Monthly Archives: January 2013

A Rainbow, Doubled

Posted on by
1

Thursday, January 31, 2013,

These pics were taken just this morning. This is probably the fastest turnaround from picture-taking to blog I’ve ever managed. I tend to be a bit lackadaisical with my pics after I’ve taken them. What can I say? I’m lazy. Plus, I have a lot more fun taking photographs than talking or writing about them. Taking the photographs doesn’t seem like work. Most of the time. But rainbows can be inspiring and so perhaps I’ve been inspired today. At any rate, I hope you folks enjoy the shots. If you’re new here, click on the pics to see a larger version.

I was looking out my window when I first spied this rainbow. It appeared out of nowhere and didn’t last more than twenty minutes. Last night was fairly stormy, with lots of rain and wind, but by this morning it was only spritzing here and there occasionally. I went outside to capture these images – sometimes shooting through a window just doesn’t cut it. If you want to take photographs of the ‘Great Outdoors’, you really need to be outdoors. Unfortunately, the ‘Great Outdoors’ began to rain on me fairly steadily by the time I was taking the third shot. Luckily, I had grabbed enough captures to show you folks the prize that Mother Nature saved for me today. After a long night, these views were a very welcome respite. A bit of chicken soup for the photographer’s soul, as it were. JK

JK


 

A Little Chickadee

Posted on by
3

Monday, January 14, 2013,

This is a Black-capped Chickadee that I managed to get pics of recently. Chickadees are not hard to come by, especially at this time of year, but they are quick-moving little buggers and can sometimes be tricky to photograph. These guys are with us all year round but we tend to see much more of them during the winter months. They do breed here but I think it’s possible that we also see migrators from northerly climes enjoying our balmy weather. I’m just guessing here. I am not a birder, I’m just paparazzi.

  I took these pics at Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket. This is such a wonderful park and it has so much to offer no matter what the season. There are several easily accessible trails that take you through some very interesting woods. There’s even a stand of bamboo that not only looks cool but sounds even cooler if there’s a breeze. There’s also two ponds and a saltwater marsh as well. Sounds good, huh? You should come and check it out for yourself. This place is a pleasure at any time of year. JK

Queenfisher

Posted on by
3

Monday, January 7, 2013,

This is a female Belted Kingfisher. You can tell because males don’t sport that rusty coloration on their bellies and sides. The males are all white below that slate-blue ‘belt’ across their chest. These ‘Blue Jays on steroids’ as I like to describe them are amazing hunters. They wait by rivers, lakes, basically anywhere there’s small fish to be found, and then they dive head-first to grab fish from near the surface. That’s how they make use of that powerful bill. Small fish or not, this strikes me as a fearless way to make a living and these birds have always impressed me. I love to watch them at work. JK