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Images For Conservation Photo Contest   RSS
30 day nature photo contest in the Hill Country of Texas, West of San Antonio, sponsored by Images For Conservation Fund, an organization formed to bring together private landowners and nature photographers ( www.imagesforconservation.org ) Purpose is to show the natural beauty of flora and fauna on the ranches within the Hill Country in Texas. 17 nature photographers were selected and each had their own ranch to photograph nature for all 30 days of April 2006. Awards were announced in June with my submissions placing 4th among the 17 entries in 5 categories: mammals, scenics, insects, reptiles, and birds. No images could be submitted of nonnative species or people or manmade objects. In addition to the 75 images submitted, included here are additional images of ranch owners and ranch.

After the photo contest, I wrote a cover story for Naturescapes.net, an online nature magazine, detailing my experience photographing nature on the ranch during one of the driest Aprils on record. To read the story go to: www.alperry.com/files/Naturescapes.pdf
       
    
 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:33 AM

Very cool. Viviane would like this shot.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:32 AM

Here's an unusual shot. Most people do not believe that rattle snakes are excellent swimmers.
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Mike, You are right. I was surprised to see this rattlesnake, with what you would think of as a dense body, so buoant on the water. He could hold his head 2.5 feet above the water and still have the other part of his body floating nicely. al perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:31 AM

Crotalus atrox. Well done.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:30 AM

Look at that...Jacobson's Organ is clearly visible. After sticking out their tongues to pick up scent molecules, they put the split tip up into Jacobson's Organ to test the smell. Thus the constant in and out of the tongue; out for gathering information...in for analysis.
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Mike, My biologist/photographer friend tells me it is rare to see the Jacobson's Organ in rattlesnakes. He has photographed many rattlesnakes and doesn't have an image of this part of the anatomy. Al Perry
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It's a rare sight because of that flap of skin in front of it. It is usually covered up unless they're using it.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:27 AM

Fantastic shot Al.
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Mike, 26 out of 30 possible points by the judges for this one. al perry
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I don't see what they could possibly have taken off 4 points for!

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:26 AM

Buteo swainsoni

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:26 AM

Buteo jamaicensis; Wisconsin's most common hawk.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:25 AM

Saynoris sp. New species to me.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:23 AM

Never saw this one before. New to me. It's beautiful

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:23 AM

Archilochus colubris

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:22 AM

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:20 AM

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:19 AM

Procyon lotor

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:19 AM

Very nice. What lens did you use on this one?
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Mike, 180mm macro. al perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:18 AM

Look like Fire Ants. Hope you stayed a good distance away.
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Mike, Took a few bites on this one. I am told fire ants are smaller and don't carry foliage like these guys. al perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:17 AM

A wren for sure. Probably a Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) based on the stippled throat feathers

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:13 AM

Mexican Brown (Brachypelma sp.); I went through college with one of these on my desk. It presently resides in a jar of preserving fluid in my lab. She was with me over 25 years.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:07 AM

O-Coleoptera; don't know the species.
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Mike, The ranchers called this the "Asasin Beatle." al perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:06 AM

Here's a new one for me. I had to look this fella up.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 8:05 AM

Pyrocephalus rubinus; birds are definitly your forte. Fantastic shot!