A Tongue Lashing

There are many times I've looked out my window and seen a squirrel sprawled out on a limb. The first time I saw such a sight, it appeared the squirrel had fallen out of the tree and hit the limb and was unconscious. People who have "habitated" with squirrels said they frequently take naps on tree limbs. The first picture I took of a squirrel "sleeping" on a tree limb was published in a calendar (the photo is in the "Published" Gallery on my website). Since the 1st photograph, I've seen many squirrels napping on many limbs on many trees in the yard. Would a squirrel ever fall off the limb while sleeping?

The past couple of days we have unseasonably warm days that have registered over 80 degrees on the thermometer. The leaves are just beginning to appear on the trees which makes it easy to spot all the little furry bodies draped across the limbs. This little fellow pictured below was "zoning in and out." You could see in his eyes that he was spacing it.

I was watching him to try and get a photo with his eyes closed when a bird flew up.

SIDEBAR: The best photo you take may not be the one you planned. When taking pictures with a digital camera, continue to take photos beyond what shot you want and you may get a "diamond in the rough." (I will share some of those in a later blog). Some of the most precious children's pictures were taken after the smile--many a grandma/grandpa will attest to that.

There is a soft place in my heart for birds, so I kept the camera "rolling." The next photo is the result of not putting the camera down too early.

The cardinal is looking directly at the squirrel who is glaring back at the cardinal. What makes it humorous is the squirrel has been startled awake by the bird landing right by him (notice the uplifted back leg of the squirrel). Next, the bird must be chirping quite loudly, which has caught the full attention of the squirrel. This sure could have a storyline, "Wake up you lazy squirrel."

There is a photograph hanging in my office which was taken after the photograph I planned to shoot. That photograph has placed 1st in a number of competitions. It also has received special recognition ribbons besides 1st place. The camera continued to "roll" after the planned shot. If you have a digital camera, you have the luxury of taking photos, reviewing what you have taken and deleting what you don't want... right on the spot. Since you can delete what you don't want, it is not costing you anything to shoot a few extra frames beyond the planned picture... who knows... you may have a photo of a lifetime... or at least that is what the rest of the family would say.

Peek-A-Boo 2 U

Some of you have seen the photo I've taken of the squirrel peeking around the stump of a tree. It looks as though he is playing a game of “Peek-a-boo.”

Yesterday’s photo day in the yard was very rewarding… another peek-a-boo photo was captured digitally… but the subject was not a squirrel. Of all subjects to be playing peek-a-boo—it was a bird; and of all the birds it was one of the bully birds—A Blue jay…



And in yesterday’s Humor Boomer I mentioned a hilarious photo of a squirrel in a precarious position…

I’m not sure what he was looking at but it sure had his interest. We will see that later yesterday, the squirrel got a good talking to because he just is too lazy… all he does is eats and sleeps and chases my dog… Susie. Stay tuned to see who gave him the “tongue lashing.”

A "Got-The-Shot" Day!

All the creatures in the backyard were a bit squirrelly this morning (even the squirrel—you gotta see the squirrel picture—it’s outrageous). I decided to check out the “south 40” and survey what was going on.

I was following Daddy (sparrow) around because he too was acting a little strange. While taking pictures this is one of the pictures that happened.

Honestly… you can’t have a bee come into a picture on cue and you can’t get a bird to look at the bee coming into the picture even if you could cue the bee.

This will go on the website as a GOT-THE-SHOT:

Oh, I found out why Daddy is acting strange…

Many new changes on the website. “Travel and Transportation” under “Stock Photography” is now “Candy for the eye” making that gallery not so dry anymore… check it out…

Look at the Bright Side

If it seems you're not having a good day…

It could be worse…

You could have a




BAD

FEATHER

DAY…




*This American Gold Finch is a male getting his summer plumage… This morning, he looks a little sad and lonely, but that will change very soon.

Don’t forget to enjoy the day…

Stubborn Strand of String

As in the Star Wars Trilogy I am going to take poetic license. (Doesn’t that sound impressive?) Since some of you are just dying to see Daddy’s bungee jump while trying to collect nesting material, below is the episode caught on film/digitally, whatever. Daddy was so kind to re-enact the whole thing again… NOT! (or should it be knot?)…
Here he is grabbing hold of the string to build his nest and pulling on the stubborn strand.

