17 Monday May 2021
Posted in Photography
On a recent visit to Sayen Gardens, I noticed several tall (30 ft or more) magnolia trees with white flowers shooting straight up to the sky. The tree is Magnolia Tripetala, also called Big Leaf Magnolia or Umbrella Magnolia, a native plant to the Appalachian mountains in the eastern United States , the Ozarks, and the Ouachita Mountains further West. Here is a monochrome shot of this magnolia.
10 Monday May 2021
Posted in Photography
For this Monday, here are some white flowers from our garden.
08 Saturday May 2021
Posted in Photography
Tags
On a sunny day, Sayen Gardens near our house displayed hundreds of deciduous Azalea bushes and small trees. Their colors were vibrant and sunlight was just about perfect in highlighting them.
This last one is a Columbine with colors rivaling those of the Azaleas.
03 Monday May 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Last Saturday was a very breezy and cold day, with wind chill temperatures below freezing. It was also low tide when the refuge did not offer its best views.
Most birds were sheltering from the wind and cold, although many Canada Geese were strolling around, showing off this year’s offspring. The Goslings were busy foraging and tasting food.
The Osprey nests were empty at first sight and, for a moment, I thought they had flown to warmer places. However, when looking again, I could see part of a head peeking out from one nest. A female Osprey was chirping, her head clearly visible as she scanned the sky for her mate. I decided to stop and wait, but kept my window closed because of the strong wind.
Suddenly I saw the male Osprey flying in with a fish in his talons. By the time I got the window rolled down and my camera out he was already landing on the female bird.
The next photos show the Osprey mating rituals which lasted less than a minute.
He landed a short distance away, watching her for a few minutes before flying off again, perhaps to find for more fish for her.
26 Monday Apr 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
It’s been a long time for Monochrome Monday, but here is an image that is made for it: a mother Osprey watching over her sleeping chick.
24 Saturday Apr 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
At the beginning of this week, Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere at the refuge, the males gleefully singing their territorial songs. I selected the following shots for this year’s crop of photos of this most common bird.
21 Wednesday Apr 2021
Posted in Photography
18 Sunday Apr 2021
Posted in Photography
The Eastern Bluebird couple is well established near the birdhouse they have adopted for this year. The one they used last year remains empty at the moment, until some other bird moves in. The male still comes to our bay window once in a while to peck at his mirror rival! Otherwise, it is a slow wait until the eggs are hatched and incubation begins.
Of the two, the male seems to be very active defending their space.
The intruders are other birds that perch on the magnolia branch waiting their turn at the bird feeder. Some are quite handsome, like this House Finch below.
14 Wednesday Apr 2021
Posted in Photography
The Eastern Bluebird couple have returned and are busy rebuilding their nest inside a birdhouse that I cleaned up a few weeks ago. It stands right next to a small magnolia tree with yellow flowers.
I took these photos through our bay window only about four feet from the birdhouse. The male Bluebird kept coming to the window ledge and knocking on the glass with its beak throughout the day. I wonder if that was because he saw his reflection and thought he had a rival!
10 Saturday Apr 2021
Posted in Photography
Every spring the daffodils and flowering trees around us, magnolias, Bradford Pear, and several fruit trees, put on a spectacular display of flowers. That is until we are hit with a late frost, but so far that hasn’t happened, fingers crossed.
Tulips will come later in a few more weeks.
31 Wednesday Mar 2021
Posted in Photography
Today WordPress is forcing me to use their new editor instead of their “classic” editor. Let’s hope this post turns out all right.
28 Sunday Mar 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
With the prospect of watching gymnasts at the forthcoming Summer Olympics, I thought that this Ring-billed Gull nailed it.
Nailing It!
Here are some more photos of Crocuses I took yesterday.
Crocuses in the afternoon.
White crocuses.
