tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29200263806554323612024-03-07T23:15:37.314-05:00CABBAGE HAMMOCK, ALMOST HEAVENOld Florida culture and outdoor photography. BIRDS, WILDLIFE, TREES, FLOWERS, NATURE, OUTDOORStsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-56690619869707675122009-09-13T21:59:00.002-04:002009-09-13T22:02:36.819-04:00I''M BACK, I HOPE!I've been through another bout with lung problems but I'm up and moving again, just a little bit slow. I have some new locations in mind, I need some more pictures!tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-51799414771187507482009-05-23T03:24:00.003-04:002009-05-23T03:33:42.283-04:00RainsWater, water, everywhere! This part of Florida has had a little over a foot of rain this month. I've sort of hibernated through it, can't drag the cameras around in a downpour.<br />The roadside ditches are brimming, millions of little frogs, snakes and crawfish are on the move, and the wading birds know it. Some stretches of our country roads are lined with hunting egrets, herons, storks and ibis.<br />I thought I had a good series of shots, then discovered that while messing around with the camera I'd set the ISO to 3200. The only shots worth keeping were a few I took on the cameras auto setting. I'll go ditch cruising again this weekend, the birds should still be there.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-38984958596070772372009-05-09T17:00:00.003-04:002009-05-09T17:05:40.296-04:00SPRINGTIME IN THE SWAMPI made another visit to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, got a late start, and the Sun was too high for best exposure. The Wood Stork and Great Egret chicks are big, and loud, constantly demanding to be fed. I still haven't seen all I want to see this year, it will take another visit.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-69400335215357174662009-05-06T05:43:00.000-04:002009-05-06T05:44:36.093-04:00HOME<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://img.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/HOME.flv">tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-39501735668969326952009-05-05T00:39:00.004-04:002009-05-05T01:29:02.982-04:00Water Dancers, My WorldNot much sunshine here for taking pictures, as soon as things brighten up I'll go back to the rookery. Many of the smaller herons are nesting now. Here are some of my favorite birds again, with some of my favorite music.
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<br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://img.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/WATERDANCERS.flv">tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-34627740266842512182009-05-01T12:42:00.003-04:002009-05-01T12:59:18.119-04:00Meant Well, But With Bad ResultsSomeone said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.<br />The Mottled Duck, Anas fulvigula, is a cousin of the Mallards, but it is adapted to breeding and living in the Southern saltmarshes and does not migrate. It is hard to say just how many remain, and how many of those are 100% Mottled Duck.<br />Many tame Mallards have been released, and many people have fed migrating Mallards, resulting in a non migrating population of Mallards. Normally, there would be no Mallards here in breeding season, but now the Mottled Duck is slowly being absorbed.<br />Who knows if the resulting hybrids will be able to succeed in a saltmarsh environment, only time will tell.<br />Around the pond at the county health center here you will see some strange looking ducks. They are a blend of Mallard, Peking, and Muscovy. they survive well, as long as someone feeds them, but, I doubt they'd last very long at all in a saltmarsh, fending for themselves.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-65783495869765397822009-04-23T07:08:00.004-04:002009-04-24T16:33:09.761-04:00ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM ROOKERYI spent several hours on Wednesday at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery. It is a paradise for bird watchers and bird photographers.
<br />Breeding and nesting season is at it's peak, and the rookery offers a chance to see and photograph Florida wading birds from up close.
<br />I can't praise the gator farm enough, it is a fine zoological park.
<br />The birds aren't captive, they're wild and free. The rookery provides an ideal place for nesting, and significantly increases our bird population.
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<br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://img.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/ROOKERY09.flv">tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-63097080858922604952009-04-13T04:07:00.002-04:002009-04-13T04:12:03.522-04:00FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOWThe annual flower and garden show is coming up next weekend. I visited the St. John's County Arboretum yesterday and it is looking great. There are many volunteer hours invested in the arboretum, the gardeners deserve a lot of credit.<br />I'll try to catch some of the beauty with my cameras, and share it here.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-69866546356725534542009-04-11T05:22:00.002-04:002009-04-11T05:28:21.935-04:00Changing With the SeasonsThe young Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, is often mistaken for a Snowy Egret or Cattle Egret, until the blue/gray plumage starts coming in. The beak, eye and leg colors are the clues to look for.<br />I'm seeing a lot of the young birds now, the adults are nesting and the young ones are out on their own, getting used to the world.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-17891540343917712172009-04-10T08:52:00.002-04:002009-04-10T08:56:28.352-04:00COURTSHIP RITUALSIf you're a bird, it's time for romance! The male Boat tail Grackles are courting now, the females are gathering nest material, but pretending they aren't impressed by all the posturing.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-14621930876960989062009-04-08T02:28:00.002-04:002009-04-08T02:39:22.328-04:00TIME AND TIDESI took my lunch down to the saltmarsh and ate it there. I saw that it was only a little after noon, so I leaned back for a nap, I knew rhe birds wouldn't be there for a while. At a little past 1:30 PM a Great Egret came sailing in, then a Snowy Egret, and then a Great Blue Heron. I expected them, that was when the tide was going to start to rise. The tide is the clock the shore birds run their lives by, they know, somehow, where to be, and when. It's an accurate clock, but it changes every day. The birds still keep track of it. The rising tide brings food with it.<br />I keep track of it too, but I have to look at my watch.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-3990035251043195552009-04-05T04:25:00.002-04:002009-04-05T04:36:48.537-04:00NEW CAMERAI've made the jump to a DSLR, a SONY A-200. I love my Panasonic FZ30 and old Olympus C2100UZ, but I'm ready to expand the limits. There will still be times when one of the older cameras will be just what I want to use, they are both fine tools.<br /> I've neglected this blog lately, I'm trying to adjust to prescribed meds I have to take, and one of the side effects is that you feel sleepy. I sure can't have that, it's no kind of life at all! I need to get outside and move!