Royal Tern Is Holding its Ground, Mr. Pelican is coming in with the intention of taking the pole the Royal Tern is on. But Tern is not budging and appears to be yelling at the big boy coming in for a landing to get his own pole. But, , ,
Mr. Pelican takes what ever pole he wants, as you can tell in the photo the lighter colored pole is where the Tern was standing and now the Pelican has it. He did take the pole and Tern had to move up to the next one. there is a stern look from the Tern towards the Pelican.
Then they both relax and quit staring at each other and just enjoy the sunshine together.
Star Gazing in Dark Sky Areas, we have stopped in a little town that actually has some internet. So I am able to make a post of what I have been doing the last few nights. Most of you may know I like to be up early in the morning and I have mentioned I hardly ever see a sunset. (video below)
But, when you are in dark sky country, I have to make sure I have the energy to go outside at night so as not to miss seeing the beauty of the night skies.
This photo is the milky way over our camper. I love trying to photograph the milky way, my camera settings for these types of shots are. 15 sec ss, 17 mm lens, f 2.8, and Iso 6400. I find that Iso 6400 is a good start to bring out the most detail, it picks up more stars on this setting.
Next, I love to photograph stars and create star trails as in the photos below. The more photos you take the more trails you create when you stack your photos on top of each other.
This photo below has 38 photos stacked on top each other, which is not quite enough to make a complete circle. Each shot is with a 15 sec shutter speed.
This photo below has 109 photos stacked on top each other to create more of a circle.
This photo below is the milky way, but if you look to the right of the photo, you will see Elon Musk satellites passing by as well. The 9 lights in a row are satellites.
We are only in this little town for the weekend and we are heading back into darker sky country with no cell phone or internet for the next 11 days. So I will see you on the other side when we travel back out. Have a wonderful week.
The Night Sky, Hello all, I went outside last night and took this photo where we are camping now. This is the Milky Way over our camper in the middle of no where.
The internet service is poor to say the least. I don’t know how internet connection works, but for a few seconds every hour the internet pops on and I was able to send this post.
For the Love of Birding, one never knows exactly what one will see when out enjoying nature. When it comes to birding, the range of different compositions is unlimited.
Like this egret who is holding its own on a windy day, as the wind keeps ruffling its feathers. Looks like it has black stockings and yellow boots.
Pelicans in a row, but what I like most is the bokeh lights in the background. Bokeh is one of the most popular subjects in photography. The reason why it is so popular, is because Bokeh makes photographs visually appealing, forcing us to focus our attention on a particular area of the image. The word comes from Japanese language, which literally translates as “blur”.
On a humid day here in this photo, natural fog is surrounding this Cormorant bird giving it a natural vignette look to the photo.
I just love the brown pelicans, the photos always speak for themselves with these birds.
Portrait of the Reddish Egret, such a beautiful bird I think. When I photograph birds I take a lot of photos at one time when I can. I put my camera on burst and hold the shutter button when the bird looks like it is in the right light and position. On average 1 or 2 photos out of 20 will be sharp, but the photos that excite me the most is when I come across one like below that looks like it is posing for the camera.
This is what I find most enjoyable about wildlife photography.
When I find just the right photo I will often turn it into a digital oil painting as well. My artistic side 🙂
My Day Begins at Sunrise for me, actually before sunrise. I am always up before the sunrises in anticipation for what is coming as the sun begins to warm the earth.
I watch the horizon, as if I am watching a movie in slow motion. The gorgeous colors of light dancing across the heavens. When you actually stop to see it, I mean really see it. You see its worth, its purpose and its power as the Light of the World.
Winter Color in the South, it has been getting colder even down here in the south. But on a sunny day you can still spot a butterfly or two with some yellow flowers strewn about.
Another King will leave traveling North back into the Mountains of no name to be with His Father. He leaves with Duty, Purpose, Honor and Courage. For you see he wears many faces, a Soldier a father a King. And then, in the still of the night, when the Light is low in the heavens. Look up son, for I will call your name and you will return to Me. To stand with those who went before you. To rest in Me for eternity.
Peace be with you Mark, I will forever remember the day I found your post with the simple words that caught my eyes. The Rural Iowegian. 💕 There is no fear in the walls of faith.
I started reading Marks post (the Rural Iowegian), back in 2019. He struggled with cancer for 509 days and recently went home to be with our Father. May he rest in peace for evermore.
Being in the sun generally makes people feel good, and there are many scientific reasons for this effect. I can attest to this theory. I worked in a factory most of my life, inside of 4 walls and no windows. But when I wasn’t at work I was outside, which works well with me being a photographer.
Take for example the two photos below, when I look at the first photo I see an ok picture, nothing to get excited over, for me.
But look at the difference when the clouds started to clear up and the warm sun light started to bring the world around me to life. This is what excites me when I am out wandering in nature. It immediately gives me a warm feeling and lightens my mood.
