20-AUG-2016
Custom 1934 Ford Coupe
The Springfield Car Cruise & Show & Shine was held today in Springfield, Oregon. Auto enthusiasts were invited to see classic cars, trucks and motorcycles and then, in the evening, watch a downtown cruise. I had to go out for medicine so drove by to take a look. I had time for only a few cars there. This custom coupe is one of them. I loved the color combination. It was spotless inside and out, a real beauty. The owner was a very nice, and friendly, guy.
21-AUG-2016
Things are Definitely Greener on the Other Side of the Fence!
I saw this young Blacktail in the roadway along Fox Hollow Road. If I were that deer, I would definitely seek greener pastures! I hope it got over that railing to safety. It is a cute little thing and looks quite healthy.
22-AUG-2016
A Splash of Color
I just couldn't resist this brightly colored yellow flower against a background of small blue ones.
23-AUG-2016
Up Close and Personal
I zoomed in on this Osprey with my P900, as it sat in the nest at Delta Ponds. They are such pretty birds. I have seen them hover before diving and grabbing fish, as the information below mentions. The photo is also cropped a bit.
Here is a quote from Wikipedia - "
"Behavior - Ospreys search for fish by flying on steady wingbeats and bowed wings or circling high in the sky over relatively shallow water. They often hover briefly before diving, feet first, to grab a fish. You can often clearly see an Osprey's catch in its talons as the bird carries it back to a nest or perch."
"Habitat - Look for Ospreys around nearly any body of water: saltmarshes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries, and even coral reefs. Their conspicuous stick nests are placed in the open on poles, channel markers, and dead trees, often over water."
23-AUG-2016
Hint of the Family of Roses
Would you believe that roses are of the same family as apples? It's true! Come to think of it, this rose hip sort of reminds me of an apple!
"Roses are in the same family as apples and crabapples, so the resemblance of their fruits is not purely coincidental. Rose hips also have a bit of the tartness of crabapples, and are a great source of vitamin C..... At the end of the season, you should see these small, berry-sized, reddish seed balls, left on tips of the stems. They are actually very ornamental and birds enjoy them too. Both rose hips and rose petals are edible."
"All roses should produce hips, although rugosa roses are said to have the best tasting hips. These are also generally the largest and most abundant.....Caution: Don’t use rose hips from plants that have been treated with a pesticide that is not labeled for use on edibles." Source -
http://gardening.about.com/od/rose1/f/RoseHips.htm
25-AUG-2016
Coming to Get You!
That's what this spider looks like, that it is coming and doesn't look friendly! :) I saw it in a web, against the light, as I walked in Alton Baker Park this morning. I thought it made a neat photo!
25-AUG-2016
Fishing Buddies
Great Blue Herons can be bold when they are hungry. The heron nesting tree is right across the water in Alton Baker Park, and this heron could have been born there. That gave it a chance to see the fishermen below and the fish they catch. Wildlife creatures are smarter than we give them credit for. If the fisherman happens to catch a fish, the heron will quickly dive in to grab it before the guy can pull it in. I have seen them do that at times. They don't often win, but the sympathetic fishermen sometimes throw them a fish. So they associate a person fishing with a possible handout. Pretty clever, I say. :)
27-AUG-2016
Barn Swallow
Swallows of any kind are hard for me to photograph. They hardly ever stay still, always flitting around catching bugs. This barn swallow was especially difficult, even if I did catch it sitting on barbed wire long enough for me to get a few pictures. The side toward me was quite dark. It was facing away from me and backlit. So I shot this picture when it turned its head toward me. I did the best I could.
Interesting fact - "The oldest known Barn Swallow in North America was at least 10 years old, when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in Maryland." (From 'All About Birds')
28-AUG-2016
Hibiscus in Our Backyard
The Hibiscus is a very interesting and beautiful plant. Most noteworthy are the huge flowers, ours being 8 or 9 inches across. They also come in several colors.
"Providing breath-taking beauty to any garden, hibiscus (Hibiscus) have large, brightly colored, funnel-shaped flowers with prominent centers. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Different varieties of hibiscus have different climate requirements, but all varieties share other growing needs. You can grow your hibiscus as a bushy shrub out in your garden, prune it to form a single-stemmed tree or grow it in a large container that you can move indoors in areas with cold winters."
29-AUG-2016
Peregrine Falcon
I am excited! Got my first ever Peregrine Falcon this morning at Delta Ponds. When I got there, I saw my friend, John. He motioned for me to hurry to where he was standing, and then pointed out the falcon high up in a tall tree. I fired off a few shots and then sought a better viewing location. When I did, about four crows showed up and began buzzing the falcon. I got a shot of a crow and the falcon but they were too small in the frame to see a lot of detail. This is a shot of just the falcon in a defensive mode as a crow flew close by. I liked the pose. I got other shots of birds this morning but this was my highlight of the day.
(I processed this with DXO and somehow it stripped the EXIF file.)
31-AUG-2016
The Fastest Bird in the World
I couldn't resist posting one more photo of the magnificent Peregrine Falcon I saw. I like this shot even better than the one I posted a couple days ago. This one made the bird more identifiable to me.
Here are a few fascinating things I learned about the Peregrine Falcon - "Their name comes from the Latin word peregrinus, which means "to wander." They are commonly referred to as the Duck Hawk. Peregrine falcons are the fastest-flying birds in the world – they are able to dive at 200 miles per hour."