Bombay Hook NWR

Bombay Hook NWR
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

4

4
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

I gots mine !

flick

flick
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

While watching the Osprey - during low tide, this and a couple of other water snakes would poke their heads up and look around once in a while.

I don't mind them as long as they are staying put and not swimming toward me :)

Osprey Chick 3

Osprey Chick 3
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

reach

reach
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Osprey Chick

when in doubt play dead

when in doubt play dead
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Mary Mac has to wear a collar for 15 minutes after some medication is applied. As you can see she at least humored me in pretending to take her time in getting the collar off.

Osprey Lift Off

Osprey Lift Off
Originally uploaded by Finiky

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Pintail

Pintail
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Pintail duck from this winter.

egret

egret
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Bombay Hook NWR - Post rain but still very overcast (06/0909)

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Driving around in Delaware, I happen to see a large wing out of the corner of my eye. :-) So I pulled over and gave it my best effort. I shot all morning in the rain - most of it at Bombay Hook NWR. So, the photos will have some noise. :-)

the latest in 'green' lawn mowers

the latest in 'green' lawn mowers
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Mother Goose

Mother Goose
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

The geese families were out and about today. Taking the "kids" out for dinner.... a fine buffet of grass :-)

Pops takes off

Pops takes off
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

05/28/09 Earlier in the day it was sunny, warm and breezy. Later in the afternoon scattered thunderstorms moved into the area. Why yes, it did cloud up on my way to the nest. :-)

The Osprey family appears to be doing fine. All three chicks can be seen. The older two are easier to see at or above the top of the nest. The third chick can be seen but like the others last week is not easy to view due to the height of the nest.

the little duckling that almost could

the little duckling that almost could
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

The mother duck brought her babies over by the boat launch. the water is really high and rough and dirty looking. The Female hopped up on the dock to rest and preen. The ducklings tried getting up on the other side and couldn't so they swam around to the other 'other' side. While the other ducklings looked on, this little guy decided to give it a try. He didn't make it, but what's important is that he tried.

The mother duck hopped down and took her gang to some nearby rocks.

but I wanted a happy meal

but I wanted a happy meal
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

bestest supervisor

bestest supervisor
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Mary Mac supervising the food on the grill. She assisted in the putting together of said grill. You can see her contribution as she is sitting on the instructions.

growing my wings

growing my wings
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Baby goose stretches it's wings

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Coquina Bay Walk at Leffis Key - Florida

Pops feeds his mate

Pops feeds his mate
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

05-20-09

Brooding continues by the female Osprey (Ma) - even better is the TLC provided by the male Osprey (Pops). Aside from providing fish for the chick(s) the male also has the duty to provide food for his mate. Pops three times during my visit - delivered fish to the nest. Feeding Ma and the chick(s).

I think there are two chicks based on how the Adults placed their heads in the nest bowl to feed. We'll know for sure soon enough :-)

Also saw some Osprey poop fly over the side of the nest. A chick doing it's duty to keep the nest clean. ;-)

The male watched the nest and the female flew around a bit and brought a stick back to the nest. She adjusted accordingly.

-- Additional entertainment by the Male Osprey and a Starlings nest -- more on that later.

delivery

delivery
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Willet

Willet
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

sailing for tomorrow

sailing for tomorrow
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

the song- Southern Cross- Jimmy Buffett

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time- You understand now why you came this way

Crux Australis, The Cross, The Southern Cross

almost like being there

almost like being there
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Bradenton Beach, Florida - taken in the evening before a storm rolled in.

Sunset from the balcony

Sunset from the balcony
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

skimmer comin at ya

skimmer comin at ya
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Bradenton Beach, florida

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Thursday while checking on my Osprey's I noticed coming down the middle of the Potomac river a Female Wood duck and her ducklings.

As many know we've had 9 days of rain and at times heavy rain. Water levels are very high, currents swift and lots of debris in the water. I starting watching her when she was about a half mile away.

She would swim with her babies around her - then stop. Swim then stop. Then I saw the wee duckling that couldn't keep up. The wee duckling tried and tried but apparently was too tired to stay up with it's family.

So Mama would stop and let the little one catch up. There were a few times I thought she might leave it as they were all vulnerable out there- in the middle of the Potomac. But to her credit she stopped numerous times. Once in a while one of the other wee ducklings would visit the duckling that couldn't keep up, then go racing back to the others.

Also I couldn't understand why she would be swimming down the middle. I don't know anything about currents and such, but thought if she were along the shore line they could all rest.

After getting by the marina boat launch area - she waited one last time for the wee duckling then they all swam to the shoreline- to rest and to continue making there way to their destination.

While i wish the light was better - you gotta work with what you have but I since it's Mothers Day I felt the story very fitting.

Happy Mothers day ~

ethereal

ethereal
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

of happiness

of happiness
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Bluebird

Pops with a snack

Pops with a snack
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

04/26/09 - The male and female traded off on egg sitting per usual. Other Osprey's fishing were causing the Male aka Pa or Pops to vocalize. At one point while the female aka Ma was out in the middle of the Potomac on a sandbar during low tide, Pops alerted her to an Eagle flying over head. Ma wasted no time in getting back to the nest.

The Eagle was fishing, grabbed one and off it went in the opposite direction.

Pops later went fishing, was sitting in a tree eating when he finally had to stop and go claim his space from another Osprey.

This pair - they are a good team.

pink

pink
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

I just needed a splash of color~

Osprey

Osprey
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

today might be a good day to be able to fly and be out on the water. We went from spring - cool weather - to mid to high 80's.

I've been waiting for warm weather so I am not complaining. With white blinding legs I am wearing shorts today. heh

Leaving Pa to egg sit

Leaving Pa to egg sit
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

04-23-09 Ma Osprey leaves Pa sitting on the egg(s) to have a fly around and time off the nest. Later she returned and sent the male out to fish for her.

Tern

Tern
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

large and in charge

large and in charge
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

He thinks everyday is Earth Day.

Earth Day 2009

Earth Day 2009
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

cosmos

cosmos
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

First, this shot is by no mean a great shot. However, I had a real treat getting to look into the universe via Doug's Celestron Super C8 telescope. Yes, to boldly look where no man - woman - has looked before - to put a twist on a Star Trek saying. ;-) which applies to me.

My introduction to astronomy. I can't remember most of what I saw by name - but I know I saw the Ghost of Jupiter and Saturn and a couple of its moons and of course the rings and a couple of nebula's . It was awesome!

kilroy was here

kilroy was here
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Happy Furry Friday

Queen of her domain

Queen of her domain
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

sweet light

sweet light
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Originally uploaded by Finiky.

be it ever so humble

be it ever so humble
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

there's no place like home.

a really old house tucked away off the beaten path.

good things

good things
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

"Every time you wake up and ask yourself, 'What good things am I going to do today?', remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it." Indian Proverb

magic at the marsh

magic at the marsh
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow
Originally uploaded by dnorton2812.

watch the world around fly by us

watch the world around fly by us
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Osprey

Osprey
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

Osprey Female (Ma) cruises by my location. Sometimes a 600mm lens is too much lens :-)

Fox

Fox
Originally uploaded by Finiky.

An ok shot. It was overcast - so you take what Mother Nature gives you. :-)