Bryan Holliday Photography

My Blog Has Moved!

2009-12-17T01:43:00.003-05:00

I have decided for various reasons to move my blog to a new site. It's now at www.bryanholliday.wordpress.com.

If you would like to easily follow from the new location, there is a box you can click on to subscribe to the blog and therefore receive an email notifying you of new updates!

Thanks so much for following thus far and I'll see you over at the new place...

Bryan

Birding in Phoenix

2009-11-10T14:38:00.005-05:00

Verdin - Gilbert Water Ranch

After living in the country so long and spending most of my time in rural and wilderness areas, I am beginning to realize the benefits of urban birding. Especially in the desert. Wherever there is water, there are birds. This water may be waste water from our toilets and showers or reclaimed agricultural irrigation, but who cares. It's water and there are birds! These facilities are built to be as attractive as possible, so they put in and trees, shrubs, cactus, and flowering plants - which attract more birds! Many people like to enjoy the walking trails through these places, so the wildlife has become somewhat comfortable to our presence, making them the ideal birding and photography locations.

I have always tried to get out of the city to fill my nature cup, but when I can't, I head to the local water reclamation facility to "get away". And they don't smell all that bad, either.

Here's a handful of images from my latest adventures...

Clark's Grebe - Kiwanis Park, Tempe

Anna's Hummingbird - my back porch (not a wastewater facility)

Great Blue Heron - Gilbert Water Ranch

Western Grebe - Veteran's Oasis Park, Chandler

Grebe Yoga

2009-11-03T01:25:00.004-05:00

Got out this evening to a new location - Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler, AZ. They tell me there are a bunch of ponds there, but I only made it to the first one. And never got off the paved sidewalk. This Western Grebe was in a great spot on the pond and gave me the perfect sun angle to shoot. He stretched a couple times, striking this interesting pose. Other than that he just hung out. So I might visit him again with the hopes of some more action.

Gilbert Water Ranch

2009-09-05T00:47:00.003-04:00

Between working inside so much on my calendar lately and the harsh summer light and heat, I haven't been doing any serious bird photography for some time now. So I got up early the other day and headed to the Gilbert Water Ranch to see some birds and make sure I still know how to use my camera.

The Wood Stork is still present and was exploring all the pools there, but wherever I went, there was the stork. We must have been on the same agenda. He was often with lots of Great Egrets, but I finally got him alone in the viewfinder for a minute while he was cleaning himself after a round of feeding.

Black-necked Stilts were abundant and had a handful of young of the year with them. Many other birds there to photograph, but as tempting as it was to wade out into a pool to get better shots, the place is a water reclamation facility and that probably wouldn't be the best decision.

Rainy Day in the Sonoran

2009-08-19T23:10:00.003-04:00

It finally rained here in the Arizona desert. It's been a long time since we've seen any and hope we'll get more during this unimpressive monsoon season. It actually rained for most of the two days I was in southern AZ looking for birds and it felt great! I managed a few bird shots but also took the opportunity to do a little HDR scenery shooting. My fingers are crossed for some cool lightning sometime soon...

Western Kingbird in the rain

Broad-billed Hummingbird

Windmill near Sonoita, AZ

Santa Rita Mountains, AZ

Unidentified Warbler

2009-08-14T18:03:00.005-04:00

Update: Majority vote says it's a juvenile Yellow Warbler

Photographed this warbler at Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve on Aug 13 while looking for the Rufous-capped Warblers. There was some discussion about it amongst those of us there, but didn't come to a conclusion. Wondering what you all think it might be....... thanks!

HDR

2009-08-07T02:34:00.004-04:00

After learning a few new tricks with HDR (high dynamic range) photography, I pulled out my Cactus Bling shot that I posted awhile back and had a little fun with it. I was disappointed in the way the original version looked since it didn't show the colors that were there in person, which is why I converted it to black and white. This is a common thing trying to photograph something in the desert during the day. So I guess this new version makes up for the lack of color before! I'm hoping to find some new subjects to do more HDR stuff with when I'm not having good luck with the birds.

On a side note, I was shocked and saddened to find the junk has been removed from this Giant Saguaro. Guess it was a victim of a road cleanup project. So this image is now one of a kind!

