Bird's Eye Gallery
Fine Art Photography of the Natural World
Micah "Doc" Daugherty
Bird's Eye Gallery
Fine Art Photography of the Natural World
Micah "Doc" Daugherty
Journey Into The World Of...
WILDLIFE
I have been a photographer for over 30 years, and although I have done my share of shoots for weddings, sporting events, and even modeling, nature and wildlife is by far the most raw. Nothing is ever staged. Therefore, no shot can really be recreated. You have one opportunity to capture that special moment when an animal leaps to capture its prey, turns to gaze at you, or capture it in a playful mood. That's what really makes wildlife photography so exhilarating .
Throughout my travels I have witnessed some very special moments and been fortunate enough to capture them through my lens. It takes a lot of patience, but in the end it's well worth it.
SAFETY POLICY: Safety is ALWAYS FIRST when I shoot in the field. My team and I are professionals and we have studied these animals and understand and recognize their behaviors. As I stated above, wildlife is very unpredictable and every precaution is taken when we set out on these photo shoots. My team nor I will NEVER put ourselves or the wildlife at risk, or disturb the habitat where they live. We value and adhere to the National Park Service's "Leave No Trace" policy, as should all who enjoy the outdoors.
Call Of The Wild
Yellowstone National Park is by far is one of the BEST places for wildlife photography. Even in the winter, it was like a drive-through zoo. Wildlife was abundant... American Elk (featured here), American Pronghorn, Wolves, Coyote, Bison, Moose, Bear, you name it! I stopped along the drive to observe a herd of American Elk when this bull elk decided to stop and call the herd to order.
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Zion's Icon
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Throughout all of my adventures in the wild, the Desert Bighorn Sheep is probably my most photographed animal. They can be found throughout the mountainous areas of the Southwestern U.S. I've spent enough time observing some herds that I've come to know their behaviors and the best locations to find them. In fact, I will go out of my way to photograph these amazing creatures. One such herd that I follow calls Zion National Park in Utah their home. Other great locations to find several herds are Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada (about a 1-1/2 hour drive northeast of Las Vegas), Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in SW Colorado, and Capital Reef National Park in Utah... all of which are featured here.
King Of The Mountain
Follow Me
Standing Guard
During a hike on the Grand Wash Trail in Capitol Reef National Park we ran across a lone female Desert Bighorn Sheep. This was odd to me because they commonly travel in herds. I began taking some photos as she continued up to the top of a hill where she stopped and looked down at me. So, I followed her. She led me further over the rise, stopping occasionally to see what I was doing. Finally, I decided it was time to get back to the trail.
As we returned from this out-and-back hike in Capitol Reef National Park, I saw this same female in the same area where we first saw her. But this time, she was not alone. Accompanying her was her kid. Now it all made sense. Her motherly instinct had kicked in earlier as she led me away from her young. We didn't see the kid on the hike out, most likely because the mother had the young one bed down and hide while she led me (as a perceived threat to her young) away from the youngling. Had I been a true predator, the mother would've given her life so that her kid would survive. Witnessing these instinctual behaviors in the wild is what makes wildlife photography so gratifying.
Lamb Chops
God of War
In Greek mythology, Ares is the "God of War." He was depicted as a strong, able-bodied man whose thirst for war and bloodshed was like no other. In comparison, the Desert Bighhorn Sheep is a powerful animal that you wouldn't want to cross hairs with. When males battle, head to head literally, it's an amazing display of raw power and brutality. This image reminded me of that power and presence in the way this sheep stood proudly and looking on to the herd around him.
We have observed the Bighorn Sheep in several Western National Parks. We found a couple of these beautiful animals in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado. Here is one of those images from that trip.
Gunnison
As a parting shot to this dedication to the Desert Bighorn Sheep, I decided to include this amazing silhouette of the alpha ram from the Zion Herd standing at the edge of a cliff in the park. The title "Jacob's Landing" is thanks to our daughter's boyfriend (Jacob) who spotted this ram in the distance as it watched over the herd in the valley below.
Jacob's Landing
Stare Down
The Roosevelt Elk is the largest subspecies of elk in North America. We had the opportunity to observe a small herd of these beautiful animals at Fort Stevens State Park in Oregon. The elk in this image was taking a particular interest in my activities. It grew closer to me, but I slowly backed away while continuing to shoot.
On The Hunt
Coyotes
One of the most captivating experiences in Yellowstone was our interaction with a coyote... YES, a coyote! While driving through the park we saw a coyote standing at the edge of the road staring at the snow. It paid us no mind at all. So we slowly pulled up to it, and I got out to take some shots. Although the animal was close, I kept the door to the car open just in case I needed to make an escape. Next thing I knew, it was pouncing into the snow trying to capture lunch.
