Category: Nature Photography

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.

Yosemite in Early Spring

by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, left brained, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park
A photograph of the Merced River and the iconic Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The foreground is predominantly the green colored Merced River. The left of the river is flanked by a red-brown meadow lined by evergreen trees and a few spots of white snow. The right side of the river is flanked by evergreen trees with white snow at their base. The gray cliff face of Half Dome and the cliff to its right rise above trees just to the right and above the midpoint of the photo. The cliffs have a small amount of dark mottling and carry a white cap of snow. The sky is bright sky blue.
Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023

A few images from our trip to Yosemite in early April 2023. I was surprised by the lack of snow on the valley floor. At least there was enough for my son and granddaughter to play and have a snowball fight.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution!

A photograph of a portion of Bridal Vail Falls in Yosemite National Park. The white, misty, waterfall is the center of the picture. Bordering the lower portion of the waterfall is a dark colored tree with branches but without leaves. The exposed cliff face flanks both sides of the waterfall. Next to the waterfall, the cliff face, on both sides, is covered with ice. On the left side of the image is the grey-blue exposed rock of the exposed cliff face with green and brown of an evergreen tree at its base. There is another evergreen tree in the bottom right corner of the picture.
Bridal Viel Falls in Winter;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023
A photograph of Yosemite Valley from a spot called Valley View in Yosemite National Park. It includes the valley, El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls, and Half Dome. The foreground is the wide, U-shaped Yosemite Valley. It is covered in trees, mostly evergreen, some with and some without foliage. On the left side of the valley is a gray rock outcrop with grey patches of rock fallen from the outcrop above. The middle ground is the snow-capped cliff faces. Those in the front are gray and brown. Those further back are gray. To the left side is large, sheer walled, snow-capped, El Capitan. Proceeding down the right side of the cliffs is the white vertical Bridal Veil Falls. Deeper into the valley, atop the cliffs, is the dome shaped Half Dome. The sky is bright sky blue with wispy white clouds.
Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 2023
A photograph of Yosemite Falls and the Merced River at Yosemite National Park. In the foreground and leading into the middle ground is the Merced River. At the bottom of the photo, the river is brown and rippled. As the river leads into the picture it becomes a mix of gray and green. The cliff face is gray mottled with brown soil and rows of brown and green foliage. The waterfall is white and is flanked on both sides by ice. The river is flanked by light brown soil and trees. The sky is bright, sky blue. The colors of the river result from the reflection of the waterfall, cliff face and trees reflecting in the water. The waterfall makes a prominent, white, reflection in the river.
Yosemite Falls and Merced River from Swinging Bridge;
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; APR 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.

Some Photos from the Alabama Hills in Eastern California

by Earthwatcher, posted in Alabama Hills, California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Uncategorized, USA
A photograph of the Alabama Hills in Eastern California at sunset. The foreground of the photo is a desert landscape with clumps of green foliage on gray-brown and white sand. To the left side is a large mass of brown boulders of irregular shape. There are more boulders, foliage, and gray-brown soil to the right of the boulders. The middle ground is the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains. In this picture they appear blue with white snow. One of the peaks on the left and two on the right are gold, highlighted by the sun. The sky is light blue. A large portion of the sky is highlighted by thin clouds that are creamy gold colored, caused by the reflection of the sun.
An Atypical Sunset ;
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2023

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution.

A photograph of a portion of the Sierra Nevada mountains at sunrise from the desert valley of the Alabama Hills of Eastern California. The foreground is the desert landscape of the valley. It is mostly clumps of green foliage on tan soil. It is strewn with gray boulders. On the right, set further back, is a steep slope of brown boulders. The middle ground is the snow-capped mountains. At their base is the dark brown alluvium eroded from the mountains which is dotted with dark spots of foliage. Rising, the mountains are mostly blue, mottled by white snow. The peaks are a red orange, mottled with snow. This color is the Alpen glow as the rising sun paints the top of the peaks. The upper section of the image is the blue sky.
Sunrise in The Alabama Hills;
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 2023
A photograph of a portion of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at sunrise, from the desert valley of the Alabama Hills of Eastern California. The foreground is the desert landscape of the valley. It is mostly clumps of green foliage on tan soil. The left two thirds of the foreground are brown clumps of irregular boulders tapering to the ground on their right side. To their right of the boulders is a slope of brown boulders with soil at its base. The middle ground is the snow-capped mountains. Their base is dark brown, mottled with snow and some nearly indistinguishable dark clumps of foliage. The peaks are a red orange, mottled with snow. This color is the Alpen glow as the rising sun paints the top of the peaks. The upper section of the image is the blue sky.
Sunrise in The Alabama Hills;
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, Lone Pine, California, USA; APR 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.

