Posts

Posted on

Comet Neowise

Publishing this after a several month hiatus caused by a technical issue in WordPress due to permalinks.

Some preliminary views of comet Neowise seen from our deck.

Following is similar view, taken with a “LiPo” filter. A little more green, but we shed the orange cloud glow.

  • Aperture: ƒ/4
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 42mm
  • ISO: 3200
  • Shutter speed: 4s
Posted on

Sheila’s Tree House and Bird Feeders

Photo of lettering "Sheila's Treehouse"

We didn’t anticipate that our outdoor kitchen would be high enough to be in the tree canopy (ok, Central Texas, scrub oaks and junipers, not really that high). As a consequence, we get many visitors to the feeders at sunset. Here are a few:

Scrub jay is quite adept at flipping up to eat from the underside of the suet feeder.;

Scrub Jay standing;

Then we have a domestic scene involving a pair of Painted Buntings.

Male painted bunting on feeder.
He’s so handsome, but wait until she shows up;
Female painted bunting on a bird feeder.
Male painted bunting on a bird feeder.
Posted on

Central Texas Snow

I don’t remember the last time we had over an inch of snow, much less 6 inches! Last Sunday (10 Jan 2021) brought 6 in of snow to Leander TX and surrounding area (but Austin, 20 miles south, only got an inch or two). Here are some scenes..

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 55mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s

Our yard art.

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 65mm
  • ISO: 125
  • Shutter speed: 1/160s

Deck art with a couple of views over the valley.

  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 145mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s

A wider view of the valley. Snow helps to highlight the ridges in thisEastern Texas Hill Country view.

  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 170mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/50s

The obligatory snowman. Guess who.

  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 150mm
  • ISO: 125
  • Shutter speed: 1/250s

Cedar tree covered with snow, not pollen — that’s a good thing!

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 135mm
  • ISO: 125
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s

As an experiment, I’ve added a gallery of the images above. I have to think if it adds value. Maybe this is the best way to display the EXIF data?

  • View from the deck;
    • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
    • Camera: NIKON D750
    • Focal length: 145mm
    • ISO: 400
    • Shutter speed: 1/100s
  • View over the valley;
    • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
    • Camera: NIKON D750
    • Focal length: 170mm
    • ISO: 200
    • Shutter speed: 1/50s
  • Heavily loaded Mountain Juniper (aka Cedar) tree;
    • Aperture: ƒ/8
    • Camera: NIKON D750
    • Focal length: 135mm
    • ISO: 125
    • Shutter speed: 1/100s
  • More close in views from the deck;
    • Aperture: ƒ/8
    • Camera: NIKON D750
    • Focal length: 55mm
    • ISO: 200
    • Shutter speed: 1/100s
  • Some politics, balancing the poster with the figure;
    • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
    • Camera: NIKON D750
    • Focal length: 150mm
    • ISO: 125
    • Shutter speed: 1/250s
  • Yard art: the rebar clarinet player;
    • Aperture: ƒ/8
    • Camera: NIKON D750
    • Focal length: 65mm
    • ISO: 125
    • Shutter speed: 1/160s
  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 55mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s
Posted on

Port Aransas Scenes, August 2020

sunrise over oil collection facility

We recently spent a week or so in Port Aransas, but had to find non-beach activities as the beaches were closed due to COVID-19 crowd management. Here are some images I thought would be interesting.

We took an fishing trip in Aransas Bay and Copano Bay with a great guide #CharlieLummos. He even stopped the boat for some sunrise shots.

Sunrise from Aransas Bay;
  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s

This is another sunrise shot from the fishing boat; we later fished around that structure (and some structure Charlie happened to know lay on the bay floor there). I believe I took a sunset photograph of the same structure, back in February during the birding festival.

sunrise over oil collection facility
Sunrise, oil collection facility in Aransas Bay;
  • Aperture: ƒ/10
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/1000s

Following is a photograph under the Copano Bay bridge at Rockport, TX. The old bridge used to be open to fishing, but Hurricane Harvey put an end to that.

Old bridge, new bridge;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 18mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/160s

Now for something completely different. You have to look carefully at what is going on at the top of the pole, sure a helicopter is amazingly (dangerously?) close to the pole and wires…

Hard job at the top of a pole;
  • Aperture: ƒ/9
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 320
  • Shutter speed: 1/800s

…but look closer, there is a worker on the platform attached to the chopper. Some job, not for me!

Just a day’s work;
  • Aperture: ƒ/9
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 320
  • Shutter speed: 1/1000s

And, when they finish one pole, move to the next. At least he gets a good breeze on a hot day! It seems they are attaching the lightning wire at the top of the pole. #LCRAHelicopterWorker, #skyhookneeded.

