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Post a beautiful nature picture


Betty LaRue

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7 hours ago, Steve Hyde said:

 

Hi Betty, sorry I’ve only just seen this. This was taken on Skomer Island, Wales where the birds are protected. They allow 200 per day on the island but if you suffer with long lens or camera gear envy it’s a place to avoid. Crazy thing is the birds are so tame, even though they’re small, I got by fine with my 70-210. A great day though and what I love most about my photography, it takes me to places I wouldn’t normally visit. Anyway, here’s a few more. These three have all caught something. 🙂

 

an-unlucky-frog-becomes-breakfast-for-a-

 

a-barn-owl-flying-over-a-meadow-and-carr

 

a-song-thrush-turdus-philomelos-holding-

Thanks for these beautiful birds, Steve. And thanks to all who have been posting (tulips and other things) and keeping this thread alive. This thread and possibly the other one “Post a good thing that happened today” are the only ones I’ll participate in. I’m not treated well elsewhere. In these troubling times, I feel good news, no matter how small, is worth something in our lives. We take things that are good in tiny bites and bigger ones, they all are worthy. So post those in the other thread.

And these images here, in this thread, are things of beauty that are uplifting to one’s soul. So I will continue. Please keep them coming.

Here’s one from me. Painted Lady butterfly in early morning sunlight, in my own garden.

Betty

 

B4GKWH.jpg

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On 03/04/2020 at 23:47, Sally R said:

 

I love the idea of budgies rolling around in the snow. It's something they'd never get to do in their natural habitat here. Yes it must be quite a responsibility keeping the chicks alive and well.

 

In 2018 I visited Stewart Island in southern New Zealand. A giant, flightless parrot called a kakapo used to live there. They are extremely endangered and so they moved them to Codfish Island where there are no introduced predators. However, people claim to have heard their call on remote parts of Stewart Island. I hoped I might encounter one, knowing that it was highly unlikely. I thought you might like this video about the most famous kakapo named SIrocco with one of his carers. He thinks he's a human as he was raised by humans as a chick. He is now considered the official spokesbird for his species. They are so loveable and cute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQn90slumUY

Ohhh, Sally! Thank you for this! It made me cry. What a darling 🦜 parrot, wish I could hold it. It has such tender eyes. 🥰

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5 hours ago, NYCat said:

How about a big bird...  

 

F3K90W.jpg

Cocoi Heron in the Pantanal, Brazil

 

Paulette

Good catch, both of you! That’s been one of my most fun things to do, trying to catch the herons around here, the Blue Heron, fishing.

I was never as talented at it as you, Paulette, I kept getting them without as much action.

 

AC1FMK.jpg

Edited by Betty LaRue
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1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

Good catch, both of you! That’s been one of my most fun things to do, trying to catch the herons around here, the Blue Heron, fishing.

I was never as talented at it as you, Paulette, I kept getting them without as much action.

 

AC1FMK.jpg

 

We were cheating. It was a photo tour and fish were being thrown to the heron. Oooops.... giving away secrets.

 

Paulette

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18 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

Shot this a while back at a Key West, Florida butterfly conservatory and I thought it was a monarch but now I am pretty sure I am wrong....any ideas?

 

usa-florida-key-west-butterfly-nature-conservatory-A86AWY.jpg

Michael, I think this is the Paper kite butterfly, Idea leuconoe.  Check out the wiki link here:

It is a beautiful butterfly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_leuconoe

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1 hour ago, Michael Ventura said:

Looks like good call Betty, thank you!

You are so welcome, Michael. I’ve shot enough butterflies and searched to ID them that it was no problem at all. Now you can keyword your butterfly.

Tip. Search Alamy first. I searched first page or two of “black and yellow butterfly” and got a few similars, but none were identified other than “black and yellow butterfly”.  Next I searched “white and black butterfly” and brought up some new ones. I found one that was properly identified, then went to the Internet to verify. Got the wiki site, and a few other links and confirmation. Many times on Alamy keywords include the colors. This butterfly is basically white and black, but it has a blush of yellow over the top of the wings. So always search colors as a starting point.

I doubt I spent over 10 minutes total.

Edited by Betty LaRue
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26 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Oh, Gen, I’ve never shot one displaying! Green with envy.

 

It was taken at St Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida. There is a colony of Egrets, Spoonbills and American Woodstorks, all nesting there in the bushes above the crocs. When I went, you could buy a photographer's pass and you were let in before the public, and could stay after closure time. It was a great atmosphere and fun amongst photographers. You would hear  'Innnncominggg!!!!' tac tac tac tac tac 10 frames per seconds from dozens of cameras. It was all good until the ranger forgot us in the evening after closure time and left us locked in with the crocs for a good while before realising. I have great memories of that solo trip. Wildlife photography can be a heap of fun.

