Cattle Egret, Bulbucus ibis

Monday, February 23, 2009

WOOD STORK

The Wood Stork, Mycteria americana, is North America's only native stork. They are related to the vultures.
Storks were scarce for many years but are making a great comeback. They've learned to beg from fishermen. This one just sailed in and landed next to me while I was watching a Great Egret. I didn't have anything to share yesterday, but I never mind paying good models.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

SUNSHINE and BLUE SKIES

A beautiful day! The little freshwater pond was lined with sun bathing turtles, Mallards and Hooded Mergansers feeding, and songbirds in the trees. Over toward the Atlantic coast many of the herons and egrets are pairing off, some are building nests.
I'm having camera problems, the FZ30 is still working, but it crashes periodically. Time to start saving for a new camera. I take a lot of pictures, can't expect a camera to last forever.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor

I don't see enough of these birds, they are around, but usually far out in the marshes. The spread wings pose is typical behavior, the shade created by the wings makes it possible for the heron to see through the surface glare. This bird was hunting small crabs. The crouch is also typical, they will stand like this until sure of a catch, then strike.
It takes a sunny day to do justice to the colors, today was cloudy with a sea fog coming in. I set saturation for max, it is easier to desaturate a bit than to add colors that aren't there. I'm never as pleased with the rusults, however.

Friday, February 13, 2009

UNEXPECTED BYSTANDERS

I processed this image of a Hooded Merganser, thought there was a stick poking out of the pond, and someone with sharper eyes said "is that a Red eared Slider"? I often see things in my pics that my old eyes missed when I took the pic. This shot is at about 469mm equivalent, handheld, the Leica lens did a pretty good job.
Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, and Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

BROWN PELICAN ALTERNATE PLUMAGES

A Brown Pelican isn't likely to be very brown. The juveniles have a definite blue tinge, and an adults neck may be white, or chestnut brown. The colors intensify as breeding season nears. The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the pelicans, and the only one that catches fish by diving. The other pelicans fish while floating, sometimes using teamwork to herd fish into clusters.
The wingspans vary from 6 to 9 feet, none of them are small birds. I've seen pictures of a Brown Pelican swallowing a full grown Marsh Rabbit. No explanation accompanied the pictures, but Marsh Rabbits are strong swimmers, so a rabbit in the water is a definite possibility.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THE RAPE OF A LAKE

Maria Sanchez Lake, in St. Augustine, was created back in the 1800s, when Henry Flagler filled in the upper reaches of Maria Sanchez Creek, and built hotels on the resulting land. A dam was built at South street, causing the creek to spread. Over the decades the little tidal lake has developed an ecosystem, providing food for several bird species. It's all about to become history, what little natural vegetation exists will be killed by the concrete seawall, the ecosystem will fail, and the birds will go away.
I can't imagine any rational motive for building this eyesore, any erosion could be controlled at less expense, and with far less damage to the ecosystem, and the human eye!

What Do You Get?

When you take a Swiss cabinet maker, and rifle maker, a couple of Scots highlanders, and a couple of Cherokee Grandmas, and mix them up good? Well, you get ME, a genuine Redskin Redneck!

Big Mess

All of a sudden this blog is a mess, all reader comments have vanished, all components out of order. I don't have a clue, working on it!

Figured it out, I put a "MY WORLD" code on a post, must have done it wrong. I won't mess with it until some geeky type shows up to tell me what I did wrong! I can take a chunk of scrap metal, make a spring out of it, with some charcoal, a hammer, and a file, I can make most engines run, do a whole bunch of things, but this computer code thing is a whole new ball of wax!

Monday, February 9, 2009

My World Tuesday

Osiyo,
Good news from the weatherman, he says 72f and Sunny for Tuesday. I barely caught the last of today's light, just as the Sun went below the trees. I got lucky, a Mourning Dove was waiting at the right time.
I don't know which way I'll head tomorrow, got to check the tide. If I can get to the coast just before a rise begins I'll get some wading bird shots. You can well predict when the waders will appear, if you keep track of the tide.
I've had some success with the solar/lunar tables, at predicting feeding times for the critters in general, but can also just watch my neighbors cows, when they are dozing in the pasture the wild critters are likely napping too.
The natural cycles are just a clock, without hands, or numbers. It is the clock you want to follow, if you would follow the wild things. Our sense of time means nothing to them.
tsiya

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Close to Home

Neighborhood birds today, the White Ibis were napping in the pine tops and the female American Kestrel was hunting over a neighbors hayfield. I keep working closer to the Kestrel, but she is shy and won't tolerate much company.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

24 f last night, more coming!

Yeah, I know 24f is sissy weather, to y'all, but this is Florida! The good old Sun did finally get to work, bright blue skies aplenty! The Mercury is falling again, as we speak! I just want to sprawl out on the creek bank, in the Sun, with all the other old gators!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Home Territory

I didn't go far yesterday, down to the pond, then to the agriculture center. It was a clear, cool day, the Palm Warblers were spending a lot of time on the warm asphalt road.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

REFLECTIONS

On a calm day, if the light is right, Lake Maria Sanchez in St. Augustine can create some great reflection effects.
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CURRENT MOON

FISH CROW

Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major fem

Wood Stork Mycteria americana

Wood Stork Mycteria americana

RINGED BILL GULL

MALLARD Anas Platyrhynchos

RINGED BILL GULL

MALLARDS and REDEAR SLIDER

Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor

Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor

Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor

UNEXPECTED BYSTANDERS

Brown Pelican chestnut neck

Brown Pelican white neck

Brown Pelican juvenile


What Do You Get?

What Do You Get?
ME

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

PALM WARBLER

SOARING FREE

REFLECTIONS

LITTLE BLUE HERON

REFLECTIONS