Mono Lake – A Winter View

by Earthwatcher, posted in California, Earthwatcher, Eastern Sierra, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, Mono Lake, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, volcano
A photograph of Mono Lake with four snow covered volcano craters directly across the lake and a ring of snow-covered mountains further in the background. At the bottom of the image is a snow-covered band of land bordering on the near side of the lake. Because of shading, the snow has a blue tint. There is a line of trees, dark in color, stretching from left to right across the land. From this perspective, the trees are very small. Beyond the land is Mono Lake. Most of the lake has a bluish, satiny sheen from ice covering it. But there are some more reflective areas where the water is not frozen. The volcanic craters are on the large hill across the lake. The craters are the four distinct hillocks on the top. The hill is mostly snow covered but mottled with brown from the dirt and vegetation where the snow is melted. In the far background, on the left is a brown colored mountain ridge with snow covering its right flank. In the background is a series of snow-covered peaks. Above the mountains in is a soft aqua colored sky with some dark clouds on the right side.
Mono Lake Early in the Golden Hour;
Mono Lake Vista Point, Lee Vining, California, USA; APR 2023

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

A photograph of Mono Lake featuring an island in the mid-ground area and surrounded by snow covered mountains. The bottom 1/3 of the picture is snow-covered land along the shore of the lake. The snow has a bluish tint due to being shaded. The background is lake shore and hillocks. The hillocks are mostly snow covered, mottled by the tan colored dirt where the snow has melted. The far background is snow-covered mountain peaks. There is a gray cloud in the blue sky. The lake is in the middle. It is predominantly light blue where the lake is frozen and a darker blue where it is not ice covered. In the middle of the lake are two large islands. They appear connected from this perspective. Negit Island, the smaller one is on the left side of the islands. It is mostly dark colored mottled with some snow. It has a small crater on its right side. Pahoa Island behind Negit and is considerably larger. It is mostly tan colored mottled with white snow.
Mono Lake Early in the Golden Hour;
Mono Lake Vista Point, Lee Vining, California, USA; APR 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 Few Birds from Our Recent Trip

by Earthwatcher, posted in Bird Photography, bird watching, birding, Birds, Earthwatcher, Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Fujifilm Cameras, Goose, nature, Nature Photography, Photography, Sacramento, Uncategorized, USA, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Photo of an adult and a juvenile Great Horned Owl at the opening of its hillside nesting cave. The hillside is a sedimentary mix of mud and ovoid river rocks. The background color isa sandy beige. The rocks are a mix of grays and browns. In the lower right corner is green foliage with yellow flowers – California Golden Poppies. There is some other green foliage dotting the hillside. The 2 owls are standing side by side at the entrance to their cave. The adult is the larger bird standing on the left, the juvenile is the small gray bird with gay beak standing on the right. Both birds are facing front with their head bent down, partially obscuring their eyes. The adult’s breast is mostly white, but orange in some areas, all with gray horizontal stripes. The top of the adult’s head is triangular patch with the point at the top of the beak. The patch is gray, outlined by a white stripe and further by a gray stripe. Its face is gray, outlined by a black stripe that makes it almost heart shaped. Its beak is gray.
Nimbus Fish Hatchery,
American River Parkway, Rancho Cordova, California, USA; APR 2023