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Always loved puffins. Last year I went back to Skomer Island off the coast of South Wales, where they congregate in (sadly decreasing) numbers.  This was one of my favourite shots.  Makes me long to go back.  Not long before they begin to return to nest, but who knows if we'll be allowed out? :(

 

Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica, on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales Stock Photo

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11 hours ago, losdemas said:

Always loved puffins. Last year I went back to Skomer Island off the coast of South Wales, where they congregate in (sadly decreasing) numbers.  This was one of my favourite shots.  Makes me long to go back.  Not long before they begin to return to nest, but who knows if we'll be allowed out? :(

 

Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica, on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales Stock Photo

Yes, Puffins were always on my bucket list. But the one and only chance I had was timed wrong, (nesting season) and the boats shut down. This one posed for you, I see!

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12 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

It was taken at St Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida. There is a colony of Egrets, Spoonbills and American Woodstorks, all nesting there in the bushes above the crocs. When I went, you could buy a photographer's pass and you were let in before the public, and could stay after closure time. It was a great atmosphere and fun amongst photographers. You would hear  'Innnncominggg!!!!' tac tac tac tac tac 10 frames per seconds from dozens of cameras. It was all good until the ranger forgot us in the evening after closure time and left us locked in with the crocs for a good while before realising. I have great memories of that solo trip. Wildlife photography can be a heap of fun.

Yes it is fun! I met a nice lady here on the forum years ago. I lived in Oklahoma City, she lived in Houston, Texas. She invited me down, and had a whole birding tour planned out along the Gulf of Mexico. Most places were in Texas, but we traveled to Louisiana also. We were on a charter off of Texas to shoot whooping cranes, then on a boat in Louisiana that took us through the swamps. Most shooting, though were places and rookeries accessed by car, then on foot.

I loved every minute, even the time I obliviously stood on an ant hill, so excited to shoot my first spoonbills. Oblivious until I felt the ants crawling up my legs. They didn’t quite reach the edge of my shorts. Thank heavens. There could have been a strip tease involved.

Louise had the pleasure of watching my gyrations while I held my camera and monopod as I beat off the ants. I’m sure it was funny from her safe observation point. Not so much mine.  Only in retrospect.  Actually, truth told, we had a good laugh.

For the life of me, I don’t understand how everything I do with other people gives them good, funny stories to tell their grandchildren.

Betty

Edited by Betty LaRue
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There is a bit of a story behind this little lady.

If you notice she is blind in her left eye.

I kept seeing her for a couple of weeks and even saw her hunt successfully once which I was amazed at due to her disability and that they rely so heavily on their acute vision.

Unfortunately I haven't seen her since but as we have regular nesting kestrels nearby maybe (hopefully) she found herself a new territory.

 

Juvenile Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, blind in the left eye, perched on a branch against a blue sky. Taken at Stanpit Marsh UK Stock Photo

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1 hour ago, Martin L said:

There is a bit of a story behind this little lady.

If you notice she is blind in her left eye.

I kept seeing her for a couple of weeks and even saw her hunt successfully once which I was amazed at due to her disability and that they rely so heavily on their acute vision.

Unfortunately I haven't seen her since but as we have regular nesting kestrels nearby maybe (hopefully) she found herself a new territory.

 

Juvenile Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, blind in the left eye, perched on a branch against a blue sky. Taken at Stanpit Marsh UK Stock Photo

Aww, poor thing. She’s beautiful.
 

I once tamed a wild baby squirrel. He and his sister came to my yard after leaving the nest. She was very wild, he was very curious and interested in me. I spent days sitting on the grass tossing pecans to him, slowly bringing him closer. Finally, he took one from my hand, his tail going ‘round and ‘round, like a crank, with nervousness. I named him and he knew his name.

The time came when all I had to do was step out of my back door and loudly call his name, and he’d come running. By then, I was giving him shelled pecan halves he took from my fingers. I could tell when he was gathering himself on the fence to jump on my shoulder, but I was afraid and stepped back. I had witnessed a squirrel bite my friend when I was 9, and it was a bloody event.

 

Then, he didn’t show up for a few days when I called. Finally he came back with a very swollen front elbow. I think someone had shot him with a BB gun.

I found some antibiotic capsules I had. Took the powder out and coated the pecans with antibiotic and fed him.

It was working. Day after day, I saw the swelling/infection decrease.

He was gone again for a few days, but this time when he came back he was very sick. Unmedicated, the infection overtook him. I think that last visit was goodbye. He didn’t eat, but sat on the fence with dull eyes while I talked to him, then limped away on 3 legs.

Then he was gone...forever.

Betty

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That squirrel story started out so beautifully - amazing - but such a sad ending! Guns - ugh! I understand hunting if you are going to eat what you shoot, but to shoot an animal simply for sport is so sad. 

Edited by Marianne
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