Category: Georgia

A Few Woodpeckers

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Chattahoochee, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Photograph of a male Downy Woodpecker perched on a brown tree branch against a background of light and dark mottled taupe. The branch is angled from the middle of the left side of the picture to the middle of the bottom. There is another branch, with offshoots on the right side of the frame. The bird’s breast and tail feathers are white though the lower right portion of the breast and center portion of the tail feathers are shaded and appear dark. The tail feathers have black spots. Between the branch and the bird’s head and behind the breast is a black stripe with white spots; those are its wings. Its beak is black with a small brownish gold patch at the base of the beak. Its eye is black with a white glint. Around the beak, are a series triangular shaped stripes forming the head feathers. The front stripe is black. The next white with a red crest forming the bird’s red crest. The next is a black eye stripe that does not extend to the back. The next is a white stripe that extends to the back then curves upward behind the eye stripe. The next stripe is black that narrows as it extends back then widens into a black patch. Its chin is white. Its dark gray legs and black “nails are clasping the branch.
Male Downy Woodpecker;
Roswell, Georgia, USA; FEB 2023

Please click on caption to see pictures at higher resolution!

Male Pileated Woodpecker;
Deepdene Park, Dekalb County, Georgia, USA; JAN 2023
Red-headed Woodpecker;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Damselflies

by Earthwatcher, posted in Atlanta, Chattahoochee, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, Insects, nature, Nature Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Image of a Female Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly perched on a bright green leaf against a background of black and surrounded by many more green leaves. The damselfly is positioned with its head near and facing the tip of the leaf. Its bulbous, black eye is most of what is visible from the head though the eye on the other side is also partially visible. Its dark gray legs protrude like sticks from the side of its body. As they extend outward, they make a sharp right-angled turn down to the leaf. Most of its body is obscured by the wings but the end of it protrudes from the back of the wing. Its wings are black, but they refract the light so highlight the wings in stripes of gold, green
Female Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

When I saw the beauty of this female, the song “Isn’t She Lovely” popped into my head.

Image of a Male Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly perched on a bright green leaf against a background of black. The damselfly is positioned with its head near and edge of the leaf. Its bulbous, black eyes are visible on either side of its small, blue head. Its dark gray legs protrude like sticks from the side of its body. As they extend outward, they make a sharp right-angled turn down to the leaf. Its vivid blue body extends from the head and looks like a stick; it extends slightly past the end of the wings. Its wings are black but are refracting the vivid blue on the upper edges of the wings. The damselfly is casting its shadow on the leaf.
Male Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly; Island Ford;
Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Red-eyed Vireo

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Chattahoochee, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Photograph of a bird, a Red-eyed Vireo, perched on a tree branch. The background is mostly yellow-green leaves with small patches of blue sky. The bird is perched on a dark colored branch that extends from top to bottom at the right side of the picture. The bird is viewed from below, so its underparts and side are visible. Its underparts are white. Beneath its eye and flowing back are its neck, wings and tail feathers, all olive green. The tail feathers are tipped in black. Its eye is red but appears dark in the picture. It has a dark eye stripe. Above its eye is a white stripe topped by a black crown. The bottom of its beak is white, the top is black.
Red-eyed Vireo;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023;

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution!

Photograph of a bird, a Red-eyed Vireo, perched on a tree branch, with one end of a dark colored worm in its beak; the other end of the worm is wrapped around the tree branch. The background is a mix of yellow-green leaves and blue sky. The bird is perched on a dark colored branch that extends from left to right near the bottom of the picture. The bird is viewed from below, so its underparts and side are visible. Its underparts are white. Beneath its eye and flowing back are its neck, wings and tail feathers, all olive green. The tail feathers are tipped in black. The wings have black and green stripes. Its eye is red but appears dark. It has a dark eye stripe. Above its eye is a white stripe topped by a black crown; only the edge of the crown is visible. The bottom of its beak is white, the top is black.
Red-eyed Vireo; Island Ford,
Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023
Photograph of a bird, a Red-eyed Vireo, perched on a tree branch, with a fly in the tip of its beak. The background is mostly yellow-green leaves with a small patch of blue sky. The bird is perched on a dark colored branch that extends from top to bottom at the right side of the picture. The bird is viewed from below, so its underparts and side are visible. Its underparts are white. Beneath its eye and flowing back are its neck, wings and tail feathers, all olive green. The tail feathers are tipped in black. Its eye is red. Above its eye is a white stripe topped by a black crown; only the edge of the crown is visible. The bottom of its beak is white, the top is black. The object at the tip of its beak is an insect it captured.
Red-eyed Vireo;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Barred Owl

