Some Birds From A Recent Trip

Image of Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse – Cameron, OK MAR 2017

On a recent road trip, we got to see a number of interesting birds that we don’t get to see here in California. We also got to see some of the usual suspects.

Here are some interesting tidbits:

  1. The typical vulture we see in the US is the Turkey Vulture. While the black vulture has a gray head, the turkey vulture  has a red head. The black vulture is found in southeastern US.
  2. The blue jay is found in the eastern half of the US. In the west, we have the scrub jay. The stellar jay and the gray jay are found in areas of the west with cooler temperatures.

Here are images of some of those birds. I hope you enjoy them.

Regards,

Larry

Note: To see the images at a larger size, please click on bird name.

These and other images are available for purchase by visiting www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

Image of a male cardinal
Male Cardinal – Cameron, OK MAR 2017
Image of female cardinal
Female Cardinal – Cameron, OK MAR 2017
Image of red-bellied woodpecker at feeder
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017
Image of blue jay
Blue Jay – Cameron, OK MAR 2017
Image of Carolina Wren
Carolina Wren – Cameron, OK Mar 2017
Image of a black vulture
Black Vulture – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017
Image of sanderling
Sanderling – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017
Image of a ruddy turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017
Image of Non-breeding male willet
Willet – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017
Image of white ibis in Okefenokee Swamp
White Ibis – Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, GA APR 2017
Image of a pair of brown pelicans
Brown Pelican – Port St Lucie, FL APR 2017
Image of a pair of wind blown great egrets
Great Egrets on a Windy Day – Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM MAR 2017
Image of Bald Eagle in a nest
Bald Eagle – Western CO APR 2017

Sad Elephant

I took this image of an elephant at Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa. This beautiful but sad face tugged at my heart strings a bit.

Sad Elephant
Sad Elephant

Note: These and other images are available for purchase on my website: http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

Giant Sequoia – Their Sculptural Beauty

Image of the trunk and roots of a giant sequoia tree.
Untitled, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, JUL 2011

Five years ago, I saw the giant sequoia for the first time. Like most people, I was in awe of these giant trees.  Their imposing size and their presence in the forest really impressed me.  My images Among the Elders and Sequoia Giganteum attempt to capture the scale of these trees.  However, I also found that the furrows and ridges of their bark create a sculptural beauty that is striking.  Over the ensuing years, I’ve taken images of a few trees whose patterns really struck me.  Here is a sample of what I found.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Regards,

Larry

Note: Click on image caption to see image in larger size.

Image of part of the trunk of a Giant Sequoia
Giant Sequoia, Yosemite National Park, OCT 2014
Image of a burl on the trunk of a giant sequoia tree.
Untitled, Sequoia National Park, OCT 2014
Image of a portion of a giant sequoia that had fallen to the ground.
Fallen Sequoia, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, CA, JUL 2011

Note: These and images are available for purchase on my website: http://www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

American River Near Folsom

Image of American River Gorge near Folsom, CA
American River Gorge, Folsom, CA, Jan 2017

Last Friday was a cold, foggy morning and we had just come out of a long bout of heavy rain.  A lot of water was being released from Folsom Lake and the American River, near Folsom was running strong.  I decided to spend some time photographing the area of Folsom that surrounds the historic Walker Bridge / Donald W. Alden Memorial Bridge.  It was a great time to be out.  The river roared as it created whitewater through the gorge. Quite a treat.  In the 5 years that I have lived in the area, I never saw significant whitewater or heard the river roar.

The Walker Bridge / Donald W. Alden Memorial Bridge was built in 1893.  It was sold 3 times: once to a man in Japan who wanted it for the steel but was never able to get it, once to the State of California who dismantled it and moved it near Walker, CA to span the Klamath River, and finally back to the City of Folsom who reinstalled it on its original abutments.  It now serves as a pedestrian footbridge and an access point to the American River Parkway from the City of Folsom.

I hope you enjoy these images.

Note: Click on image to see in larger size.  I particularly recommend this for the image of the American Rive Gorge.

Image of Walker Bridge / Donald W Alden Memorial Bridge, FOlsom, CA in Fog
Walker Bridge / Donald W Alden Memorial Bridge, Folsom, CA
Image of Rainbow Bridge arch after heavy rains, Folsom, CA. JAN 2017
Rainbow Bridge Arch, Folsom, CA

Regards,

Larry

 

These and other images are available to purchase at my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us.

Winter Wildlife

RIver Otter - Perspective 4
River Otter – Perspective 4

It’s fun to be in Northern California in the winter.  We are part of the Pacific Flyway, so we get many birds, primarily waterfowl, who winter over.  But even in my backyard I see Oregon Juncos and a species of Goldfinch that spends its summers in the Sierra foothills.  Though my passion is landscapes, photographing this wildlife is fun because watching them go about their business of living is fun.

I’ve been out twice in the last two weeks photographing and enjoying the wildlife.  On one trip, I went to 2 of the wildlife refuges that have been built along the flyway.  Some years ago, land was set aside as a safe haven for migrating waterfowl.  Levees were built and fields flooded so they could live and eat.  This helped farmers by keeping the birds off their cropland.  A win-win situation, enjoyed by birders, photographers and duck hunters.  On the day I visited the refuges, raptors became my focus.  They benefit from the migrating waterfowl as well.

This past week, I got to spend an hour watching a River Otter and an Egret.  They appeared to be helping each other feed.  Otters always seem to be playing even as they feed.

I hope you enjoy these images.

