Wildlife is most active in early morning and late evening during the
summer months. While both morning and evening are good for seeing
wildlife, I prefer to be afield at the crack of dawn and usually have
the best opportunities of the day from dawn until shortly after
sunrise. I am usually primarily looking for big game animals such as
elk and the whitetail deer, and it is always a special thrill to come
upon an exceptional buck or bull elk.
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| Mature 10 Point Buck |
As
much as I enjoy big game photography and filming, I find that one
misses a substantial part of the outdoor experience if they concentrate
solely on a few species. Good deer and elk habitat also supports diverse wildflower, bird, and insect communities, and dramatic
scenery. One's outdoor experience is much richer if they take time to savor the entire outdoor experience.
Early morning is especially good for flower
photography as morning dew may make the flowers look fresh and vibrant.
The flower photos below were taken a bit later in the morning after the
dew was gone, but still show the beauty that may be found in a summer
meadow.
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| Purple Cone Flower |
 |
| Gaillardia or Blanket Flower |
Most
meadows are also home to a wide variety of birds, and I enjoy filming
them as well as enjoying the chorus of birds song that provides a
vibrant sound track against which the drama of the natural world
unfolds. I believe the bird above is a immature Eastern Meadow Lark, but I could be wrong. I welcome correction if I am in error.
 |
| Immature Eastern Meadow Lark |
If
deer and elk have not left the meadows before sunrise, they usually do
so before the rays of the sun become uncomfortably hot. They
often return to feed sometime in the evening. This may happen before
sundown on cooler days or it may be nearly dark on the hottest one, but
their is no hard and fast rule.
 |
| Whitetails Leave Meadows At Sunrise |
From the tenor of this
post it would be easy to infer that all is well in the great outdoors,
but sadly this is often not the case. In particular I am referring to
the superb 10 Point featured in the first photo today. Within the next
few days, I plan to write about the problems this buck and others in the
area he was photographed deals with each day and the uncertain future
they face.
Originally published at
Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.
