Friday Night Photos More Birds Edition

Happy Friday everyone. I hope everybody is doing well. Post any photos, meme's or music you like.

Unlike most of the rest of the country, San Diego has been warm and dry this week. Temps hit the mid 70s on Tue and yesterday. But the good times don't last forever. There is rain in the forecast for this weekend and early next week. Oh well. At least the price of gas dropped another 15¢ a gal in the last week. Now it only costs you an arm instead of an arm and a leg when you fill up the car.
Stay warm and dry and have a great weekend.

White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, and Rainbow Trout(soon to be breakfast)
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Cedar Waxwing
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Great Egret
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European Starling protecting it's nest from an intruding Acorn Woodpecker
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Black-crowned Night Heron
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Snowy Egret
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Great Blue Heron, Male and Female Gadwall
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Comments

janis b's picture

These bird images are absolutely stunning. It's a treat to see the pelican up close. You can see so clearly the whole shape of the fish in its elastic pouch. The starling and woodpecker photos are so dynamic, and the night heron hiding in the shade is precious. The standing egret is so dignified and elegant looking.

Thanks Social. I'll be back in a little while with some photos I am considering for an exhibition coming up soon.

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Socialprogressive's picture

@janis b
I'm looking forward to seeing the photos you're considering for exhibition.

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5 users have voted.

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

janis b's picture

I am in the process of deciding what three images I will print for the local annual exhibition in early March.

Here are some I am considering, and would appreciate anyone’s input. Most of you would have seen these before in Friday Night Photos.

Cheers all

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Socialprogressive's picture

@janis b
I like your first photo the best. The others are nice but for me the patterns, color tones and textures in the first one I find most interest. Whichever ones you choose to exhibit, I'm sure the viewing public will love.

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5 users have voted.

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

janis b's picture

@Socialprogressive

I appreciate you as an audience. I sent the images to three people whose input I also wanted to learn from. Of the first two sand drawings they all preferred the first, as you did. I'm trying to figure out why I can't decide between the two. Obviously I like them both. The colour tones though, as you pointed out, are different, and seem to make it a more interesting image to look at. Thank you for the input, it is helpful.

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QMS's picture

@janis b

I like # 3 for its mummified nature
and # 4 for the sense of movement
good luck!

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janis b's picture

@QMS

Your impressions always make me consider new things.

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dystopian's picture

@janis b GREAT photos! Beautiful.

I love the first two, both are wonderful. I also quite like the botankical skeletal one. The pouring rain is great for how well you captured it. Which is hard to do. They are all great works. Beautiful art.

Thanks!

take care!

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5 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

janis b's picture

@dystopian

Thank you for your trusty imput. I think you might miss the ocean and beach ; ).

Be well and happy

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

you sent me years ago.
I would have fun framing the 3rd one to make it stand out. I think there are frame apps that let you do that. Glad to see that you are entering photo contests. Let us know how you did.

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“When out of fear you twist the lesser evil into the lie that it is something good, you eventually rob people of the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.”
~ Hannah Arendt

janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

Thank you for your thoughts. I would like to exhibit more recent work, although I also still like the one you do, and went back to it to look at again.

Enjoy the snow and Sam

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QMS's picture

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I always wonder what is going thru the minds of our avian friends.
They are very expressive with their tweets and chirps, but I don't
speak the language very well. Will whistle back when they call
but that is only mimicry.

Saw a cut cornfield today completely covered with Canada geese.
Couldn't have been room for a few more. Packed. Wish I had a
camera to share the image.

Thanks for your imagery!

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janis b's picture

@QMS

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QMS's picture

@janis b

-
but they all seemed to be in suspended animation, which was weird.
Thanks Janis!

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janis b's picture

@QMS

Speaking of corn, the best corn I've eaten comes from the NE, from NJ to RI. NZ hasn't yet perfected the flavour, but it's gotten better. The corn I love is something I miss and still long for when I eat corn here. But I also love corn so much that most any are a treat.

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Socialprogressive's picture

@janis b
Thanks for posting that, Janis.

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

Socialprogressive's picture

@QMS
The House Finch's like to hang out in the tress in my backyard. They're very expressive and a joy to listen to when they sing.
I would have loved to seen all those Geese in the corn field, with or without a camera. There are lots of Canada Geese around here but I've never seen them in a flock larger than about a dozen geese.
Throw another log on the fire and stay warm.

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

dystopian's picture

Hi all, Hey SP!

GREAT bird photos as always SP! Outstanding work man!

