My Backyard Wildlife Journal

MrFotoFool

In September 2020 I moved from downtown Tucson to a condo in the Tucson Mountains. The parking lot fronts a wash and the area is in a low density development that connects to the undeveloped complex of Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park (west). Wildlife is abundant (javelinas, or collared peccaries, are seen daily and sometimes with babies).

I recently started a thread of widlife photos from my condo complex. It's on another site that I am a top contributor to called ZooChat (which deals not only with zoos and aquariums but also general wildlife conservation). All photos are taken with Nikon F Mount, mostly D850 and 70-200 2.8E or 300 4PF, but sometimes D500 and 500PF.

It will be updated regularly. If you are interested in photos of the abundant wildlife of the Arizona desert, you can find the link here: https://www.zoochat.com/community/threads/todays-backyard-wildlife.480892/

NSXTypeR

That looks great! I don't get too much wildlife in my backyard but we do occasionally get a handful of mourning doves, juncos, sparrows, cardinals and blue jays in my backyard. If I'm passing through the kitchen or eating a meal.

Thanks for sharing!

PB_PM

Awesome, what a treat to be able to get out that much with some many creatures. Thanks for sharing the link, will keep an eye on it.

Capt_Spaulding

Great work. I admire your dedication in that sort of heat.

MrFotoFool

Thanks for watching. I haven't updated it yet, but I got three coyotes passing a mule deer in the wash yesterday (or was it the day before?).

mhedges

Great stuff thanks for sharing!

CEBlueclouds

mhedges said:

Great stuff thanks for sharing!

+1 Thanks for sharing @MrFotoFool

gene_mcgill

Nice work! It looks like a lot of fun for you.

MrFotoFool

Thanks for the comments. I have added a couple more days of posts, including the aforementioned mule deer looking at a coyote. I saw a coyote again this morning that I will post soon. I have not yet seen a bobcat (here at my complex), though neighbors have seen one in our parking lot and I saw one crossing the street several blocks away. With time I hope it will come...

CEBlueclouds

MrFotoFool said:

Thanks for the comments. I have added a couple more days of posts, including the aforementioned mule deer looking at a coyote. I saw a coyote again this morning that I will post soon. I have not yet seen a bobcat (here at my complex), though neighbors have seen one in our parking lot and I saw one crossing the street several blocks away. With time I hope it will come...

Thanks once again for sharing.... is it possible to make the most recent post show at the top of the journal, then the next most recent, etc?

MrFotoFool

CEBlueclouds said:

Thanks once again for sharing.... is it possible to make the most recent post show at the top of the journal, then the next most recent, etc?

Not that I know of. However you can use the page numbers at the bottom to skip to the last page and then scroll down to the bottom. For those of us who are forum members and subscribed to a specific thread, when we get a notice that a new post has been made it automatically takes us to that new post (skipping the previous ones). Non-members, however, have to do it manually as I described at first.

CEBlueclouds

MrFotoFool said:

<blockquote class="Quote"

thank you @MrFotoFool

MrFotoFool

While I am not a birder per se and do not seek out new species specifically, I have picked up a couple new ones just by walking around my place. Specifically they are Lucy's warbler and ash-throated flycatcher.

MrFotoFool

Updated with lots of baby javelinas I have been seeing recently. Here's the link again: https://www.zoochat.com/community/threads/todays-backyard-wildlife.480892/

WestEndFoto

Excellent Mr.FotoFool.

Capt_Spaulding

Great work, Amigo.

MrFotoFool

I have started going out at night with my flash because a neighbor told me he sees snakes at night. I have gone out three nights now and see them every time. First night was a baby western diamondback then later and adult. Second night was a long-nosed snake (beautiful pattern) followed by an adult diamondback. Third night was an adult diamondback. Also seeing other night creatures like silky pocket mouse, pack rat, red spotted toad.

I am using the Nikon SB700 flash and the built-in white card that pulls out (with the head pointed straight up). For closeups this is fine but at any distance it is too weak and I have to crank up the flash exposure compensation. So I ordered a Gary Fong diffuser that arrives in a few days and should improve my night photography. Once again here's the link to my wildlife journal (skip to the last page to see the latest entries): https://www.zoochat.com/community/threads/todays-backyard-wildlife.480892/

Dinusaur

Oh wow, you got a wonderful backyard MrFotoFool and the images are awesome. In my backyard I have seen 45 different species of birds over the years, the icing on the cake was a Barred Owl on backyard cherry tree.

DaveyJ

What cameras and lens are you using? I have seen your comments on that gear but couldn't find that today. I am particularly looking for D500 mirrorless updates like a Z 70 or Z 90 and the 200-600 non S lens. I use the Z 50 and the 50-250 a LOT! And I own Z 6 II and the new 100-400 zoom which is fairly expensive but doesn't have much reach on FX cameras. I just passed on the chance to buy a Z 9 since I was first on the list for my local camera store. I am after DX Z cameras and have PROS who we hire to document off road motorcycle races on our big Home Farm that just bought two more D 500s!

MrFotoFool

DaveyJ said:

What cameras and lens are you using? I have seen your comments on that gear but couldn't find that today. I am particularly looking for D500 mirrorless updates like a Z 70 or Z 90 and the 200-600 non S lens. I use the Z 50 and the 50-250 a LOT! And I own Z 6 II and the new 100-400 zoom which is fairly expensive but doesn't have much reach on FX cameras. I just passed on the chance to buy a Z 9 since I was first on the list for my local camera store. I am after DX Z cameras and have PROS who we hire to document off road motorcycle races on our big Home Farm that just bought two more D 500s!

Sorry for delay - I haven't logged into NR in a while. I was using a two camera setup for wildlife. For closeup shots like the javelinas I use D850 and 70-200 f2.8 often with a 1.4 attached (all Nikon). For small birds I used a D500 and 500PF lens (occasionally with 1.4 as well). This was my setup both here at my place and at a local wetlands I often visit.

Carrying two setups became cumbersome and if I only took one there are times I wish I had the other. About a month ago (after all the posts in my link) I bought a Sony A74 (with grip) and Sony 200-600 lens as a one camera wildlife solution. (I rented it first and was blown away by the sharpness of the lens). I put my D500 and 500PF and 300PF up for consignment at a local shop. I still have two D850's and the trinity of 2.8 lenses for landscape and architecture, but when I go out specifically for wildlife I just carry the new Sony setup.

DaveyJ

We are using the Sony A I and the 200-600 as well. Today though it was used in a Back Scatter underwater housing, which is about $15,000 with the wide angle zoom lens. Nikon needs to get theIr 200-600 lens out ASAP.