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-03T03:37:00.006-04:00

Just got back a few days ago from a great trip home to the Great Lakes region. It was cool and cloudy most of the time which provided welcome relief from the relentless heat and bright sunshine of Phoenix. I didn't bring home my big lens for shooting birds, but I did bring smaller stuff to have a little fun. I plan on shooting some star trails in the desert this winter, so the star shot was basically just a test. The old light is where they used to clean fish at night near our lakehouse up in Wisconsin. And some Illinois wildflowers...

Also had the chance to try out some Nikon gear and photographed the infamous kitten named Wildfire.

New Neighbors

2009-07-14T03:37:00.004-04:00

After moving to the other side of Phoenix and putting up some new bird feeders, we have quite a few birds to enjoy. The spirited House Finches told everyone in the neighborhood there was food at our place and they all came. White-winged Doves, Inca Doves, Mourning Doves, Great Tailed Grackles, Curve-billed Thrashers, Mockingbirds and Gila Woodpeckers have shown up. Gambel's Quail are down on the ground as well as the Abert's Towhees. Verdin come around in the trees but not to the feeders. The hummingbird feeders are popular too with the House Finches, but they do give way for the Anna's Hummingbird to drink. There are many around, but one particular male likes to defend the feeders. I photographed him when he was scolding the other male just for coming near.

The other photo is a Veery last spring in Ohio. I decided to post it after finding it while going through all my bird photos for a book project. We were in the rain when I made this image.

Makes me miss birding in the Midwest!

Smokey

2009-07-06T01:23:00.002-04:00

Last week I received my final prize from the Aperture Nature Photography Workshop - a new Lensbaby Composer. I experimented with it, using my cat as a model. She certainly is beautiful enough and has the body to be a centerfold! So here she is, my beloved Smokey.

Yellowstone

2009-05-05T00:51:00.006-04:00

American Kestrel

This past week I was up in Yellowstone National Park for the Aperture Nature Photography Workshop. I was one of the four lucky amateurs to be selected out of over 2,000 to attend this workshop hosted by Apple and pro photographer Scott Bourne. The other pros were Steve Simon, Frederick Van Johnson, and Gary Hamburgh. The amateurs that also won the trip are Elyse Weadock, Olga Yiparaki, and Ara Roselani. Cathy Chung served as our historian and entertainment. We all had an amazing time with lots of learning, photography, eating and laughter. Yellowstone was incredible as always, especially with the snow and light conditions of late winter/early spring. To hear more about the workshop and everyone that was there, visit http://www.f64.com/. Here are some of my images made over the few days. Stay tuned for more...

Mule Deer

Lone Tree in Fog and Snow

Cowboy driving Bison back to Yellowstone

Common Raven squawking in the cold

Cactus Bling

2009-03-20T03:18:00.005-04:00

Happy Vernal Equinox! This Saguaro is all dressed up and ready for the return of spring...

Another Round of Arizona Birds

2009-03-20T03:05:00.005-04:00

Well I spent the past couple days wandering around southeastern Arizona, but spent the majority of my time in Madera Canyon. My original goal was to find three life birds, but things didn't go according to plan. So I threw in the towel on those birds and hung around with my camera at Madera Kubo. Met lots of nice folks and photographed a few species I haven't before. The roadrunner was at a lower elevation near Tubac.

Arizona Woodpecker

Painted Redstart

Acorn Woodpecker

Hepatic Tanager

Greater Roadrunner

California Condors

2009-03-02T21:13:00.005-05:00

Made a trip to the Grand Canyon this past week with my girlfriend, her cousin, and two brothers. We were treated to great views of the condors at the south rim. Two of them were there on the cliff just hanging out and preening one another. A third condor appeared out of thin air and joined them on the rocks for a few minutes before they all took off and soared around the bend out of sight.

With the canyon being such an enormous place and the condors so few in numbers, I certainly feel lucky to have shared half an hour with them.

Taking It Easy...

2009-02-17T16:42:00.007-05:00

I was standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona; such a fine sight to see...

