Our Tuesday camera club meeting always takes place at 6 PM on Tuesday night. The lovely park that we pass by on our way to the meeting is always pretty, but it’s the sunset that changes. Not too long ago the sky was on fire as we approached the park and I worried that I’d miss the sunset completely. This week’s meeting at 6 PM had us early for the sunset, but not too early for the sky to be amazing. So I held my phone out the car window and kept the burst button down. If you are a photographer, whether a pro or just for fun, you are used to going through a LOT of pictures to find the few that you like a lot. In this case there was an unusual amount of photos taken, but as long as I find a couple to use I’m happy. Life is good.
A possible proposal?Love the clouds.I was inside for the sunset itself, I’ll bet it was gorgeous.I would imagine that someone enjoyed the sunset on one of these benches.
I bought the little ceramic birdie feeder with the notion that it would make a great photo prop. And that has worked out well since I’ve gotten quite a few bird photos framed in the opening. For once a theory turned into a reality. But now I’m tired of the background of those photos being a white vinyl fence. I’m sure I could replace the background in Photoshop, but I can’t seem to convince myself that it would be worth knocking my head against the wall to figure it out.
Natural photo props have their own issues. I have several poses of this brown thrasher sitting up looking proud of him (or her) self. But in those photos the upper branch is then crossing the bird’s head, a no, no according to the guy editing photos on his computer right beside me. Again, I could take the branch out in Photoshop, which is easy and I do know how to do that, or I can just choose to edit a different picture.I had totally forgotten about this little Carolina wren with the cross-crossed beak. He or she looks well and happy so I guess the fact that it might not win a birdie beauty contest is no big deal. Think how nice it would be if we all just were happy with whatever nature gave us.As much as the doves annoy me when they park themselves in a feeder and pig out, they are pretty. Maybe a little blue eye shadow wouldn’t be a bad idea.Drinks are on the house at this establishment.And more hummingbird photos because I was able to get quite a few of them that day, but many repeat almost the exact same pose.Somehow the flowers on the fire bush don’t appear to me to be all that exciting, but then I’m not a hummingbird.Dinner!
In this case I think it has to be the sixth time that was a charm. I have spent a whole lot of time sitting in the doorway to the lanai with my camera, all in the hopes of getting some photos of a hummingbird. Even today I missed one when it showed up the first time, then it zoomed in again for just a second and left. So I felt like there was no chance that it would be back again, but I got ready anyhow. Not only did he return and I got some pictures, but when I looked at my photos in the computer I saw that the Mrs was with him. Somehow we hadn’t noticed two of them.
I had never seen a male ruby-throated hummingbird in the yard before.Instead of zooming in and then zooming out he stayed and visited the flowers on the firebush.This isn’t the best picture but it really shows up that ruby throat.And here we have the female, which had been the only one we’ve seen so far.
If I applaud myself for my perseverance it sounds a lot better than just admitting that I’m stubborn. I’m so happy to have gotten a chance to get some photos, I hope they come back again.
It may not have been exactly the day you might have pictured when I describe it as a beautiful day. It’s a little early to be dreading the hot weather already this year, but that was my first thought when we decided to head to the rookery at about 3 PM yesterday. Scorching sun was on my mind, with my recent and seemingly unending visits to the dermatologist lately I slathered on sunscreen and donned a hat and off we went. Much to my surprise the sky was hazy enough that the sun wasn’t an issue. And another surprise came when I looked at my pictures. I wish you could see them as I see them in my computer because I think the foliage looks amazing. The birds are nice too of course, but that foliage looks so good. It wasn’t any talent on my part, or my nice but middle of the road camera and lens, it was the light. And you can’t buy that!
You see the ‘kids’ carrying on in the feature photo. This is the nest that we saw last time. Mom looks exasperated.Then mom decided she’d had enough for a while. Can’t say that I blame her.This Woodstork pranced around and flapped his wings and he finally got his lady love to notice him, and he bowed down before her.And then his moment was spoiled by an interloper grabbing the attention.This is my favorite picture of the day. Yes I love the snowy egret, but the foliage really got me. Have you ever heard the sound snowys make? If you haven’t you ought to google it. They may look elegant, but it took me a long time to decide that it really was the snowy making that silly noise.I thought the tricolor heron had just taken a drink, but it seems he got a nibble too.If a dragonfly chooses to pose then I’ll always choose to take his picture.We only found one other nest with two younger great white egret chicks.This nest was further into the foliage and even the photoshop tricks weren’t going to be able to let me get the branches out of the way without ruining the picture.This little guy is trying to be not so little.On the drive home we were lucky enough to be stopped for a traffic light with a family of sandhill cranes moseying along the side of the road.Even if there was a place to pull over I wouldn’t stop for pictures of them on this road. I’d be afraid I’d disturb them and cause them to head into the street. But I wasn’t going to miss my chance to shoot out the car window.
