Back at it this morning. This time I went to the same mountain just outside of town, but since the snow has melted I was able to go a lot further on actual trails. According to the tracker in my phone it was about 3 miles I walked in total today. But I don’t know how accurate that is because it relies on GPS and I was roaming which shut off the data for a lot of it. I know the entire trail was 4 miles but I have no idea how far I actually got on it before I decided to go exploring.
It wasn’t too long after sunrise when I spotted what I was hoping to find. Wildlife.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/40 Sec - F4 - ISO 200
Defintely just mention that it’s important to check your settings right when you get the camera out. These were the first pictures I took and I still had my settings from where I was messing around with it during the week and not on one of my custom modes for wildlife. Still, there wasn’t much to be done as I was very far away and there were telephone lines in-between us.
But that is a magnificent rack. Biggest I’ve ever seen in person. I was obviously spotted before I even saw him, but I was just out walking in a big open area so that’s on me.
I slowly tried to get closer but he was already heading off. I managed to spot him once more between the trees as he was heading away and at least you can see a bit better of one side of antler.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 4000
Still, he lives there.(I assume) This is my new goal, I will find a spot to sit and wait for him to come through where I can get a nice decent picture of him.
That was at least better than the week before, seeing any kind of wildlife is enough to keep me going back.
Not done yet though, as I was attempting to track the deer I came across a group of animals I was even more excited to see.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 640
Wild Turkeys! Western I assume. Unless they had followed me from the east and I didn’t realize. They were supposed to be found at some of the wildlife places I went to back in Georgia but I never saw any. I was thrilled to see these ones today.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 800
I got low and followed them for a bit, they either saw me and didn’t care. Or their eyesight is worse than I would think. Keep in mind this is still pretty far off considering the lens and extension I have on.
I managed to circle around to get the sun to my back so I could get a couple nice pictures with the rising sun and that lovely orange glow.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 500
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 800
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 1000
As I was watching them scrounge for food, there was some other little birds that caught my eye. I let the turkey’s move on as I took pictures of this.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 160
Another new one for the collection, I believe this to be a Dark-Eyed Junco. Possibly a female with the reddish on more than just the back. The males seem to be all gray underneath.
After a while I did move on to wandering back through the forest, found a trail. Left the trail, found another trail. Watched a squirrel make a hell of a racket about another nearby squirrel.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 4000
It had been a few hours and I figured I was done at this point. So I got back onto a trail I recognized and started heading back, I did know the general direction I was going and I was hoping I would come across the turkeys again. Which I did, this time even closer as they were foraging on a hill right next to the trail.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 100
By this point I was now walking more or less towards the sun so this picture was pretty dark. A lot of backlight. So I thought it looked better as black and white.
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 1250
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 1250
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 2500
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 1250
Canon 7D Mark II w/300mm + 1.4x - 1/1000 Sec - F4 - ISO 1250
Can’t ask for anything better.