<br /> We've had some wonderful rains, the ponds are brimming, everything is greening up, flowers appearing everywhere, and the birds building nests or already raising chicks.<br /> Pictures will be anywhere you look, just be there with a camera, springtime will provide the rest!tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-6350365074326179262009-03-15T19:49:00.003-04:002009-03-15T19:57:01.632-04:00WELCOME, AND THANK YOU FOR VISITINGTo all the new visitors coming in from Stumbleon, thanks for visiting. Stay for a while, and put in a word or two.<br />I'm always glad to talk about St.Augustine, and St.John's County wildlife watching, and can tell you of the best places to have a camera handy.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-1402239727877130442009-03-12T02:48:00.004-04:002009-03-13T09:59:10.962-04:00WOW, BIG DIFFERENCEI use a circular polarizer on the cameras for shots near water, and when shooting white birds in particular. It helps prevent blown highlights on the white feathers, and cuts a lot of the water glare.<br />I thought the filter I had was O.K, but I picked up a Hoya on Ebay and used it yesterday. I got some of the best shore bird shots I ever have, no more muddy colors and blown highlights. I think the cheap CPL filters are just tinted glass, except they aren't that cheap! The price difference isn't that much and the results are worth the cost.<br />The White Ibis keep showing up around here, I've never seen so many in the 60+ years I've lived here. That's great, I love White Ibis, they're a fun bird to watch.<br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://smg.photobucket.com/flash/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/WHITEIBISd.flv"></embed><br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://smg.photobucket.com/flash/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/DIBISLAKE.flv"></embed>tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-76610541876398123312009-03-10T05:00:00.001-04:002009-03-10T05:02:30.199-04:00MASTER GARDENERA friend of mine, Shirley Barber, is a volunteer master gardener at the St. John's County Arboretum, West of St. Augustine, Florida. Shirley puts in countless hours creating a beautiful place for folks to relax and smell the flowers. It is truly a labor of love for Shirley, she puts all her best efforts in to it.<br />This video is for Shirley and all the volunteers, and the staff of the St. John's County Agriculture Center.<br />If you ever visit St. Augustine the arboretum is a great place to spend some time.<br />If you see an old guy with a camera, it may be me.<br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://smg.photobucket.com/flash/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/ARBORETUMSPRING.flv"></embed>tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-51858142652106694212009-03-09T21:59:00.003-04:002009-03-10T01:21:49.921-04:00Birds and WildflowersNice weather, at least for now. Wildflowers are springing up all over, the birds are nesting, spring is just around the corner.<br />The Ibis flock is getting used to me, I think I could walk right in and sit with them. They are good natured birds, peaceful and quiet.<br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://smg.photobucket.com/flash/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/CANON.flv"></embed>tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-84437575777806021252009-03-08T11:00:00.003-04:002009-03-08T11:13:26.375-04:00Good Morning!I've been making videos from some of my photos, please let me know what you think about them.<br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://smg.photobucket.com/flash/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/REDPOPPIESDANCE-1.flv"></embed><br /><br /><br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://smg.photobucket.com/flash/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/tsiya/VIDEO/LITTLEPOND.flv"></embed>tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-73382053748680156592009-03-06T21:21:00.002-05:002009-03-06T21:33:54.455-05:00Too many things eating up my time!I really know I just can't run around with my camera sll the time, but I don't have to like it!<br />I went to the little freshwater pond near the saltmarsh yesterday. Not a creature in sight, but I sat there and waited. A few Ring Billed gulls and Laughing gulls sailed in and started to bathe. Then came a flock, about 15 birds, of White Ibis, and some Boat tailed Grackles and 4 Fish Crows. They were all busy splashing, and then along came a Little Blue Heron, in full breeding plumage, and it landed right in the middle. I took 235 shots without moving a foot. I can't show them all here, but the ones I've processed are in my Pbase and Photobucket galleries.<br />I'm ready to go to the Alligator Farm to check out the rookery. The Great Egrets and wood Storks are nesting, the other birds will come along later. It is an experience you have to see to believe, a bird lovers fantasy.<br />On the way home from the pond, I looked up, the little male Red shouldered hawk that lives around here was posing on an old power pole. Usually he sits on a wire, he must know I don't like wires in my pictures, LOLtsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-68963219479354546342009-02-23T02:21:00.002-05:002009-02-23T02:27:36.147-05:00WOOD STORKThe Wood Stork, Mycteria americana, is North America's only native stork. They are related to the vultures. <br />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.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-8130702491076148212009-02-17T21:57:00.002-05:002009-02-17T22:06:58.028-05:00SUNSHINE and BLUE SKIESA 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.<br />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.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-32038838536188060972009-02-15T17:38:00.003-05:002009-02-15T17:48:05.765-05:00Tricolored heron, Egretta tricolorI 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.<br />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.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-8691848793412790292009-02-13T22:03:00.002-05:002009-02-13T22:09:37.331-05:00UNEXPECTED BYSTANDERSI 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.<br />Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, and Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-18795685468972025882009-02-12T03:55:00.002-05:002009-02-12T04:05:35.252-05:00BROWN PELICAN ALTERNATE PLUMAGESA 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.<br />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.tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-63963632572859070522009-02-10T16:59:00.003-05:002009-02-10T17:11:11.868-05:00THE RAPE OF A LAKEMaria 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.<br />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!tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920026380655432361.post-58333777450266090742009-02-10T01:39:00.002-05:002009-02-10T01:43:32.887-05:00What 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!tsiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407516571027552126noreply@blogger.com3