view of the canyon with no specific subject. We had a beautiful day for a hike. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

During a water break, I look around and see this rock formation opposite of where we are heading. My imagination runs along the lines of seeing images in cloud formations. What do you think it looks like? I'll reveal my answer tomorrow (and any from those that reply). I'll have to try and remember what my 3 hiking partners answered. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

Had to grab a tourist shot of Lauren and Josh. The Lighthouse is still a good distance away(about 1 mile). You can see what I mean that the trail is heavily worn. These deep cuts were there from the parking lot to just before the base of the formation where they became less defined (and much more vertical). The morning coolness was about gone. Lauren's pull-over didn't last much longer. Everybody had the long sleeve fishing shirts that were perfect for this hike. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/

As we continued our hike to the Lighthouse, I saw some cedars framing the formation nicely making a near iconic photo. We still have over a mile to hike at this point. The shadow of yesterday is from the death of our niece. I was not certain if the word had been spread - thus the lack of details yesterday. Allison was the daughter of my younger sister, Amy, that died this past September. Allie had a challenging life from the time of birth forward. She was a part of Amy (major understatement) and we can assume that stress may have played a role this week. She is reunited with Amy and my dad - two very difficult deaths for her. It has been a difficult road for the family in general but even more so for my brother-in-law Barry. He is a strong and faithful man that has lost his wife, daughter (not biological but absolutely the father figure for 31 years), and both parents in the recent past. He should be the focus of your thoughts and prayers. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot

I debated whether to send this today. My heart is heavy from a significant event yesterday and sending out another photo could seem uncaring to those involved (many on this distribution list). As you see, I decided to send. This photo was the next in line regardless of yesterday yet it somehow fits the timing. This is another rock face hidden in the shadows of the morning sun rising directly behind the peak. I originally had a different edit minimizing the shadows to better show the colors and rock. This morning I decided to leave the formation in the shadows as a reminder that dark times have God's light at your back to chase away the shadows with time. Thanks, Doug White https://jdwarchive.blogspot.com/