28 Sunday May 2023
Posted in Amazing Grace
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A beautiful singing of “Amazing Grace” I found recently on YouTube.
From the group’s Web site: LEVISTANCE is a contemporary worship music band from The Cross Church and Korea House of Prayer(KHOP) in Seoul, South Korea.
26 Friday May 2023
Posted in Photography
Two days ago I was photographing various spring flowers in our backyard when I saw a big red and black bird in the distance. Unfortunately, I only had a macro lens on my camera! Afraid the bird would fly away if I were to go back inside to get my telephoto lens, I slowly approached the bird, a few steps at a time taking shots until it flew away. The bird was a Pileated Woodpecker, a large bird the size of a crow. It was feasting on insects among the stumps of two pine trees that were blown over in a summer storm several years ago.
This was the first time I saw a Pileated Woodpecker. On the Internet, I found the following question and answer:
What does it mean when you see a Pileated Woodpecker? The woodpecker symbolizes new opportunities, creativity, optimism, courage, motivation, revival, self-actualization, balance, communication, protection, and discernment. This bird is most closely associated with opportunity and new possibilities. It inspires you to seize your desires and never give up on your dreams.
The above answer comes from https://a-z-animals.com.
20 Saturday May 2023
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Barn Swallows live throughout the world and number some 190 million birds. In the 19th century they were often killed to supply decorative feathers for the millinery trade, but that has come to an end. Now Barn Swallows live happily among humans who benefit from their voracious appetite for flies and other flying insects.
Yesterday I went to the refuge and saw beautiful Barn Swallows perched at two different locations.
13 Saturday May 2023
Posted in Photography
Still more photos of spring flowers at Sayen Gardens. The rain in late April and early May has done its magic and I could almost aim my camera in all directions and find another variety of flowers, especially deciduous azaleas, to shoot.
07 Sunday May 2023
Posted in Photography
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30 Sunday Apr 2023
Posted in Ocean City Welcome Center, Photography
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29 Saturday Apr 2023
Posted in Photography
22 Saturday Apr 2023
Posted in colonial lake, Photography
A few days ago I saw a Great Blue Heron at Colonial Lake in Lawrence Township, NJ in various poses as it preened itself for several minutes. The photos shown below need no explanation.
16 Sunday Apr 2023
Posted in Ocean City Welcome Center, Photography
The rookery next to Ocean City Welcome Center in Ocean City, NJ has changed somewhat over the past decade. Night herons and ibises used to be in abundance in the beginning, but over the years, egrets have slowly supplanted them. The photo below, taken two days ago, shows what greets most visitors when they first look at the rookery.
Yet the night herons are there, mostly perched on a branch, quietly sleeping during the day.
Others do have their bright eyes open, wondering what the human creatures are fussing about.
15 Saturday Apr 2023
Posted in Ocean City Welcome Center, Photography
The Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway, commonly known as the 9th Street bridge, is a bridge linking Somers Point to Ocean City, both in New Jersey. It took six years to build, from 2006 to 2012, at a cost of $400 million. Yesterday, I walked down from the Ocean City Welcome Center to underneath the bridge and took the following photo which shows some of the massive structures supporting the four-lane highway which is the part that everyone sees when diving over the bridge.
11 Tuesday Apr 2023
Posted in Photography
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Sayen Gardens in Hamilton, NJ displays beautiful flowers and plants every spring. Yesterday, most of the flowers were daffodils, and only a few looked familiar, like this simple yellow daffodil below.
Even a white one looked familiar.
White daffodil with pale yellow center.
From there on, they were all new beauties, to me anyway.
There was only one variety of tulips, but a nice red one!
09 Sunday Apr 2023
Posted in Photography
It was cool yesterday, and last night was below freezing. I hope the flowers survived. Fortunately, I took more pictures yesterday to preserve the following spring memories.
Female Northern Cardinal looking at the birdfeeder.
08 Saturday Apr 2023
Posted in Photography
I have been busy translating my novel “Village Teacher” from English into Vietnamese, at the request of some friends and family. That is the reason why I have not posted anything since early February. Yesterday I finally completed the translation and sent it for publication on a Vietnamese online site in Southern California. I will also publish it as a book via the self-publishing services of Barnes & Noble. For some mysterious reason, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing does not accept books written in Vietnamese!
Anyway, today I went out and took photographs of the beautiful flowers that are blooming almost everywhere on our property. Here are some shots of three kinds of Magnolias we have. Enjoy and have a nice weekend!
05 Sunday Feb 2023
Posted in Brain Cells
Following is a TED YouTube video that I saw recently and found very encouraging for many of us. It is only 11 minutes long but it should be well worth your time. The speaker is Sandrine Thuret, Professor of Neuroscience & Head of the Neurogenesis and Mental Health Laboratory, King’s College London.
