Finch & Sparrow 42066

A male House Finch and a White-Crowned Sparrow check out the neighborhood..

Canon 20D - 1/1600th second, 400mm @ f/ 7.1, ISO 400

White-Crowned Sparrow 42059

Another of my yardbirds.

Canon 20D - 1/1600th second, 400mm @ f/ 7.1, ISO 400

Curve Billed Thrasher 41744

While the Thrasher two images below was near the cemetary of the ghost town Helvetia, this guy is one of my "yard birds". The sun was getting low and I used my car as a blind so the birds wouldn't be spooked by my presence.

Canon 20D - 1/1000th second, 400mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 400

Harshaw Doorway - 41618

Steve and I spent a day travelling through southern Pima and Santa Cruz counties tracking down a few of the ghost towns that pepper Arizona. Most if not all of them are old mining towns that disappeared after the ore was gone. Our first few towns had little or nothing left besides their weed overgrown cemeteries. The first success we had was at the townsite of Harshaw. This is the front doorway of crumbling adobe home. It is just about all that is left of that thriving town of the late 1800's.

Canon 20D - 1/250th second, 100mm @ f/ 25, ISO 800

Curve-Billed Thrasher

Canon 20D - 1/3200th second, 400mm @ f/ 11, ISO 1600

Madera Canyon Lizard

One of the first places I went after renting a Canon 100-400mm IS L lens for play and experimentation was Madera Canyon. Hiking up Old Baldy Trail looking for birds, the first wildlife that presented itself was this lizard. He kept a close eye on me even though I never got closer than 6 feet from him.

Canon 20D - 1/4000th second, 275mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 400

Almost Gone

A very red sunset due to high humidity and plenty of clouds in the sky. There was enough of a gap below the cloud layers to allow the last rays of sunlight to reach the peak of Mt. Lemmon.

Canon 20D - 1/320th second, 400mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 200

Sunrise over Arizona Mountains

Canon 20D - 1/400th second, 235mm @ f/ 5, ISO 100

Towers in the Clouds

This evening just before sunset, the clouds over Mt. Lemmon started to break up. One of the first things to become visible were these microwave towers just east of the peak reflecting the sunlight in brilliant white.

Canon 20D - 1/400th second, 100mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Earth, Sky & Beyond

On my last visit to Saguaro National Park, West, this male American Kestrel alighted atop a very tall Saguaro. My positioning was almost perfect, with the Cactus almost directly in front of the rising gibbous moon. I slowly moved a few steps to my right and took a few quick shots. I didn't have my long lens on the camera, so after securing this shot, I started to slowly change lenses but before I even had the long lens out, he had flown away.

Canon 20D - 1/50th second, 75mm @ f/ 20, ISO 100

One Wary Cat

Sydney hopped up on the couch to relax a bit. When I picked up my camera she looked away. Previous flashes from the strobe has made her a little camera shy. Finally getting her to look my way it was clear by the look on her face she was't happy about having her picture taken again.

Canon 20D - 1/30th second, 75mm @ f/ 2.8, ISO 3200

Saguaro National Park West - 36671

Almost sunset from Signal Hill, looking southeast.

Canon 20D - 1/250th second, 70mm @ f/ 4, ISO 100

Hauling Ant

I was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon, sitting outside the dome reading when I noticed this ant dragging this dead caterpillar across the porch.

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 238mm @ f/ 7.1, ISO 100

The Kuiper 1.54 meter Telescope

While I surveyed for Near Earth Objects, my boss and a visiting astronomer from Paris configured the Kuiper Telescope and their instruments for the occultation of a star by Pluto, to occur on the morning of the 18th. The upper end of the telescope can be seen in the open slit.

This image is just one of a few thousand the camera took from dusk to dawn to make a time lapse animation. It is a little bit past my 40,000th exposure with the 20D.

30 seconds, 15mm @ f/ 5, ISO 1600

Feel the Heat

With the desert southwest trapped under a high pressure system causing record and near record high temperatures, I figured I'd post another image from January 15th, when Mt. Lemmon was coated in rime ice. The high temperature that day was 22F.

