Young Red Tail Hawk

Red tail hawks are common throughout most of the Appalachian Mountains, but winter is probably the best time to see these birds of prey. It may be because they have to cover more territory to find food and become less wary of humans in this effort-as their concentration is focused elsewhere. Or, it may be simply that they are less hidden by foliage. Either way, it seems that winter is the best time.

Often young hawks will allow you to get really close, or like this little guy, they may get really close to you. This young red tail flew from a branch across a cornfield to perch right above my head to investigate my activities. After providing me with a short portrait session, the hawk then flew to a nearby branch to watch fly-fishermen. I wonder if it thought it might somehow make a meal out of a fisherman's catch...

New Year, New Snow

We finally got a decent dose of snow here in the NC High Country! Just in time for the new year, too. I'm currently working on a project about protecting mountain waterways and the importance of riparian buffers. This image was made in Roaring Creek, deep in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and shows a good example of a creek with a healthy riparian buffer.

More videos to come!

Price Lake Sunset Timelapse

Price Lake Sunset Timelapse from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.

I love making time-lapse videos. This short sequence was shot yesterday evening at Price Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I may very well use it in a project I'm doing on watershed conservation in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

North Carolina's Elk Herd

Cataloochee Elk Herd from Wild Angle Media on Vimeo.

This short video was made of clips from my recent trip to the Cataloochee Valley near Asheville, North Carolina. Cataloochee is home to NC's elk population, which were extinct in NC until released into Haywood County several years ago. Now about 140 elk are in the wild here. Each year thousands of spectators gather at Cataloochee to see the rut. Listen to the legendary bugle!

Grand Manan Time-lapse

This video was made at Southwest Head on Grand Manan last week...as you can see, a great place to view sunsets!

Whale Watching

Whale watching in the Bay of Fundy is a great way to experience our planet's largest mammals. If you're ever in Maine or New Brunswick, Sea Watch Tours (from Grand Manan) and their experienced and knowledgeable staff offer opportunities to view Humpbacks and Finbacks in the north Atlantic. I highly recommend that people take advantage of tours like these. It provides a chance to learn and gain great appreciation for endangered and seldom seen wildlife.

Grand Manan So Far

 

It's been a great week for images on Grand Manan this week. So far, I've been whale watching in the Bay of Fundy, seen tons of seabirds, and seals too. Now to begin the long editing process...expect images to hit the blog and facebook page soon!