04 Saturday Feb 2023
Posted in Photography
Tags
carolina chickadee, downy woodpecker, european starling, northern cardinal, postaday, red-bellied woodpecker
I had bought four spicy (with added cayenne pepper) suet cakes for the birds and, as of today, the last of the four is on its way to being consumed by tomorrow. The birds did not come out much in our current 2022 big freeze with temperatures hovering around 8 °F (-13 °C). Here are some shots of birds enjoying (loving) the spicy suet.
Three European Starlings came at one time and chased away the Red-bellied Woodpecker.
22 Sunday Jan 2023
Posted in Photography
Lately I have been hanging suet cakes for our backyard birds which seem to like them very much, especially those labelled as “hot” by the manufacturer. For Red-bellied Woodpeckers in particular, the hot suet cakes are their favorite. One of them, a male, only spent five seconds at the suet holder but really enjoyed the suet.
Meanwhile, a smaller Dark-eyed Junco got the crumbs.
21 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
I took photos of a female Northern Harrier a year ago, and posted some of them last January. Today, while looking through the archive, I found another photo that outshines those. As you can see below, an eye of this raptor is clearly visible on its owlish face.
14 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
I arrived in the early morning at the refuge and saw a dramatic display of clouds over the marshes.
In winter it is quite common to see juvenile raptors at the refuge. Last week I saw two kinds and got the following shots.
08 Sunday Jan 2023
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Yesterday at the refuge several Buffleheads were diving for food. If they catch anything, they eat that while still underwater, so I won’t be bragging about any photo of a Bufflehead with food in its bill. However, their dive can be quite dramatic.
Buffleheads are very small ducks, as you can see in the following shot.
24 Saturday Dec 2022
Posted in Big Sur, Photography
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The weather has been too cold and stormy to go out and take pictures. We escaped the snow, but yesterday temperatures went from 50°F (10°C) in the morning to 6°F (-14°C) in the evening, and the winds are still howling outside today, although with less urgency.
So I went through my archives and reprocessed some of my favorite photos from 2012 to display here. They are various views of McWay Falls in Big Sur, CA. It is one of seven places in the United States where a waterfall falls on a beach. Of the seven places, McWay Falls is probably the most famous and most photogenic. Enjoy, and keep warm!
17 Saturday Dec 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
canada geese, dark-eyed junco, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, northern cardinal, postaday, snow geese
The weather has not been too nice lately. I went out to Barnegat Lighthouse, but it was very windy and cold, and there were no birds other than seagulls flying around. So I dug into my archives and came up with the following shots taken at the beginning of 2022.
I took these last two photos from our deck during and after a snowstorm.
11 Sunday Dec 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Mute Swans live year round at the refuge, but in the fall and winter Tundra Swans stop by on their way to warmer spots in the Mid Atlantic region.
Two weeks ago, I saw one immature Mute Swan, with a bill that was not fully orange yet.
Not far from it there was a Tundra Swan swimming with a Canada Goose.
At another part of the refuge, three adult Mute Swans could be seen preening.
Not to be outdone, a Great Egret was also showing its preening skills.
Closer to home, in our backyard, a Red Fox was sitting comfortably at the edge of the woods, watching us from a safe distance.
Much closer than the Red Fox, a Goldfinch in its winter colors was visiting the birdfeeder.
10 Saturday Dec 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Buffleheads are the smallest ducks in North America. They have more often than not proved to be difficult for me to photograph. When they are close enough, lighting would not be coming from the right direction for a photo to show their eyes and faces. Buffleheads are also very shy and will fly away if one comes too close or makes any kind of noise.
A few weeks ago, I was lucky to see a group of Buffleheads at the refuge busy swimming around and diving for food. Somehow, they paid scant attention to me! So here are a few shots of them that day, taken from a good distance away.
03 Saturday Dec 2022
Posted in Photography
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Our Christmas Cactuses began opening their flowers the day before Thanksgiving and have not stopped since. Here are a few closeups of some of the flowers in both red and white.
27 Sunday Nov 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Yesterday I went to the refuge to photograph some of the last birds that are still there before the onset of winter. I spotted a Great Egret that was looking for fish by a stream next to Wildlife Drive.
Suddenly I saw a Cormorant (I previously misidentified it as a Common Loon) emerge from the water with a fish in its bill.
The Cormorant dove into the water with the fish. A couple of minutes later, it reemerged at another part of the stream, looking happy after having ingested its meal.
20 Sunday Nov 2022
Posted in Photography
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Our Christmas cactuses are getting their flowers ready for … Thanksgiving.
10 Thursday Nov 2022
Posted in Photography
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There was a Blood Moon on November 8, 2022. A blood moon is when the moon falls completely within the earth shadow. It occurred around 4 AM, but I was sound asleep then and could only take the following photo at 8 PM.