Canon 20D - 1/200th second, 10mm @ f/ 22, ISO 400

Cactus Wren at Saguaro National Park

Canon 20D - 1250th second, 300mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

A Different Kind of Raptor

This Cooper's Hawk makes Freedom Park its home. Jim & I kept seeing him fly around watching for lunch to present itself. Most of the time he kept far enough away when he was flying where I didn't even try to get an image, but at one point he flew a few feet away from my head on his way to this shaded perch about 50 feet up in a tree.

I was going to keep this image private but my friend Tim, an avid birder, thought that it was a good shot, so here it is.

Canon 20D - 1/250th second, 300mm @ f/ 8, ISO 100

Raptor on Short Final

This F-22 from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB in Virginia is almost over the runway at D-M. The mountains in the background are the Santa Catalinas and the small white speck on the ridgeline at the lower left is the top of the old Army Radome near the peak of Mt. Lemmon.

The F-22 is an amazingly quiet aircraft. during several low passes, the pilot kicked in the afterburners to climb back up to pattern altitude. It was quieter than other jet aricraft operating at high power settings without their afterburners lit!

Canon 20D - 1/1000th second, 300mm @ f/ 8, ISO 200

F-15E Over the Numbers at Davis-Monthan

Late in the day, Jim and I figured that the practice flights were finished so we got in my car and started out of the park. As I put my camera back in the bag, I jokingly said "This will guarantee there will be another flight."

It did!

We ended up along the western fence of D-M and watched the last flight of the day and then enjoyed some low passes and final approaches of various aircraft.

The pilot of this F-15E of the 4th FW at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina, made his final approach a little fast, so he deployed the huge airbrake on top of the fuselage.

Canon 20D - 1/1000th second, 300mm @ f/ 8, ISO 200

P-51, A-10s & an F-16

P-51D-25NA "Bald Eagle" (Serial # 44-73029) leads the formation of a pair of A-10 Wart Hogs and an F-16 Falcon on a low fly-by. The closer of the two A-10s is from the 23rd Fighter Group, based at Pope AFB in North Carolina while the other one is a local, from the 355th WG here in Tucson. The F-16 is assigned to the 20th FW out of Shaw AFB in South Carolina.

These aircraft were *NOT* flying as low as they appear to be flying in this image!

Canon 20D - 1/400th second, 300mm @ f/ 10, ISO 100

Another QF-4 & P-51 Variants

Leading this formation is another QF-4 from the 1st Detachment, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, Holloman AFB in New Mexico. The two wingmen are flying, on the right wingtip, Muche's Warbird's P-51D "Wee Willy II" and on the left wingtip we see, if I'm not mistaken, a variant of the P-51, the TRF-51D. This is a two-seat trainer.

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 119mm @ f/ 6.3, ISO 100

"Tarheel Hal"

A more adventageous pass and we can now see that the P-47 is none other than "Tarheel Hal". A P-47D-40-RA (serial no. 44-90368), "Tarheel Hal" is owned by the Lone Star Air Muesum.

The P-47 Thunderbolt was the largest fighter in World War 2 and is a personal favorite of mine. Due to it's incredibly robust radial engine and airframe, it excelled in the ground support role.

There are untold number of accounts of this aircraft absorbing an amazing amount of battle damage while defending the troops on the ground, all the while protecting the pilot and returning him safely to his base.

Canon 20D - 1/250th second, 300mm @ f/ 10, ISO 100

F-4 & P-47

The F-4 rejoined with the P-47 mentioned is the post below and finally made a pass close enough to get reasonable images.


Canon 20D - 1/800th second, 300mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

F-4 Phantom

After making several orbits in formation with a World War 2 era P-47, all too distant to get good images of the pair, broke formation and this F-4, the primary fighter of the Air Force and Navy during the Vietnam era, made a closer approach. It's airspeed was relatively low, as noted by the extension of the leading edge slats on the wings. These are extended automatically to provide greater airfow over the wings to improve lift at slow airspeeds.