One pole at a time;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 160
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s

After that excitement, we settled down to Martinis,and watching an imaginative grackle drink the AC condensation dripping from a neighboring RV…on the fly, literally!

Grackle hop;
  • Aperture: ƒ/6.3
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 160
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s

Finally, at the end of the day, a trip to the birding center. A bit late, most birds settled but our friendly alligator was there watching.

I’m watching you!
  • Aperture: ƒ/5
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Focal length: 78mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/200s

EXIF data for the featured image:

  • Aperture: ƒ/10
  • Camera: NIKON D5600
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/1000s
Posted on

RIP Christo (and Jean-Claude)

RIP Christo. He and Jean-Claude did work at a monumental scale that always made me think: how can they organize something that massive for the sake of art? Here are some of my images of their work called “The Gates”, from NYC Feb. 2005:

Unfurling a “gate”;
  • Aperture: ƒ/4.5
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 62mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/200s

Cold February morning in NYC, but many were there to watch.

Emergence of “The Gates”;
  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 29mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/160s

Not everyone was there for the art.

The tame squirrels got in on it too;
  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 62mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/200s
Clarinet Busker in Tunnel;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 70mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
Carousel Riders;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 52mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/5s

What an unexpected way to warm up Central Park in February!

“The Gates” in the wind;
  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 18mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s
Beautiful when backlit;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 55mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/800s
Some of the exhausted installers;
  • Aperture: ƒ/9
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 22mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s

“The Gates” stretched throughout Central Park, here in front of the Met.

Reflection in the Metropolitan Museum windows;
  • Aperture: ƒ/11
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 40mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/640s

A stroll through the gates in the park.

Leading lines guide the strollers;
  • Aperture: ƒ/9
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 29mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

Here is a link to the CNN writeup on Christo: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/christo-artist-dead/index.html.

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D70
  • Focal length: 46mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/250s
Posted on

Interesting blooms

Aloe Vera: who knew it blooms? Apparently our outdoor kitchen aloe vera is happy in its corner, blooming away:

Aloe Vera bloom;
  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 100mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s

And we kept the citronella plants from the deck in the greenhouse all winter, they got leggy, but they’ve bloomed! After some pruning, citronella starters in progress — look for them at a Leander Garden Club plant sale near you soon.

Citronella flower;
  • Aperture: ƒ/6.3
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 100mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s
  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 100mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s
Posted on

Thunderbirds Over Leander, TX

As part of their ongoing tribute to health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic, the US Air Force Thunderbirds did a flyover of San Antonio and Austin this week. The Austin leg started in Leander and we were there to see them.

Their spotter apparently buzzed our neighborhood and got a lot of attention on Nextdoor.

Thunderbirds’ spotter.
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/800s

At first that was the only jet we saw, then the team showed up:

The Thunderbirds arrive in Leander.

And passed over us:

Thunderbirds passing over ACC Leander campus;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

Finishing their loop over Leander/Cedar Park.

Thunderbirds path looped over Leander;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 500mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/640s

They gave us a spectacular view of their precision flying.

Thunderbirds: the shot of the day;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 320mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/1000s
Posted on

King Ranch and Hazel Bazemore Upland Birds Seen on Whooping Crane Festival field trips.

Buck on the run

While attending the 24th Whooping Crane Festival in Port Aransas, we took two trips by bus, to the King Ranch and to the Nueces Delta Preserve, the latter including an extension trip to the Hazel Bazemore County Park.

While we were looking for birds, we chanced on some of the famous King Ranch deer. Apparently these deer remain in rut as late as February. Or not; it’s not clear how interested this doe really is.

Deer buck chasing doe.
Wait, who’s wearing the antlers today?;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 195mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s

My spouse’s main goal was to see the Green Jay. Success! The first one at Hazel Bazemore, the second image from the King Ranch the next day.

Green Jay on a branch.
Green Jay;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 125
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

She was also eager to see the Audubon’s oriole, this one at the King Ranch:

Audubon’s oriole;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 400mm
  • ISO: 250
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s

Of course, these two species, with the ever present Northern Cardinal, make a stop-light image, again at the King Ranch.

Green jay, Audubon's Oriole and Northern Cardnal: green yellow red
Go on red?;
  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 360mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

Another species seen at both feeding stations: Golden Fronted Woodpeckers.

Golden Fronted Woodpecker on feeder
Golden Fronted Woodpecker on branch

Immature Vermillion Fly Catcher trying to blend with the rusty post.

