22-JAN-2017
Donkey and Robins
One never knows what might be seen on a morning walk. I spotted this burro with wagon decorating a yard and then saw the two robins nearby. I thought they added a nice touch of color to the scene. Nothing earthshaking but I liked the scene. The poor donkey looks like it has stood there for some time.
08-FEB-2017
"Hey, I am trying to quit!"
I got a kick out of this seagull. It picked up a cigarette and held it in its beak long enough for me to get a picture. Surely does look like it's a smoker! You should see the huge Sigma 150-600 C on my tiny Nikon 1 V2! :)
09-FEB-2017
Patrolling the Mill Race Path
It was good to see this motorcycle policeman patrolling the Mill Race Path. The officers help to keep the illegal camping and graffiti under control. I was coming back to the path from a side trail when I saw two officers on bikes riding along the path. This one gave me a serious once over as he rode by, probably because I had a camera pointed at him. I didn't have time to wave, I was too busy taking pictures. :)
10-FEB-2017
Adding Grace and Beauty to the Ponds
I think the Great Egret is such a graceful and beautiful creature! We don't see them at Delta Ponds all year round, so it was good to see one this morning. Don't you think it adds grace and beauty to the Ponds?
11-FEB-2017
Trail Along the Pond
The sun broke through as I walked the trail alongside the north pond at Delta Ponds. I thought it made for an attractive picture. Here I am on my way back to the car, but I still have a ways to go, probably about a mile. I have already walked over a mile and a half to get to this point. Of course there were stops along the way for pictures. The sunbreak deserted me on the way back to the car and I had to walk in a downpour for a half mile. I was soaked to the skin, but the morning walk was worth it. For the walk, I had my usual two cameras, the D500 with Sigma 150-600 C, and the D800 with Nikkor AF-S 24-120 f/4 VR.
12-FEB-2017
Goldfinch Takeoff
The little Lesser Goldfinch is such a pretty thing. I believe this bird is a female. The problem with the Goldfinch is that they are so active, seldom staying still for long. They say that they come to feeders, but I haven't seen any yet. This one taking flight was seen at Delta Ponds.
Coloration
"Males are bright yellow below with a glossy black cap and white patches in the wings; their backs can be glossy black or dull green (particularly on the West Coast). They have a black tail with large, white corners. Females and immatures have olive backs, dull yellow underparts, and black wings marked by two whitish wingbars." (Quoted from 'Allaboutbirds.com' -
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Goldfinch/id
13-FEB-2017
After the Rain!
Don't you enjoy the outdoors after a rain? The air is crisp and clear, there is blue in the sky, though clouds may be hanging around. And the landscape looks clean and fresh. My problem here was the water soaked sidewalk! I wasn't keen about walking on water but the grass on the lawn was soaking wet and one would sink and leave prints. What did I do? Both, I walked just a bit on the grass and when I saw it was so wet I decided the sidewalk wouldn't suffer as much.
I loved this song by the Ink Spots, “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall.” Don’t know if you remember them. Give a listen -
Press here for Link Makes me feel like dancing.
14-FEB-2017
The Redwing Blackbirds Are Back, and Singing Up a Storm!
The Red-Wing Blackbirds are back! I heard them singing at Delta Ponds when I took my walk this morning. The red and yellow patch on the shoulder of the male makes them easier to spot. I don't know where they go during late fall and early winter but I saw several today.
Behavior
Male Red-winged Blackbirds do everything they can to get noticed, sitting on high perches and belting out their conk-la-ree! song all day long. Females stay lower, skulking through vegetation for food and quietly weaving together their remarkable nests.
Coloration
While the male Red-winged Blackbird is a glossy black with red-and-yellow shoulder badges, the female is crisply streaked and dark brownish overall, paler on the breast and often show a whitish eyebrow.
15-FEB-2017
The Great Blue Herons are nesting!
I saw the biggest group of herons I have seen fly over Delta Ponds on my walk. Then I saw a couple nesting trees where they were already claiming nests from last year. Six or eight of them were in each tree. This one is landing where the branches and twigs seem to be not able to hold them up. Yet they make a graceful landing. I guess it's because they are incredibly lightweight. Despite being up to four feet tall, with a wingspan of six feet, these huge birds weigh only 5 lbs! Amazing!
16-FEB-2017
Early Morning Sky Over Delta Ponds
I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy Eugene Parks, and especially the wildlife at Delta Ponds. But there are also wonderful landscape scenes and sometimes they are special. That was the way I felt about this scene. Everyone should appreciate the scenes of the earth's natural beauty found in parks, both here and across the country, as well as around the world! The earth is a wonderful home that we humans have not taken the best care of.
17-FEB-2017
Robbery In Progress!
Newsflash! A robber was caught in the act by an alert citizen, who got this picture of the suspect! Unfortunately, the thief got away! Resident birds are grateful that not all of their food supply was stolen. The robber seemed quite brazen, not wanting to leave anything behind despite having this picture taken. He/she remains at large!
18-FEB-2017
Aerial Combat
At times, birds engage in aerial combat. Issues usually rise over protecting their territory. That surely wouldn't seem to be the case with these seagulls, they are only inland because of storms on the Coast. I guess one gull decided it wanted the perch being used by the other. Anyway, it chased it away. No blood was shed, as we see in human conflicts.