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, raptor, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Photograph of a Barred Owl, perched on a tree limb against a background of blurred, green tree leaves. The tree branch lies horizontally at the bottom of the photo. It is gray, mottled with green moss and gray-green lichen. The branch starts just right of the picture’s left edge. It bows upward to just past mid-frame then bows sharply upward, then curling down to the bottom of the frame. At the bottom right of the frame is another, thicker horizontal branch that also bows upward. It is darker and is mottled with moss. The owl stands just to the left of the middle of the picture and dominates the picture. Its face is round and gray with a heart shaped notch at the top. It has dark eyes with a glint of light in each. Each of the eyes are encircled by fine, gray feathers with pale brown stripes. Between the eyes is a small, ovoid, dark patch. The beak is yellow and sets just below the ovoid patch. It sets in a triangular patch of feathers that are dark at the top that transitions to gray as they reach the rounded bottom of the triangle. It is holding a brown insect in its beak. The owl’s face is encircled by a cowl of brown and gray striped feathers. Its bulky body is white with horizontal stripes of brown feathers. Its 2 bulky legs are light brown with yellow and black claws that are grasping the tree branch. Its gray tail feathers protrude from under the body and below the tree branch.
Barred Owl with Prey;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023

Barred Owls are very common in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I am sharing 2 perspectives on this one, very cooperative, owl that I took a few weeks ago. I think it was just showing off the bug it caught.

Please click on caption to see this image at higher resolution!

Photograph of the face of a Barred owl against a background of blurred, green tree leaves. Its face is round and gray with a heart shaped notch at the top. It has dark eyes with a glint of light in each. Each of the eyes are encircled by fine, gray feathers with pale brown stripes. Between the eyes is a small, ovoid, dark patch. The beak is yellow and sets just below the ovoid patch. It sets in a triangular patch of feathers that are dark at the top that transitions to gray as they reach the rounded bottom of the triangle. It is holding a brown insect in its beak. The owl’s face is encircled by a cowl of brown and gray striped feathers. Its bulky shoulders and body is white with horizontal stripes of brown feathers. There are a few twigs and leaves randomly located in the picture.
Barred Owl with Prey – Close-up;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAY 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Sunrise at Driftwood Beach

by Earthwatcher, posted in Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Seascape, sunrise, Uncategorized
Picture of three standing, dead trees on Driftwood Beach at sunrise. The tide is rising so the trees are standing in water at the edge of the beach. The trees are silhouetted. The sky is blue gray at the top and becomes orange as it approaches the horizon. The upper part of the sky contains whisps of white clouds. The ocean is gray with a strong yellow stripe of reflected sun to the right of the largest tree. The beach has hues of light orange along the water’s edge from reflected sky. The left 2/3 of the beach is gray. The right is more golden from reflected sunlight. The sun is the watery yellow circle to the right of the largest tree just below its lowest branch on that side.
Sunrise at Driftwood Beach – Perspective 01;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

Driftwood Beach is small beach on the Atlantic Ocean, at the north end of Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA. The beach is adorned with both standing and fallen dead trees; trees that were unable to survive in the salt water and tides. I was fortunate to be able to visit and photograph during a beautiful, clear sunrise.

By the way, there is no driftwood at Driftwood Beach, just beautiful, sculptural dead trees.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Picture of the sun, low on the horizon, silhouetting dead trees and brush of Driftwood Beach, while illuminating the ocean and the sky. The sky in the background is orange-gray at the top but turns orange then magenta then to gray as it flows down the picture. The sun is a yellow circle left of the middle of the picture. The foreground is the light tan sand of the beach. There are several sets of slatted fences on the beach progressing from the lower right of the frame to the left rear of the beach. There is a standing and a fallen tree near the rear of the beach on the right. There is some grass with feathery fronds at the top at the rear of the beach on the left. The beach is strewn with green marsh grass.
Sunrise at Driftwood Beach – Perspective 02;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023
Picture of the sun, mid-level on the horizon, silhouetting dead trees and brush of Driftwood Beach, while illuminating the ocean and the sky. The sky in the background is golden gray at the top that turns more gold as it flows to the bottom. The sun is a watery yellow circle left of the middle, near the top, of the picture. The foreground is the light tan sand of the beach. The ocean is gray with a strong golden reflection down the middle. Rocks separate the beach from the ocean. The beach in the foreground is golden in the middle of the picture from a strong reflection from the sun. The beach fades to light tan on both sides. A fallen tree is prominent in the foreground on the beach.
Sunrise at Driftwood Beach – Perspective 03;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023
Picture of the sun, low on the horizon is silhouetting dead trees and brush of Driftwood Beach, while illuminating the ocean and the sky. The sky in the background is orange gray at the top but turns orange and magenta surrounding the sun. The sun is a yellow circle shining between branches of the tree and brush. left of the middle of the picture. The foreground is the light-colored sand of the beach. The ocean behind the beach is gray with a strip of orange reflection of the sun. The trees and brush are dark, almost silhouetted. There are patches of green marsh grass across the beach.
Sunrise at Driftwood Beach – Perspective 04;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023
Sunrise at Driftwood Beach – Perspective 05;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Early Morning along the Chattahoochee River

