Red Handed Bandit (pix)

OK.. first a little story…. I was out in my backyard the other day.. trying to get some pix of the many migrant and resident birds that I have here right now… really quite amazing whats here at the momment… well.. so there I was, sitting all camoed up.. behind my camo blind… when suddenly the birds and squoils took off… this happens now and then.. who knows why.. wild animals are pretty flighty… so its not unusual for them to all blast off… but something told me this time might be different.. so I looked up hill to my right where a faint sound drew my attention and there staring back at me was a black bear!.. well I suppose all of you would have kept you cool and taken a shot right then and there…. but I was a bit taken aback… and I yelled in suprise and jumped to my feet…. the bear must have jumped 2-3 feet straight up himself.. as I guess I scared the pi$$ out of him too….. and off he went down over the edge of the hill… *sigh*.. not even a photo!!… but all was not lost… and today at almost exactly the same time he returned to the scene of the crime… but this time I had moved my blind (inside the house).. and shot him from the window…. I have this funny feeling Ill be seeing this guy again soon…..

ok.. guess I havent posted pix for a while.. other than the couple after the storm shots the otherday… so what have I been up too? working on getting better.. its a slow process… heres some examples of my recent stuff…
heres an Indigo Bunting in my backyard…

Here a curious Red Squirrel got into camera range….

It appears to me that you have three new friends. I would beware of the first new friend though.

Thanks, Bill

Male Red Breasted Grossbeak.. a common visitor to my backyard….

Of course he had to bring along the little lady… so here is Mrs Grossbeak….

then of course the ever popular Tree Sparrow….

Just like with Fish.. if there is bait around the predators are close by… heres a Goshawk (I think, a bit too big for a coopers and WAY to big for a sharpshinned)…. sitting at the end of my Driveway…

Hi Bill!… you snuck in here on me while I was loading all these pix up!.. yep.. gotta a lot of new friends… but that BIG one I think wants to give me a BIG hug… hmmmm he looks pretty brawny though so Im a bit leary about it….

Don’t blame ya. He looks a little scarey to me. He must be the kind of friend thats best to be a long distance pen pal. Thanks for the pics. You sure have alot of talent at taking them.
Thanks, Bill

I like the Bear picture…He looks like me when i’m at the table looking for my dinner

Is that last year’s little wonderer (bear)?

you know Pup… it COULD be last years little wanderer.. he is pulling the same stunts… visiting daily at a “chosen” time of day.. during daylight hours yet.. but man.. they can sure grow in a year… last year he could barely stand up to get to that food… he dont have any trouble now!…..

I don’t recall what the growth rates are for black bears but I’ve always been under the impression that the first year away from mom is a tremendous growth spurt. Could be wrong……. maybe I’ll have to go to the “libary”.

SUPER PICTURES OF THE BIRDS. BEAUTIFUL. THE STORM PICTURES WERE OUTSTANDING ALSO. AS MUCH AS US HUMANS ARE TRYING TO ALTER MOTHER NATURE IT STILL SHOWS US THE REAL BEAUTY WHEN LEFT TO PAINT ITS OWN PICTURE.

GUNDEZ-71

GUNDEZ-71

remember when I wrote about having a funny feeling I would be seeing that bear again soon? *sheese* what an understatement.. he spent more time over here today than our neighbors golden retriever (also named bear.. hmmmm interesting!)….. for a long time if I wanted to see a bear I just looked out my office window.. he was sleeping right there by a big oak…. and of course he helped himself to more bird seed… the birds and squoils are NOT liking our new pet very much…. I see he has been tearing down bird houses and helping himself to eggs/chicks… Im not really sure how big he is.. but when he stands up (which he does pretty often!) he looks very tall….. none of my full standing shots have come out.. but here he is partly standing….

and eating with his elbows on the table… (bad manners I guess!)

Thanks Ken, those are super. might also be good to keep your blinds closed so he can’t see in, so then he won’t decide to want to go in. keep’em coming. Jack..

RiverEyes, Your pictures are always great , but I have to ask….

Don’t you think it’s a bad thing to have a bear getting comfortable around your home?

Kinda looks like a big hairy guy leaning on the bar wondering who is buying the next round??

It looks strangley like a cross between Big D and Mike Little!!!
Great pics!
Tuck

hey river,

the wife really like the bird pictures. you do have a good nack at catching them, it seems like you are just sitting on the other branch in the same tree. I wish i sure could catch them like that. I almost had a male oriole the other day, just couldn’t get to the camera fast enough.

keep on clicking them pics eyes, i enjoy them.

shane

Hi Shane…
you know what? I had a female oriole right outside the window today… the camera was right next to me.. I powered it up.. and powered up the auxilary flash (the shot was shaded)…. and looked through the viewer.. hmmmmmm why is everything black? duh… lens cap!! well you dont get many chances in the wildlife shooting biz… guess I missed that one…..
but I did get this one… a Wood Thrush.. a very difficult bird to photo.. they are in constant movement on the “dark” forrest floor relentlessly looking for bugs… he jumped on the stump and I shot.. and he jumped back into the dense underbrush…

Hey Rivereyes,
have you shot any of these yet this year? My dad came across this guy on his place when he was out burning some brush & tree stumps today, he gave me a call and I rushed out with my camera. The fawn never moved a muscle.

Hi Steve…
I would be VERY happy to find and “shoot” one of those cute little guys.. a couple of years ago “mom” left one about 30 feet from my front door…. mostly the animals Ive been shooting are smaller… or LARGER.. (as in bear size) the bear has “plagued” us daily/nightly….. and its not unusual to look out and see him ambling by or laying right here by my office window… I have a number of new pix of him that I wills sort through and put up a good one or two…. the other day I put up a “indestructable” birdfeeder… I kind of wondered how that would go…. well.. I guess Ill never know…. the next day it was GONE… and I searched out land (5 acres) and never found a sign of it… guess he had to take it back to his workshot to open it…. though someone else suggested that maybe he returned it to Wal-mart in exchange for bird seed…. hmmmmm but I checked my receipt and he did not get that!

ever seen a squirrel doing callistentics? this guy was REALLY doing pushups!…