Photography Blogs (166)

Due to the pandemic, it gave me time to look at some of my photos from 2 years ago, that I really didn't get the chance to appreciate. I am posting 6 of them each week. This is my 4th posting of photos in this series.
If you don't mind, let me know which is your favorite of the 6. Thanks.

Rather that give you 6 different species of animals as I did in some of the previous photo blogs, this time I will focus (pun intended) on one species.

The following photos are of adult Brown Pelicans. It's a bit of a misnomer, as actually the juveniles are brown, while the adults are more white. The juveniles are hatched more interior away from the shoreline, while the adults migrate more to the shores, where fish are most plentiful.

Brown pelicans can live about 15 to 25 years of age. However, in captivity they have been known to make it past 31 years of age. Adults can weigh 6 to 8 pounds and have a 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 foot wingspan, which is larger than a bald eagle. They rear 2 to 4 eggs. A group of pelicans flying together is known as a pod, but also has been referred to as a fleet.

With no further ado, here are the photos;

Due to the pandemic, it gave me time to look at some of my photos from 2 years ago, that I really didn't get the chance to appreciate. I am posting 6 of them each week. This is my thid posting of photos in this series.
If you don't mind, let me know which is your favorite of the 6. Thanks.

#1. The following is a Great Egret preening itself perched in a tree;




#2. This picture is of a Male Red Head Lizard. Some people refer to them as a Rainbow Lizard
because the back will be an iridescent blue and the tail may have multiple colors.
This species of lizard is originally from Subsaharan Africa.
They often are pets there. They first showed up in Florida over 10 years ago in Miami, probably as an escaped, or released pet.
They have done exceptionally well in Florida and have migrated more north in Florida each year out competing the native lizards.




#3. The following is a female Osprey in her nest awaiting a fish delivery by her mate;
The word Osprey is of Native American origins. The word means fish hawk, which is mostly
what this bird eats - fish. Indeed, this nest is high in a tree at the edge of a river.




#4. This is an adult Ibis. The juveniles have brown in their feathers along with the white.
The adults only have white feathers. They will walk streams and fields looking for worms, grubs, tadpoles, small frogs, bugs and an occasional small snake.




#5. This is a Tricolored Heron. They mostly swallow small fish, But, will also eat dragonflies, other bugs, and worms. They hunt by a variety of different ways. They will walk streams along the banks and
pluck out prey. They will wade in flowing streams and pluck out fish swimming by, they will walk in streams with wings outstretched, reminding me of a vampire (lol) and the most entertaining way, is they will hunt in what I call 'manic mode', where they will fly over the surface of the water and mid-flight will twist and pluck a small fish out in flight.
This one is simply preening itself.




and lastly #6. This is a sunset with the silhouette of a Palmetto tree;




I hope you enjoyed them.

Due to the pandemic, it gave me time to look at some of my photos from 2 years ago, that I really didn't get the chance to appreciate. I am posting 6 of them each week. This is my second posting of photos in this series.
If you don't mind, let me know which is your favorite of the 6. Thanks.

The following is a Roseate Spoonbill reflecting on foraging for lunch




The following is a Purple Gallinule.
In my opinion one of the most colorful indigenous birds we have in North America




The following is a Great Egret. I caught it twisting to end a flight and land.
It almost appears to be dancing;




The following is a Sunset with palm tree silhouettes




The following is a soaring Osprey. They mainly eat fish, which they pluck out of the water with their talons.
Indeed, the word osprey is a Native American word meaning fish hawk, which it is.




and lastly for now, the following is 2 Glossy Ibis. many of the feather on their backs display multicolor
iridescence, showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles.



I hope you enjoyed them.

Usually I spend the winters in Florida, as it is much warmer there in the winter than the state of New Jersey (NJ)
However, for the first time in many years, I did not do so last winter.
I'm not sure I will this winter, at least until an effective Covid-19 vaccine is available to me.

Now that the softball season is done here in NJ, I've had a chance too look back at the photos I 'snapped' 2 winters ago and created a large folder in 2 external harddrives for those photos. I'll show you some each week.

Thus, here are 6 for this week;

This is a mating pair of Sandhill Cranes. They stand about 4 to 5 feet tall.
A month later I was able to find their nest and have other photos of her in the nest.
Also a couple of months later, I was lucky to find their 2 hatchlings and got photos of them too.
At a later date, I'll show you some of those photos too;




Where I stayed, the woman had 2 acres of gardens. This is a macro shot of some of the stamen from one flower;




This is a Monk Parrot. Someone a long time ago had 2 as pets and must have either released them,
or they escaped. Either way, they have been fruifull and mutiplyed.




This is a Peacock Butterfly.




This is a fairly rare hawk. It is more common in Mexico and sometimes can be seen in the central part of Florida. This is the first one I ever saw;




This one I titled 'All the world is a stage and this one bites'




OK, if I get time to do so, I'll post 6 more next week.
If you don't mind let me know which of the above 6 is your favorite. Thanks.

Or add your own caption for the following photo, if you like;

Here are some photos I 'snapped' within the last 2 weeks here in New Jersey and presented this week at a local photo club.
The professional photographers loved them. But, you may feel differently. That's OK with me.
One can't make everyone happy.

Let me know which one YOU like the most, ..... or at least hate the least.

Chronologically, as they were "snapped" on 2 different days;

#1. This is the foliage along the banks of Farrington Lake



#2. Foliage from a maple at the edge of a park in South Brunswick



#3. Same as #2, but different tree



#4. Same park, but ready seeds from a weed in a field after sunset.



#5. Zoomed in on the face of a yearling whitetail deer from a herd I am accepted in.



#6. Same deer zoomed out;



#7. Rower & Foliage along the edge of Carnegie Lake in Princeton



#8. Same tree zoomed in a bit more without the rower.

or submit your own caption for the following photo, if you like;

Or add your own caption for this photo;

Or create your own photo caption, if you like.

Here's the photo;

Or add your own photo caption, if you like;

Here's the photo;