He tugs a little more…

And a little more….

And a little more…

He knows it is going to give, so just a little stronger tug will do the trick…
Well, maybe if I fly away with it in my mouth. Yeah, that will do it…

Woooo,

That didn’t work…

And now I have a wing ach…

Let me just drop down as I fly away…

Yeah, my weight and flying away will do it… it just has to…

TWANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so he goes off to strategize…

How about…This huge, humungous, supercalafragilisticexpealadoceous TUG…..

Did he get it?


What do you think?

T H U D!

@##&***@#@**#!!!

The Saga Continues

This morning had a beautiful beginning.

The sunrise was nice to see after so much rain.
I looked out the kitchen window and saw momma and daddy sparrow standing atop their happy abode.
Daddy sparrow seemed to be a serious conversation with momma… It was still dark and their home was in the shadows. What could the conversation be all about?

It turned out they had just fought off the attack of a starling. Fortunately, the entrance into their home is too small for the starling to pass through.

The eggs were safe. However, momma and daddy’s feathers were a bit ruffled. Both were standing guard over their nest to prevent another attempt by the starling.

As the sun warmed the abode momma and daddy looked at one another happy they now had the light of day to see their attacker in ample time if another attack were to happen.

In the meantime Daddy...

decided to pick up where they left off yesterday and began to bring more nesting material. Momma had a little to say about that… but let daddy in with his precious find… All was going well until something blocked the sun…






Under attack… AGAIN… Stay tuned for the continuing saga…




Don't forget to check my website. It is frequently updated and new galleries added…

http://www.lindahoopesphotography.com/

Spring has Sprung and Nesting has Begun!

About a year ago a sparrow couple moved into a birdhouse in my backyard. And they raised the cutest clutch of chicks! But while building the nest daddy sparrow gave momma sparrow a lot of frustrations. Apparently, she had to teach him how to build a nest and what a nest consisted of. One day, he showed up with an empty pack of cigarettes, well actually pieces, parts of the cigarette pack. She refused to let him into the birdhouse (smokefree birdhouse). The happy couple returned a few weeks ago and I knew it was only a matter of time before he would be out building a nest because there was a lot of excitement around the birdhouse and some days the two of them were so rambunctious that the birdhouse was literally spinning on the cord it is suspended from… (I think they are a VERY happy couple). Well, while taking pictures of squirrels and cardinals about 2 weeks ago, a stream of white passed across my viewfinder… low and behold here he comes again… this time with a streamer of toilet tissue… don’t ask me where he got it from! Once again momma stood guard at the front door and refused to let him in with THAT!

Today the saga continues on. Daddy sparrow found some string hanging out of another birdhouse in the backyard. He began to “extract” it and carry it over to his little abode. Momma had to inspect what it was he was now dragging into the house. This time it passed inspection and even she carried it into the house to fluff up the nest. But… it was a long time before he returned. She peeked out the door and saw him across the yard tugging at something. So she flew over to inspect the situation. Now here is what she discovered what he was up to.

She, of course, had to supervise the process of extracting the stubborn stuck string. I only wish I had been video taping this. For after he tugged and tugged at the string and she wagged her tongue over and over at him, she decided to fly down and get the job done right! Leave it to a woman to get the job done right… however I have the pictures all the way through to prove that she too, could not extract the string.

At one point Daddy sparrow thought he had it figured out and once again flew back to the stringy birdhouse. He grabbed the drooping string and flew off. Have you ever seen someone bungee jump? Well, yes that too, is captured in pictures. But it is a miracle any of this is captured in pictures for I was laughing so hard at times and the camera was moving way too much… but there are pictures to prove this did happen…

Isn’t nature so good to us? If we would only take a moment or two to pause and see the beauty and the humor. Pause and enjoy nature, it is here for our enjoyment (and yes... entertainment).

I cannot say postings will be daily… it depends on the “catch of the day” opportunities and the humor of nature. Sometimes postings may cover suggestions for photographing when you don't have the Wal-mart budget rather than the "limitless" budget of a Pro.

Oh, and check my website. It is constantly revised...

http://www.lindahoopesphotography.com/