06-APR-2018
The Eagle's Stare
It always seems that eagles glare at whatever they are looking at. They have that fierce look. I think it is their 'eyebrow' that contributes to their look. It sure gives them a look of intense attention. For myself, I wouldn't want to be the subject of 'that look'! :) This Bald Eagle was some ways off in the top of a tree, and the image was cropped a good bit. Also, the shot was made handheld with zoom fully extended. It would have been sharper if a tripod had been used. Still, I am quite pleased with the result.
07-APR-2018
1941 Cadillac Series 62
I shot this photo of the Cadillac through the window of a vintage car dealer's showroom. It is a 1941 Series 62 model, a pretty snazzy looking car!
08-APR-2018
Light Dusting of Snow
This scene I hadn't yet posted was one of several nice shots I got on a recent snow day. This was one of my favorites.
09-APR-2018
Stopped in His Tracks!
I am so pleased! Today, at Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, the Tree Swallows were out in number flying at high speed. They can fly at speeds up to 40 MPH. I spent time watching them and practicing Back Button Focus to catch them in flight. I got some nice shots. This is one of my favorites.
As I mentioned before, swallows are capable of fast speed of flight. This comment from the Sonoma County Bird Watching Spots sums it up pretty well:
"Swallows and swifts really aren't hard to identify. They're just hard to get a look at. Flying almost incessantly and at high speed, they usually have to be identified on the wing. Once in a while, you get lucky and a swallow.....perches. Tree Swallow is characterized by its almost metallic greenish-blue back and head with a white throat, breast, and belly. The color alone is enough to identify this bird, but color can be hard to see in flight or when the bird is backlit high in the sky. Some birds overwinter here, but more are migrants that spend the summer months in Sonoma County, often arriving as early as late February and staying through mid-October. Nests in many parts of the county, using abandoned woodpecker holes or cavities in old and decaying trees. Also uses nest boxes,......" (
http://www.colintalcroft.com/Sonoma_County_Bird_Watching_Spots/Tree_swallow.html
11-APR-2018
Clouds Over Fern Ridge Lake
A gray day, a fine build up of clouds and a little light on the water made this scene appealing to me. Since there was little color on such a day such as this, I thought that the photo looked better in B&W.
12-APR-2018
Winter Leftovers
Winter has left behind some bare trees and other plants that will soon blossom forth with leaves and buds. Spring is a wonderful time of year, one of my two favorites, the other being fall. Summer and winter come in a distant third and fourth. But I still get lots of nice images in summer and winter, however. So, as one commenter attested, we wouldn't want to be without any of them. These nut trees look attractive with their coat of moss. But they too will soon be leafing out.
13-APR-2018
Lovely to Look At!
I think this female red-wing blackbird is so lovely to look at. She is a beauty! Reminds me of a song, 'Lovely to look at', that was #1 on the Hit Parade in 1935. No, I wasn't there! It was before my time, really it was! I wasn't born till the next year. :) But I guess I am a child of that generation because I love the music from back then, just like I love the birds.
When I was a youngster, our family often went to the movies on Saturday, when we made a trip to town. My father loved music and was even in the town band in his younger days in Clyde, Alberta, Canada. Because of that, we saw most of the musicals that came out, and there were a lot of them back then. As a result, I have a real love for music too, and I learned a lot of the old-time favorite. So sometimes when I shoot a picture one of those songs might come to mind, which I hope you don't mind. :) Anyway, here is the link to the 1935 recording of "Lovely To Look At." -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99kzNLpXExw
14-APR-2018
Carol Loves Her Games!
Carol has to pretty much stay close to home. She loves to use her mind on games of strategy but she also enjoys relaxing with a game of solitaire, and so do I! Anyway, I managed to get a quick grab shot of her at her game on her iPad. I am glad that she finds this a help in dealing with her pain and discomfort.
For the photo, I used an old Vivitar 70-210mm f/2.8 lens that would never be on Nikon's recommended list for the D850. I don't care, and have some other lenses not on the list I plan to try out. And also want some more wins at solitaire.
Some try to make a game of life, but it is serious business.
15-APR-2018
Apple Blossom Time!
Yes, spring is showing up in Western Oregon. I see some rhododendrons and azaleas blossoming out, and this old apple tree on our daughter and son-in-law's place now has some blossoms spreading out on its branches. It is a pretty time of year, even though it has been raining a whole lot so far in 2018. Once again I used the old 'incompatible' Vivitar 70-210mm f/2.8 for the shot.
16-APR-2018
Brahman Cattle
One is always learning through photography. I thought the Brahma or Brahman cattle were directly from India. After research, I learned that it is was first bred in the United States from cattle breeds imported from India. So I was partly correct. :) Anyway, I found these Brahman cattle on a farm not far away.
From Wikipediea - "The Brahman or Brahma is a breed of Zebu cattle (Bos indicus) that was first bred in United States from cattle breeds imported from India. Brahma cattle were produced by cross-breeding the Kankrej cattle and Guzerat cattle, Ongole, Gir, Krishna Valley[1] breeds of cattle. The Brahman is one of the most popular breeds of cattle intended for meat processing and is widely used in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, United States, Panama, Colombia and Australia among many other places."
17-APR-2018
Red-tailed Hawk
This Red-tailed Hawk has been in the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area most of the winter, and so far this spring. Or, also likely, there could be several of them in the area. I have also seen it or others on the road where we live. Anyway, I can never get enough of these beautiful creatures!
Once again, a lens 'not compatible' with the D850 was used, a Nikkor 500mm f/8 Reflex-NIKKOR-C mirror lens. One characteristic of mirror lenses is a lack of contrast in the image. So I had to work to get more contrast in the image. But for an older, all manual lens, I thought the lens did well, in spite of having to set exposure and focus manually. And my tired old eyes didn't do bad either. I was going to sell the lens, but to have a 500mm reach is such a short, light lens was a treat, and it was a lot of fun to use. I think of it as a keeper now, even though it doesn't have the sharpness of our recent Nikon lenses.
18-APR-2018
A Delight to See!
Due to a necessary trip to town, I was able to make a brief stop at Delta Ponds today and thought I would check on my hummingbird friend, who I have seen in the same tree the past three years. Sure enough, there it was, or perhaps by now someone else in the family. What a treat to see the hummingbirds in the wild! I tried capturing it in flight using the back button focus method, and was pleased to get this image of it as it took off. An added blessing was catching the fantastic colors they display at the right angles. Of course, from this angle I missed the gorgeous green of its back.