sunset

Last Day!!!

December 31, 2015 — 50 Comments

Beavertail Lighthouse

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 400.

Day 365 / 365

What did the ocean say to the lighthouse?

Nothing; it just waved.

Interesting Fact: Prior to the establishment of a lighthouse at Beavertail, local Native Americans would keep pitch fires burning, to warn sailors away from the rocky coastline. The earliest records of the town of Jamestown making reference to construction of a beacon date to 1712, and mention a watch house in 1705.[2] In 1749, a wooden tower was built, and the light (which was then known as “Newport Light”) became the third lighthouse established in the colonies, preceded only by Boston Light in Boston Harbor, and Brant Point Light, Nantucket. A fire was lit at the top of the tower, as was common for the time. Four years later it burned down and was replaced by a stone tower. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beavertail_Lighthouse#History )

If I Had A Billion Dollars

December 30, 2015 — 24 Comments

mansions

F/11.0, 1/640, ISO 800.

Day 364 / 365

The other day I was showing my new girlfriend around the mansion, the 60 acre garden onto the jetty where the 3 yachts were moored then onto the garage with over 30 classic cars. Oh the look on her face was magic.
I can’t wait to see it when I tell her I’m the gardener.

Interesting Fact: Newport Rhode Island Mansions beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, wealthy southern planters seeking to escape the heat began to build summer cottages on Bellevue Avenue such as Kingscote (1839).[13] Around the middle of the century, wealthy Yankees such as the Wetmore family also began constructing larger mansions such as Chateau-sur-Mer (1852) nearby.[14] Most of these early families made a substantial part of their fortunes in the Old China Trade. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport,_Rhode_Island )

Don’t Wait For The Perfect Moment. Take The Moment And Make It Perfect.

December 5, 2015 — 21 Comments

Belted Kingfisher

F/10.0, 1/400, ISO 400.

Belted Kingfisher    

Day 339 / 365

A guy calls his boss and says “I can’t come to work today

The boss asks why and the guy says “It’s my eyes.”

“What’s wrong with your eyes?” asks the boss.

“I just can’t see myself coming to work, so I’m going fishing instead….”

Interesting Fact: As nestlings, Belted Kingfishers have acidic stomachs that help them digest bones, fish scales, and arthropod shells. But by the time they leave the nest, their stomach chemistry apparently changes, and they begin regurgitating pellets which accumulate on the ground around fishing and roosting perches. Scientists can dissect these pellets to learn about the kingfisher’s diet without harming or even observing any wild birds. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/lifehistory )

Hooked On Quack!

October 19, 2015 — 22 Comments

Green-winged Teal

F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 500.

Green-Winged Teal

Day 292 / 365

A duck, a skunk and a deer went out for dinner at a restaurant one night.

When it came time to pay,

the skunk didn’t have a scent,

the deer didn’t have a buck,

so they put the meal on the duck’s bill.

Interesting Fact: Green-winged Teal, more than any other species of duck, prefer to seek food on mud flats. Where mud flats are lacking, they prefer shallow marshes or temporarily flooded agricultural lands. They usually eat vegetative matter consisting of seeds, stems, and leaves of aquatic and emergent vegetation. ( http://www.withmephotographyblog.com/8-interesting-facts-about-the-green-winged-teal )

I’m Just Hanging Out

October 16, 2015 — 13 Comments

Golden-crowned Kinglet

F/6.3, 1/500, ISO 800.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Day 289 / 365

When is the best time to buy birds?

When they’re going cheap!

Interesting Fact: The tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet is hardier than it looks, routinely wintering in areas where nighttime temperatures can fall below –40° Fahrenheit. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/lifehistory )

Wiggle It Just A Little Bit

October 8, 2015 — 15 Comments

Palm Warbler

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 500.

Palm Warbler

Day 281 / 365

A little boy comes in to a pet store.

Little boy : I’d like to buy some bird seed.
Clerk: How many birds do you have?
Little boy : None! I want to grow some!

 

Interesting Fact: The Palm Warbler can be most easily recognized by the tail-wagging habit that shows off its yellow undertail. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/335/overview/Palm_Warbler.aspx )

I’ve Been Waiting Patiently For You To Come In And Now! Get out!

October 6, 2015 — 12 Comments

Killdeer

F/8.0, 1/250, ISO 400.

Killdeer

Day 279 / 365

Why do birds fly south for the winter?

It’s quicker than driving.

Interesting Fact: They are ground-nesting birds that are famous for hiding their nests right out in the open. They really use no nesting materials and rely on distraction displays to protect their offspring. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/101/overview/Killdeer.aspx )

Birds Of A Feather Flock Together

October 5, 2015 — 12 Comments

Snowy Egrets Flock

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320.

Snowy Egrets

Day 278 / 365

Why did the Snowy Egret fly away when they get scared?

Because it didn’t want to run away like a chicken.

Interesting Fact: There is evidence that a pair of Snowy Egrets cannot recognize each other except at the nest. Even there, a bird arriving to relieve its mate must perform an elaborate greeting ceremony in order to avoid being attacked as an intruder. ( http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/48/_/Snowy_Egret.aspx )

Enjoy Every Sunset And Look Forward To Every Sunrise!

September 24, 2015 — 8 Comments

sunset

F/11.0, 1/320, ISO 100.

Day 267 / 365

Why did the sun go to school?

To get brighter!

Interesting Fact: Sunset or sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the western horizon as a result of Earth’s rotation. The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment when the trailing edge of the Sun’s disk disappears below the horizon. The ray path of light from the setting Sun is highly distorted near the horizon because of atmospheric refraction, making the sunset appear to occur when the Sun’s disk is already about one diameter below the horizon. Sunset is distinct from dusk, which is the time at which the sky becomes completely dark, which occurs when the Sun is approximately eighteen degrees below the horizon. The period between sunset and dusk is called twilight. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset)

Fly Me To The Moon

September 23, 2015 — 20 Comments

moon 2

F/6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, Photoshop CS6.

Day 266 / 365

When is the moon not hungry?

When it is full!

Interesting Fact: When a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a blue moon. Another definition of a blue moon is the third full moon in any season (quarter of year) containing 4 total full moons. ( http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_facts.phtml )