27 Saturday Mar 2021
Posted in Photography
Tags
Yesterday our local temperature climbed to 80°F (26.67°C), the highest ever recorded for March 26th. Any snow still on the ground has already melted a few days earlier, and the crocus flowers wasted no time in coming up and bearing vibrant flowers. Here are some shots of those at the front of our driveway.
Crocuses.
Crocus.
Crocus.
Crocuses.
Crocuses.
24 Wednesday Mar 2021
Posted in Photography
Tags
american black duck, carolina wren, northern mockingbird, northern pintail, photography, postaday
Northern Pintail.
Carolina Wren.
American Black Duck.
American Black Duck.
Northern Mockingbird.
21 Sunday Mar 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Last week the refuge conducted controlled burning of areas around the marshes to get rid of some invasive plants. That cleared quite a few of the bushes while leaving blackened spots where green shoots have already managed to come up. Hopefully they are not those pesky weeds that were supposed to burn.
There was a male Red-winged Blackbird singing gleefully in a reedy area. I tried to follow it for a few minutes as it switched spots before finally finding a suitable perch and belted its song, spreading and puffing its feathers to impress potential mates.
Male Red-winged Blackbird singing.
Male Red-winged Blackbird looking around.
Male Red-winged Blackbird started singing again.
Fortissimo! It also looked twice as large.
Winding down after song.
Back to normal, almost.
11 Thursday Mar 2021
Posted in Photography
Tuesday I went to the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge to find it closed because they were conducting controlled burns of invasive plants along the marsh edges. Rather than going home, I drove one more hour to get to the Cape May Lighthouse at the southern tip of New Jersey.
Cape May Lighthouse.
I walked down to the beach and saw a strange bunker, a World War II relic slowly being reclaimed by the ocean.
World War II bunker.
The bunker was used to defend against a possible German invasion! It had four 155 mm artillery pieces which had never been fired and were removed many years ago.
World War II bunker as seen from lighthouse.
Wood pilings in ruin.
Nearby there were several small ponds where swans and various ducks were swimming and feeding.
Mute Swan.
Sparrows and one Northern Mockingbird kept flying around me as if wanting their pictures taken.
Northern Mockingbird.
Northern Mockingbird.
Northern Mockingbird eating a berry.
There were several bushes of holly laden with gloriously red berries.
Holly berries.
Holly berries.
08 Monday Mar 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
The colorful Northern Shovelers are one of the more common ducks throughout the world. During the winter at the refuge, there are at least several hundreds of them foraging for food in the marshes with their typically long bills (2.5 inches or 6.35 cm).
In the US, during duck hunting season, an average of 700,000 Northern Shovelers are brought down each year! Yet, they are not on the endangered species list. Here are some recent photos of them at the refuge.
Northern Shovelers.
Northern Shovelers.
Northern Shovelers.
Male Northern Shoveler.
Male Northern Shoveler in flight.
27 Saturday Feb 2021
Posted in Photography
A young squirrel was looking hungrily at our squirrel-proof birdfeeder.
Young squirrel.
“Please, I will only take one!”
At the refuge, a Turkey Vulture was flying in the clear blue sky.
Turkey Vulture.
After a while, it landed not too far away and I drove there to shoot many photos of it. It is not the best looking bird but it is probably the best scavenger, cleaning up the countryside of road kills and dead animals that it sees or smells from high above.
Turkey Vulture.
Turkey Vulture.
24 Wednesday Feb 2021
Posted in Photography
Tags
In the last few days, temperatures have managed to climb into the thirties and low forties, causing snow to melt everywhere around us. I was watching a birdhouse in our backyard and saw droplets of water from the snow on the roof make their way to the ground.
Snow melt.
Snow melt.
Snow melt.
18 Thursday Feb 2021
Posted in Photography
As I write this, snow is falling steadily outside, with as much as 9 inches (about 23 cm) expected, and another snowstorm is forecasted for this weekend.
Recently, I saw the following Bluebird at the refuge. It came back too early and looked disappointed at the cold and bleakness of winter.
Bluebird.
Nearby, a Great Blue Heron who did not migrate offered some advice.
