All types of Birds
The Road Runner – What an appropriate name for this bird. I mostly saw it running down the side of a road when we were out west.
I am posting this because someone the other day was asking if I had a photo of a road runner. Which I do, so I thought I would share it here. During the breeding season you will see a bright blue and orange patch behind the eyes.
I photographed this one when we were in Texas.
The Road Runner
Interesting Wing Spans markings on these brown pelicans flying overhead. I noticed the white marks under the wings which looks like their bone structure. It was more prominent in the one pelican.
When you think you have seen it all, something new pops up when watching birds.
Interesting Wing Spans
Bird & Fishing Pole, beach fishing is a popular thing along the ocean waters. I looked at this photo and it looks like this gull is fishing with its own little fishing pole. See the little stick in front of the bird? Looks like his own personal fishing pole just like the people have.
Bird & Fishing Pole
Perfect Bird for January – The Snowy Egret, a beautiful display of flowing snow white feathers on this bird. Being there is a lot of cold and blizzard type weather moving across the states. Even down south here along the coast, the temps are cold and high winds.
Bundle up Buttercup, more cold weather coming.
Perfect Bird for January
Gulls in Flight – Gulls are a very unique bird, some may say they are pest and some may say they are extremely smart.
They are definitely good at finding food or stealing food. But, if you are new at photography and want to learn how to photography birds in flight. Gulls are the perfect subject.
I learned so many better techniques by photographing gulls, because they glide and hover which makes it easier to track them with your camera.
It is fun to get a photo with their maximum wingspan and tail feathers spread out.
Plus they sit still for long periods of time so you can practice your still shots as well.
You may not know this, but they do dive head first into the water to catch a fish now and then.
Gulls in Flight
What’s Up – How you doin?
These two birds were following each other the entire time we were on the beach. One would pick up piece of food or shell and then the other would run right over to check out what he had.
Friendships on the beach
What’s Up
The Beach Birds – Never a dull moment when watching the little pipers and plovers on the beaches.
The Beach Birds
Pet Portraits – Minatare Australian Shepard
I am taking photos of folks dogs here at one of the campgrounds we are staying at and thought I would share some of the different breeds I am making portraits of for the pups owners.
This dog here is an Australian shepard, I had a couple of Australian Shepard’s many years ago. Wonderful dogs. They are known for having at least one blue eye, and this one here has two. Very unique.
This ones name is Lilly.
Pet Portraits
Finally Photographed a Bird – This is the first bird photo I have taken in quite awhile. I have not seen many on our travels this fall.
This is a mockingbird that sat very patiently in this holly tree. I love that shot with the red berries and blue sky with the bird.
Hopefully I will be seeing more birds again soon
Finally Photographed a Bird
Swan Dive – Look at the size of those flippers. I took these photos in Iowa a couple of years ago. I just had to bring them back up being I have been posting about swans.
We were walking along the edge of a small lake surrounded by tall vegetation and we could here this loud noise and the sound of water splashing. We walked over to a clearing and looked across the water and found the source of all this commotion.
Seeing a swan taking a bath is quite something. They have a wing span of 6 to 10 feet long. The longest wingspan recorded is 10 feet 2 inches.
The trumpeter swan is the largest extant species of waterfowl, and both the heaviest and longest native bird of North America. They come in at 15 to 30 lbs.
These swans need at least a 100 meter-long “runway” of open water: running hard across the surface, they almost sound like galloping horses as they generate speed for take off. About as long as a soccer field.
Hopefully I will photograph that one day, landing and taking off.
Swan Dive
The Black Swan – Normally it was only found in Australia, but with the transporting of rare birds, these swans can be found in the states as well.
This swan I photographed at a campground in New Mexico called Rusty’s RV Ranch where Rusty, who is a woman, had quite a few exotic birds that she took care of. Two black swans included with their own pond, which was nice.
Like most swans, this species has a characteristic “S” shaped neck and a large body. Black swans have one of the longest necks of all swan species relative to their size. They are large birds, with a wingspan of 6 feet or more, and a maximum weight of 20 pounds.
The Black Swan
Photo Manipulation also called composites. which means two or more photos put together as one. I occasionally make composites, when my imagination seems to be sparking an idea.
Take for instance these two swans. When I look at a photo, I always crop in 100% to check the quality of the photo and check to see if there are any defects that need attention.
When I crop in on a photo, my mind will wonder off as I picture the subject in a different light
I cropped in even further on this photo so I can actually see how clear the face is and the eyes. I always want to see if the eyes are crisp sharp, in this case they are just to dark, but the feathers around the face look pretty sharp.
Then I crop in one more time and the water in the background makes my imagination start to turn, it looks as though the swan is sticking its head up out of the water as if its body is underwater.
So then I just have to see if I can make it look like it is peaking out of the water at me and because it appears that the swan is looking right at me, the words Navy Seal runs through my mind.