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Photo of a Snowy Egret perched on a fallen tree in a pond. The fallen tree is two large main branches projecting from the water in the lower left of the picture. They project upward, across the picture toward the right at about a 30-degree angle. There are supporting branches on each of the main branches that project back into the water in the lower right quarter of the picture. The branches are dark gray, streaked with light gray on the top by the sunlight. The water is green in the lower third of the picture then changing to a greenish gray as it progresses to the opposite side of the pond. The bird is in the upper right quadrant of the picture. It is bright white with a black beak, black legs and yellow feet. Its eye is a small black dot where the beak meets the head. There is a small yellow patch on the end of the beak at the eye. There are many smaller branches in the water around the fallen tree. The river bank on the opposite site is out of focus river rocks capped with out of focus brush.
Snowy Egret;
Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Sacramento, California, USA; MAR 2023
Photo of a Snowy Egret perched on a fallen tree in a pond. The fallen tree appears as several medium gray to light gray, twisted, large branches. They appear to project from the lower right corner of the picture, curving upward; one into the middle, the other to left side. The bird is perched on one leg, on one of the branches, in the middle, vertically and one third of the way from the right side of the picture. The bird is white. It has a black beak and leg with a yellow foot. Its feathers are fluffed from the wind. Its eye is a tiny black dot at the base of the beak. There is a yellow patch on the base of the beak and around the eye. The background is the pond. The water is green in the lower third of the picture. It is mostly blue with greenish brown streaks in the rest of the picture.
Snowy Egret;
Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Sacramento, California, USA; MAR 2023
Photo of a Black Oystercatcher standing on a rock along the water’s edge. On the left side of the image is a triangular shaped, granular looking rock, sandy brown on type grading to dark gray. Across the bottom of the image, is a flat-topped rock which is light beige on the left and golden brown on the right. The water in the background is blue with some brown, shimmering rocks just below the water’s surface. The bird is standing upright atop the flat top rock, facing left. The bird has a black body, pink legs and a red beak. The bird is holding its prey, a black circular object, likely a shellfish, in its beak. Its eye is yellow with a red ring around it.
Black Oystercatcher;
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California, USA; APR 2023
Photo of a Black Oystercatcher on a rock along the water’s edge. Across the bottom of the image, is a flat-topped rock which is light beige on the left and golden brown on the right. The water in the background is blue with some brown, shimmering rocks just below the water’s surface. The bird is standing hunched over, atop the flat top rock, facing left. The bird has a black body, pink legs and a red beak. The bird is holding its prey, a cream-colored circular object, likely a shellfish, in its beak. The shell from its prey sets just below the beak on the rock. Its eye is yellow with a red ring around it.
Black Oystercatcher;
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, California, USA; APR 2023
Photo of a Canada Goose on its nest which is on a hillside. The hill side is a dark, sandy beige color. The upper third is rock, the lower two thirds is dried mud. The dried mud is dotted with green foliage and yellow flowers. The bird has a black head, neck and bill. There is a small white patch on the right side of its head. Its breast and under parts are white. Its wing feathers are brown. The wing feathers are folded and extend to the length of its body making a “V” between the wings and underbody.
Canada Goose on Nest;
Nimbus Fish Hatchery, American River Parkway, Rancho Cordova, California, USA; APR 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.

Sequoioideae

by Earthwatcher, posted in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, California, Earthwatcher, Fujifilm Cameras, landscape, landscape images, landscape photos, Muir Woods National Monument, nature, Nature Photography, Photography
Photograph of the lower portion of giant sequoia and pine trees. The pines are the two trees on the right side. The trunks of the giant sequoia are reddish-brown. The trunks of the pine are also reddish-brown but lighter in color. The ground is flat but with a slope sweeping right up a hillside. It is covered in white snow striped by gray shadows. Between the trees are their branches with their green coniferous leaves. Behind the trees is a background of green forest.
Giant Sequoia and Pine in Early Spring;
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, USA; APR 2023

In our recent visit to California, we stopped at Muir Woods National Monument and Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Both of these places are homes to giant redwood trees. Muir Woods is home to Coastal (AKA California) Redwoods; the species that is the tallest trees in the world, some reaching nearly 400 feet tall. Calaveras Big Trees is home to a large grove of the Giant Sequoia, the biggest trees, in bulk, in the world. The largest in the grove has a diameter of 30 feet. They are wonderful to behold.

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Photograph of a small segment of a creek. The water is pale grey-green capped with streaks of white foam. The lower part of the image is in shadow and is dark. Across the river are yellow-green moss-covered trees and rocks. In the upper left corner, the tree is standing and leans to the left. In the upper right corner, the tree has fallen across the creek. Between the trees are gray rocks that are partially moss covered as well as some green ferns. The upper edge of the image is scattered brown forest debris.
Early Morning on Redwood Creek;
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; APR 2023
Early Morning on Redwood Creek;
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; APR 2023
Photograph of four giant Sequoia trees surrounded by snow and a moat of meltwater. The reddish-brown trunk of one tree dominates the left side of the image. Following along the bottom of the image is the snow-covered ground. Above the snow is the meltwater moat. It is dark and reflects some of the snow. Above the moat is a group of three, dark reddish-brown, giant sequoia tree trunks with a pile of snow at their base. To the right side of the image are gray tree trunks. The background of the image is the green of the forest beyond and some blue sky.
Giant Sequoia in Snow;
This day, they are surrounded by a moat of meltwater.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, USA; APR 2023
Snowmelt Stream Meandering Through the Giant Sequoia;
Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Arnold, California, USA; APR 2023
Photograph of the lower portion of two coastal redwood trees, both dark reddish-brown. Between the trees is a background of pale green foliage covered hillside receding upwards with more reddish-brown redwood tree trunks. In the foreground, at the base of the trees, are sprouts from the tree on the left. They are the green foliage sprouting from brown foliage.
New Coastal Redwood Sprouts around the Mother Tree;
Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California, USA; APR 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

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