Yesterday I was having a good walking day and KRP was off. So, we drove out to the wildlife refuges.
It was a windy day – not the best for taking photos of scenery. But we rarely have a day where everything come together. One where I am having a good day and KRP is off work. Normally I would not bother going out to take photos and drive around on such a day but now we take advantage of such opportunities. This time of year there are not many big birds hanging around and finding the little birds in the brush gets harder and harder for me. Chalk it up to age and optic neuritis. I did get a few good pics of the different foliage. The changes in the environment between seasons has always held my interest but now I take more notice of the sounds and smells. How the songs of the little birds changes whenever a bird of prey is around and the smells in the air as the winds change.
I had a geography teacher pull me aside on a field trip to tell me he had never had a student that paid so much attention to the details. That physical geography field trips were set up to notice the larger picture. The soil creep, the features, the formations of mountains and ponds etc. etc.. I remember asking how else would someone know where to look for the details without noticing the larger picture. He chuckled. I count him in my mind as one of my better professors. I still think along those lines to this day. It drives my friends nuts sometimes. I will look across acres of land and say lets go over there. Eh? no really that is the best spot I noticed where _____ or _____ could be. to me it is somewhat of a no brain-er, if the land come to a low point, or if the vegetation tends to support a particular species, then that is where we should go if we are looking for . … my pals and KRP find this annoying for some reason. Maybe because statistically I am usually correct but sometimes getting to where over there is can be a bit challenging.
This was not particularly a problem when I was doing most of the driving and the one pulling a stuck vehicle out of the muck. At least now the water ways are mostly dried up and the mud has turned into hard pan or dust. Ok that is my side of the story and I am sticking to it. For whatever reason I have a game I like to play now when out and about the delta area. I pick a spot and wait and wait to get a picture of some little bird. Not a rare bird or anything, just well – a little bird that is being illusive. I will stay in this spot until a manage to find the little bird in the brush and get a photo of it. Apparently sitting for long periods of time in one spot is not as fun and interesting to others. Umm.
A few pics that show the changes. (I took the photo of the canal for you Webster.)
I found a nice spot that a small area of water and spent some time trying to catch the little bird that was chirping away. I looked down and caught a small moth, shot a pic of a thistle, and found one of the bird nests. Oh yeah I finally got a pic or two of the little bird. Can you find it in the reeds in picture 2?
Well that is what we did yesterday.
Oh, looks like a lovely day! What’s the weather like there? Ya, I always the one who wants to go where no one else does. When hiking or canoeing or whatever, I’m the one that says…just a little further you guys…and I always get vetoed! Great scenery, and that little bird is soooooooooo sweet!
it was a nice day just a tad windy. Friday we had thunder clouds around, snow up in the
Sierra’s. It stayed in the 60’s here and rained. Next week they are saying it will be 30 deg hotter. Oh my the 90’s again. Crazy weather no time to acclimate.
For years I was the one that did most of the driving when we headed out for a hike or bike ride. Then advantage was it was hard to veto the one who held the reins to the chariot home. Now when I a get a notion to go somewhere a bit off the beaten path I just remind everyone about the time that they made me . … or remember when you . … it usually works. Besides they know I won’t stray to far now days.
Thanks for the water pic, Jan. I didn’t know (or I forgot) that you had ON – how do you focus your camera so well? Those are cute little singing birds, and I am amazed you could even find their nest among the reeds. It looks like it was a great day to explore the refuge together.
Webster, I always used my left eye when taking pics, looking thru telescopes, ect. So of course that is the eye the ON hit and never recovered from. My right eye goes wonky once in a while when I get hot but nothing like the left and it is fine as soon as I cool down. They say it comes back I am thinking after four years it is not happening. MRI’s show lots of optical nerve damage in it.
I still can not line up a shot with my right eye. It is crazy but my right eye does not “see” and translate the world to my brain the same way as my left one. As for focus I leave the camera on auto focus. It is smart little bugger. If I need to use manual then my right eye come through for me.
As for finding the little birds and the nest? I noticed the nest looking through a 300mm lens scanning the reeds looking for the little bird that was making the rustling noises as it moved around in them. I think I waited so long there it finally thought I was part of the scenery.
love the water pic… and the bird! how cute… he is all fuzzy… i actually found him in the reeds…took a while but i did… whew, sweating after that hidden object puzzle ha!
i’m glad you and KRP got out of the house… was she sitting in the truck just waiting? hopefully reading or on the phone or listening to some tunes….
yeah cute little guy/girl for sure. If you found him that fast I should have put up the pic where he was back a bit further LOL. It is easier to find them when the wind is not blowing because the reed move when they hop around.
