"A Creek Ensemble"...

Woolly Hollow State Park, Arkansas. May, 2009.
Photo # 9525_KS10304bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Voices in the Clouds"...

An abandoned home sits atop a hill as the sky expands from above and the grasses spread from below. If you stare at the house long enough, you may begin to see the sky expand. Comments welcome.

Private property, central Arkansas. November, 2014.
Photo # IM3_8709-19c2.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

Wader of Quiet Waters...

The Great Egret (also known as Great White Egret or Common Egret), Ardea alba, has an average wingspan around 5 feet. They nest in trees, near water and gather in groups called colonies. The great egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society and represents a conservation success story.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Ar.
Photo # KS9_1320-21bw. July, 2016.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

Mystic Lake...

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, AR.
Photo # IM5_2925-29bw. July, 2016.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Food-Sharing"...

A male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) passes food to a youngster. The plumage color of the males is produced from carotenoid pigments in the diet. Young birds, both male and female, show coloring similar to the adult female until the fall, when they molt and grow adult feathers.

Photo # KS9_1921c. July, 2016.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Calm before the Storm"...

Lake Conway, Arkansas. June, 2016.
Photo # IM5_2397bws.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.

"Shielding Lunch"...

This was one of those times where patience and observation eventually paid off. This is an interesting photograph for several reasons. I watched this Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) for hours, but to my surprise, I witnessed this hawk swoop down to the surface of the lake and catch a fish on the wing. You can see the fish between its talons. You'll also notice an approaching crow. The crows are an intelligent species and highly observant -- enough to know that the hawk had caught a fish. As soon as the hawk returned to the perch to eat the catch, the first priority is to shield the catch from any other predators who might try to steal the meal. As you can tell, this hawk is trying to shield the view of the fish by extending its left wing. The hawk was able to get a few bites before the harrassing crow eventually forced the hawk to drop its catch back into the lake, neither getting their fill of fish.

Location: private lake, north-central Arkansas. Feb 7, 2004.
This is not cropped. Photo # L124_0126.
(c) Kelly Shipp Photography.