Focus
Pounce
Alligators
"Black Water" is one of my older and most iconic photos. As we strolled the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida, this young alligator caught my eye. The water was perfectly still and created a mirror reflection of this beauty perched up on a log.
Black Water
Alligators may look clumsy, but they are swift on their feet on land. In fact, gators can top out at about 20 mph on land. But don't worry... my 200-400mm Canon telephoto lens afforded me the opportunity to keep a safe distance from this tough-looking guy and all of his friends that were keeping him company.
This image was taken at the Gator Hole in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida.
Too Close?
There's nothing like taking a siesta on a hot, summer Florida afternoon. This juvenile alligator was doing just that by a waterway in Fakahatchee Strand, part of the Big Cypress National Preserve.
Nap Time
During one of my excursions into the Everglades, I ran across a mother alligator and her babies. There were dozens of them. Keeping "mama gator" in my sights, I was able to shoot some nice images of the group of babies. This image was the best of them all... and still one of my favorites.
Baby Gator... Do, Do, Do!
Another Pretty Face
The American Pronghorn is the fastest land animal in the Americas. It can reach speeds of up to 55 mph! They are indigenous to the prairie lands of the Western and Central U.S. Although it looks like an antelope of Africa, the Pronghorn is actually related to the giraffe and okapi.
This image was taken near the North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Montana.
Moose Munch
The Moose is the world's tallest, largest, and heaviest extant species of deer. It is also the second-largest land animal in North America behind the American Bison.
This image was taken during our wintery adventure into Yellowstone National Park.
Who Said Dinosaurs Don't Exist?
The Blue Iguana is an endemic species of iguana that can only be found on Grand Cayman Island in the Cayman Islands. In 2003, less than 15 of these beautifully-colored iguanas existed in the world! Thanks to the conservation efforts and reintroduction of captive-bred Blue Iguanas by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in the Caymans over 750 of these animals now roam Grand Cayman. Most of the population can be found in the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park on Grand Cayman.
Big Yawn
The Channel Islands Fox is an endemic species of small fox that can be found on 6 of the 8 Channel Islands off the Coast of California. They evolved from the mainland's Grey Fox and are separated into 6 distinct subspecies which are found respectively on the 6 islands which they inhabit. I managed to capture this little beauty in the middle of a "Big Yawn" while on our excursion to Channel Islands National Park.
Island Fox
Fine art photography is about capturing "that moment" and immortalizing through the lens of a camera. This particular image is a perfect portrait of the Santa Cruz Island subspecies of the Channel Islands Fox. These small foxes are very docile and show little fear of humans. In fact, they enjoy visitors to the island and you'll almost certainly see one (or more) hanging out at the campground close to the boat dock into the islands.
Key Deer
The Key Deer is an endangered species of deer living in the Florida Keys. They are the smallest deer found in North America, measuring about 30 inches in height and weighing under 75 pounds.
This image of a female Key Deer was taken in No Name Key on one of my many trips to The Florida Keys.
Doe-Rae-Me
Sitka Black-Tailed Deer are a subspecies of the Mule Deer and abundantly found throughout the coastal rainforests of Alaska. Like the Mule Deer, these deer are smaller than other species (such as White-Tailed Deer) found in the continental U.S.
An Apple A Day
Our hike to the glaciers of Mount Rainier offered some stunning views, but also managed to take a few shots at some of its local residents. The Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel can be seen frequently along the trails of Mount Rainier. This little one here found an apple to snack on and didn't mind pausing for a few moments for me to snap a few good images.
New Mexico Wild Horses
As we made our way through the backcountry of New Mexico to find and hike the Valley of Dreams, we ran across a band of wild horses. Although they didn't provide any amazing images of them "in action", I was able to get a few nice shots of this pair surrounded by the golden grass of the flatlands in the area.
California Sea Lion
Moving from the Alaska coastal rainforests of Sitka, we head to the Golden Coast of California. Here you'll find and abundance of California Sea Lions, like this one pictured here. This image was taken in La Jolla, California, and is a perfect portrait with a nice background of the bay and cliffs.
Bay View
There were hundreds of California Sea Lions lining the rocky and sandy shores of La Jolla, California during our short visit. I decided to get up close and a bit more personal with these beautiful animals and I joined them on the rocks to enjoy this "Bay View."
Out Of The Shadows
This little Red Fox was weaving its way around the bushes at the edge of a path in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan when I caught up with it. I love this image because of the shadowing and the contrast between the fox and the dark background of the forest behind it. This not only gives this photo depth and character, it also instills a sense of drama as the fox looks on.
Curiosity
I followed this Red Fox for a while shooting from different angles and managed to get a lot of great images. In this particular shot, the fox stopped, turned, and looked right at me curiously. I'm sure it was thinking, "It this person friend of foe."