This Phantom is actually a QF-4 and carrys the markings of the 53rd Weapons Evaluations Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida

Canon 20D - 1/800th second, 300mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

Same Fighters, Second Fly-by

The same three aircraft flew over our heads a second time, but this time the F-22 & the F-15 had changed positions.

Canon 20D - 1/250th second, 149mm @ f/ 10, ISO 100

Three Generations of Military Airpower

During the Summer air show season, modern and past aircraft are flown in formation as a salute to the brave men and women who served their country in the air. To make sure these formation flights are as safe as possible every spring, Davis-Monthan Air Force base in Tucson hosts practice sessions for the owners and pilots of privately owned warbirds. These practice flights sharpen the skills needed to fly today's best jet fighters and yesteryear's finest prop driven aircraft in close proximity.

My friend Jim and I spent the day watching and photographing these practice flights, mostly from Freedom Park, just north of D-M. (Jim's blog is linked from the home page on the right.)

One of the first fly-bys Jim and I witnessed was this formation, left to right, of the Air Force's newest fighter, the F-22 Raptor, a World War 2 P-51 and the late 20th Century's premier Air Superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle.

Canon 20D - 1/200th second, 133mm @ f/ 10, ISO 100

8 Seconds PLUS

For my last image from the 82nd annual Tucson Rodeo, I have a shot of something a little bit different. I have plenty of shots of cowboys getting thrown from the bulls and horses, but this cowboy rode for the required 8 seconds and then at least another four or five! Fantasic ride!

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 300mm @ f/ 13, ISO 400

Another One Bites the Dust

The bulls had a great day, throwing cowboy after cowboy before the 8 second ride could be completed.

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 300mm @ f/ 13, ISO 400

Send in the Clowns

The clowns get a helluva work out during the bull riding contest. It takes some big, brass ones to ride a bull, but those of the clowns have to be made of stainless steel!


Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 300mm @ f/ 13, ISO 400

Bull Riding 35520

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 300mm @ f/ 13, ISO 400

Ouch

Once thrown from this bull's back, this cowboy's trouble was only starting. It took some time & effort for the rodeo clowns to draw the bull's attention away from the rider so he could get away.


Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 300mm @ f/ 7.1, ISO 100

Flying Bull

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 300mm @ f/ 7.1, ISO 100

Barrel Racing

Here the winner of the Barrel Racing competitoin rounds her first barrel.

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 300mm @ f/ 6.3, ISO 100

Team Roping 36383

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 108mm @ f/ 6.3, ISO 100

Tie-Down Roping 36360

Canon 20D - 1/1000th second, 263mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

Tie-Down Roping 36334

Canon 20D - 1/1000th second, 100mm @ f/ 5, ISO 100

Canon 20D - 1/1000th second, 300mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

Hard Landing

That had to hurt.

I love the reactions of the crowd in the background.

Canon 20D - 1/1250th second, 300mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

Uh Oh! This isn't Good!

This bucking Bronco didn't want to leave the chute for several seconds and when he finally made his move he jumped straight up. Both the horse and cowboy were unhurt and the judges allowed the cowboy to ride another horse.

Canon 20D - 1/1250th second, 238mm @ f/ 5.6, ISO 100

Steer Wrestling 36186

Canon 20D - 1/50th second, 86mm @ f/ 22, ISO 100

Steer Wrestling 36174

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 86mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Hang on Cowboy!

Canon 20D - 1/800th second, 300mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

8.0!

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 300mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

2.7 seconds

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 190mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Right Out of the Chute

Canon 20D - 1/500th second, 133mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Bare Back 36120

This rider isn't having as much luck as the cowboy that rode before him.

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 263mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Hold On! Just a Little Longer!

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 263mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

There goes his hat!

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 263mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Grit Those Teeth!

This back back rider is having a great run, but by the way his teeth are clenched, it must be a tough ride.

Canon 20D - 1/640th second, 263mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200

Jumpers and Jump Plane

The last two Golden Knights to land carried the Arizona State flag. As they descended, their jump plane also descended towards a landing at Davis-Mothan Air Force Base in the distance.

Canon 20D - 1/400th second, 92mm @ f/ 9, ISO 200