Thursday, July 24, 2025

Kayaking

Out in the kayak recently, I stopped to photograph a Great Blue Heron. As I was watching, an otter climbed out on the same rock. Looking through the telephoto lens I saw another large bird swooping into the frame. I thought it was another heron since sometimes they chase each other away. But it was a juvenile Bald Eagle, and close behind an adult eagle. The adult didn't land and flew away but the juvenile landed on the rock. Needless to say, the heron and the otter left immediately. I think the juvenile eagle was this year's. It looked like it still had the yellow gape on the sides of its mouth that triggers the parents to feed it.

Bald Eagle (juvenile)

I was only about 20 feet away but I was sitting still in the kayak and none of these creatures paid any attention to me. The juvenile eagle looked like it made a halfhearted attempt to catch a fish but didn't have any luck.

Bald Eagle (juvenile)

Bald Eagle (juvenile)

It didn't take long before the gulls started harassing it, swooping low and squawking. When the gulls or crows make a fuss, it's a good bet that there's a hawk or eagle around. The bald eagle flew away and landed on shore. I was going to paddle over, but the gulls went after it again. This time it flew up into a tree where the gulls couldn't easily get to it. It's a tree where I've seen eagles before

Bald Eagle (juvenile)

The tide was low and I spotted a few sea stars. This was a new one for me, I think it's a Pacific Blood Star. I noticed the bright color from quite a distance away and went to see what it was.

Pacific Blood Star

Not quite as impressive as eagles or herons, but I still like Killdeer and this one was relative cooperative.

Killdeer

Killdeer

Killdeer

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Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Snowbirds

Ignoring the military connection it was cool to see the Snowbirds fly over Victoria. Quite a different form of flying than my paraglider. They made quite a few passes and drew quite a crowd of spectators in front of our place. I think this was the first time I actually remembered to use my camera's special mode for airplane tracking. For a change I'm posting these the same day I took them.

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Snowbirds

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Friday, July 18, 2025

Zoo Time

Some photos from a couple of zoos we visited on our road trip - Idaho Falls (small) and Portland (large).

I'm a fan of tortoises and this Aldabra African Tortoise was a big one.

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

Such a pretty cat.

tiger

flamingo

The thinker.

Ring-tailed Lemur

Demoiselle Crane ?

Amazing color!

Hyacinth Macaw

I like walk in aviaries because you can take photos without dealing with cages. But this one was so hot and humid that it took forever to defog my camera enough to take photos. And even then it was very low light.

Habada Ibis (Africa)

Spur-winged Lapwing

Emerald Starling (Africa)

Black Rhinoceros

Breakfast!

Southern Ground Hornbill (Africa)

Bontebok (Africa)

I like taking portraits, just not of people :-)

giraffe

Curl-crested Aracari

Zoos have their pros and cons but they always remind me of the amazing diversity of life on our planet. I pray that we don't destroy it all.

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Tuesday, July 08, 2025

Photo of the Day

Belted Kingfisher (female)

I didn't see much on my last kayak outing. Just before heading home I spotted a Bald Eagle in the tree where I've seen one before. But it was mostly hidden in the branches and I couldn't get a good photograph. I was looking for the raccoons on the beach when I noticed a bird swoop down and grab something from the water. It was completely silent so I didn't think of kingfisher right away. Usually they're heard before seen. But when it landed on a branch I could see that's what it was. They tend to be very skittish so I immediately stopped paddling and moved slowly as I got my camera. Luckily the wind was behind me and I drifted towards it slowly enough that it wasn't bothered. That first perch was quite cluttered but it flew down and grabbed another fish and this time it landed on a more open spot. Kingfishers are hard to photograph so I was happy to get a decent shot. (This is a female, unlike most birds, they are more colorful than the males.)

Sunday, July 06, 2025

Road Trip 6 - Upper Coffeepot

Upper Coffeepot is a nice little campground just outside the western edge of Yellowstone. After spending the day driving through the busy national park, it's a quiet spot to stop. Both times we've been here there have been lots of white pelicans a short walk up the river. The pelicans were on the other side of the river so they were calm about us observing them. Of course, I took a ton of photographs of them.

White Pelicans

I assume the pelicans (and the people) are there because of the fish in the river. But later in the day when we saw them they were just relaxing, preening, bathing, and sleeping.

White Pelicans

White Pelican having a bath

White Pelicans

White Pelican

White Pelican

White Pelicans

There were enough of them that there were usually a few flying in or out so I got to practice photographing them in flight.

White Pelicans

White Pelican

When they land they "ski" in on their feet.

White Pelican touchdown

Later in the evening the gulls (Ring-billed?) were skimming the water and grabbing something - I assume small fish.

Ring-billed Gull ?

Ring-billed Gull ?

Some kind of flying insect was hatching in large numbers. I suspect they were the same as this one I found on the ground - some kind of mayfly, maybe a March Brown. Thank goodness they don't bite!

Mayfly ?

There were so many of them they made photography a challenge at times.

Mallard and Mayflies

Speaking of insects, this interesting one landed on our picnic table. I think it's a Ribbed Pine Borer, a kind of long-horned beetle, although it doesn't have especially long antennae.

Ribbed Pine Borer ?

We also had a few chipmunks visit us.

chipmunks

chipmunk

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Thursday, July 03, 2025

Road Trip 5 - Yellowstone

I've been home for a while, but I'm still going through photos from our road trip (in between taking and posting new ones). From Five Springs we went to Cody, spent the night, and then the next day drove across Yellowstone Park. National parks, especially popular ones like this, are way too crowded these days but they still have scenery and animals so it's worth a bit of a visit. We don't even attempt to stay overnight. I didn't take a lot of photos this time since we didn't see anything too exciting. (last time we saw a mother grizzly and cubs) We did see a couple of bears but they were so far in the distance they were just brown dots.

bison

Of course, there's always water to photograph.

reflections

rapids

reflections

We were walking beside some rapids in the river and I was surprised to see a group of Harlequin ducks quite close to the trail.

Harlequin duck

Harlequin duck

At one point we were driving near a river and I thought I saw a Bald Eagle. It turned out to be a stick with a white patch on it. But this Savannah Sparrow posed briefly for us.

Savannah Sparrow ?

Our last stop in the park was at Artists Point to see Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Falls

Yellowstone Falls

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