Birdlover wrote:
Excellent series, Steve! I like all of them!
Thanks Debbie! I like to think of it as a "photojournalistic" post, following me around so you can feel that you've been there, too. I hope it worked to at least a small degree!
Valjr wrote:
Great set...I really gotta get outa the house more. Thanks for shring.
Lotsa stuff out there to see, especially with the mild winter here in California. Though I think you might be getting drenched now, or very soon; so will we down here.
Steve,
Wonderful series, looks like an awesome place to shoot.
Love the Flycatcher shots and the Woody in #7. The opening shot of the canyon is very nice also. Nice work man!
PetKal wrote:
Steve, that "Big Morongo" name sounds African....so at first I thought you went to the Dark Continent.
These image are on your usual fine level, but the flycatcher is special. The last one in flight has caused me some real pangs of envy, and telling myself it was probably just a lucky shot has not helped any.
You're right Peter, it sounds like a John Ford movie starring John Wayne.... You can lay your pangs of envy to rest as that last shot was indeed a lucky one -- I think I spent at least an hour trying to get one decent in-flight shot of the little guy! And that's all I have to show for it. I could NEVER have done this stuff with film!
Shasoc wrote:
Another wonderful trip, Steve This is a really fine collection of birds not so often seen on this Forum and the place looks beautiful. You did a very good job isolating the birds. Colors look very pleasant and detail is sharp
The Vermillion is stealing the show, but I also enjoyed seeing the Nutty-backed and the Lawrence's Goldfinch. Well done!
Socrate
Thanks, Socrate! One of my faves was the Lawrence's, too; I'm pleased how that one turned out especially considering it was an off-the-cuff shot. Big Mo can look downright tropical at times, with its vibrant greens. I'd say it's a place that should be on every birder/bird photographer's Bucket List, with the best time to visit during spring migration. But I like to visit whenever I can just to hike around with the camera because you never know what you might see -- or, quite often, might not.
mr.jboy wrote:
Hey Steve,this is a super fine set,like them all but the last is speial....I've got to get out there.
John
John, now until, say, the middle of May is the time to go to Big Mo, but I've been there in July and found some good stuff if it's hot and humid, almost "jungle-y" in feeling, as the flycatchers, etc are going after bugs.
Karl Witt wrote:
Now that was a fun journey and reminds me of long ago with your 'helmet cam'
#1 Steve has me drooling, love those greens, looks like an HDR shot, I wanna be on the observation platform in that shot! Awesome, simple stunning depth and beauty, nice one my friend
Really fine work on the portraits in this series, #2 and #7 are sweet and the last IF is double delicious!
Thanks again..........most enjoyable
Karl
Ah, the "helmet cam"...We really ARE dating ourselves when we mention that, Karl! In fact I think it was a Big Morongo post that brought around that idea --- which, thank goodness, was quietly buried. Isn't that green in the landscape intense? It was a humid day, and I'm sure that had something to do with the look. Almost has a "jungle" feeling to it...Yeah, I spend hours just sitting at that observation platform, looking around, seeing -- sometimes nothing , but you never know what might "pop up" in all that lushness. And thanks for saying Mr Vermilion's IF is "double-licious", I 'll make sure he gets the compliment next time I see him..
cohenfive wrote:
nice images and writeup, and it was great to include the landscapes so we can get a better sense of where you were. really nice light! we have tons of doves at our house and for the longest time i thought they were owls as well...now i know what to listen for as we have occasional great horned owls in the neighborhood although you can almost never see them.
Well, Mourning Doves do sound a bit like Great-horneds, and I have found myself on occasion trying to turn a Mourning Dove INTO a GHO... I remember at the time during our fruitless search for the Owl when I did hear a Mourning Dove a bit down the canyon and thought for a moment our "Owl" had moved, but was quickly corrected by David. Hope you spot your Grea-horneds!
OwlsEyes wrote:
Funny, I've driven by Big Morongo on my way to JTree countless times & never stopped. I won't make that mistake again!
Your pictures of the male flycatcher and nuttalls woodpecker are outstanding.
Regards,
Bruce
Bruce, Big Mo is ALWAYS worth at least a stop, even if just to check things out at, say, Dee's feeders at the entrance, or a quick glance in Covington Park. It may be dead there; then again, it may not be. And as it's at the junction between mountain and high-and low-desert, all kinds of birds are possible at both the Preserve or Covington Park across from it.
Thanks for shring.
You can lay your pangs of envy to rest as that last shot was indeed a lucky one -- I think I spent at least an hour trying to get one decent in-flight shot of the little guy! And that's all I have to show for it. I could NEVER have done this stuff with film! 