Green Heron - Arizona

Bosque del Apache NWR - New Mexico

White Tank Mountains - Arizona

The cactus in the front right of this image is Teddy Bear Cholla and according to my friend Ethan Meleg, "it's evil". Well, two days later I was in the middle of lots of cholla and found a cactus wren nest in the top of one. As I leaned in to check it out, the wren flew out right into my face and caused me to step back - right into more cholla. The bulbs full of spines break right off and I had three bulbs stuck into the back of my leg - two in my thigh and one behind my knee. The spines go in all directions and seem to have barbs on them that make them difficult and painful to pull out. Just one of these bulbs puts maybe a dozen spines in your skin and how do you grab it to pull it out??? I couldn't walk without spines pulling my skin and more trying to go in, so right there by the nest I had to pull my pants down and work the spines out with various camera parts. I was in so much pain that my eyes were watering and I was yelling and swearing through the whole process which took me almost 45 minutes to complete. The saguaros must have found it one of the funniest things they've ever witnessed and the wren was scolding me the whole time. I want to go back and photograph the nest, but maybe not until I find some Kevlar pants...

Black-necked Stilt - Arizona

Prickly Pear Cactus - Arizona

My job at the Ballpark

2009-02-17T16:29:00.007-05:00

After months of hard and thankless work, Fitch Park looks great and baseball is finally here! The Cubs have been working out this past week and I've been able to meet a number of current and past players, as well as famous fans. Lee Smith showed me how to throw a few of his pitches that earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame. Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, joined the end of Fantasy Camp and I was lucky enough to share a few minutes with him. Eddie wrote a great song about the Cubs and how "someday we'll go all the way!" - he signed my ball and vinyl album and I gave him my anti-Bush t-shirt. Hopefully he'll wear it at a show sometime...

Lots more fun to come during this spring training!

Ghost Bird

2009-02-08T23:34:00.012-05:00

Just wanted to post this quick so this bird can be seen by all! On the way back north after some birding in Patagonia this morning, I checked my phone and saw a report of a leucistic American Kestrel. My reaction was "wow! a white kestrel!". Not knowing where in Arizona the bird may be, I figured I'd find out more about it later. No more than ten minutes later while driving up the two lane highway, I happened upon the white kestrel! Needless to say, my eyes bugged out and I can happily say the ABS brakes on the car are working great! I grabbed my camera, jumped out, and the bird flew off the power lines and back into the trees. I set my camera on my bean bag on the roof of the car and the kestrel flew from far back in the trees straight toward me and landed in a great spot for me to photograph him. So here are a couple of my shots. What a gorgeous bird!

Bush's Last Weekend

2009-01-17T12:44:00.008-05:00

Did you know W. has removed protection from the Grey Wolves for the second time this year? Last time he did this 110 wolves in the Yellowstone region were killed in as many days. The locals are cleaning their guns for round two. Why would he do this after all the time and money the government spent to return wolves to the northwest and restore our only complete ecosystem? I could offer some suggestions as to why, but I don't want to call him names on my blog. Maybe it was his parting shot as he leaves the white house, which for me can't come soon enough. If you don't know what I'm talking about, grab any book on the return of the wolf to yellowstone and you'll be enlightened. Maybe outraged in the end.

To put me in a better mood, I turn to sharing some of my recent shots from Arizona and Wisconsin.

Whitewater Draw - Arizona

Black-necked Stilt - Arizona

Lake Puckaway - Wisconsin

Red-tailed Hawk - Arizona

Sulpher Springs Valley - Arizona

Red-tailed Hawk - Arizona

You better watch out, you better not cry...

2008-12-24T16:19:00.005-05:00

Well I'm in Illinois for the holidays and enjoying all the winter weather here, along with a Chicago Bears victory monday night! I've been shoveling and snowblowing the continual snow - over a foot has fallen this week with more to come. There hasn't been any snowy owls around for me to photograph, so I'm pulling out some birds from back in Arizona to post. They are quick edits, as the good files (and good computer) are not with me. Happy Holidays!

