Chris H Petersen Photography

Directions Website Contact the school

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

This familiar acrobat is also one of the most overlooked wildlife subjects for photos.As a resident of the midwest, I ju...
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

The elegant Thrush in the distinguished gray suit living up to its name.The Townsend's Solitaire was named after John Ki...
10/16/2026

The elegant Thrush in the distinguished gray suit living up to its name.

The Townsend's Solitaire was named after John Kirk Townsend who discovered it in 1835 in Oregon. The second pard of the name is an apt descriptor of its behavior.

Towsend's Solitaires breed in western Canada up to Alaska. Other than breeding season they spend most of their lives alone. It is a key to their winter survival.

In the winter season they switch from insects to feeding on juniper berries. Each one stakes out and staunchly defends a territory around the best juniper trees.

It takes a lot of juniper berries to sustain on Solitaire, so they do not share. It is estimated that one Solitaire needs 50,000 to 80,000 berries to survive winter.

Unlike other Thrushes, Solitaires like to perch in trees. They often remain motionless for long periods, which makes them hard to spot given their color.

One distinguishing characteristic is that white eye ring. The other key feather feature is the light buff streak on the edge of their wing.

I've only seen one other Townsend's Solitaire in Nebraska. I was very pleased to capture this one in the Wildcat Hills for my 2026 BIG Year album.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 11.8m, f/9, 1/1250, +0.7 EV, ISO 2000

The heavyset finch with a ginormous beak that can crack any seed around!We made a trip to the Wildcat Hills Wildlife Sta...
10/15/2026

The heavyset finch with a ginormous beak that can crack any seed around!

We made a trip to the Wildcat Hills Wildlife State Recreation Area in hopes of finding some unique migrators. This Evening Grosbeak was a huge surprise!

When we first laid eyes on this bird, the yellow colors were striking. Then we saw that huge beak and we knew this was not anything we had seen before.

The Evening Grosbeak is a member of the finch family. Much heavier and stockier than the House Finch. The male has dramatic yellow, black and white colors.

Ok, the first question - why is it called an Evening Grosbeak? The Evening part was a mistake. It was a coincidence of when early birdwatchers first found them active.

The Grosbeak part comes from the French word "gros" meaning thick, and "bec" referring to the the bird's large conical beak. Great description for this beak!

The Evening Grosbeak breeds in Canada, and found across the northern U.S. I have never seen one, so there was a mad scramble to "make a photo" in poor light.

As per the name, we found this one towards evening. It was in a mix of shade and dappled sunlight. The dark stripes on the back are shade from tree branches.

This Ole Photog is on the "final glide path". Never know if I will see another one. This photo is exactly what I'm trying to capture in my 2026 BIG Year collection.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 12m, f/9, 1/1250, +0.3 EV, ISO 4000

This squirrel builds underground towns so large you can see them on Google Maps!When Settlers crossed the prairies they ...
10/14/2026

This squirrel builds underground towns so large you can see them on Google Maps!

When Settlers crossed the prairies they thought they heard small barking dogs. When they saw small furry things scurring around, they called them "Prairie Dogs".

Prairie Dogs are obviously not "dogs". They are medium sized rodents, members of the squirrel family. About 18 inches long tip to tip, weighing 2 to 7 pounds.

The one thing they excell at is tunneling! They dig tunnels up to 50 feet in length. Those burrows may have as many as 70 entrances! Many families are connected.

The most used entrances have the dirt excavated pushed up into a large circular mound up to 12 ft. in diameter. These "dogs" are on a mound ready to dive in.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal is almost 16,000 acres. It is a WWII army facility now turned into a National Wildlife Refuge. Prairie Dogs thrive here in the 1000s.

If you go to Google Maps and search for Rocky Mountain Arsenal you will see small "light circles" which are Prairie Dog mounds. I defy you to count them all!

These plump squirrels are tasty prey for a host of species: eagles, hawks, coyotes, foxes. It is their underground tunnel network that is a refuge from threats above.