Great Blue Heron: “Hang in there, kid! Spring will be here before you know it!”
Bleeding Hearts from Spring 2010.
11 Thursday Feb 2021
Posted in Photography
Winter Wonderland at its best!
View Original Post on my Blog Here
A few weeks ago I had the fortune of spending a week or so in Bryce Canyon National Park as a winter storm passed through and transformed the magical landscape into a pure Winter Wonderland. I’d been waiting to spend some time there and hoping to catch a good storm but this year has largely been mild in SW Utah. Finally, a series of storms promised fresh snow and it coincided with my available time. Two separate storms followed by blue skies passed through during my time there and I had a chance to hike during and after these storms among the hoodoos. The days blurred together as each day was a little better than the last.
Bryce Canyon in the Winter is really a magical place, particularly after a storm. The landscape itself is overwhelming and strange when it’s clear of snow…
View original post 212 more words
02 Tuesday Feb 2021
Posted in Photography
Tags
Snow started falling Sunday afternoon, then all day Monday, and this morning, Tuesday. Our area received 13 inches (33 cm) in all, not a record but still a lot. I went out to take the following photos as everything looked so beautiful covered in white.
Our snow covered deck.
This hibiscus bush looked so colorful just five months ago.
The woods in the back of our property.
Branch from a white pine tree.
Conifers heavy with snow.
24 Sunday Jan 2021
Posted in Photography
Northern Pintails.
23 Saturday Jan 2021
Posted in Photography
Hooded Mergansers, especially males with their fan-shaped crest, look dashing in the waters of the refuge. A few days ago, one of them was swimming by himself among several ducks.
Male Hooded Merganser.
He kept diving for food, small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, although I did not see him with any in his bill.
Male Hooded Merganser diving.
It happened to be windy that day, and when he came up strong wind gusts played freely with his crest.
Hooded Merganser.
Hooded Merganser.
Hooded Merganser.
Hooded Merganser.
Finally, the wind subsided a little, and he regained his normal looks.
Hooded Merganser.
22 Friday Jan 2021
Posted in Photography
Last December 21st I went out at night to photograph the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon. There were too many clouds for that, but after a few minutes the clouds cleared just enough to allow me this last photo for the year.
Moon on December 21, 2020.
Three days ago, I went out on a sunny day to the refuge for my first shoot of 2021 to be greeted by this sandpiper.
Sandpiper, January 19, 2021.
17 Sunday Jan 2021
Posted in Photography
Buffleheads are the smallest diving ducks in North America, often seen at the refuge in late fall and winter. In early December of 2020 I saw one male and two female Buffleheads there.
Buffleheads, male in between two females.
The male gave a signal and all three of them decided to take off, giving me a unique opportunity to capture them in flight.
Buffleheads in flight.
Buffleheads in flight.
Buffleheads in flight.
Buffleheads in flight.
10 Sunday Jan 2021
Posted in Photography
Common Tern.
Common Tern.
Common Tern.
Common Tern.
06 Wednesday Jan 2021
Posted in Photography
Tags
American flag.
01 Friday Jan 2021
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Following are unpublished photos of a juvenile Bald Eagle I took on October 1st, 2019. It was cruising over the marshes hunting for fish.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
Happy New Year to everyone of you!
25 Friday Dec 2020
Posted in Photography
I took the following photos on October 1st, 2019 but did not post them as I temporarily stopped blogging to concentrate on finishing my second book. Now, more than a year later, here they are. A large group of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets (with the black bills) was taking off at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Never had I seen so many flying together.
Flying Egrets.
Flying Egrets.
Flying Egrets.
Flying Egrets.
22 Tuesday Dec 2020
Posted in Photography
The Siege of An Loc is the story of the defense of An Loc in 1972 during the Vietnam War. It is also a love story between a South Vietnamese soldier, Trung, and Ly, a student, daughter of a rubber plantation owner. As Trung struggles to defend his country, he finds himself falling for the beautiful Ly, but do they have a chance for happiness in the midst of war? We also see the evil of communism especially personified in the one of the characters, and two brothers are reunited, one from North Vietnam and one from South Vietnam.
