JDW Photos and Life

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Here is another photo of an egret "hovering" over the water looking for that surface disturbance seen when he was on the shoreline. I enjoy being able to see feather detail in shots like this. The feathers on top of the wings ruffle up as the bird is nearly stalled in flight. The feather control over the full length of such a large wing and tail is awe inspiring. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. At this neighborhood "lake", there were over a dozen white egrets scattered along the bank. I have no idea what was happening that day as I have gone by there several times since these photos and have not seen more than one or two. They were fishing this body of water by standing on the bank and looking for a surface disturbance. This guy was heading out to one of those disturbances. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. One Monday morning (Feb 28), I dropped by a "developed lake" in a neighboring subdivision. There was a "large" ruckus taking place on the grassy knoll. Two chickadees were having a battle royal. I promise this was not some rough romantic venture - they were plenty unhappy with each other. They didn't care that I got out of my truck and walked around to the side to take these photos. They fought beak and toenail for several minutes until one gave up flew off. It was a level of aggression that I had not seen in anything other than hummingbirds. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As I browse various folders of photos to decide what to post, I ran across photos downloaded from Lauren's (daughter) camera. She captured a bear scene that I totally failed to get. This photo is GREAT in my opinion - and hopefully yours too. Obviously, this is from our bear viewing trip. You see the beautiful mountains of Katmai - something I sadly did not capture enough. You see the sow with her four cubs with a better perspective of the distance we were viewing them. Remember how I told you about the runt (size perspective is also in this photo) of the litter hanging way back of the group? This photo captures that scene perfectly to my memory. That is an adult boar in the background closer to the cub than the sow. Yes, I'm betting that gap could get closed quickly by the sow but I'm not confident in the odds of the cub survi...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This tufted titmouse participated in the great backyard sunflower theft started by the two cardinals. He was trying to hide the evidence but you can see a bit of kernel still in his beak. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. My security cameras captured two sunflower thieves. They are believed to be a husband/wife team. They were last seen in my backyard. The theft of sunflowers is approaching felony theft with nearly a 50% increase in price over the last year - despite not being tied to the Ukraine war dialog of the administration. The lady was the first to attack. She came in and left so fast, the cameras only captured her departure with a mouthful of stolen property. Noting the success of his mate, this guy was coming in hot and didn't stay long. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Sorry about the late post as I traveled a bit early this morning and didn't get a photo posted. This is another view of the fiery skipper. The topside of its wings in this photo look nothing like the bottom side (the photo yesterday). Enjoy the detail of this small butterfly! Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. I doubt you ever see a more clear photo of a Fiery Skipper butterfly than this. I have included a crop of just the skipper so you can look closer at the details. They eye of this butterfly seems different than other insect eyes as it looks almost like a button. This guy was frequenting the same set of flowers as the flowers must have had some good nectar that day. You see his  proboscis extended into the flower - at least I don't think it was performing a brain probe on the bee! The "hair" on the legs is pretty typical of insects. The detail on the back edge of the wing is interesting as it resembles feathers rather than a sharp edge.    Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. I'm betting some of you are not into bugs and butterflies but I'm posting one more photo of the great purple hairstreak. This is a cropped view to show more detail. You can clearly see the "hair" off the back of the wing that is characteristic of its name. You can also see the detail of the antenna and the curled proboscis used to collect nectar from the flowers. You don't want to know how many photos I took of this butterfly as it was unique to my experience. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Though I was taking another photo of the great purple hairstreak, a bee was in the same plane (distance from the camera) and was making a "bee-line" to the same flower. This is the most in-focused shot of a bee in flight I have ever taken even though by accident! Note how the bee's body (top view) is twisted to its head (side profile). This shot also provides a view of the back of the wing that characterizes hairstreak butterflies.  For the photographers out there, the photo was taken at ISO1250, f/9, 1/3200 sec using a 375 mm focal length (Canon 7DMkii, Tamron 150-600 lens). Here is another view cropped to just the bee (no enlargement). Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. While photographing the large number of queen butterflies on these flowers, a fleeting flash of iridescent blue and orange came into view. A small Great Purple Hairstreak butterfly was also on the flowers. This butterfly had fighter jet speed compared to the big queen butterflies. I failed to get a photo of the beautiful topside (mostly iridescent blue) of its wings as about the only time we saw that color was in flight and that was too fast for my skills. The hairstreak butterflies are characterized by the protruding hair on the back of their wings. The bee in this photo gives you a size comparison of the butterfly. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. The Queen Butterflies were active on a patch of flowers during my Waco trip. A Queen Butterfly is very similar in coloration to a Monarch for good reason. A Monarch is toxic to some predators and the similar coloration of the Queen adds a little protection. It is always fun to photograph them as you get to see so many details that are just flashes otherwise. As with all nature, we saw both the near perfection of youth and the battle-worn veterans. This youngster was showing off for us though you see one small scar on its wing. With battles between other butterflies and occasional escapes from birds and other predators, the butterfly takes a real beating on its delicate wings as shown in the next photo. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. On the same Waco trip and at the same tree, we saw this pair of red-bellied woodpeckers. The male is on the left with more color on his head. The female is on the right. You can see the slight red coloration on her belly that earns them their name. Their back feather colors are similar to the downy woodpecker I poste the last few days. The head colors make the two species easily identified. The female has something in her beak but I can't tell if it is an insect or a small seed. The female came to the location several times before the male showed up. It was nice to get a photo of them both with neither being a butt shot. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This is another shot of the downy woodpecker in Waco a few months ago. This bird was showing off his colors that day. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Here is a photo of a bluebonnet hybrid that blooms maroon. It took 25 years to develop (yes, A&M) and is sometimes called an Aggiebonnet. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Spring is underway here in College Station - clearly evident with the cedar pollen load if nothing else! The Gardens at Texas A&M is an area on the west campus that is well maintained and relatively easy to visit (though parking is NEVER simple or free of campus). The bluebonnets are just starting to come out and there were just a few that were photo-ready. This one certainly was showing off its beauty yesterday and the bee thought the same. It is always great to capture an additional subject in such photos! The splash of red on the left is a maroon-bonnet. That photo may come tomorrow. Which frame/crop is your favorite? Landscape Portrait Bee-focused zoom. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. On the September trip to Waco, we were fortunate enough to get a nice shot of a downy woodpecker as it search this decaying tree for bugs. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Disclaimer - I am making generalizations in my description below. Don't pick my nits unless you just can't stand it! Solar Cycle 25 is off to a quick start but is not expected to be an intense one. The solar cycle is essentially an observation solar activity via sun spots and intensity with observations recorded back to the 1700's. The cycle is a result of the sun's magnetic field flipping. The flip occurs around the peak of the cycle - roughly every 11 years. Recently, there have been some strong coronal mass ejections (CME) seen on the sun. Those events shoot out millions to billions of tons of material into space and if they happen to be pointed toward the earth, we see the radiation impact (like satellite communication interruption, northern lights, our magnetic field fluxuating, etc.). A large storm with direct earth i...

