Animal World

Groundhogs are normally fairly shy rodents. This one seemed to relish the attention and having its mugshot snapped.

The Peregrine Falcon is well known for its speed. They say that it is the fastest animal on the planet. I have little doubt about that claim. I had a hard time even following it with my eyes the day I encountered this majestic bird. Lucky for me it caught a small duck along the way because that seemed to slow it down enough for me to get a shot of it in flight.

Turkey Vulture are not so attractive on the ground, but when in the air they are beauty in motion. They are one of the most efficient fliers on the planet, riding the thermals with the greatest of ease. They've been pushing to more northern climates for a few decades now and staying throughout the winter, too. This one flew right over me one day and I was lucky enough to get a fairly decent in-focus shot. These photos look great anywhere and provide plenty of awe and inspiration to those who ogle them.

A trio of fawns line up for their afternoon nourishment. Pretty shot for the nursery on to hang on the fridge and inspire some morning conversation.

These insects are our friends because they eat lots of mosquitoes. They are also very pretty - especially this male 12-spotted skimmer with all his bright spots!

There appears to be some kind of communication going on between these whited-tailed bucks. What exactly the buck on the left is saying to the buck on the right is not known ... but he definitely HAS HIS EAR!

Oh, to be a new world, urban deer. So many good treats, nibbles, and handouts. But what about those "moving things" that cruise along those nice paved deer trails? The word from the herd is to be very careful and learn/obey all traffic signs as quickly as possible .....

These identical fawns were in complete synchronization and very apt morning light - the day I snapped this portrait pose. Blinked and they were gone. This photo magnetic is ideal for a child's bedroom, and conjures up nothing but the sweetest dreams!

This species of butterfly (American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) is one of the most colorful to be found. Trouble is that they are not that large and don't like to sit still for too long. They also don't like giants with cameras poking around near their food joints. But every now and then you can catch them napping and in the right light .... and when you do, it's definitely a memorable moment. Another magnetic photo ideal for a child's room or nursery and in having something soothing and beautiful to both fall asleep and wake up to!

Silver foxes are not quite as black as they often appear. Their coat grows long silver tips as they age. Luckily, I caught this one at the ripe old age of about three months and its coat was still almost fully black (if you closely you can just see the silver tips starting to form). I like the contrast between the black fur and the blue sky. Children and adults alike will love looking at this melanistic form of the red fox.

This is more like a bite of frustration. As the Northern flicker chicks get closer to their time to leave the nest, the parents start to reduce their feeding accordingly. In other words, if the chicks are getting all their dinner needs delivered to them then they will not be as gung-ho to spread their wings. So the parents start to reduce their feeding day by day, knowing that a hungry belly is the best incentive to fly. This image captures the moment where the father has given the chick a tiny snack and is preparing to fly off. Sensing this, the chick attempts to thwart its departure by grabbing a beak-full of breast feathers. After they tease their chick in this manner, they proceed to fly to a distant branch and call endlessly to encourage the chick to come get the rest. I spent several weeks documenting a Northern Flickers nest and the full video can be seen here: https://www.derekgrantdigital.com/2-months-in-the-life

The emeralds come from the Corduliidae family of dragonflies and get their name from their metallic-green bands and large emerald green eyes. They are fun to watch dipping and diving as they snack on smaller insects and flash their bright irridescent colors around. I caught this one having a bit of a nap on a stock of wild grass and snapped its picture. (see my other image of this species in flight and to see those green peepers glowing in the full sunlight!)

I could watch these bugs all day long. They seem to have endless energy and put on a great show with their aerial maneuvers. And oh those emerald eyes - flashing and glimmering in the sun like The Real McCoy.

Not so easy to catch these birds just winging it - due to their undulating flight pattern. Beginner's Luck! Pileated woodpeckers are the species that the famous cartoon character Woody Woodpecker was modeled after .... right down to its outrageous cackle that sounds more prehistoric than contemporary. These are North America's largest woodpecker species and it would be honored to roost on your fridge door!