Chris H Petersen Photography

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Chris H Petersen Photography

The Ole Photog focused on capturing wildlife moments, and telling the stories behind making the photos.

10/25/2026

It sort of looks like a Halloween horror bird created by AI. I assure you that it is real.

Lurking in the marshes is one of the most vividly colored birds of the U.S. and tropics. Sky blue, indigo, violet, moss green, cherry red, yellow ... even white!

The Purple Gallinule lives in the costal areas of the U.S., Central and South America. I photographed one in Florida this spring. This one was captured in Costa Rica.

Ok, so what's up with those huge feet and toes? Gallinules use them to walk across water lillies and other vegetation to catch frogs and invertebrates.

Purple Gallinule chicks are "subprecocial". A fancy word meaning they can walk around soon after hatching. Surprisingly, adult Gallinules are remarkable fliers.

Nothing about this bird is "usual". Check out that cherry red beak. It has a bright yellow tip. Kind of looks like "candy corn" for Halloween.

Every time I see this bird I think of the 1958 novelty hit song: "The one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater". Yes, it even has a bit of a horn cap on its head!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 16.8m, f/9, 1/1600, -0.3 EV, ISO 3200

10/25/2026

Hopefully it's never to late to learn "new tricks". Exploring new formats for my 2026 BIG Year collection.

So here is a first attempt at sharing highlights of "Wading and Shore Birds" photographed this year. There are more. But I wanted to keep the video to a reasonable length on my first attempt.

So, I would really appreciate your feedback. Do you find this kind of format interesting? What kinds of things would you change? Would really like any suggestions you have.

I really like the social videos I see with trending songs, and music that I know. I can't figure out how to do that from a PC. It would be most appreciated if someone can point me in the right direction.

I sincerely appreciate all the comments and support from those following my work. It means a great deal to me. I learn a great deal from you comments and feedback. Thank you.

10/23/2026

I've been so busy out "capturing", I haven't had much time to look back on 2026.

One of the great adventures this year was to experience bird photography in Costa Rica. It was a huge opportunity in terms of discovering new tropical species.

In scanning some of 34,000+ images from my Costa Rica files, this image caught my eye. A very dramatic bird in the softly falling rain of the tropical forest.

This bird is a beautiful male Crimson-collared Tanager. It has both a red "butt" and the large crimson collar. Not to mention a deep ruby red eye and an ivory bill.

The Crimson-collared Tanager lives in humid lowlands in Central America. Take a closer look and you'll see how the rain forms micro droplets on the dense feathers.

I did not see many of them on my trip. But I liked this inquisitive pose skyward. It's almost like he is asking "when is this rain going to stop?"

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 100-500@455mm, distance 7.3m, f/9, 1/160, -0.7 EV, ISO 3200

10/22/2026

Making it all come together for a photo of a classic mature Red-tailed Hawk.

In a previous post I describe how a Photog has less than a second to capture the raptor's takeoff . It helps if the perch is a spindly tree top and not a power pole!

I was absolutely thrilled to capture this mature, very colorful Red-tailed Hawk! Dark amber eye, dark head, and solid red tail are all signs of a fully mature bird.

If you photograph song birds they are very consistent. Bluejays all look the same. Male and female cardinals differ by s*x, but they all look the same.

What makes Red-tailed Hawks so interesting is the tremendous variations! There are 19 recognized subspecies. On top of that a continuum from light to dark colors.

I'm a novice identifying subspecies. Given that this one was captured in Western Nebraska, I'm guessing a "Western" Red-tail. I leave it to the experts to decide.

What I do know is that it is one beautiful hawk captured in a beautiful pose with full eye contact. It is exactly what I'm looking for in compiling my 2026 BIG Year album.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@57mm, distance 31.7m, f/9, 1/5000, +0.3 EV, ISO 2500

10/21/2026

Photographing Hawks is "like a box of chocolates" ... sometimes you get dark carmel.

If you saw my previous post, photographing Red-tailed Hawks is a supreme challenge. Few wait. Most take off if you even slow down as you drive by.

My hawk loving fellow Photog and I have been trying a new approach. We stop way before we reach the hawk and attempt walking a zigzag path on foot to approach.

Sometimes walking works to at least get a photo of the hawk on the perch. The downside is that they are incredibly far away, and you don't get crisp details.

As described in the previous post, you have less than an second to capture the takeoff. This one flew behind the upright branch and the camera didn't focus.

Instead of a white/light neck and breast like most Red-tailed Hawks, this one is a dark "chocolate" color, with dark amber eyes. Guessing "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk.

Oh what I would give for that magical second to capture this one in flight! The odds are only about 1 in 20 for inflight success, but that's why you keep trying.

During the hawk migration in Nebraska we see a wide gamut of species and color variations. Never know what you'll see. Which is why I need to make another trip!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 63m, f/9, 1/5000, +0.3 EV, ISO 2000

10/20/2026

Everything had to come together in less than 1 second to "make this photo".