Well, all I could do is add some goggles that I found on the internet, just for a fun photo. Now I know why it takes me forever to edit photos, I can’t help but to try and create what my imagination is throwing at me. Then I just turn the computer off and go outside for awhile, laughing of course. 🙂
Have a great weekend.
Oh, on Monday I will show you the other swan I photographed when we were out west, a swan that is only suppose to be found in Australia.
Photo Manipulation
The Trumpeter Swan – There are 6 swans species and I have photographed two of them. This one here being the trumpeter swan.
I went for years never seeing a swan anywhere, but now do to conservation efforts these swans have been taken off of the endangered species list and are found in many states including Iowa. Where I photographed these here.
I added the snow effect on this bottom photo.
This photo below has a soft white vignette.
This photo below has some sparkling water effects around the swans. I do like this one below.
The Trumpeter Swan
Eagles in the Corn Fields , this is a new sight for me to see eagles in a corn field after harvest. I have only seen eagles by water or where we live, if there is a carcass in the ditch, you will sometimes see an eagle there as well.
This field had about 12 eagles on it, but this one below was the closest one. Amazing birds.
Iowa Eagles
Eagles in the Corn Fields
Do You See the Mustache on the black hawk helicopter in front there. I never noticed it until I zoomed in for this photo. 🙂 I saw these guys in Alabama last year. They flew in from Alaska to do some training exercises on the gulf coast.
Do You See the Mustache
Happy Winter Chickadees – I only took a couple of photos of these little ones this year. They always bring a smile to my face. Just so cute. I don’t see them down south, so I do enjoy their visits at home.
Happy Winter Chickadees
23 Woodpecker Species native to the United States and I have photographed 9 of them so far.
Starting with the Pileated Woodpecker
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker photographed in Washington
Northern Flicker photographed in Michigan
Red Headed Woodpecker photographed in Illinois
Gila Woodpecker photographed in Arizona
Golden Fronted Woodpecker photographed in Texas
Red Bellied Woodpecker photographed in Iowa
Hairy Woodpecker photographed in Iowa
Downy Woodpecker photographed in the woods somewhere. I can’t remember where I found this one. 🙂
Have a great weekend, September is almost over. Autumn is here, I hope you all get to go outdoors and enjoy the fall weather.
23 Woodpecker Species
Pileated Woodpecker Speed – Pileated Woodpeckers are known for their speed, agility, and power. They are able to fly up to 30 miles per hour and sustain speeds of over 60 miles per hour when diving.
Additionally, Pileated Woodpeckers have been known to use their strong bills to chip away at tree trunks at a rate of up to 20 times per second. This combination of speed and strength makes Pileated Woodpeckers one of the most impressive birds in the Pileated woodpecker family.
I took a lot of photos to get these 4 good ones of this bird in flight. I am using a 600 mm lens and the weight of this camera is about 6 lbs. and moving it back and forth tilted up at the bird is a challenge by itself.
But I always like a good challenge. 🙂
Pileated Woodpecker Speed
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest.
Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.
I normally see 4 of these gorgeous birds around my place all summer long. They are easy to find because of their size and they are actually very fast birds in flight. I actually got a couple photos of them flying I will share on tomorrows post.
I photographed this one below in Montana.
The Pileated Woodpecker
Such a Cool Looking Bird – Many people consider the loon a symbol of wilderness; its rich yodeling and moaning calls, heard by day or night, are characteristic sounds of early summer in the north woods. In winter, silent and more subtly marked.
Common Loons inhabit coastal waters and large southern lakes. In such places they are solitary while feeding, but may gather in loose flocks at night.
Loons are water birds, only going ashore to mate and incubate eggs. Their legs are placed far back on their bodies, allowing efficient swimming but only awkward movement on land.
Loons are like airplanes in that they need a runway for takeoff. In the case of loons, they need from 30 yards up to a quarter-mile (depending on the wind) for flapping their wings and running across the top of the water in order to gain enough speed for lift-off.
Like many young birds, juvenile loons are really on their own after mom and dad leave at about 12 weeks. The parents head off on migration in the fall, leaving juveniles to gather into flocks on northern lakes and make their own journey south a few weeks later. Once the juveniles reach coastal waters on the ocean, they stay there for the next two years. In the third year, young loons return north.
Such a Cool Looking Bird
Hummingbirds and Flowers -This was the best summer I have had with my flower gardens and seeing the hummingbirds, bees and butterflies using them was such a treat. I will be doing this again next year for sure. The hummingbirds are gone now for this year.
We have had a couple of frost already up here and some of the flowers did not do so well. Except these below and my sunflowers, the frost did not bother them.
I am not sure what to make of this photo below. Does it not look like the hummingbird on top is sticking its tongue out at the hummingbird below.
Crazy kids. 🙂
Until next year hummingbirds, can’t wait to see you in the spring again.