KRP loves to sit and read and relax listening to the sounds. You make it sound like torture or something :). Umm birds or boom boom thunk thunk . …
no! not torture! lol
i wondered if she went and sat with you while you were watching for shots or if she had another activity that she participated in lol i think it’s great that she goes with you
it’s hard to find folks who are content to go and sit, and wait while we sit and wait… lol coach is a good sport as well. i pull over on the side of the road lots, or make u-turns to go back to something.. he just looks at me and giggles
Oh what gorgeous photos! I love the little bird and his/her nest! I wish my photos came out well — for me, it’s not eyes that are the problem, but the one-handedness. My husband is looking into a new, lightweight, easy-to-use camera for me Then it’s back to pinching pennies to buy it. when I look at the all the pix I once took, I want to do it again.
Peace,
Muff
I have the drop see it go boom problem sometimes. Not sure how large a camera you own but if you google “camera hand strap” and then look at images you will find there are lots of ideas/products out there. I use a neoprene hand one that goes all the way around my wrist and hold the camera stuck in place in my hand. The all I have to manage is pushing the buttons . … works kind of like duct tapping camera into hand . … not that I have ever tried that you understand 😉
I admire your ability to stay still, waiting and clearly enjoy it. Thanks for publishing your beautiful photos.
ah waiting and sitting are so much easier than walking LOL
There’s no bird in picture number two — I think you’re messing with us 🙂
Glad you and KRP have a refuge, literal and figurative, to hang out at and just be.
Well there is too a LB in the pic right almost smack dab center – since it took me way to long to find the little bugger and get the photos . …. today it is raining again – strange weather so I guess I will take the time to clean the scooter and camera gear and . … OYE!
Good the hear from yah! Give Jakester a hug.
Hmmm, should I bitch first, bitch at end, or not bitch at al…OK, I’ll start bitching, I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve been to your blog–ugh and bad on me. Here was my first thought after reading your post and the comments (which I was forced to do, sort of, I prefer to comment unbiased by others), I am a good ‘waiter,” and a good “stay still”er—I like it. BUT (here is the bitch that enter my sick mind) when my partner shops…I hate sitting waiting with the guys. We are all so uncomfotable and the women are so CRAZY…a Nordstrom 50% off shoe sales sticks forever in my mind. It was SOOO SCARY. All us guys were ON EDGE.), waiting for shopping is not good for me, at a souluable level. (Yeah, I said it!)
ON, fun times. My reason for more or less (more) giving up photography was hand unsteadiness. Tripod setting up is not doable, too much involved for me—other things time funner (YEAH I SAID IT) spent. NOW, here comes my real comment—you would LOVE the, um, “park” (it’s a bird sanctuary/swamp/bat sanctuary) — so many birds and weiird stuff growing there…you could spends weeks, months there and not figure it all out.) next to my assisted living home. You can have it all to yourself too, because few can make it in. BUT YOU TWO COULD! KRP (I thought you were talking about a radio station, that’s how out of the LOOP I am, GAWD, oops, a bitch slipped in, sorry) could sit with me! I am very entertaining. (Well…)
I saw the bird. Nice shots.
I avoid shopping with zeal if KRP did not all my cloths would be vintage. Now my friend Mike and I go to local Frys with our scooters where we can zip and zig and zag throughout the place. His wife and KRP call it our candy store. when they are sick of us they say hey you guys should go to Frys LOL
I like going to places others tend to avoid. A) it is a challenge B) no one else is there to make me feel uncomfortable C) I am mostly a loner now-days
the weird stuff growing and the bats – I would probably go for that one fast – well more than likely I would be moving slowly and since a scoot around on my arse and crawl about on my knees I would wish to avoid those yucky yellow slugs. I still have memories of those dang slugs because my cousins took joy in finding them when we visited as kids. They were in what I call the swamp behind their house in Edmond’s and they always tried to gross the “girl” out. Ha!
Clamps if you really wanted clamps on scooter bars and using the timer help with jiggles but then again you already said it is not fun for you. Oh yeah KRP yeah never thought it sounded like a radio station sign but yeah it does ha ha she will giggle on this one as she has been called a lot of thing but I don’t think radio station is one of them 🙂
good to hear from you I shall go read the next installment of your adventures navigating obstacles and hoses . …