Black-throated Sparrow

Curve-billed Thrasher

Loggerhead Shrike

Western Meadowlark

Vermillion Flycatcher

Desert Birds

2008-12-15T23:58:00.002-05:00

I spent some time recently photographing desert birds with my friend Ethan Meleg, who is on his year and a half photo trip of North America. You can follow his trip and the excellent images he's creating along the way at http://www.ethanmeleg.blogspot.com/. We had a great time down in the Sulpher Springs Valley of southeast Arizona. It was very windy with the winter weather arriving, but we did quite well with the conditions. Here are a couple shots from the trip now, with more to follow later. I'll be traveling home to Illinois for the next two weeks and might not have the capabilities to process more images. Maybe I'll just get out in the winter there and create some more. Anyway, enjoy the images and Happy Holidays!

Loggerhead Shrike

Northern Harrier (very difficult and frustrating bird to shoot!)

Recent Arizona

2008-11-23T20:28:00.008-05:00

New photos won't be added to my new website as quickly as they were to my old website, so I plan on showing my most recent work here on my blog. In case you haven't made the switch to my new site, it can be found at bryanholliday.com.

Here are my latest images from the southwest...

Photo 1: Northern Jacana - central and south american bird, just a few records for Arizona.

Photo 2: Another Saguaro shot, this time just the skeleton of one that died years ago.

Photo 3: A Saguaro silhouette against the rising full moon.

Photo 4: The Grand Canyon with an approaching snowstorm that was pouring over the rim and into the canyon.

Saguaro

2008-10-28T00:38:00.004-04:00

After a morning of good birding (two lifers) and not-as-good bird photography, I put away the big equipment and went for a walk in the foothills to enjoy the scenery. The light was harsh and the sun hot, but the wind kept me cool enough to keep going. A couple hours of wandering amongst the giant saguaros left me a long way from my Jeep and out of batteries. And I was thirsty. This is the beginning of what may become a collection of images from the desert.

Another World

2008-07-20T02:06:00.002-04:00

I recently took a birding trip to the Salton Sea in southern California to see some birds there that are nowhere else in the United States. The place has been described as "the most horrible, beautiful place on earth". It is exactly that and everything in between. The stench of millions of rotting fish and barnacles lining the entire sea is terrible. That combined with 115 degree heat is enough to make you choke. If you can withstand that, the rewards are tremendous. It is hell on earth that is also bird heaven - a dream of a place for a birder. Thousands of Black-necked Stilts, Wilson's Phalaropes, American Avocets, and White and Brown Pelicans. Long-billed Curlews and White-faced Ibis in the tens of hundreds. The land, water, and sky are filled with a constantly changing array of birds. It's awesome. If you also like strange human and natural history, it's a place that must be experienced.

I write all this but have no great images from the sea itself. The image today is from the sand dunes in the Imperial Valley of California, which lies to the east of the Salton Sea, just west of the border with Arizona. The highway we drove goes right through the heart of the dunes. I'm thinking I might have to take a trip sometime just to photograph the sand formations.

The Desert

2008-07-16T02:34:00.003-04:00

Hello from Arizona! It's been about a month now since moving out here and I've managed to see a few new places and add 12 birds to my life list. I've made a few new images on these trips and would like to share my one good bird shot, the Varied Bunting. This bird must be seen in soft light to appreciate its colors. Normally it looks almost black and no field guide does it justice. I'm sure the females are impressed!

This past saturday was a day trip up to Sedona where we saw lots of awesome red rock formations and went on a backcountry drive. This friendly Western Diamondback Rattlesnake on the road allowed us some close views.

Look forward to more trips and sharing more images soon. Take care...

Parting Gifts

2008-06-10T20:19:00.007-04:00

As some of you know, I am leaving Michigan and moving out west to Arizona. I am looking forward to the new photo opportunities in the desert and mountains, but I will miss living in the woods. As my days here come to an end, I have been treated to daily songs and sightings of birds such as wood thrush, yellow-throated vireo, indigo bunting, pileated woodpecker, and acadian flycatcher. I will especially miss the male cerulean warbler that sings 100 feet above my cabin in the tallest red oaks and tulip trees. He's been a friend and neighbor for five springs now.

This will be my last post from the north... so long to the great eastern forests and my lovely home in the woods. Here are some images made during my farewell tour.

It's March!