by Earthwatcher, posted in Atlanta, Chattahoochee, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, river, Uncategorized
Photograph of a portion of a tree projecting outward in and above the Chattahoochee River. The green-brown water of the river covers most of the background of the image. In the upper left quadrant of the picture there is a very large tree trunk projecting, horizontally, from the left edge of the photo outward, above the river. At the end of the large branch, smaller branches project over the river. Those branches have leaves in shades of green and yellow-green. Lying in the water, under the very large tree trunk, is a small section of a decaying tree trunk. The end and left side are dark. The upper surface is gray brown with a few sprigs of yellow-green foliage. Beyond the decaying trunk and beneath the very large trunk are several large roots projecting upward from a dead tree lying mostly submerged in the water. In the distant background, across the river is the dark gray-green foliage of the far shore of the river.
Scene from the Edge of the Chattahoochee;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUN 2023

I had a rare morning for one of my hikes along the Chattahoochee River. The sun was popping out from behind the clouds, highlighting little vignettes. It was a wonderful morning.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Photograph of a layered rock outcrop in a forest with a tiny waterfall and pool in middle of the lower portion of the picture. The rock outcrop is the dominant feature of this picture. It is in the center and rises vertically from the bottom almost to the top. It starts with a gray green rock near the center at the bottom of the image. Proceeding upwards there is a small pool fed by four small streams of water. Above that is a tan rock with a spot of white light on its top and green moss on both sides. Moving up further is the very large rock outcrop. It is layered. The bottom is dark, the middle layer is brown the top layer is gray but is covered with green foliage. On the right side and above the outcrop is the forest. Mostly you see the green leaves though some of the ground and a few small tree trunks can be seen in the foreground. On the left side is an embankment that is mostly brown but with some green foliage and a small gray tree trunk projecting upward at a 30-degree angle.
The Cascade on Summerbrooke Creek;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUN 2023
Photograph of the shoreline of the Chattahoochee River along with a small island created by flooding due to high water. A channel in the river begins in the lower right corner of the picture. It proceeds toward the upper left corner where it takes a sharp bend and empties into the main body of the river. The water is mostly green with highlights from the sun. The island is in the upper right quadrant of the image. Its foreground is gray. It has some dark tree trunks, some with green leaves. The shoreline begins in the lower left quadrant of the picture and proceeds up along the left side of the picture where it bends and projects out into the water. The ground is dark but is highlighted by the sun. Along the edge are dark colored tree roots leading to the dark trunks of 4 trees clustered together. There is some green foliage at the base of the tree trunks and the trunks are mottled with moss. The background is tree trunks and green leaves.
Vignette of Chattahoochee River’s Edge;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; JUN 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Riparian Landscapes

by Earthwatcher, posted in Chattahoochee, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, nature, Nature Photography, North Carolina, Photography, Uncategorized
Image of a forest alongside the boulder strewn Chattahoochee River, under a blue sky. The forest is primarily spring green with darker green trees in the background. The river is darker brown-green in the lower left transitioning to blue then to some silvery reflections from the ripples on the right. The boulders are irregular dark gray mounds in the river.
Early Spring Morning Along the Chattahoochee;
Cochran Shoals, Chattahoochee NRA, Marietta, Georgia, USA; MAR 2023;

Two landscapes; one from this week and one from last October.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.


Image of a waterfall in Autumn. The waterfall is white, broken by some green. The white river projects from the bottom of the water fall, widening to the bottom of the frame. The boulders along and inside the river are light gray and strewn with golden brown and yellow leaves as well as some green moss. There is green foliage along the side of the river and some green, red and orange foliage above and to the back of the waterfall.
Yellow Creek Falls Tail,
US Route 129, Robbinsville, North Carolina, USA; OCT 2022

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

 

Tale of Two Finches

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Image of a male House Finch perched on a gray tree branch, facing left. The bird is surrounded by small twigs, The background is a blurred gray tree on the left fading abruptly to black on the right. The bird’s head and neck is a coppery orange fading to light gray over the breast. Its beak and legs are gray. Its eye is black. It has a gray-brown patch starting at its beak, across and below the middle, of its eye and finishing as ½ ellipse extending to the back of its head and down to the shoulder.
Male House Finch;
Roswell, Georgia, USA; FEB 2023

Most House Finches are red. However, its color comes from the food it eats during molt. Orange and yellow house finches can occasionally be seen.

