Re: IMG story: Kokanee Slamon

really interesting action set

ric


On Oct 14, 2008, at 1:27 AM, wildlightphoto@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Lake Tahoe's Kokanee Salmon live their entire lives in fresh water, hatching in tributary streams and maturing in the lake itself, returning to the streams to spawn. This is a small salmon, about the size of a trout. Lake Tahoe's Taylor Creek is one of the best places to witness the beginning and end of the salmon's life cycle: 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110272.jpg
The salmon pair up in shallow gravelly areas, where the female excavates a redd (a place to lay the eggs) in the stream bottom by using the suction from the upward thrust of her tail to dislodge gravel and silt, where it is carried away by the current. The male is brighter red; aside from fertilizing the eggs his role is to defend the female's redd from intruders: 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110373.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110366.jpg
Among the dangers they face are the many Common Mergansers, attracted by the fish concentrations: 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110265.jpg
The mergansers pursue the salmon under water and use their serrated bills to hold the salmon before swallowing it whole: 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110292.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110261.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110262.jpg
However the pursuit isn't over just yet. Other mergansers are interested in discussing rightful ownership of the meal. Apparently the salmon have little say in the matter: 

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110343.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110334.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/fish/salmon/L1110335.jpg
The most successful mergansers are those who can swallow the salmon on the run.
Technical stuff: R8/DMR @ ISO 400, lens was either 180mm APO-Elmarit- R or 560mm f/6.8 Telyt 

All comments welcome.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com



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