Wildlife
Rabbit in the Clearing
At Rest
This is one of those photos that seems like it could support some inspirational quote or Bible verse added. I like the image, as is, and have been able to resist the temptation so far, but I’m feeling a little weak. If someone were to suggest the right quote or verse, my resolve might crumble.
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Here a Goose, There a Goose, Everywhere a…
It was an extraordinarily windy day along the Lake Michigan shore. I was out taking photos of the rolling, crashing waves on the lake. On the way home, while driving home something unusual caught my eye.
There were hundreds of Canada geese floating in the harbor at Kewaunee, WI. They had retreated to the calm waters, waiting out the strong winds. Nearly all of them were facing in the same direction… facing into the wind. It just struck me as interesting and worthy of a photo.
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Waiting for Winter
Leapin’ Lemurs
These Ring-tailed Lemurs didn’t care to walk among the herd of turtles on their path, so they took to leaping over them. The turtles just watched.
Notice the pink reflection in the water. Those are flamingos on the shore beyond the water’s edge.
I snapped a number of photos of the Lemurs on a recent visit to the zoo in Indianapolis, IN. You’ll see a few more images posted here in the near future, so check back often.
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Doe Eyes
On a walk along the trails of a Missouri nature center, we encountered this docile woodland beast. One look at that face and the meaning of the term “doe-eyed” becomes crystal clear.
Here’s the American Heritage Dictionary definition…
doe-eyed
adjective
1. Having wide-open, innocent-appearing eyes.
2. Credulous and unsophisticated; naive.
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On the Wing
These are Sand Hill Cranes that spent the night in the farm field across the road from our home. They are a very exotic and, unfortunately, elusive bird. I’ve not been able to get close enough to capture any decent pictures.
There were at least a dozen Sand Hill Cranes sharing the field with three or four times as many Canada Geese. I tried to slowly work my way toward them, but before I could get any worthwhile photos they took off. The only saving grace is that a few happened to fly by on their way to some other secluded spot.
Sand Hill Cranes are graceful and somewhat majestic in flight, with a wingspan of six to eight feet. They are also very noisy when flying. (They can be pretty noisy on the ground, too.) Their distinctive “call of the wild” has been described as a bugling or trumpeting sound. It’s very annoying, particularly early in the morning when you’re trying to sleep in. They can be heard long before they are seen.
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Can’t Hold Her Licker
It happened so fast, I didn’t see this at the time I took the photo. This female, ruby-throated hummingbird was sticking her tongue out at me at the precise moment of the shutter snap.
It’s too bad you can’t see it clearly because the tongue was moving so fast and was out of the range of focus.
Here are some fascinating facts about the hummingbird tongue from www.worldofhummingbirds.com …
The tongue on a hummingbird is very long. It is grooved like the shape of a “W”. On the tip of the tongue are brushy hairs that help lap up nectar from a flower. A hummingbird can lap up nectar at a rate of about thirteen (13) licks per second. Hummingbirds have only a few taste buds on the tongue. Hummingbirds can taste just enough to know what is good and what is bad. They can also taste what is too sweet, not sweet enough, or just right.
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Humdinger
hum·ding·er/ˈhəmˈdiNGər / Noun: A remarkable or outstanding person or thing of its kind.
There’s little that compares to the dazzle of a male ruby-throated humming bird when the light hits it just right. If you’re able to watch one while he’s perched, you’ll see flashes of brilliant red with just a slight turn of his head.
Even though the sunlight is coming more from behind this bird, I used a shiny surface to reflect some of that sunlight to the front side, bringing out the colors of his gorget (the neck area).
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Intense Eater
I had a few minutes before I had to shuffle off to work this morning. I decided to sit still by the window and try to grab a good hummingbird photo or two.
This is a male ruby-throated hummingbird intent on downing his breakfast. I love the way the low angle of the sun strikes and highlights the tiny feathers.
This is one of three good images I captured in this 15 minute setting. I’ll post the others soon, so check back.
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