The real key to their survival is their highly interactive social network where they warn each other of threats. They have specialized barks for different predators.

That tail up is also a warning signal. It means there is an Ole Photog close by!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 25m, f/9, 1/2500, -0.7 EV, ISO 800

When the best features are on the back side, a butt shot maybe the best choice!When I learned that the Rocky Mountain Ar...
10/13/2026

When the best features are on the back side, a butt shot maybe the best choice!

When I learned that the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge has Magpies, I didn't have to think twice about making the trip to the Denver area.

If you saw my recent Magpie Post from Rocky Mountain National Park, there some amazing colors on the Magpie. But my dream shot was to capture one in flight.

The Black-billed Magpie is also known as the American Magpie. They are a member of the very smart Corvidae family, which includes crows, ravens and jays.

They are extremely resourceful and will eat most anything. They are also extremely intelligent and know how to stay out of camera range!

On the ground, they sort of look like a crow with a long tail and a white belly. But when they fly in just the right light, oh my, there is a color explosion on their back.

Their feathers on their tail and the backs of their wings are actually black. What creates the colors are the microstructures in the feathers that refract the sunlight.

The direction of the shadows shows how the sun is directly striking the bird. The head and back remain black. It is only the long feathers that refract the sunlight.

Until I took this photo, I did not know that only the outer half of the primary wing feathers are white. And each white part has a unique black outline! In a word, cool!

I now finally have a number of photos of a Magpie in flight. But by far this landing photo is the most interesting showcase of the colors and the unique wings!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@500mm, distance 25m, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 2500

Tatanka ~ Legendary Bovids of the Badlands.What's in a name? The official name for this beast is the American Bison. ...
10/12/2026

Tatanka ~ Legendary Bovids of the Badlands.

What's in a name? The official name for this beast is the American Bison. Most simply called them Buffalo. What every you call them, they are unique, and huge!

The Lakota called them Tatanka. Tatanka provided everything they needed and were an integral part of their culture. The name Tatanka suits them well!

Unfortunately, relatively few Bison remain. You can find herds scattered across national parks. Somehow, I did not have a photo of the magnificent Tatanka.

There was a rumor that there was a Golden Eagle in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. With a chance of a Golden and a Buffalo, had to make a quick trip!

This old Bull has his new winter coat in order to face the winter blizzards head on! Because they face into the wind, the heaviest fur is on their head and shoulders.

Zoom in and take a closer look. You can tell he is old by the way is horn is worn down. You will also see his long goatee under his chin. Another sign of age.

Yes, we did see an eagle, but it was too far away. But this scene of a massive bull moving into the first light more than made up for it. BIG Year Album material!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@324mm, distance 60m, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 4000
*No, I didn't need 1/5000, but I was setup to capture a magpie in flight!

Angel the leucistic Red-tailed Hawk can be a cruel mistress to an Ole Photog.If anyone has tried to photograph a Red-tai...
10/11/2026

Angel the leucistic Red-tailed Hawk can be a cruel mistress to an Ole Photog.

If anyone has tried to photograph a Red-tailed Hawk, you know the challenges! If you even slow your vehicle speed, they takeoff before you can get stopped.

This particular Red-tailed Hawk has lived in the same two mile stretch of river for a decade. She has a sixth sense when someone is trying to take her photo.

Unfortunately, the result was a classic going away "butt shot". I wanted to share it because it shows her dark red tail, and the one dark feather on her left wing.

I don't think anyone knows how the leucistic gene affects some colors and not others. Most leucistic Red-tails keep some or most of the red in their tails.

If you enlarge and look closely you will see that she has a black spot on the back of her head. She also has light gray claws instead of black ones.

Leucism occurs in a wide variety of birds as well as mammals. When the white pattern occurs in "splotches" or mottled pattern, they are often called "piebald".

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawks are extremely rare! In a population of about 2 million Red-tails in North America, only a few hundred are leucistic. Less than 1%!