I am sharing images of 2 male House Finches. These are very common birds whose range includes all the continental United States. One of the 2 images shows a bird with a red head and neck: the predominant color for these birds. The other showed up in our backyard a few weeks ago with this beautiful coppery-orange colored head and neck. It wasn’t the effect of the lighting; it was true color. I researched this condition and learned that House Finches can also come in Yellow. It all depends on what they ate or maybe they didn’t eat. The color derives from organic pigments known as carotenoids.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

Image of a male house finch perched on a gray tree branch, facing right. The background is blue sky crossed by gray tree branches of varying sizes. The bird’s head and neck is red, fading to light gray over the breast. Its beak and legs are gray. Its eye is black. It has a gray-brown patch starting at its beak, across and below the middle, of its eye and finishing as ½ ellipse extending to the back of its head and down to the shoulder. Its tail feathers are black with white tips at bottom corners.
Male House Finch;
Island Ford, Chattahoochee NRA, Roswell, Georgia, USA; MAR 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

 

A Backyard Skirmish

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Corvid, Crow, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, hawk, raptor, Roswell, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Red-shouldered hawk in the nest they attempted to build. The background is gray tree trunks, the front one broken off as well as a bit of light blue sky at the top. The hawk is on top of the nest which is made of gray sticks. The hawk has dark gray wings with light brown spots. Its neck, breast and belly are light orange with white spots. Its head is brown, eye is black, and beak is dark gray.
Red-shouldered Hawk at Prospective Nest Site;
Roswell, Georgia, USA; FEB 2023

We had a skirmish in our backyard. We had a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks attempt to make a nest in the backyard. We were excited. It would have been interesting to watch some baby hawks grow up. But our crows were strongly opposed to that move. It was a loud skirmish with crow caws and hawk shrieks but the crows won. In one of the battles, the crows chased a hawk away and formed a perimeter in 3 trees between the hawks and the nest. We’ve seen the hawks since that battle, but they’ve not attempted to complete the nest.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

An American Crow perched on a tree branch with its head facing front. The background light gray with small branches. There is a medium gray-brown tree trunk on the left side of the pictures. There is a light gray tree trunk behind the crow. The crow is black with black eye and beak.
American Crow;
Roswell, Georgia, USA; FEB 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

 

Lovely Avian Ladies

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Duck, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, GA, Georgia, nature, Nature Photography, North Carolina, Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Female Northern Cardinal perched on a small, gray, tree branch protruding from another branch. The background is a medium gray. The bird has predominantly golden-brown body with a red crest. The wings are a medium-dark gray with red stripes. There is a black patch above the beak, around the eye and on its neck. The eye is black. The beak is red. Its legs are gray with a faint reddish cast.
Female Northern Cardinal;
Roswell, Georgia, USA; DEC 2022

I was taught that male birds were bright and beautiful while female birds were dull and drab. They were made that way so that the males could distract predators from the nest. I wasn’t taught so well. In some birds, the male and female look alike. In others, even though the female is drabber, she is absolutely beautiful in her own right. Here are a few examples.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

A female Eastern Towhee perched on a tree branch against a background of green leaves and brown twigs. The bird has a gray head, back and tail, a white belly and orange between the wings and belly The eye and beak are black.
Female Eastern Towhee;
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. Asheville. North Carolina, USA
Female Eastern Bluebird perched on a medium gray tree branch. The background is dark with a few medium gray twigs interspersed. The bird has a gray head and neck. The primary feathers on its wings and tail feathers are blue. Its other feathers are black with white wing bars. Its neck and breast are orange, and its underparts are white. Its eye, beak and legs are black.
Female Eastern Bluebird;
Roswell, Georgia, USA; DEC 2021
Female Common Merganser, a species of duck, perched on what appears to be a section of a fallen tree that appears black. The background is blue and gray water with somewhat out of focus branches protruding above the surface and behind the bird’s head. The bird has a yellowish-white breast, white neck and white underparts. It has a gray upper body and tail feathers. The wings are gray with a black and white patch. Its head is a dark reddish-brown with a white patch behind the lower side of the bill. It has a black eye and a red bill. Its legs and feet are orange.
Female Common Merganser;
Arboretum Waterfront Park, Seattle, Washington, USA; JAN 2023

Female Hooded Merganser, a species of duck floating on the water. The background and foreground is water in stripes of white, gray, blue and gold. The bird has a gray body and head. It has a brown crest, or hod, atop its head. The wings are dark gray with a small white patch. Its eye is a dull golden color. Its beak is black and is surrounded by a small white patch.
Female Hooded Merganser;
Arboretum Waterfront Park, Seattle, Washington, USA; JAN 2023

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.