I often quote Ansel Adams about "making a photo" instead of taking a picture. To capture a Red-tailed Hawk taking off requires making a lot of things happen.

The first key is finding a Red-tailed Hawk that will stay on a perch long enough so you can even point a camera in their direction. Most fly before you ever get there.

My Canon Camera shoots 20 frames per second. I typically get only 5 to 6 shots before the hawk is rapidly turning and giving me the infamous "but shot".

That means there is only 1/2 second to find the bird, get focused and acutally fire shots while the hawk is taking off. A lot to manage for an Ole Photog!

And all of this assumes that you have dialed in the proper settings. It is almost impossible to stop a hawk in flight using a shutter speed less than 1/4000 of a sec.

Stop and try to imagine that speed of 1/4000 of a second! It takes that infantestimally small slice of time to "freeze" the wings of the hawk taking flight!

For the Raptor and Hawk experts out there, this is an interesting Red-tailed Hawk. Clearly red on the tail, dark head and eye, but almost no belly band.

Oh, the joy of it all. Raptor season is like a box of chocolates. There are so many variations, subspecies and colors of hawks you never know what photo you'll make.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon 5rmkII, 200-800@455mm, distance 20m, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 1600

10/19/2026

There is nothing quite like a raptor flying toward you in early morning light!

The adrenline rush is from the experience of them slipping away. You only have a couple of seconds to make this shot, or it becomes just another "butt shot"!

So what kind of hawk is it? Despite the lack of any visible "red", this is a young Red-tailed Hawk. The pale yellow eye and bands in the tail indicate a "juvenile".

Ten years ago, I had difficulty distinguishing between hawks. Funny how "hawk addiction" takes over and you start noticing details in the camera viewfinder.

I am by no means an expert of any sort! I would love feedback on whether is is a "first year" juvenile that was reared by local Red-tailed Hawks in Nebraska.

Some Red-tailed Hawks (like the white one we call "Angel") stay year round. But I'm finding that many migrate north in the summer and south in the winter.

Other species of hawks are long range Migrators. The Swainsons have departed for South America. The Rough-legged Hawks have yet to come down from the tundra.

If you are a Raptor Lover, Oct is the start of hawk and eagle movement. It will get much better and more active Nov through Feb. Never know what you will find.

If you are following my BIG Year Journey, midwest raptors are high on my list of priorities. I will close out this year searching for some unique raptors to share.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 42m, f/9, 1/4000, +0.3 EV, ISO 1250

10/18/2026

The before & after photos for a new GLP- 1 Prairie Dog weight loss ad?

Ok, a little Sunday fun with some interesting Prairie Dog facts. Found these files from my recent trip to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge.

When I snapped the first photo on the left, I literally said out loud to my friend: "That is the fattest Prairie Dog I have ever seen! Even his legs are fat!"

These Prairie Dogs are living on the wide open plains in Colorado. They have to survive subzero temps. So they bulk up for the winter. The first one is a champ!

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs do not truly hibernate. Like hummingbirds they enter short periods of "torpor" where they slow metabolism to conserve energy.

Ok, what about the one in the second photo on the right? Looks like he's barking at the moon. While he's plump, he's not "Jabba the Hut" like the first one.

The second one standing on his back legs is the "Sentinel" barking out a warning to the colony. Alarm barks will vary by the type of predator.

Now the question is: will "Porky" Prairie Dog on the left be able to "run" to his burrow in time to grab a "torpor nap" to sleep off the trauma?

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800, distance 20-25m, f/9, 1/2500, 0 EV, ISO 2000

10/17/2026

This familiar acrobat is also one of the most overlooked wildlife subjects for photos.

As a resident of the midwest, I just don't think about gulls much. Especially Ring-billed gulls which are a common visitor to Nebraska.

The Ring-billed Gull most often reside in the interior of North America, near fresh water. Their breeding grounds are the northern tier of the U.S and across Canada.

When this one came toward me in early morning light, I was struck by those awsome swept back wings, tipped in black. The epitome of the grace of flight.

Ring-billed Gulls return to the same nesting area each year. Many nest within a few yards of where they nested the previous year.

Like many water dependent species, Ring-billed Gulls are starting to migrate. Most will return to the same site they wintered at last year. Creatures of habit!

Breeding adults are all white on the head and neck. Non-breeding adults have some darker "flecks". Makes you wonder why some don't go all the way north?

If you miss seeing them in the wild, you will find them at landfills and tourist attractions. The are part of the garbage clean up crew and eat most anything.

Just don't aim your camera straight up at one. Don't ask how I know that.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 64m, f/9, 1/6400, +0.7 EV, ISO 2500

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Elkhorn, NE
68022

Website

http://www.500px.com/chrishpetersen

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