27 Wednesday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
I have been twice to Monument Valley, a famous place used as the backdrop for many Western movies made by John Ford. It lies within the Navajo Nation, on the border of Utah and Arizona.
We got there one late afternoon in June, with the setting sun creating a wonder of light and shadows on the iconic buttes and the surrounding desolate landscape.
Sunset over Monument Valley in June 2013.
24 Sunday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
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This young House Finch appeared at our feeder four years ago. It must have found a good source of red pigment in its food, since it was easily the reddest one I had ever seen.
House Finch.
House Finch.
23 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
While I was taking photos of Niagara Falls in June 2011, several Cormorants photo bombed the falls. I took the shot anyway.
Cormorants at Niagara Falls.
22 Friday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
The Wright Brothers flew their airplane successfully on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in the Outer Banks. Today there is a Wright Brothers National Memorial at the spot, with a visitor center, a monument, and sculptures of their bi-plane and that historic moment.
Replica of first bi-plane. Orville Wright was the pilot.
Replica of first bi-plane and first flight moment. Wilbur Wright behind the bi-plane.
The two brothers each flew their bi-plane twice that day. Their final flight covered 852 ft (260 m) before the bi-plane struck the ground and broke part of its frame.
We visited this place almost five years ago. We arrived too early, before the visitor center was open. But it was a beautiful day for photography.
20 Wednesday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
Tufted Titmouse.
16 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
carolina chickadee, dark-eyed junco, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, great blue heron, photography, postaday
The flu has forced me to stay home these past two weeks and I have not gone out to take any picture, or visited your posts as often as before. The following photos are the results of my editing of recent shots of backyard birds that show some different views of the two most common visitors to our feeder in the winter.
Dark-eyed Junco.
Carolina Chickadee.
About two weeks ago, I also caught a Great Blue Heron jumping around a pond, probably on a fishing expedition.
Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron.
11 Monday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
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Gray Jay.
10 Sunday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
About this time of the year, our Orchids are blooming and a Calamondin Orange plant is showing off with a few colorful fruit, which are not sweet at all. Here are some shots I took yesterday inside the house under natural light.
White Orchid.
White Orchid.
White Orchid bud.
Calamondin Orange.
09 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
There were two male Hooded Merganser at the refuge cruising around on a patch of water amid the ice, looking for food. They swam, dove, and came up for air. These small ducks are specific to North America, with the males very noticeable because of their black and white hood.
Male Hooded Mergansers at Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Male Hooded Merganser.
Two Hooded Mergansers, one diving.
Male Hooded Merganser plunging into icy water.
In the water, Hooded Mergansers hunt for food by sight. They have an extra eyelid, a nictitating (blinking) membrane, that they can deploy to protect their eyes, somewhat like humans who use goggles when swimming underwater. You can see it in the following shot.
Hooded Merganser with extra eyelid showing.
They can also adjust the refractive property of their eyes to improve their vision under water.
Very wet Hooded Merganser emerging from dive.
06 Wednesday Feb 2019
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Mute Swans.
Mute Swans.
Mute Swan.
04 Monday Feb 2019
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, fort hancock, photography, postaday, sanderling, sandy hook, sandy hook lighthouse
As temperatures slowly climbed above freezing, I ventured out yesterday to view scenes of the wintry landscape left by that Polar Vortex storm everyone was talking about last week. I was hoping that a thaw would be in full force, but everything still looked cold and encrusted in ice. The first place I went to was Sandy Hook, a barrier island in New Jersey facing New York City across Raritan Bay.
View of Sandy Hook Bay.
View of Sandy Hook shoreline, with an empty Osprey nest on the right.
View of Sandy Hook shoreline.
There were hardly any bird, just a few lonely gulls and three Sanderlings.
Sanderlings.
I drove around the old Fort Hancock, an abandoned Army fort, at the tip of Sandy Hook island.
Sandy Hook Lighthouse. It is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States.
There were some antique cannons, the biggest one shown below, and two Cold War era missiles.
Old cannon a Fort Hancock.
Cold War era missiles.
Leaving Sandy Hook I went to my familiar haunt, the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. All the ponds there were frozen as well, and snow had fallen the previous day.
Winter scene at Edwin B Forsythe NWR.
Another view of winter scene at Edwin B Forsythe NWR.
02 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in Photography
Tags
american goldfinch, caroline chickadee, northern cardinal, photography, postaday, white-breasted nuthatch
Even though temperatures plunged and the wind was fierce, our area only got a dusting of snow. I filled the bird feeder beforehand, and for the past two days bird traffic picked up significantly, even while snow was falling. All the birds looked fluffier and bigger than in warmer months.
American Goldfinch.
Female Northern Cardinal, with Junco and Sparrow in background.
Male Northern Cardinal during a squall.
Male Northern Cardinal, in a moment of temporary calm.
Carolina Chickadee.
White-breasted Nuthatch.
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