​Monday, 11:39 AM - Over the years, I’ve received emailed comments that read, “I found your shelter’s photos on Facebook, and those eyes got me…”  I always try to post a full body shot so adopters and rescues can get a better idea of the size and conformation of a dog.  But I also always try to include a portrait or close-up shot that reveals the animal’s eyes. I’m hoping for a connection that makes them want to adopt.

Therefore, it is important to focus on the eyes. Today’s cameras are equipped with excellent autofocus (AF). But even when utilizing autofocus, the photographer has to make some decisions. My Nikon camera allows for single-point AF and Auto-area AF.

Thursday, 5:12 PM - Sitting on my back patio in the warm fall sun, I spotted the characteristic large black bibs of two Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) in the backyard behind the girls' trampoline. I’ve only seen them in my backyard on a few occasions, and always in the fall. They were hopping around on the ground like Robins, pecking into the dirt and grass. Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website, www.allaboutbirds.org, says, “Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its main food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.”

​I know Flickers are categorized as woodpeckers, but they seem so unlike the other woodpeckers. They don't bare the typical black/white/red colors of the other woodpeckers, like the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) that came to my suet feeder a few minutes later. In addition, Flickers are more often on the ground or perched on a limb, rather than clinging to sides of trees like the other woodpeckers. But they are very much a delight to see.  I moved off the patio hoping to get a closer and clearer shot of the Flickers, but they retreated to my neighbor’s fenced backyard.
 
While back by the feeders hoping the Flickers would come closer, a Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) landed not far from me. Just after that, I spotted another little yellow bird that I wasn’t sure if I’d seen before or not. The warblers really stump me.  I did poorly on the Natural History bird section exam at UGA Warnell Forestry School 20 years ago and still stink at identifying warblers. Again I turned to an expert birder at Oconee Rivers Audubon Society, who quickly identified this one as a fall Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens).  Glad I asked, for I would never have figured it out!

Other side shows were put on by a comical Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) attempting to stuff a small Water Oak acorn into the dirt under a pile of leaves and an animated Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) flittering and chattering through the underbrush. All of this action and wonder just spending a spare 65 minutes in my own backyard! 

Just after photographing these beautiful birds, my neighbor's cat ran out from behind my shed and reminded me why I wish all cat owners would keep their domesticated animals indoors. What if it had been the warbler instead of the chipmunk? I wouldn't have had a chance to add a Black-throated Green Warbler to my life list! (See UGA's in-depth study on wildlife depredation by domestic cats.)
 
Athens, Georgia

Wednesday, 10:45 AM - Having to produce so many animal shots for our website, my photos tend to get a bit repetitive and boring. "Grab a dog... go outside... leash... photo... return." (But during the high impound season, that is often all I have time to do.) Even the new “studio shots” of the cats have become redundant. So last night I re-read a good book called Pet Photography 101 by Andrew Darlow to get my creative mind going again. 

To fit with the holiday season (a tip from Darlow’s book), I grabbed “Raven” and brought her outside to photograph on the Halloween display at the shelter front door. The trickiest part about this shot was keeping her from running off!  Because of past incidents, I don’t like taking the animals outdoors unrestrained very often. 

To produce Skittle’s shots, I simply put a furry blanket on the "Kitty Studio" table and two pillows in the back. The hope is that someone will see the photo, imagine this cute kitten sitting in their coach at home, and come rescue her. 
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One more tip: take a ton of shots!  I took over 60 shots of “Skittles” for the four photos on the website. 

Sunday, 7:30 AM – I went on an early Sunday morning walk to loosen up tight legs from two days of long distance running. The morning lows are now in the upper sixties, but still a bit damp and humid. The sun was brightening the sky to a light blue and touching the few clouds with a vibrant purplish-orange.

​As I turned the corner onto Hummingbird Trail, I found myself directly under a majestic looking Red-shouldered Hawk sitting high atop the very tip of a Sweetgum snag. As I uncomfortably craned my neck to look up at him, I realized he was much, much higher than me.