This spring I planted two new azaleas. They are named Perfecto Mundo and are said to be able to rebloom in the fall after the usual spring bloom. I put the two plants in the ground and did not pay much attention, other than regular watering during this summer’s drought. The plants were small, no more 5 or 6 inches high. A few days ago, I was totally surprised when I saw vibrant pink colors in the area where they were planted, and discovered that both had sprouted some amazing flowers.
04 Friday Nov 2022
Posted in cranberries, Photography
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Yesterday I went to one of the cranberry fields in Southern New Jersey to see how the harvest was going this year. However, it was late in the season and most of the cranberries had already been harvested. By the side of the road, here’s how the remaining cranberries looked in a field flooded with water.
There were some yellow wildflowers growing on the periphery of the cranberry fields.
After cranberries are harvested, water is pumped out and the fields will remain dry to wait for the planting of next year’s crop in early spring. They look purplish in color as of yesterday.
03 Thursday Nov 2022
Posted in Photography
29 Saturday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
Yesterday, I drove around our area to look for beautiful autumn leaves and colors. However, before leaving our street, I saw the following scene and took my first shot of the day.
In another town about 10 miles (17 km) away, there was a bright display of yellow leaves.
At a park 7 miles (11 km) from home, leaf colors were more muted. A fern on the ground was a better subject.
Back home, I tried to take a picture of a Sugar Maple tree we have in our backyard. Planted 30 years ago, it turned out to be too big to fit in one shot. It may be as tall as 70-80 ft (25 m).
I switched to a wide-angle lens and was finally able to show all of it.
There was at least one tree that still has green leaves. It is a Fuyu Persimmon tree which is now bearing fruit. I tasted one fruit yesterday and it was sweet!
28 Friday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
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Around our area, fall colors are at their peak. Here are two shots of crape myrtle leaves on the same tree.
19 Wednesday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
15 Saturday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
Tags
celosia cristata, Dianthus Barbatus, Giant Redhead Cockscomb, postaday, sayen Gardens, sweet william
Sayen Gardens does not have many flowers in the fall, but what it has is often very colorful and showy. Sweet William (Dianthus Barbatus) almost completely surrounds the main building where wedding receptions are usually held.
Another vividly red flower is the Giant Redhead Cockscomb (Celosia Cristata) along one side of the stairs leading to the banquet room.
14 Friday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
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Water and rain always fall on this couple gracing a courtyard at Sayen Gardens..
Not far from there, Chrysanthemum flowers welcomed the rain.
13 Thursday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
I am tentatively identifying the above berries as Winterberries (Ilex verticillata), with one plant showing red berries, and the other orange ones. These photos were taken at Sayen Gardens in Hamilton, NJ.
11 Tuesday Oct 2022
Posted in Photography
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Some of you may remember that I got a Golden Retriever in 2016 and named her Jackie. Here’s how Jackie looked on her first day with us.
Here’s Jackie a few days later.
Here she is recently at a little over six years old.
01 Saturday Oct 2022
Posted in barnegat, Photography
The main purpose of my visit was to observe and photograph Monarch butterflies at the waystation near Barnegat Lighthouse, but I could not help noticing other subjects also.
There were many people fishing at the lighthouse jetty, but two of them were turning up some rocks.
Last but not least, many Monarchs were feeding on flower nectar for their trip to Mexico.
29 Thursday Sep 2022
Posted in barnegat, Photography
As I strolled along the beach at Barnegat Lighthouse, Monarch butterflies flew in from the ocean constantly, usually in pairs but sometimes in groups of four or five. They flew too fast for me to get any picture. They landed here and there among the vegetation for a few seconds before flying again toward the waystation where butterfly bushes with their pink and purple flowers and berries provide needed nourishment for the rest of their journey.
Every fall, Eastern Monarch butterflies migrate down the Eastern seaboard before veering toward Texas and eventually settling in the Oyamel fir tree forests west of Mexico City in the states of Michoacán and Mexico. They will spend the winter there before flying North again in the spring. On the West Coast, Monarchs only spend the winter along the California coast and do not fly to Mexico. Monarchs in southern Florida do not migrate at all.
Monarchs have done this annual migration for millions of years, and hopefully will continue to do so for millions more.
I took the photos below after a first batch more than a week ago. These Monarchs seem to be younger, more energetic, and I only saw one with a slightly damaged wing.
A Northern Mockingbird followed me around the waystation, maybe because it wanted to protect its nest somewhere in the bushes.
If you want to learn more about Monarch migration, here’s a good link: https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/monarch-migration
25 Sunday Sep 2022
Posted in barnegat, Photography
Yesterday, Barnegat Lighthouse looked more renovated than nine days earlier. More of the scaffolding had been removed. However, there were no workers since it was a Saturday.
I went strolling in the dunes toward the ocean and captured the following sights.
19 Monday Sep 2022
Posted in Photography
More eye candies of Monarch photos taken two days ago at the Long Beach Island Foundation (LBIF) waystation in Loveladies, NJ.
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