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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: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 8:04 AM

Prickly Pear (Opuntia sp.)

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 8:00 AM

I like this one a lot. I'd go for an even tighter crop.
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Mike, I liked the way his feet grasped the outside edges of flower. al perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:59 AM

Looks like Peromyscus sp.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:58 AM

Worthy shot.
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Mike, This image of the bats at sunset and the yucca silouette at sunset each received 28 out of a possible 30 points awarded by the three judges---my two highest scoring images. al perry
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I understand why. They probably deducted 2 points because "nothing" is perfect.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:56 AM

How'd you get this perspective? Hillside with tele? climb a tree? hot air balloon?
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Mike, The ranchers hire a helicopter to fly over the ranch looking for coyotes that are taking over 50% of the lambs and kid goats each spring. When they finished, I took a short ride to try some aerial shots. Al Perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:55 AM

NICE PERSPECTIVE.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:55 AM

I've never seen this many bats at one time. Not a typical scene in Wisconsin. Our species are more solitary. One fella (one with too much time on his hands) once calculated that the bats in Great Britain eat, EVERY DAY, enough insects to equal the weight of all the humans in the country.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:52 AM

Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:51 AM

O-Hemiptera; true bug

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:50 AM

Well metered. Great depth. Nicely done.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:49 AM

O-Orthoptera

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:47 AM

Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu); a.k.a. Javelina

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:44 AM

Bats? Mexican Free-tails, perhaps? This would be a good one to entry in Fotki's "what is it" cvontest.
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Mike, Yes, Brazillian Free Tailed bats (also referred to as Mexican Free Tailed). 10 million pregnant females fly up from Mexico. The males stay behind. Thanks for the Fotki contest idea. Al Perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:42 AM

Didelphis virginiana; I like the pose on this one.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:42 AM

Opossum (Didelphis virginiana); nice catch with the little one. Wisconsin is at the northern edge of their territory.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:38 AM

Vespid wasp (F-Vespidae)

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:37 AM

Beautiful beetle. I do not know the species. Never seen this one before.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:35 AM

Very nice depth. The water at the base makes the shot.

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:34 AM

Texas Horned Lizard? (Phyrnosoma cornutum...probably)
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Mike, Prairie Lizard (Sceloporus Consobrinus) al perry

 LesTensionUnited States wrote: Monday, July 10, 2006 - 7:32 AM

Meleagris gallopavo. We have them all over the place up here.
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Mike, it was hunting season for wild turkeys when I photographed these tom's. They knew I was in the blind and they must have thought my 600mm lens was a 12 guage shotgun. al perry