Some of the effects of being in the sun is exposure to UVB rays, which causes human skin to produce beta-endorphins, which are hormones that reduce pain. Their other benefits include:
promoting a sensation of well-being and improving mood
boosting the immune system
relieving pain
promoting relaxation
helping wounds heal
helping people feel more alert
reducing depression
Makes One wonder if we were not designed that way.
Darkness is always the antithesis of light Freedom Comes From the Light that is placed in our heart
I am born again in the word, nobody taught me except the voice of the Creator within me.
Let your dreams dance on the windowpanes of your Heart in the never-ending Light
Looking Down at Us – Tranquility does exist. Off the beaten path, taking the road less traveled and returning to creation. That is us down there on the left side of the photo. Husband takes care of the photos from above as I photograph from below.
A way to show any one that happens to see these photos that the beauty of creation still exist.
I am the One who gave you hands to use your talents to create life around you.
Stretching Feels So Good even for birds. I took this series of photos as I was watching these Brown Pelicans perched on post in the water. This one started to do a stretch and ended up looking like he was going to dive right into the water. But it was just a stretch.
What Will You do in 2022, the world is an amazing place. What is your passion, mine is exploring the great outdoors. My grandfather inspired me to want to be outside all the time. He was an outdoors man. Back in the day when he had to hunt and fish to feed our family. I just always wanted to be with him no matter what he was doing.
So I am still like that today, indoors is just no fun. Fresh air and sunshine is very good medicine to take every day. I mentioned that we are skipping winter this year and this is what we are traveling in. A 28′ RV and we pull our jeep behind it so we can go exploring when we are parked somewhere. You can see my little dog in the window if you look close. Her favorite place to be when the sun comes shinning in.
We love trying to take the roads less traveled and there are plenty of them out there. Below is just one of the campgrounds we have stayed at. I look for the smaller ones when we can, they are cheaper and less crowded at times.
For me this is all created for us to enjoy and take care of. One does not always have to travel to see it, there is also beauty in our own backyards.
I made thee; go forth, a season to·to-give-birth-of
After the Rain here in the south the flowers come back to life even on the beaches. I want to say thank you to all of you that stop by to view my photos and read some of my words. I am not the best at writing but I have often said I like to let my photos speak for me. In a way that lets your imagination flow, a way for you to see a part of creation that is not always visible to all of us.
You may have noticed I have been posting photos from the southern states along the Gulf Coast for a few weeks now. Well, actually it has been since September. On September 30th 2021, I turned 60 years old and wanted to spend that day on the gulf coast which we did.
But, what I have not mentioned until now is that my husband and I have thought about this trip for some time now. We have been traveling for 5 months now and plan on skipping winter all together. I have always believed that life, for me, has never been on my timeline but on the creator’s timeline.
So this is the year that we are chasing 70 degree weather and so far it has been working out, is has been staying in the 70’s or less. The best part is not shoveling snow for the first time in my entire life.
Some may wonder how can one travel in times like this. It has always been my contention that the gaining of Knowledge cannot be decoupled from life experience which gives us a foundation of Wisdom. Simply put Common sense or the lack thereof of Common Sense determines one’s course or path in life.
Cognitive reasoning becomes distorted when we are given a daily dose of half truths to swallow in hopes of some redeeming value. Far to often in the realms of societal constraints imposed upon us, the daily rules and regulations, thousands of rules that regulate our everyday walk. We spend our waking hours in minute details of life.
The face of man kind is changing rapidly due to these effects. Society in large part has lost its bearings its common sense.
Opinions turn one into a thief to steal from others to maintain a feel good attitude. A sense of superiority lording over others in a competitive spirit.
We can all have an opinion and facts have no basis in Reality because they don’t progress. Truth lies in the opinion of the speaker and what he thinks.
Progressions turn into distortions. We have lost respect for the construct of Creation and instead it becomes easier to explain life in what ever feels good at the time. Life becomes motionless at a standstill, you will decay, losing your bearings, your Nature in Creation.
If we leave our nature, the natural beauty that we are, we forget who we are and become someone else.
I see people creating life everyday around me. With their words and photos. Some will see the light some won’t that is just a fact of life. When your desire to live overrides what man told you on how to live. Your purpose in life might just be right in front of you. These are the thoughts that came to me by Creating my Vision.
No Luck for That Osprey, he did not get his fish, he came up out of the water empty handed. I did not get a shot because my camera was buffering. But next thing I saw was another osprey coming from my right side and it did have a fish in its talons.
Now this might be a sad photo for the fish. But it is nature doing what it is designed to do. Fish is the main diet to the Osprey and its talons are created exactly for what it needs to do to survive.