The dream is to capture a proper in flight shot of Angel with wings spread and tail flared. The challenge is finding a single bird that doesn't want her photo taken!

Photog Nerd Data
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 207 ft, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 1000

Angel is back!! She is the rarest wild bird living year round in the state of Nebraska.Angel is NOT an albino. Albinos...
10/10/2026

Angel is back!! She is the rarest wild bird living year round in the state of Nebraska.

Angel is NOT an albino. Albinos have pink eyes and all white feathers. Angel has dark eyes, and a mostly red tail. You can see a bit of red behind the cedar branch.

Angel is a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk. Leucism is a rare gene that causes lack of pigmentation in the feathers making them appear white.

As she aged, Angel has became almost all white. Her wings look like "angel wings" when she soars overhead. Hence the nickname, Angel.

Actually, Angel never left. She has lived along the same part of the river for over a decade. During nesting season she becomes a "ghost" and disappears for months.

I haven't seen her since Feb. I have made a dozen trips looking for her. We are always concerned that something has happened and she won't return.

Then on the 13th trip this week she suddenly appeared on the top of cedar tree as if to say: "Here I am Ole Photog, catch me if you can!"

Angel is not kind to Photogs! She takes flight faster than any Red-tail I've seen. That is probably why she has survived so long through all the Nebraska winters.

I only got one "butt shot" of her taking off this time. My dream shot is her banking with red tail fanned. Now that we have met again ... "I'll be back".

Stay tuned. If you want to see her red tail, I'll be posting a take off shot tomorrow.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 63m, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 1250

I got so distracted with birds that I almost forgot why I went to the Rockies.I have never seen the North American Elk R...
10/09/2026

I got so distracted with birds that I almost forgot why I went to the Rockies.

I have never seen the North American Elk Rut, up close and personal in the wild. I wanted to have that experience as part of my 2026 BIG Year plan and adventure.

There are always dreams of the "NatGeo" iconic action shots of two huge bulls battling to see who gets the harem of cows.

I did see some bull battles, but they were too far away. It was amazing to hear the Elk Bulls bugling to challenge the other bulls across Moraine Valley in RMNP.

In this photo you can see I get close enough to witness the intensity of the Bulls "rounding up" their harem of cows and herding them away from other bulls.

Here is the rest of the story, that I did not capture. The big cow the Bull is chasing did not appreciate that at all! She was an independent spirit. Let's call her Sophie.

When this Bull went off to challenge a competitor, Sophie led his entire harem across the highway between the cars into the deep forest. Not her first escape!

When this Bull returned, he had no harem! Sophie and the girls were no where to be found. A truly amazing experience to witness first-hand!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@570mm, distance 63m, f/9, 1/4000, 0 EV, ISO 3200

When a leaf on a willow tree is longer than your subject, you have a challenge!The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is one of the sm...
10/08/2026

When a leaf on a willow tree is longer than your subject, you have a challenge!

The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet is one of the smallest songbirds in North America. About 4 in long, weighing about 8 g, or the equivalent of woman's wedding ring.

They are olive green in color and blend in perfectly with the foliage. They have a white eye ring around a dark eye which makes it easier to identify them.

These Kinglets are smaller than a warbler or chickadee. Fortunately they are "nervous" and constantly flicking their wings which makes it easier to spot them.

The males have "hidden" ruby crown. While I managed to capture one on display this spring, they typically do not display their crown much after breeding season.

It seems so incredible that their breeding range is across Canada, all the way to northern Alaska. They migrate to lower half of the U.S. and Mexico for the winter.

I never expected to photography a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet at over 7,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains! You never know what you will find in a BIG Year making photos.

Photog Nerd Data:
CanonR5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 7.3m, f/9, 1/1000, +0.3 EV, ISO 10,000

Address

Elkhorn, NE
68022

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chris H Petersen Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Chris H Petersen Photography:

Shortcuts

Share