Not a Lapland Longspur

Just for a change here's NOT a Lapland Longspur.

Griffon Vulture

I lied.

Lapland Longspur

Oh Look! Another Horned Lark and Lapland Longspur.

After a nice English Breakfast at the Bulls Head in Lititz we stopped off and photographed the Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs ......... again.

Horned Lark

Lapland Longspur

Lapland Longspur

Snowy Plover

As it's snowing outside again and more forecast for later in the weekend (if you can believe the weather forecasters) I thought I'd get round to doing some Snowy Plovers. They are a beautiful little wading bird that I photographed out in California when I was out there working. These are from late one Sunday afternoon at Malibu Lagoon home to rich and famous (and me).

Snowy Plover

Snowy Plover

Snowy Plover

Snowy Plover and Sanderling

Snowy Plover

Siesta

I've been doing a few webinars recently for a range of photo editing products from a company called Macphun. One of the webinars included a weird looking doorway in France and how the Intensify Pro program brought out all the detail. I was amazed at the difference so heres my attempt at a doorway. I know it's not my normal content but I though I'd try it for a change. It was taken in a town in Northern Spain where I was working. It depicts two geezers having an early afternoon snooze on a bench near the town center. Several centuries of doorway there.

Siesta

Lapland Longspur

Well I went out and spread a load of seed in the field to concentrate the Larks and look what showed up for the feast. One of the Lapland Longspurs. We saw two together at one point but this was a well marked individual. I wish I could get to see one in summer plumage.

Lapland Longspur

Reddish Egret

It snowed again last night which means I've got to clear the driveway ........ again. Not much more ontop of the 6-8 inches we had on Sunday night but it's powder snow and it drifts very easily in even a mild breeze.

It got me thinking of Florida, warmth, birds, alligators, saltwater crocodiles, dolphins etc etc.

Heres a few of some Reddish Egrets from Florida. I know what your going to say. "It's not very red at all, they're white" Well theres a reason for that, the white one is a Reddish Egret it's called a white morph. You can even get a white Great Blue Heron. Confusing I know but the birds are still nice.

Run around and scare up a snack

Spreading winds to see the snack better

Snack about to be eaten

Looking for snack

Red Reddish Egret

Déjà vu, all over again

I had another session with the Horned Larks this morning but this time with my 300mm f4 lens rather than the 80-400mm zoom. Although not so much reach and the birds were further away I am feeling better with the results over yesterdays. Another Lapland Longspur made an appearance and at one point there were 3 all together further down the road. Still no Snow Buntings which would be really nice. More snow forecast for the next couple of days, maybe that may bring a pleasant surprise with it.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Lapland Longspur

Horned Larks and a Lapland Longspur

I'm not a happy bunny at the moment, in  fact I'm downright grumpy. I was out photographing Horned Larks this afternoon and the results were not anywhere near as good as they should have been. I know the old saying about bad workmen and blaming tools etc etc but that not the case. I suspect the lens as even locked down on a tripod I can't get decent results from the test image. Well it is what it is until I can send it off  to  be checked.

Heres some not very good ones from this afternoon.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Lapland Longspur

Animals

Just for a change from birds heres a couple of pictures from Northern Pennsylvania. To say it's a bit rustic up there is an understatement. It's not exactly the Frontier but thats certainly not as long ago up there than it is down here. Very nice though, lots of wild places and dark skies.

Elk

Porcupine

Osprey

I changed the title image from flowers to an Osprey and found another one from the same time I like so I included that one too. We were staying in a high rise complex right on the beach in Fort Myers Beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. There was a constant stream of Ospreys, Pelicans, Peregrine and Frigatebirds at eye level past the balcony.

Osprey

Another go at Focus Stacking

As I had a bit of yard work to do and it being only 22f outside I thought I'd play indoors until it warmed up a little. I got the Orchid as it had a new flower, got the tripod setup, Ring Flash and camera on the el'cheapo Focussing Rail. So I set the lens into manual focus and focussed on to the very front edge of the flower and took a shot. I then moved the focussing rail forward about a millimeter and took another and another etc etc until I'd reached the back of the flower. Into Photoshop, Stacked. Aligned and Blended and voila, heres the result.

Focus Stacked Orchid

Bluey the incredible Siamese/Vietnamese Pot Bellied Cat

This is Bluey, he's a Flame Point Siamese as far as we can tell but Kelly and I are sure he has some Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig DNA somewhere in his genetic makeup.

Bluey

Mallard

Round these parts they pronounce the name of this duck a 'Malad' as in salad. In my former homeland we alway pronounced it 'Mallard' as in Mal'ard. These lot over here tell me I talk funny, that my language is strange.. My standard answer is "we fucking invented it mate, you lot bastardized it". See it even autocorrected my bastardised into bastardized. Anyway heres a picture of a Mallard.

Mallard duck.

Northern Cardinal

Oh for a Nikon 600mm f4 lens. This 11f morning the birds having fed sat in one of the Yew trees to warm up in the bright sunshine. There was the Mockingbird,  the Goldfinch's, Junco's, assorted Sparrows, Mourning Doves but brightest of all were the two male Cardinal's . If I owned a Nikon 600mm f4 lens I would have got some wonderful shots. If I have a rich Uncle, relative or anybody for that matter that would like to donate $10,000 to the Mike Dale Lens Fund now would be a good time.

Heres one from a few years ago.

Northern Cardinal

Snowing and a bit nippy outside.

It's snowing, we're going to get the edge of this nasty weather apparently. I stress the word apparently because the weather forecasting is totally crap, not just recently but they consistently get it wrong. I don't know why I bother with all these Weather App's because they are USELESS. OK, I'm done with my little rant. I've been out to feed to the birds, as it's only 17f outside at 9am and I don't suppose it will get much higher today. I'd look at the forecast but I wouldn't believe it so I'm not going to bother. Anyway. Heres a nice Morning Dove in the snow. There's currently about 30 of them at the various ground feeders. Make sure you have water for bathing and drinking in the cold weather as they have to keep their feathers in good condition.

Mourning Dove

Winter Plumage, Summer Plumage

I mentioned about the winter plumage American Goldfinch and the Summer plumage version. I found an image I took on May 23rd 2009 for comparison with one I took this afternoon. Same species but very different coloring. You can see why some people get confused.

Breeding plumage American Goldfinch

Winter plumage American Goldfinch