2008-03-01T18:06:00.007-05:00

I'm excited that it's now March. That means less than 3 weeks until I head down to the Florida swamps in search of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker again. Be watching this blog, as I'm hoping to be able to post some images from the swamp during my time there. When I return in April, spring should be slipping its way into Michigan and that means the wildflowers will be shooting up all over the place. Following that, the trees will bud, the caterpillars will emerge, and bird migration will come in full force... my favorite time of year.

Winter still has a strong grip here, but the cardinals know what's just around the corner. They are singing quite a bit lately. We enjoyed a sunny day up here finally, after lots of snowy days this past month. So I hung out in the treestand this afternoon and relaxed in the warm sun with the screech owl.

More Winter Fun

2008-02-21T23:17:00.005-05:00

With temps down to zero last night, the sky cleared beautifully just in time for viewing the total lunar eclipse. I went out about every 20 minutes to make 9 images over a span of about 3 hours, which i put together in a composite image to show the overall progression.

And to add to this winter's bird collection, I captured this image of a White-breasted Nuthatch near my cabin in the woods.

It's February

2008-02-12T23:46:00.002-05:00

We're definitely in the heart of winter lately with lots of snow, cold, and wind. I haven't been out much other than with the kids I'm teaching, but have managed to make a few new images here around camp. I haven't been on any big trips lately, as I'm saving my resources for the excursion back to the Florida swamps next month to search again for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Winter Eagle

2008-01-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

I made a trip to the Upper Mississippi River NWR on New Year's Eve, hoping to photograph Bald Eagles in some dramatic winter light and light snow. The day began foggy, but I figured it would lift. It didn't. Couldn't even see the river. So I went to brunch at a diner to kill time. The fog remained. So I went back to the river anyway to see if I could salvage anything, but no luck. The fog turned to heavy snow. It was time to head home. A 1.5 hour drive turned into over 3 hours as the snow fell harder and faster than the plows could handle.

A few days later I decided to try again, however this time the day began with temps around minus 12 degrees farenheit. Holding metal lenses and camera bodies in those conditions is painful, to say the least. But the air was nice and clear! I figured it would be worth the trip if I could just get one good photo...

I am proud to present my first image of 2008.

Ivory-billed Woodpeckers!

2007-12-20T00:10:00.000-05:00

Today I was treated to a behind the scenes opportunity to see the collection of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers at the Field Museum in Chicago. I met up with Dave Willard, the head of the bird collection there, and we pulled out 4 trays of specimens. The birds were all collected in the 1870's and 1880's from Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas. There was one from Cuba. It was quite an experience. The birds are magnificent and I couldn't help but imagine the setting in the swamp back when they were collected.

If you're not familiar with the birds, the male is the one with the red crest. The female's is all black. They are the second largest woodpecker in the world.

I also saw specimens of Passenger Pigeon and Carolina Parakeet, both of which have been driven to extinction this past century. Hopefully the Ivory-bill story will have a different ending. It looks like I will be joining the search for them again later this winter.

Another Round From Texas

2007-12-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

Still working through the images from my Texas trip. These are the latest, along with a fun shot that James took of me the evening we were shooting (or trying to shoot) the Avocets at his wetland.

Deep In The Heart of Texas

2007-11-19T13:22:00.000-05:00

Just got back from an incredible week long adventure down in Texas with my good friend James Fuller. We met on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker search last year in Florida and said we should do a birding/photography trip on and around his family's ranch in south Texas. So we did! After lots of travel and effort, we were able to make some nice images. I'm very excited about a handful of these new additions to my collection. We saw about 125 species of birds, some javelina, rattlesnakes, and many other critters. We met many friendly birders and locals and even squeezed in a night a Gruene Hall to see some great Texas county music before getting on the plane home. Many thanks to James and his family for all the wonderful hospitality, good stories, and home-cooked food!

Happy Owl-o-ween!

2007-10-30T17:47:00.001-04:00

I stole that line from my friend Sally! So in honor of the celebration, I'm posting my newest wildlife photo of an Eastern Screech Owl. We've been watching this bird for almost 5 years now at the camp where I teach and it's been a dream of mine to get up high and shoot it (with the camera). So with the help of our director, I was able to photograph it from a deer stand 30 feet up in an oak tree. Thanks Del! At first, he seemed to be a bit interested in the new blob nearby (I was in my ghillie suit), but quickly relaxed and took a nap. Later he perked up and began looking around in all directions and even called a few times. I stayed until he flew off for the night.