Young Vermillion Fly Catcher perched on steel post

Which is harder, to focus on a bird in flight or on a bird in the brush? Here are a Green Heron and a juvenile Cara Cara, both in brush at the King Ranch

Green Heron perched in brush
Green Heron;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 400mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s
Juvenile Cara Cara roosting in brush.
Immature crested Cara Cara;
  • Aperture: ƒ/6.3
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 400mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s

One more deer image, sneaking past a pair of roosting Cara Cara. As the tourists say: “those Texan bald eagles sure are small”.

Two roosting Cara Cara with doe walking behind.
Just ignore the deer, lets pretend we’re not here;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.3
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 260mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s

And we have to give a huge “thumbs up” and shout out to our guide, Tom Langscheid, Wildlife Tours Specialist for the King Ranch. He did his MS at Texas A&M Kingsville, when he studied the seasonal changes in bird communities on the King Ranch, so he was pretty much the ideal guide on this trip. We even got to see that Indiana boy herd some cattle!

Photo of our guide with his spotting scope, binoculars and other equipment.
Our guide and cow wrangler;
  • Aperture: ƒ/11
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 80mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

At end, EXIF data for featured image.

  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 195mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s
Posted on

Whooping Crane Festival, Port Aransas, Texas

We recently attended the 24th Annual Whooping Crane Festival in Port Aransas, Texas. Highlights included a boat ride to view the whooping cranes resident at the  Aransas Wildlife Refuge, a more local boat ride in the bay to photograph more birds, and birding expeditions to the Nueces Delta Preserve and to the King Ranch.
Below are some selected images from the trip. My next post will focus on the King Ranch and Hazel Bazemore County Park photos of upland birds.

First, the sunrise. When we arrived at the Nueces Delta Preserve, we were greeted by golden-hour view of some Snow Geese.

3 Snow Geese in flight.
Snow Geese at Sunrise;
  • Aperture: ƒ/11
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: +4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 320
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s

Of course, the stars of the show were the Whooping Cranes, seen after a long boat trip, to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, on a very grey and dismal day. Good that the ride was the Mustang Catamaran, it smoothed out the rough bay waters.

Whooping Crane in flight near the ground
In Flight;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.3
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 330mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s
A family unit of 3 Whooping Cranes, including a juvenile.
The Happy Family;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.3
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 360mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s

We visited the ARK (Animal Rehabilitation Keep) at the U. of Texas Marine Sciences institute. Here are a few of the resident birds:

Injured Pelicans at the ARK
Pelican Residents;
  • Aperture: ƒ/14
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s
Juvenile Masked Blue Boobie;
  • Aperture: ƒ/9
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 250mm
  • ISO: 800
  • Shutter speed: 1/4000s

Keeping with the aquatic theme, here are a couple of the many turtles at the ARK, a Kemp’s Ridley and Green Sea Turtles.

Kemp's Ridley sea turtle swimming in a tank.
Kemp’s Ridley;
  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 180mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/800s
Green Sea Turtles swimming in a tank.
Green Sea Turtles;
  • Aperture: ƒ/10
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

While the ARK rehabilitates and houses many raptors, the cages were dark and impossible to photograph through with the sun on the wire. Here are a few in the wild seen on the excursions:

Osprey in flight.
Osprey;
  • Aperture: ƒ/22
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/200s
Juvenile Red Tail (possibly White Tail) Hawk at dawn;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: +4/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/640s

We got some some less typical views of Great Blue Herons. Seen on the photography-focused bay trip:

Great Blue Heron in full plumage.
Just sittin’ here looking good;
  • Aperture: ƒ/13
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 400mm
  • ISO: 320
  • Shutter speed: 1/400s
Greater Blue Heron in flight.
Greater Blue Heron taking flight.

Then there was the Black Crowned Heron, seen at the Port Aransas Birding Center:

Immature Black Crowned Heron in fligh
Immature Black Crowned Heron;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/200s

Surprise, also at the PA birding center, a pair of Whooping Cranes has taken up winter residence since Hurricane Harvey.

Whooping Cranes seen at the Port Aransas Birding Center
Port Aransas Winter Texans;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: -2/6EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 300mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/125s

Finally, a sunset from the bay boat cruise near Holiday Beach, to close the second day. .

Sunset with oil rig silhouette.
Sunset from the bay boat;
  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: NIKON D750
  • Exposure bias: +4.7EV
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 170mm
  • ISO: 320
  • Shutter speed: 1/320s

At the end, EXIF for the title image of the Whooping Crane in flight.

  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Camera: NIKON D7200
  • Flash fired: no
  • Focal length: 340mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/500s