Heron takes flight

I accidentally walked up on this lovely heron at the lake today (US Midwest, small man-made lake that just happens to be close enough for me to walk to), and he was obliging enough to stand still until I had a chance to get out the camera! I see a lot of birds out there every year (right now we also have ducklings, a small geese population, and a lot of red-winged blackbirds), but this is the closest I've ever gotten to one of the herons, and I thought this community might like to see him.

a gray and black heron taking flight from a lake

Fairly sure it's a great blue heron, though I'm not a bird-identifying expert.

Ice Moon & TV Static



A few weeks ago it snowed lightly for some 12 hours. We noticed that there was a dark lump on the lake next to the ice hole created by the lake's aerators. In looking more closely we saw it was one of our resident muskrats, using it to feed. You can see it nibbling in the second photo with the snowflakes going by it.Read more... )
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Grand Marais Harbor & Ice Patterns



Stopped by the Grand Marais harbor as we were passing through because the water was so blue it was too amazing to pass by without some photos.

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On the Way to Grand Marais



There are a bunch of rivers leading out to Lake Superior. This one made a pretty view.

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Ashland and Gooseberry Falls



After our stop at the Wisconsin Dells my friends and I drove up to Ashland. We were supposed to go out on a boat tour during our day there but the weather prevented it. However our hotel was on the water and we had some good views the day we left when it cleared up.

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Wisconsin Dells Pt 2



More photos from the boat outing in the Wisconsin Dells.

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Lake Pictures Part 1: Approaching the Path

Today we went out to the lake. These pictures primarily show the pollinator gardens around the parking lot and the approach to the lake paths.

Walk with me ... )
pauraque: bird flying (Default)
[personal profile] pauraque2024-09-15 12:09 pm

Ring-billed Gull preening

While on a walk by Lake Champlain I took a series of pictures of a Ring-billed Gull enjoying a good preen.



7 more photos )
pauraque: bird flying (Default)
[personal profile] pauraque2024-03-16 10:17 am

American Black Ducks

I saw this pair of American Black Ducks recently.



Widespread in the eastern US and Canada, they're often mistaken for female or nonbreeding male Mallards, since they're the same size and shape and have similar markings. It was nice to get a good clear look at some of the differences. Their bodies are darker than the typical Mallard (though not actually black) with contrastingly pale heads. The male (with the yellow bill) has no white or curly tailfeathers and not even a smudge of green on his head. The female's bill is olive-gray with no orange on it.

The female also helpfully displayed her wing patch when she was preening )

Lake Pictures

Today we went out to the lake. The first few pictures are from my yard, though.

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pauraque: bird flying (Default)
[personal profile] pauraque2024-02-19 10:00 am

North American river otters

I took this video late last year of river otters at a small lake where I often walk. It was my first time seeing them in the wild!


Video description: Two otters swim along a frozen shore. One heaves itself up on the ice and eats a fish. Two others swim and dive in the background.
pauraque: common raven in silhouette among bare branches (raven)
[personal profile] pauraque2024-01-31 08:27 am

ice on Lake Champlain

I took these pictures at Shelburne Bay, which is part of Lake Champlain. I think the ice looks so cool along the shore, especially when it encases the coastal plants and rocks.



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lizardjay: a friendly cartoon duck (duck)
[personal profile] lizardjay2023-04-24 08:48 pm

birds and turtles

(xposted to my journal)

My mom and I have been going on walks most times I visit (~every 2 weeks) and I've been accumulating a lot of pictures... these are from three separate parks in our area.

many pics in here )

Winter Wonderland

Just another plug, too, for [community profile] threeforthememories which has gotten its first posts this week. If you have 2020 photos you could share, do join in!



We had weather advisories of heavy fog yesterday morning -- and maybe there was at 6 AM. But by the time I was up and using the camera, the best sign I got was in this photo. I was disappointed as I thought it would have created a great look with icy trees. Read more... )
spiralsheep: Captain Scarlet is the god of redshirts (spiralsheep Captain Scarlet Redshirt God)

Flooding in South Worcestershire

(Note: I didn't take any of these caps but I have credited as many as possible. Please click through to flickr for further information or ask me in comments.)

The flood defences built in Worcester (pop. c.100,000) and the surrounding area, especially Upton upon Severn and Bewdley, after the record floods of July 2007 have worked despite new record high river levels in the Severn and Teme but there were only a few centimetres to spare and there are about 50 homes flooded in Worcester, mostly around the suburb of Diglis (I think?), with more in the wider local area. The fastest/largest flow/volume of water through the centre of the city was about 500 metric tonnes per second under Worcester bridge (built 1781 and 1841). The only road bridge and both pedestrian bridges in the city were all closed at least temporarily but the Carrington Bridge across the Severn, for the bypass south of the city, remained open. It’s invidious to pick out one token worker or act of bravery but, for example, at one point two Western Power electricity workers waded through three feet of fast flowing water to fix a flooded electrical substation.

Floods and defences, 13 images total )
spiralsheep: Flowers (skywardprodigal Cog Flowers)

In which there are fungi, flowers, and fish

These are September seasonal photos. Click through to flickr for biggerness. Enjoy!

Fungi, Sessile Earthstars, Geastrum fimbriatum: they begin as spheres then their outer layer peels itself back in segments and curls underneath the fruiting body to lift it away from the ground.

Fungi, Sessile Earthstar, Geastrum fimbriatum 2, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire 09-12

Four more small images. )

Bird, flowers, and Lake George panorama

Some of these were taken with my new Canon DSLR (yay for finally having a DSLR!), others with my higher end Olympus point and shoot.

Below the cut )
holyschist: Icon of a pomegranate split open to show sees (food)
[personal profile] holyschist2010-05-08 10:33 pm

One of my very favorite "common" birds

Although this is supposedly a "common" water bird in my area, I've only seen three so far, and only in the last year: the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Today I got to observe a pair of them fishing for quite a while! It was extremely exciting. They are such beautiful birds--I love their weird turquoise eyes.

Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

More cormorants and some other birds at my journal.