The New Camera

2007-10-21T00:50:00.000-04:00

The weather was a bit calmer today, so I've been trying out my new camera body. Here's the results from Round 1. This is the first year Red-breasted Nuthatches have been at my feeders. Hopefully they'll stick around all winter so I can get some shots of them with snow.

Craning My Neck

2007-10-18T22:52:00.000-04:00

Two more trips to the blind. One resulted in a couple new shots, but yet again the cranes arrived after the best light. I like the darker, dreamy feel though. That is exactly what it's like sitting there. The other trip was cut short by the stormy weather we are getting tonight. The first group of cranes arrived at the same time as the first big thunderstorm. I debated staying and seeing if it would miss us, but I'm glad I got out. I would still be sitting there, 5 hours later, waiting for the rain to stop so I could carry my camera to the jeep. Not to mention dodging lighting bolts and funnel clouds.

Sandhills From The Blind

2007-10-16T17:18:00.001-04:00

I met a very nice family who are willing to let me set up a blind on their property at the edge of a wetland. So, after setting up the blind in the rain two days ago, a few hours were spent in it last evening. The cranes showed up later than normal and the light was falling away quickly, but I managed to get a few shots. Another attempt will be made after the rain moves through and the light is better. The wide angle shot is the last big wave of birds dropping in just before dark, as seen from my hiding spot. I stayed until it was totally dark and snuck away quietly, leaving 300 cranes peacefully sleeping.

Autumn Cranes

2007-10-12T21:13:00.000-04:00

Well it's finally beginning to feel like fall up here in Michigan. I haven't been out to shoot any fall scenery yet because the leaves have been enjoying the warm weather and are slow to turn color. But this week the cool weather arrived and the birds are all stirring. This evening I went scouting for good spots to shoot Sandhill Cranes, as they are gathering in large numbers before making their trip down to Florida for the winter. One spot in particular looks good and I got a couple nice shots while watching them come in to roost for the night in a nearby wetland.

Bricks and Ivy

2007-09-06T18:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot from my favorite civilized place... Wrigley Field.

Home of the Chicago Cubs.

Up North In Wisconsin

2007-09-03T21:34:00.000-04:00

Spent the weekend at home with my family and we headed to our cabin for a little R&R. Lots of good eatin', skiing, and a little photography too. Got up early one morning and was treated to a Barred Owl. Then I spent an hour with the 13-lined Ground Squirrel while he ate breakfast. It sure felt great to see nice light, feel the cool air, and hear the sound of our screen door - ahhhhhh...

Outer Banks, North Carolina

2007-08-27T18:53:00.001-04:00

Went to the beach this weekend! Got up early one morning, hoping to see and shoot some fall migrant shorebirds. This Willet was my prize. Later that evening the light was beautiful, but the wind had picked up quite a bit. The shorebirds were all wincing against the blowing sand. I captured this crab out of his hole, braving the elements. My camera now needs a good cleaning.

Urban Adventure

2007-08-22T03:42:00.000-04:00

This morning my friend Libby and I went over to the city park to try a photo shoot. Our goal was a portrait of me with my gear. We had a good time, got some shots, and then it began to rain. I ended up in the middle of the creek to photograph the bird of all birds... the mallard. Meanwhile, Libby stood under the tree and shot me.

Libby is a very talented photographer. You can see her work by following the link over to the right titled "Elizabeth O'Neill".
I'll post the portrait when we get it done.

Evening in the Smokies

2007-08-20T02:06:00.001-04:00

I finally had a night off a few days ago and could see the mountains for the first time in 2 weeks, so I headed up high for the evening. It was sure nice to have some cool air after temps in the upper 90's and low 100's with high humidity. I photographed the Great Smoky Mountains as the sun dropped into them and then waited until dusk to shoot the big dipper. I stayed until I was alone in the dark, hoping to see some of the meteor showers, but I guess I was a day late.