What is going on with the Woodpecker and Starling is thus: Starlings do not make their own nest cavities. Woodpeckers do. The STarling has stolen the cavity from the woodpecker. Which is likely trying to get it back, as they typically use them for years. The Starlings are hyper-aggressive about this and are a key factor in the major declines of Red-headed Woodpecker throughout the eastern U.S. They are known to evict Acorn Woodpecker as well. They also evict Bluebirds from cavities. Non-native introduced vermin. Yes they can be pretty and interesting. But not to several native species trying to eek out a living in what we left them. House (formerly 'English') Sparrow is also a non-native introduced hyper-agressive bully that will evict bluebirds out of nest boxes (except mine, chuckle wink), but is not big enough to do woodpeckers. Awesome shots man!

Will see if I can find something quickly...

be well all!

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7 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
Thanks for all the info on Starlings.
In the short amount of time I watched the Starling it made multiple trips to and from the nest. Since I didn't hear the chirping of newborn chicks I'm guessing it was bringing material to build a nest and not food for it's young.

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6 users have voted.

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

janis b's picture

@dystopian

with so much information on many species, but you always share with us the really interesting parts, and the seriousness of protecting them. Thank you.

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dystopian's picture

Here's a quickie...

This is a native Plum. Fruit said to be small but delicious, natives used them. Last spring ours bloomed before anything was out to pollenate it. Was too cold for bees still. There are three species here and they are hard to ID: Creek, Texas, and Mexican Plum.
native-plum.jpg

Wild Poinsettia - *both the i and the a are pronounced at end, one of the most mis-pronounced words. The i has a long ee sound. It is not poinsetta as if there is no i there. (Just wanted to jump the shark and start a fight - ;))
poinsettia-wild072823.jpg

Northern Cloudywing on Lantana = note pollen on proboscis.
Ncloudywing090923.jpg

I gotta fly,

be well all!

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7 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
in appearance of the fruit that will help you Identify which type of plum you have? Whatever type of plum it is I hope it produces fruit for you this year.
I've never seen wild Pointsettias before. Do the leaves turn bright red like they do on the cultivated plants?

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3 users have voted.

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

dystopian's picture

@Socialprogressive Hi SP,

Yes the plum fruits appear slightly different. There are a fair number of plants where the seed pod for instance is the easiest way to tell two similar appearing types apart (as some Estragalus Vetches). The guy that gave me the switch I grew it from didn't know which, just that it was one of the native types, and delicious.

The Wild Poinsettia do not get red usually. Just yellow at bases. So when you see the yellow ones in store, those are a cultivated 'natural type', whereas the red-leaved are a man-made selectively bred cultivated variety. I had a huge one in a backyard in San Pedro once, it was gorgeous. The wild ones are usually only a foot or two tall.

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4 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

janis b's picture

@dystopian

I like the diagonal cone-shape of colours in the butterfly and lantana.

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2 users have voted.

I ok pt for numbers 1, 3, and 5

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janis b's picture

@Will Rogers Guthrie

and thank you very much for contributing to my request. I'm pretty sure I will include #5 because it speaks to me of a place I know so well. If you want to, I would appreciate knowing why you chose #5?

I hope we see you here again on a Friday.

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Lookout's picture

IMG_7591.jpg
Osprey (fish hawk)

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Heron

Audubon center Moss Point (15).jpg
Young horned owls

Thanks for all the photos!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Socialprogressive's picture

@Lookout
Nice selection of birds. I see Ospreys and Great Blue Herons all the time. I never see any Horned owls but I do hear them at night.
Looking forward to the WW tomorrow.

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

dystopian's picture

@Lookout Hi LO!

Great pics! The Great Horned Owl are an adult and a juvenile. The gray downy bird on left is a juvenile, before they leave nest. The fully feathered bird on right is one of its parents. GREAT PHOTOS!

be well!

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4 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

orlbucfan's picture

30s tonight. Hard freeze warnings up in the Panhandle and other northern spots. We used to get them down here, but not now. Great pics, gang. I love that one of the white pelican getting set to scarf down a meal, Sp. My vote is photo #4, jb. All your stuff looks like paintings so you'll win something. Smile Rec'd!!

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5 users have voted.

Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

Socialprogressive's picture

@orlbucfan
The nice weather we had all week is now gone. It's 57 and raining. We had a few mornings with temps in the low 30s last week. There are a lot of people in my neighborhood that have citrus trees in their yards that have fruit getting ripe. The low temps didn't help in that process.

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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

@orlbucfan

I think you'd enjoy seeing them directly. I print my images on the following paper ...

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Bright White is a bright white cotton art paper with an inkjet coating. The lightly defined felt structure and characteristic of soft Photo Rag® feel gives every FineArt print an incredible depth and three-dimensional appearance.

The images are translated differently than on the screen. The above description describes it well. The images in certain respects take on a more painterly hint, but are obviously photos.

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orlbucfan's picture

@janis b That's interesting about how the paper type affects the ink. Basic common sense again. All of you have your distinct and original 'signatures' (style, etc.) on your photos. I've been admiring them long enough to where I'm starting to spot them. Good luck to you in the show, jb. You deserve it. Smile

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2 users have voted.

Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.