I learned so much about the Vietnam War from this book. When I was in grade school and high school in the U.S. in the 70s and 80s, they didn’t teach us much about it. I just knew my uncle died in this war at the age of 20, and I…
View original post 227 more words
19 Saturday Dec 2020
Posted in Photography
Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts was completed in 2017. Since that time, I have been meaning to go there and photograph it, but because it was so close to home, guess what, it took me three years to finally do it. The following photos show what it looked like in early afternoon last Sunday.
Lewis Center for the Arts: Wallace Dance Building and Theater.
Lewis Center for the Arts: Wallace Dance Building.
Lewis Center for the Arts: Administrative Building.
Lewis Center for the Arts: Administrative Building.
Lewis Center for the Arts: inner plaza.
Lewis Center for the Arts: Administrative Building and Music Building on the right. In the Music Building you can see some individual practice rooms that are suspended and acoustically isolated from one another.
Lewis Center for the Arts: side of Theater Building.
I did not go inside any of the buildings which were built with esoteric materials including 21-million-year-old Lecce Stone from Italy. I would have liked to see how geothermal wells have been used to heat and cool the complex, but maybe another time. This new art center took $330 million dollar to build, including costs associated with relocating the Dinky train station and a WaWa convenience store pictured below.
Dinky train station and Wawa store.
06 Sunday Dec 2020
Posted in Photography
Starlings standing in Osprey nest: “No evidence whatsoever that we stole this nest!”
05 Saturday Dec 2020
Posted in Photography
This week has been rainy with only one sunny day in the middle. I drove to the refuge and by the time I arrived the sun was out but the clouds were many. The Great Blue Heron that used to stand by a sluice gate was now standing by the water.
Sunning Great Blue Heron.
There was a flash of white among the dried reeds. A Great Egret took off as soon as it saw me, but I managed to take a few shots of it flying away.
Great Egret taking off.
Great Egret in flight.
Great Egret in flight.
Toward the end of Wildlife Drive one tree still had its leaves on.
Autumn scene at Edwin B. Fosrsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
02 Wednesday Dec 2020
Posted in Photography
Christmas Cactus.
29 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
Snow Geese fly south in the Fall, and a week ago some passed by the refuge. There were only a few hundred of them, not as many as during Spring migration.
Snow Geese flying south.
Snow Geese, a closer look.
There was a group of about ten Snow Geese flying in apparent perfect formation.
Snow Geese flying in perfect formation.
But, somehow something happened.
Note one head pointing downward. “Oops, I dropped my lunch.”
25 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
I took the following pictures a while ago but did not post them. Today I just saw the following post from Cathy and decided this would be a good time to do so: https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2020/11/25/a-week-of-flowers-day-four-25th-november-2020/
End of summer Cosmos.
End of summer Cosmos.
Two bees and goldenrod.
Summer scene with hibiscus, purple perilla, flowering plantain, and dried allium.
23 Monday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
Overheard a pair of Northern Shovelers foraging for food:
Female Northern Shoveler in foreground: “Uh-oh dear, we forgot to wear our Covid masks!”
22 Sunday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
All this time I have shown you the birds and animals at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Yesterday, I shot the following photos so you can see what the refuge actually looks like at least in the fall when the green has given way to brown and sepia. The same juvenile Bald Eagle from last week was also there, ruling over the fall landscape.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Dabbling ducks in the distance.
Juvenile Bald Eagle.
18 Wednesday Nov 2020
Posted in Photography
Tags
This is a close-up of a Star Magnolia in our backyard. I took the photo in March of this year. As the Covid-19 pandemic was starting and lockdowns were imposed, I just could not feel like posting the image then.
This is my response to Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge at:
https://ceenphotography.com/20
Star Magnolia.