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This past September, I was invited by a friend to photograph whatever we could find on some land near Waco. There were plenty of subjects but the prize of the day for me was this Barred Owl. It was deep in a distant tree, in heavy shade, and a lot of backlight poking through holes in the canopy. These are not ideal photography conditions but somehow, I managed a good shot. It was clearly keeping an eye on us! Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. All good things come to an end and so it was for our trip to Kodiak. We were greeted with a beautiful sunrise the morning of our departure. We can hardly wait to take a return trip in the late summer. I am going to have to find new photos and subjects now for these notes! The pickings have been easy up to this time. I guess I need go take some photos now! Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As our trip to Kodiak ended its final evening, we were blessed with one last spectacular sunset viewed from L&J's back porch. The sun set directly behind Barometer Mountain with great colors. Like all locations, there are good sides and less-good sides in the full picture of life. I have no doubt that the landscape and nature views of Kodiak are some of the best available anywhere on earth. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This photo was taken a few minutes after the photo shared yesterday. It is zoomed in a bit on the Coast Guard runway as one of their helicopters was in the process of taking off. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As our trip to Kodiak was nearing its end, we took another walk on Lauren, Josh, and Penny's favorite beach (just to the left in this photo) inside the Coast Guard base. The fog was classic Alaska in this shot looking back towards the airport and Kodiak harbor. You even see an airplane taking off in the shot. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. The photo yesterday was looking back towards Kodiak from the top of Old Woman's Mtn. The photo today is looking over the other side of the peak. You see the Coast Guard base, its small bay, and surrounding landscape. You also see there was barely a breath of wind that day with the very smooth water. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Josh and I did finally reach the top of Old Woman's Mtn. and were rewarded with this view. You can see the airport, Pillar Mtn., and the town of Kodiak from this vantage. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As we continued our hike up Old Woman's Mtn., we had a great view of Barometer Mtn. and the valley below with a great sky. I used the panoramic feature of the phone for this shot so it is really wide. I'm not certain if it works to convey the scene. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. As Josh and I continued our hike, there was another spot a bit further up the mountain with a great view of the area. The houses in the foreground are all Coast Guard and the area is named Aviation Hill. Lauren and Josh live about mid-way on the middle street nearest the camera. You see the rest of the airport runway and the town of Kodiak and its harbor in the background. You also see a better view of Pillar Mtn. with the wind turbines. Obviously, we had a beautiful day for a hike. Great memories. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. This photo is at the same location as the photo yesterday - just looking back towards the town of Kodiak. Another spectacular view of this special place. The airport is in the foreground. You see where there is no room to abort a takeoff! Just don't think about it! You see the protected harbor of Kodiak in the distance on the left. The mountain to the left is Pillar Mtn. with the wind turbines. It is interesting the difference in the sky in the two photos. Thanks, Doug White

Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Josh and I hiked up Old Woman's Mountain (an earlier photo) one pretty afternoon. About 1/2 way up, we paused for a phone photo (not mentioning my breath - age is real) overlooking the base. If you follow the road out to the water on the left side of the photo, that is the their favorite beach (also posted earlier). The small glimpse of the bay at the right (next to the tarmac) is the water where the cutter is docked (further to the right but you get the idea). The views on this island are simply stunning. Thanks, Doug White

  Click on READ MORE for the full post. Click on the blog photo to see full size and detail.  If leaving a comment, please provide a hint who you are. Have a Happy Fat Tuesday. I had to take a break from grading last night to make a king cake. One for us and one for the quilt shop. Yes, it tastes as good as it looks. Donnice sprinkled the icing for pretty cakes this year. Thanks, Doug