Hummingbirds and Flowers
Daron the Heron – I have just a couple of photos left of this beautiful bird that I took down south last winter. I actually took enough photos of them to be able to share with you all summer off and on. I never get tired of looking at their amazing colors and long flowing feathers.
One thing I noticed when I look at the videos I take of these birds is that they have a lot of patience and they can go along time without blinking. Yes they blink, they actually have 3 eyelids.
This video below is an example of one not blinking for 30 seconds. Click here, Heron Staring Contest
Daran the Heron
Happy Monday – I guess I really don’t pay attention to the days of the week anymore except to write my blog post. When you are retired, they all just kind of blend in.
Now that my sister has finally retired that has changed as I used to call her every Saturday, her day off. Now we can call each other whenever knowing I am not interrupting her work. Just love it when I go and visit and can visit with her all week when we are there.
Below is a cute video to start your week. A fawn playing and running during a cool morning start of the day. This is filmed with a trail camera so the quality is not as good as a camera, but it is a fun video that will make you smile. Or click this link here; Fawn Playing
Happy Monday Again
Teal Colored Eye Shadow – this is an unusual color for the eye shadow of this morning dove. I have never seen this shade before.
I have seen the blue shadow around the red eyes, this is the white winged dove below.
The ringed neck dove below has yellow eye shadow and red eyes.
Have a great weekend.
Teal Colored Eye Shadow
Song Birds – this first picture is a bird called a song sparrow. It has a very pretty bird call. This was the only bird around our place last month. I am not sure where they all went, but it is was pretty quiet here for quite awhile, except for this one little bird who would sing every time I put some bird food out for it.
In the video below you can hear the sounds of the song sparrow and some bird sounds from earlier this spring. Song Bird Sounds
So I am adding some birds in red to give some color to this blog.
Song Birds
Nature is a Perfect Example teaching us about life and survival. I have always been fascinated by observing nature, learning from it, watching how animals survive. Photography has really enhanced this study as I have to be in nature and wait patiently as I watch everything from birds, animals and even flowers and trees, go about their daily task called life.
How does something as tiny as a hummingbird survive looking for food, raising babies? Let alone wondering how they migrate thousands of miles every year. Instinct, DNA, survival mechanism that were given to them.
I was walking past my garden and a shinny reflection caught my eye, tiny ruby colors glistening in the sunshine on a leaf. I moved to look closer and it was gone. I went around to the other side of the leaf and their it was, the most beautiful color, shinning bright as the sunlight caressed these 3 little feathers stuck on a leaf.
They are 3 of the smallest feathers I have ever picked up. They are from the throat area of the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. They are so small I could barely keep them in my hand as I took them inside to get a photo of these marvelous little shinny feathers.
I put them next to a penny so you can see the size comparison. The hummingbirds sit on my fence around my garden and groom themselves. So this tiny feather probably fell out, right below the fence on a leaf.
Watching and learning from birds makes me think about how they survive on a daily bases. They search for food, they feed their family’s and themselves. Plus they appear to be happy, they enjoy sitting on a fence in the sunshine watching what is going on around them. I do that as well, sitting on my porch, not a fence. 🙂
But, “𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 𝕚𝕤 increasingly 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 to 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐮𝐬. Happiness isn’t very good for the economy. If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more? How do you sell an anti-ageing moisturizer? You make someone worry about ageing. How do you get people to vote for a political party? You make them worry about immigration. How do you get them to buy insurance? By making them worry about everything. How do you get them to have plastic surgery? By highlighting their physical flaws.
To be calm becomes a kind of revolutionary act.
To be happy with your own non-upgraded existence. To be comfortable with our messy, human selves, would not be good for business.”
– Matt Haig,
Be the change! Learn how to be happy with what you have. Reprogram your mindset for positive outlook gratitude, calmness and most importantly 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕.
Reprogram and remove programming/conditioning that no longer serves you, the self limiting beliefs that keep you from growing to your full potential. 
Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Wings Touching Water – Awhile back I had mentioned how I wanted to take more photo of birds in flight with their wings just grazing the water. Well, pelicans are a good one for doing this because they ride the updrafts along the water, so they can glide for long periods of time and then flap their wings and stay close to the water.
So when we went back north this past spring, we had to stop at the Mississippi river, where you will always find some white pelicans and I was able to add a couple more photos to the list.
Wings Touching Water
The Hummingbird – they travel over 2,000 miles twice a year. They winter in Central America or Mexico and migrate north to their breeding grounds in the U.S. during late winter and early spring.
When you see what amazing things this tiny little bird can do. It makes me realize there isn’t anything that I can not accomplish. Natures Little Wonders
Have a great weekend.
Have a Great Weekend
The Hummingbird
My Favorite Hummingbird Photos – normally I always have 4 hummingbirds visiting my place. This year I have only see 2. I did not get a chance to photograph them this year and they are gone already. So, here are a few of last years photos.
My Favorite Hummingbird Photos
Far Away Places where the sky is blue.
Have a great weekend.
Far Away Places
