Wildlife Photography

Wildlife comes in many forms and can be found within a short distance of nearly anyone's home, even in your own backyard. Hummingbirds, butterflies and various songbirds lead the list of nature's creatures that can be easily observed and photographed in your yard, at your company facility or at a nearby schoolyard. It can be as simple as erecting a bird feeder and filling it with sunflower seed during the winter months, or for the more ambitious, an elaborate garden pond surrounded by hummingbird and butterfly-attracting flower beds.

Wildlife Photography Tips
Articles from the Field

Many excellent books which go into depth on the subject of attracting wildlife to our backyards can be purchased from bookstores or feed stores. Do not give up if your first attempts are not successful! Wildlife photography is a lot like fishing: some days will be better than others.

Images of the Month by Lynda Richardson

In honor of Valentine’s Day and the month of February, here are Lynda Richardson's Images of the Month.

Groundhog (Marmota monax)

Two juvenile groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, nuzzle together while waiting for their mother to return to the den. © Lynda Richardson Wildlife Exposed

Groundhogs are also called woodchucks or marmots. They are mammals and belong to the squirrel family. They have short ears, a short bushy tail, short legs and are surprisingly quick.

• Groundhog can easily construct a burrow with as many as five entrances using its strong, clawed, forelimbs and large teeth. Occupied dens, which are always kept clean and well padded, can be recognized by a pile of fresh earth at the entrance.  
• They are herbivores and have a diet consisting of lots of greens, fruits, and vegetables and very little water. Most of their liquids come from dewy leaves.  
• Groundhogs are one of the few animals that really hibernate during the winter to avoid the cold weather.  
• They are said to be able to predict the weather have a holiday named after them - Groundhog Day - because of this special “ability” to forecast weather.  
• A groundhog can whistle when it is alarmed. Groundhogs also whistle in the spring when they begin courting.  
• Young groundhogs are usually born in mid-April or May, and by July they are able to go out on their own. The size of the litter is 4 to 9. A baby groundhog is called a kit or a cub.

To us it looks like a kiss but actually this young, black-tailed prairie dog pup is sniffing the mouth of an adult, to identify itself. © Lynda Richardson Wildlife Exposed

Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Despite their name, prairie dogs are members of the squirrel family. These ground-dwelling squirrels dig a complex series of tunnels deep into the ground -- called a town.

• Black-tailed prairie dogs approach each other, touch noses, and turn their heads sideways to touch incisors; this “kissing” is a gesture of recognition and identification among ward members.    
• Vegetable matter forms over 98 percent of the black-tailed prairie dog’s diet. They feed on leaves, grasses and grass roots, weeds, seeds and other plants (including crops like alfalfa and corn). They also eat grasshoppers, cutworms, bug and beetles.  
• Prairie dogs are most active during the cool hours of daylight. Most of their time is spent eating. They also like to visit and groom each other.  
• If prairie dogs from different colonies meet they stare, chatter, flick their tails and may fight or chase each other.  
• Prairie dogs got their name from the sound that they make when danger is near. They give warning barks or yips.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous)

The most well-known American plover, the killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) can be found across most of the North American continent. The killdeer is a very adaptable bird that can be found in open grasslands, wetlands, coastal areas, crop lands and man-made parking lots and rooftops.

• A female killdeer stands over its nest before settling down on top of her eggs. © Lynda Richardson Wildlife Exposed

  Killdeer nest on the ground and often use little more than a depression in gravel or dirt as the nest. The speckled eggs are camouflaged to blend in with clumps of grass and rock.  
• Male killdeers claim nesting territory before selecting a mate. To attract a mate, the male will stand in his territory and make a two-note call for hours at a time. The male may also scrape at the ground and fly over his territory. Once killdeer have mated, the pair will scrape out a nesting site.  
• Killdeer are known as precocial, meaning “ripened beforehand.” They spend twice as much time in the egg as other birds, hatching with their eyes open, feathers developed and ready to follow their parents to find food.  
• Killdeer are adept at protect their eggs and young. In the presence of a predator a killdeer will feign an injured wing and limp away from its nest, drawing away the intruder with it. Once the nest is a sufficient distance away, the bird will miraculously heal and fly away calling loudly.  
• In the instance where a perceived threat would not be inclined to chase after a wounded bird, the killdeer fluffs its feathers and displays its tail over its head to appear larger and runs at the intruder to scare it off.

Discover more about Lynda Richardson, see a sampling of her incredible photography, and find out more about the workshops and lectures in which she shares the secrets of her historic success with Wildlife Exposed. Lynda brings her extensive photography experience and vast knowledge of animal behavior (including an uncanny ability to mimic animal calls) to all of her nature photography tours, workshops and slide lectures. Weaving hilarious and unforgettable “stories from the field” into the day’s lessons, Lynda’s patience, skill at teaching, and irrepressible good humor make her the ideal instructor for children and adults alike. 

Check out the list of tours, classes and workshops offered below and sign up now! Contact Lynda to bring a workshop to your site by calling 804-272-0965 or e-mail Lynda@lyndarichardson.com. To learn more, visit Lynda Richardson Wildlife Exposed.