When we were getting out of the car and I heard the decibel level of the birds out there I was sure we’d finally see the numbers of nests that we’ve seen in the past. And I think they are there this year too, but deeper in the foliage or on the other side of the ‘island’. I’ve heard that the later toward sunset the better the rookery gets, but we were ready to head for home, and dinner.
You may not think so at first glance, but that lizard in the feature photo is a real daredevil. He took his own sweet time walking along the fence, stopping to puff out his neck and impress any females that happened to be paying attention. This female, however, wasn’t especially impressed. But by being on that fence I’m sure that the hawk that had just stopped by could easily spot him and then what would he do? He tested the limits of my zoom lens.
Yesterday we sat out on the lanai visiting with college friends after having lunch in a nearby restaurant. For once we had a six-minute drive home, it was great. The birds provided the entertainment while we enjoyed our drinks, but then it was time for our friends to set off for their 90 minute drive home…
I was delighted when the red wing blackbirds first showed up in the yard last year, but when they came back in large numbers this year and were emptying the feeders regularly they weren’t so delightful. But their name comes from the Greek, agelaius, meaning belonging to a flock, so I guess they come by it naturally. Lately we are seeing them one at a time, I confess that makes me happy.This may or may not be the culprit who chewed a hole in the screen after I left a chunk of the woodpecker cylinder on the lanai. I removed the temptation and we patched the screen, but somebody chewed another hole in the screen just to make sure it was really gone.It was getting later in the day when the brown thrasher emerged from the bougainvillea and hopped around on the ground looking for tasty treats.Maybe Mrs. Cardinal saw fit to toss him a tidbit or two.Mr. Red Belly opted for a grab-and-go snack this time.This Carolina wren stopped by for a drink while we were enjoying drinks of our own while we chatted.Female cardinals used to be the most common birds we saw out back and I used to wonder why I was taking yet another picture of one. But the males were always fewer in number, and I’ll never get tired of seeing them.
If the hummingbirds would have shown up it would have been perfect. But I’ll keep watching for them.
The hummingbird is still showing up every day, but only when I’m not prepared to take a picture. I can open the sliding glass door and pick up the camera just fine, but opening the door to the lanai will cause the ever-present doves to take off, and that’s enough to make the hummingbird zoom away. It may not be the biggest issue on my mind lately, but still…
The red belly seems to enjoy getting her treats from the birdie feeder.And then she took off with her treat. But she returned again and again.
I can’t spend all day sitting with my camera waiting for the hummingbird, but I am in the kitchen and able to peek out the sliding glass doors off and on all day long, and that’s when I’ll spot him. I should just watch and enjoy him, and let him visit the flowers in peace…
Yesterday was the last of the Tampa Bay Downs photo shoots of the season, which ends right after the Kentucky Derby. Except for one weekend in July it will start up again in the fall. It was going to be HOT, and I wasn’t too enthused about going at all until Bernie said that he’d like to shoot from the grandstand and that sounded like an excellent idea. Standing trackside doesn’t give me a good angle to shoot, but the grandstand makes for a better angle and has huge fans to keep you cool. Walking out onto the balcony is still shaded and is a good option too.
I had my eyes open for shots of the people that were there also, but I think this kid would have caught my eye even if I hadn’t thought about it ahead of time. My son always toted a toy with him wherever we went and I thought for a second that this kid had brought a toy horse with him. Maybe this dinosaur goes everywhere with him. Note the horse ‘tattoo’ on his arm.I thought that the babies in this group might make cute photos, and then the trainer brought over #8 to say hello.I had already noticed the gray horse as they led the horses out for this first race of the day. I kind of wanted the gray one to win, but if not him then maybe #8 who had stopped to see the kids.I wasn’t at the perfect spot to get a shot of the photo finish which had the horse in the center nosing out the other two horses. #4 was third.I thought I could cheat and tell you that the gray horse won after all, but those with sharp eyes would probably notice all the dirt in the air and catch me in a fib.When they moved the gates into position for the next race I thought it would be interesting to get a few shots of them loading up the horses. Number 6 was having no parts of getting into the gate however. AI got rid of a huge, bright red tractor that was center stage in the shot.I always have to try to get the horses as they come right at you out of the last turn and into the home stretch. #6 is on the left, and, sadly, he didn’t win the race either.The third race was a turf race so we like to get a shot of them coming down the chute. When I looked at the pictures in the computer I saw that a sea gull appeared to be racing with them, but they were gaining on him.
Thank goodness pollen season is nearly over, or so said the ophthalmologist the other day. My eyes were itchy and dripping so we left after this race. Lately we have been the only ones from the photo group who have shown up for the once a month trip to the races. I went to one just after I joined the group in 2017, and I was surprised to meet another member who also had grown up in Brockton, MA. Life happened in the meantime, and we are now the 5th couple who have met by joining the group. Funny how life turns out sometimes.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 