Included below is a video of a variety of birds I have photographed here on the Gulf Coast, including the Rare Reddish Egret and my camera settings that I use to go with some of the photos.
As the bird reaches for a fish, its outer front toe swivels to the rear, giving it two grasping talons front and back. Its long, slender, arched wings help the Osprey get clear of the water too, as it takes flight with the fish’s head facing the front—the most aerodynamically efficient position.
Sharp Hooked Claws A bird’s talons are the sharp, hooked claws at the end of the toes. Birds have one talon on every toe, and they may differ in overall shape, curvature, and thickness depending on how the bird will use its talons and how worn individual talons may be.
I was walking along a pier and this beautiful Osprey was perched on a pole. It wasn’t to spooked as I got closer and closer so I was able to get a wonderful photo of this beautiful bird.
On tomorrow’s post I will show you this bird going into a head dive to catch a fish. It actually went full body into the water. I thought they just swooped down like an Eagle to get their fish.
Birds Can Make You Smile, they sure do lighten my day and that is why I love birding. Not only is it a challenge at times but some photos you just can’t help but smile when you see their expressions.
The pelicans of course, if you can catch them while they are doing a stretch, makes it look like they are smiling.
Take this photo of the Reddish Egret, it looks so regal and beautiful the way it holds its head up and the feathers blowing in the wind.
But you take a photo with it looking right at the camera does make one smile. Taking a photo of a bird looking at the camera is usually a no no just like photographing a person looking right at the camera. You always want the person to have a bit of a profile look, as they turn their head slightly and chin up is usually the best way for people and birds.
I don’t know what this bird is below, but looking right at the camera makes it look like it has a lot of feathers on top of the head.
New Bird at the Beach, when we got to the end of the Pelican beach, I first noticed all the orange bills again. I knew I had stumbled across more Royal Terns. I had not seen any of them in days and here at the end of this long walk they are hanging out with gulls and pelicans.
But to my surprise after I got home and looked at the photos on the computer there is a new bird in the group. I did not see them when I was out there with them taking photos. I was quite far away from them, hence the blurry photos. But the birds with the black wings are Skimmers. A very unique looking bird with an orange and black bill.
The strange, uneven bill of the skimmer has a purpose: the bird flies low, with the long lower mandible plowing the water, snapping the bill shut when it contacts a fish. Strictly coastal in most areas of North America, Black Skimmers are often seen resting on sandbars and beaches.
It is hard to tell in my photo the bill so I will add a photo off of the internet so you can see it closer.
Unlike most birds, their eyes have vertical pupils, narrowed to slits to cut the glare of water and white sand. Flocks in flight may turn in unison, with synchronized beats of their long wings. The world’s three species of skimmers are sometimes placed in their own separate family, although they are clearly related to the terns.
Mountain or a Beach, a little fun with forced perspective photography. Sometimes you have to get down low to the ground and take your photos. It can give a new perspective on what you are looking at and lets the imagination think of a world that is beyond what is right in front of us.
When I see this photo it looks like a mountain range along a lake.
So this is what I imagine. I added a small person silhouette to give it my perspective. But picture him smaller and it will look like a mountain.
All it takes is One spoken word or written to change Ones world into a different perspective then what they have become used to. Or One spoken word or written to destroy Ones world.
This is what it looks like from above.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
The Real World is Hard and often draining on the mind and body. Human beings have been drawing on cave walls since the dawn of time to inspire themselves.
Human brains are wired to appreciate and be inspired by art. The right brain, for example, is stimulated deeply by art. Artworks inspire creative and innovative thinking; the right brain takes what it sees and expands upon it.
Staring into a picture of a forest, the right brain envisions walking through the forest, looking to the corners just beyond the frame to see animals and new vistas.
That is what I do when I look at artwork and photos and it inspires me to create art with my own photos. Like the top photo, I took that photo early one morning. There wasn’t any reflection but the water was calm. So I made a reflection to show you what I was picturing as I stood there on the beach watching this shrimp boat sitting still on the water.
Sometimes nature creates its own art work, like the photo below. I think the curve of the sand along the edge of the island is so unique. I walked this spot quite a few times and it only looked like this once. It changed everyday I was there.
Reflections of Times Past We sometimes take Light for granted. It turns out that, with a bit of persuasion, Light would show us things we thought we would never see. A beautiful reflection of you or me.
INCOMING!!! Look Out 😉 As the one brown pelican checks its backside to get his tail feathers out of the way for the two diving behind him. Whew, close call.
Happy New Years Eve,
We went for a walk along the beach on a windy day and there were dozens of brown pelicans diving all in one area, but when I looked closer I noticed they appeared to be following some dolphins. As the dolphins moved around the pelicans were not to far behind. A short video below will show this amazing sight we saw.
I mentioned before about how the brown pelicans turn ever so slightly to the left to protect their esophagus. You will see this in the video below.
