coyote pouncing on prey<\/a><\/span><\/span> buried in the snow on Antelope Island that I posted yesterday. I’ve always been attracted to Chukar colors and plumage patterns when combined with fresh clean snow and set off by the reds of the bill, eye ring and legs. Throw in a clean but non-homogeneous background with strong hints of habitat and I’m a happy photographer.<\/p>\nIt isn’t like me but for some reason I was seriously tempted to clone out the poop beneath the Chukar’s tail because its high contrast against the snow grabs my eye. It certainly would have been easy to do and I’m sure I’ve made that poop even more obvious to viewers simply by pointing it out. If I hadn’t mentioned it I suspect many blog followers would have barely noticed it, if at all. I stewed about it but in the end decided to leave it be. It was there, it’s natural and besides, poop happens.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Recently I’ve become almost obsessed with snow, or more accurately our lack of it. Yesterday on Facebook local photographer and friend Judy Watson made this comment on my pouncing coyote photos taken two days prior to today’s Chukar photo – “I think that was the most snow that year on the island since I started going. I looked back at my photos and the snow ones are from 2013<\/em>.” Over the years Judy has probably visited the island about as often as I have, which is a lot, so her comment hit home as it reminded me of what used to be..<\/p>\nI think some of us, including me, have begun to accept our serious lack of snow out west in recent years as the new normal and that’s both sad and scary as hell.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Chukar in snow has long been a favorite combination of mine. A calling pose seals the deal.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/chukar-0284b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"chukar-0284b-ron-dudley\\"")
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