Regards

Larry

Note: Click on image to view at larger size

Image of Juvenille Black Crowned Night Heron
Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron
Image of Red Shouldered Hawk
Red Shouldered Hawk
Image of River Otter - Perspective 1
River Otter – Perspective 1
Snow Geese
Snow Geese
Image of River Otter and Egret
River Otter and Egret
Image of Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

These and other images are available to view and purchase at my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us.

Great Basin Images

Image of Joshua Tree Forest in Nevada
Joshua Tree Forest

In October, 2015, Donna and I made a tour of the Great Basin area in Nevada.  I recently revisited the images I took during that trip and decided to get them ready to publish.  The first image is of a special Joshua Tree forest.  It is special because, over the mountains,behind the forest, lies Groom Lake, the fabled Area 51.  I wonder what you’d see if you were a bug on one of the trees.  The second image is of a rainstorm over the desert.  It is raining in the distance as crepuscular rays cast their beams over the desert landscape.  The third image is a rainbow over Death Valley.  I’ve published a version of this image before but wasn’t happy with it.  Now it’s back and will be one of the images featured in my show at ACAI Gallery and Studios beginning December 17.  The fourth image is one of Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley.  It too will be displayed in my show.

Image of rain and crepuscular rays over Nevada desert
Clouds, Sun and Rain
Image of a rainbow at sunrise over Death Valley
Wondrous Morning
Image of Sun Set Over Mesquite Dunes - Death Valley
Sun Setting Over Mesquite Dunes – Perspective 1

Birds of South Africa

Baglafecht Weaver
Baglafecht Weaver

Here is a sample of the birds we saw while in South Africa. There were many interesting, colorful birds. I was especially captivated by the Lilac Breasted Roller,the Purple Crested Turaco and the varieties of sunbirds and kingfishers. There are many more examples on my website (www.earthwatcher.us). I hope you enjoy the images. I encourage you to look at the others that are on my website because I know you will enjoy them also.

Regards

Larry

These images can been seen at a larger size by clicking on the image

Lilac Breasted Roller
Lilac Breasted Roller
Kori Bustard
Kori Bustard
Saddle Beaked Stork
Saddle Billed Stork
Purple Roller
Purple Roller
Koorhan
Red Crested Koorhan
African Spoonbill
African Spoonbill
Gray Heron
Gray Heron
Purple Crested Turaco (Lourie) - Perspective 2
Purple Crested Turaco
Malachite Kingfisher
Malachite Kingfisher
Orange Breasted Sunbird
Greater Double Collared Sunbird
Blue Crane
Blue Crane

Hornbills

Image of Southern Ground Hornbill - Perspective 2
Southern Ground Hornbill

One of the many species of birds we saw while in South Africa were hornbills.  They are beautiful birds that cast a striking pose even when flying.  I hope you enjoy these images I am sharing.

Regards,

Larry

Click on image to view in larger size.

Image of Yellow Billed Hornbill - Perspective 2
Pair of Yellow Billed Hornbills
Image of Red Billed Hornbill
Red Billed Hornbill
Image of Southern Ground Hornbill - Perspective 1
Pair of Southern Ground Hornbills

 

Image of Yellow Billed Hornbill - Perspective 1
Yellow Billed Hornbill

These and other images are available to purchase on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting larry@earthwatcher.us

African Penguin

African Penguin - Perspective 2
African Penguin – Perspective 2, Boulder Beach Penguin Sanctuary, Table Mountain National Park, Simon’s Town, South Africa, August 2016

The African Penguin is a species of penguin found in the waters surrounding southern Africa.  It is also known as the jackass penguin because of its donkey like bray.  Its numbers are declining and it is considered endangered.

South Africa has created a reserve for these penguins on Boulder Beach near Simon’s Town.  There is a nice boardwalk down to the beach and an observation platform for viewing.  The penguins meander around and come very close to you.  They were a lot of fun to watch.

I hope you enjoy these images.

Regards,

Larry

Note: Click on individual images to see in larger size.

African Penguin - Perspective 6
African Penguin – Perspective 6
African Penguin - Perspective 5
African Penguin – Perspective 3
African Penguin - Perspective 1
African Penguin – Perspective 1
African Penguin - Perspective 4
African Penguin – Perspective 4
African Penguin - Perspective 3
African Penguin – Perspective 3

These and other images are available for purchase at my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting me.

The African Fish Eagle

African Fish Eagle in Flight - Perspective 1
African Fish Eagle In Flight – Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016

The African Fish Eagle was the most common large raptor we saw on our trip to South Africa.  It is a beautiful bird that is a cousin to our American Bald Eagle.  I learned from my friend Kevin that both the African Fish Eagle and the Bald Eagle belong to the family of fish eagles.  They are distinguished from the family of booted or true eagles by their legs.  True eagles have feathers on their lower legs.  I am a novice birder and never realized there were different types of eagles. By the way, our Golden Eagle is a snake eagle; yet another type.

Our most interesting encounter was watching a fish eagle being chased by a Blacksmith Lapwing.  I guess the eagle was too close to a nest.  It was fun watching it fend off numerous attacks.

I hope you enjoy these images of these magnificent birds,

Regards,

Larry

African FIsh Eagle Feeding - Perspective 1
African Fish Eagle Feeding – Perspective 1, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle Feeding - Perspective 2
African Fish Eagle Feeding – Perspective 2, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack - Perspective 1
African Fish Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack – Perspective 1, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack - Perspective 2
African Fish Eagle Fending Lapwing Attack – Perspective 2, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016
African FIsh Eagle and Great Egret
African Fish Eagle and Great Egret, Kruger National Park, South Africa, AUG 2016

Note: These and other images are available for sale on my website: www.earthwatcher.us or by contacting me.