Friday Night Photos Inflight Edition

Happy Friday everyone. As always, post whatever you got.

Some BIF (bird in flight) photos I took last week while strolling around Santee Lakes.

Snowy Egret
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Male & Female Mallard
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Double-crested Cormorant
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American White Pelican
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janis b's picture

Those are wonderful photos of water birds in flight. I was surprised to see the Pelican.

A couple grounded photos ...

Thanks for posting and hosting Social. Have a good evening all.

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Socialprogressive's picture

@janis b @janis b
Very nice. I like the way the lighter colors draw your attention in the first photo.
The Pelicans are regular winter visitors. They start to show up around Oct-Nov and head back north around Mar-Apr.

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I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

janis b's picture

@Socialprogressive

It makes sense the pelicans come to inland waters where it's warm, and less wintery on the coast.

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dystopian's picture

@janis b Beautiful photos Janis! I could just get lost in there. So inviting. Makes me wish I could just walk into it. I'm green over your greens.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

janis b's picture

@dystopian

I can almost guarantee even you would get lost, but don't worry the rangers would find you ; )

It makes me happy to share all the greens with you.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@janis b

upon layer, upon layer; love it.

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

janis b's picture

@enhydra lutris

Your comment makes me smile - "with layer upon layer".

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enhydra lutris's picture

@janis b

upon layer, upon layer; love it.

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Bollox Ref's picture

Unfortunately, I've gone through any bird photos I might have, so something from earlier this year.

We might get 8" of snow tonight (sigh).

Off to the UK next week. Given the new variant, it might prove to be Mission Impossible (double sigh).

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

Socialprogressive's picture

@Bollox Ref
Excellent flower shot.
Just the thought of snow makes me cringe. Have a great time in the UK. Can't wait to see the photos.

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Bollox Ref's picture

@Socialprogressive

So just the phone for this trip. All being well, hopefully some decent shots.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

janis b's picture

@Bollox Ref

I like how you combine b&w with some colour. It reminds me of old hand-coloured b&w prints.

I hope your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

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Bollox Ref's picture

@janis b

I hope your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

So do we.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Bollox Ref

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Really love to watch the birds landing over water with their feet in the landing position. I wonder how long Wilbur and Orville watched birds to get this idea for flight? Have a good evening all!

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Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

Socialprogressive's picture

@jakkalbessie
From looking at his drawing, De Vinci must have spent a lot of time watching birds and thinking of flight too.

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snoopydawg's picture

Love the egret and the pelicans. You could make $$d selling your stuff do you know that?

My two pelicans look great on my wall. Wish I had room for 2 more but sadly every wall is taken.

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

Socialprogressive's picture

@snoopydawg
If I was half my age I might consider trying to sell my photos online, but I'm old and retired and content with posting photos here on c99 for others to see.

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dystopian's picture

Outstanding flight photos SP! Beautiful work man! Birds in flight are like butterflies on flowers for subject matter, you can't go wrong. The far more stationary butterflies and flowers are a LOT easier to capture. The challenge of bird flight photography is considered by some of its practitioners as the ultimate hunting. You don't even have to be close with a shotgun, compared to a bird flight photograph. Shotguns are for the sloppy. Wink Real men use a 400 or 500 mm lens. Wink Most of my better stuff is un-scanned slides from prior decades though... Have a 1955 400mm f4.5 Telemegor (Zeiss glass) that was a wonderful lens.

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8 users have voted.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Socialprogressive's picture

@dystopian
Photographing birds in flight is a challenge, and the smaller the bird the harder they are for me to get good shots.
Zeiss makes really good glass. I have a pair of their binoculars (8x42) that I use for bird watching.

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dystopian's picture

@Socialprogressive Those Zeiss are outstanding bins, as we birders call them. Binoculars. The Zeiss, Leitz, and Svarovski are I think nowadays considered the top three bins. Formerly the Bausch & Lomb Elite were considered the best by many, which is what I have used for 30 years. But the deal is when you get to big money bins is, the best one for you is the one that feels right in your hands, with your fingers, and looking through. You are going to see or ID the birds essentially the same with any of them. How does it feel to you? Fender or Gibson?

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Socialprogressive's picture

@dystopian @dystopian
that applies to cameras as well. The problem these days is there are so many models to choose from and so few brick and mortar stores where you can go pick them up and hold and compare them to see which one is right for you.

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janis b's picture

@dystopian

; )))

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dystopian's picture

A quick glance only shows some soaring raptors... which were supposed to be used was it last week you did raptors, but ya see I am on Texas time, and need about a week to get up to speed... apologies for the fuzzy pixylated images...

just fledged juvenile Red-tailed Hawk
redtail-juv052620.jpg

this is an adult, these are the subspecies fuertesi
redtail050320.jpg

adult Red-shouldered Hawk
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Zone-tailed Hawk - are actually black with a white tail band
zt120420b_0.jpg

Northern Harrier - formerly called Marsh Hawk
harrier110318a.jpg

Hope all are doing well!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Socialprogressive's picture

@dystopian
I've only seen a Northern Harrier one time. Nice looking bird. Would love to get a shot of one.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@dystopian

which is new to me. Harrier makes me want to get down to the Bay marshes.

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

janis b's picture

@dystopian

but they're exciting to see.

I occasionally see a harrier, the Kahu

Somehow my sense of excitement always includes a sense of dread for their prey.

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enhydra lutris's picture

Santee, of all places.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Socialprogressive's picture

@enhydra lutris

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snoopydawg's picture

A new storm coming in over the Great Salt Lake looking west towards antelope island

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Looking south towards Salt Lake City

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Unfortunately the pictures don’t show how elevated I was high up on the foothills. Across the street from here is one very nice house I’d love to live in so I could watch storms and sunsets over the lake. I had to admit that our sunsets over the lake beat lots of sunsets over the ocean because we don’t have fog banks.

Sam keeps asking if I’m sure that I don’t need more socks. It’s her ruse to bring me something so she can have a milkbone. I’m surrounded by socks and toys. If you don’t hear from me…I’ve gotten buried…..send help.

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

Socialprogressive's picture

@snoopydawg
looking clouds in that second shot, Snoopy.

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

I think I could tolerate the cold in exchange for being in that space with that vision.

How sweet are dogs!

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dystopian's picture

@snoopydawg great pics SD! Awesome! Beautiful!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Dawn's Meta's picture

Central Oregon and Washington are good places to see Harriers. East of Bingen on the Columbia, we saw a Harrier low over a creek cut into low hills. We watched him from a gravel road above Catherine Creek. He just kept meandering up stream.

Another time in the Eastern Oregon Ochocos we saw one working a grassland populated by Antelope. Their white rump makes them easy to spot and identify.

Thanks again for great photos.

ETA: We have Hawks which except for the red tail are the same in conformation, behavior, nesting, raising one kid (who squawks when the parents try to get it airborne), upright posture on a branch. It's wonderful to see.

There are a lot of analogues here in animals and plants.

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Socialprogressive's picture

@Dawn's Meta
This last spring we had 3 young Red-shouldered hawks that were hanging out in the canyon where I live. I have two Gum trees in my backyard they like to sit in. Needless to say, when one show up all the other birds become real scarce until it leaves.

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janis b's picture

@Dawn's Meta

The variations and similarities of species and places is infinitely fascinating.

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dystopian's picture

@Dawn's Meta Hi Dawn, Those are actual real buzzards there! The standard basic Euro hawk is actually named Buzzard. That is the true and correct name. There is also a Honey Buzzard that takes honeycombs (see youtube). But the standard buteo (hawks shaped like 'Red-tails') of Europe, is the Buzzard.

Which was then made confusing because when Euros settled America they called all vultures buzzards. Vultures are not hawks. There are no actual Buzzards in North America. Here in TX everyone calls all vultures (no matter if Black or Turkey) buzzards.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

orlbucfan's picture

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.