Take a Closer Look

One of the rewards of old age is basking in the time which allows you to see what you used to miss when you were rushing about. Take a closer look at the picture, and a doe and fawn, walking casually under the Golden Gate Bridge, will suddenly appear.

 

A Different View

Much has been written and said about the Golden Gate Bridge on it's 75th birthday. And I was there taking pictures, some from an unusual angle.

 

Photoshopped? Of course!

 

Anticipation

Chairs, waiting for the Memorial Day ceremonies, outside the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, to begin.

 

Lucullan Delight

Survey

The doe was looking through my kitchen window to see exactly what I was having for breakfast. Probably conducting a survey on human habits.

 

And by the way, she's the mother of the fawn I featured a few days ago.

 

Hans Is At It Again!

Seen at Point Reyes this morning. Tell me what it is and I'll feed it!

 

Pelicans

Here's a picture of some White Pelicans which I took a few days ago at the LGVSD Ponds. These gals/guys catch their prey while swimming, each bird eating more than 4 lbs of food a day. They like to come together in groups to cooperate and chase fish to one another. I love to watch them as they act in concert.

 

Beauitiful Colors

Here's a picture showing the beautiful colors at Ellis Creek.

 

Stay Away!

The Crow came too close to the Blackbird nest and was chased away. Blackbirds are much more agile than Crows, giving them the upper hand (hand?). Yesterday at the Ponds.

 

Ducklings

This morning, mom and her kids were swimming around in the creek by the parking lot at the Ponds. I don't think it was "my" family, since there were only five ducklings, and they were a little bigger. But while I'll keep looking, these will have to suffice. Cute, huh?

 

Piety

Yesterday was Sunday and here's a picture of the Ellis Creek Canada Geese heading to church. It's never too early to teach family practices to the young.

 

Surf Scoter

Yesterday I was wandering around the beach at the Marin Headlands. Imagine my delight when I spied this adult Surf Scoter, true to its name, dashing in and out of the surf, momentarily disappearing from sight. Fun to watch!

 

Surprise!

I wonder who and where I would be today, had it not been for Adolf Hitler?

 

Finally

The wait is over! When I went to check on the ducks this morning, all I found were a few broken egg-shells. Plus a very pretty feather, a special thank-you gift for me. Then I saw Mama and her off-springs swimming around in Pond #2. Unfortunately too far away for a good picture. Sorry that today's E-mail is a little crowded, but I just had too much to show-and-tell! Mother Nature is amazing. Just think - no sooner had the babies popped out of the eggs, than they knew how to waddle, swim, feed themselves, and follow directions!

 

Waiting

I discovered the Mallard mom sitting on her eggs on April 23d and I've been checking on her ever since. I keep my distance and talk to her, imagining that she knows me by now! I took the attached picture yesterday. The eggs must hatch soon and I hope I'll see something other than an empty nest on my next visit.

 

Here's what Google provided ~

 

The hen mallard will lay an egg a day until the clutch is complete at perhaps 8-10 eggs. Then she will begin to incubate the eggs for about 28-30 days. The eggs will all hatch on the same day, and as soon as the ducklings dry off, they will leave the nest with the hen and go to water nearby. They will not return to the nest. Do nothing to try to help the mallards. They will do just fine one their own.

 

Finally!

After not leaving my perch at the kitchen window, for two weeks, in the hope of capturing the fawns on film (not really!), mom finally brought them by for the photo-shoot. Here's one of the little ones.

 

The white spots are for camouflage. The spots look like the rays of the sun, shining through leaves. Fawns also have little scent, a quality that protects them from predators.

 

Pelicans

This morning. Pelicans, Marin County Civic Center, and Mount Tamalpais. Everything but the kitchen sink!

 

I oopsed yesterday. The "Woman with a hat" reference should have been Henri Matisse, not Toulouse Lautrec.

 

Lady With Hat

As I was getting into my car at the Bon Air Shopping Center this morning, I noticed this image on the ground. Photoshop? All I did was crop and darken, cross my heart! Could Toulouse Lautrec have dropped some paint?

 

Running - My Former Passion

This morning Dick and I went to Point Reyes. Dick to run the TCRS, and I to enjoy Mother Nature and to take some pictures of the runners. TCRS stands for Tamalpa Club Running Series ~ ten races a year. The girl on the far right is ten-year-old Reilly Johnson, who won the prestigious handicapped 2010 Dipsea Race. Today she was a country mile ahead of all other females. Look for Reilly in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Location to be be decided on 5/23/12.

 

Caterpillar

Finally! A picture of the elusive Whatsitsname Caterpillar. I came upon it in the stairwell, on my way out this morning. All I had was my iPhone, therefore the picture does not measure up to Henri Cartier-Bresson's work. Will Science recognize me for my discovery?

 

One of these days I may publish a voluminous online encyclopedia entitled: ANIMALS I PHOTOGRAPHED WITHIN FIFY FEET OF MY ABODE.

 

Black and White Photograph

Here's an example of Black & White Photography. Please forgive the guano! But, while we're on the subject - let me remind you that guano is not only a valuable fertilizer, it also serves as an excellent fungicide.

 

Back in the Saddle Again

My pictures are back and all is well, thanks to the fantastic help of Ryan at NorthBay Computer Systems in San Rafael.

 

Since we were in Barcelona yesterday, here's another picture from my memorable visit to that city.

 

Shown is one of the many Human Statues populating Las Ramblas. They perform for change, standing motionless until someone throws them a coin, when they briefly burst into action. I highly recommend a visit to your friendly YouTube. Search under "Barcelona's Human Statues".

 

Trouble in River City

Actually trouble right here in Greenbrae. My computer crashed this afternoon! After a few phone-calls to my computer-guru and some suicidal thoughts, I was back in business. Except ---- I couldn't find my pictures. None.

 

So ---- I turned to my September 2003 Barcelona pix, did a little scanning, and, voila ----

 

This is a picture of two Gigantes (pronounced Hehantez) walking down the street, celebrating the La Merce Festival. The streets were full of these giants.

 

Snowy Egret

Another one from my recent trip to the Santa Rosa rookery. I love to observe how different the birds at the rookery (Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Black-crowned Night Herons) behave from the same species at the LGVSD Ponds. Small wonder, though. At the rookery their business is reproduction (mating, nest-building, egg-laying, and protecting and teaching the babies). At the Ponds all they do is hunt for food. At the rookery they are very active and noisy. At the Ponds they are quiet, and sometimes don't move a muscle, waiting for their prey to appear.

 

Family Values

Proud Canada Goose parents at the Ponds, not to be outdone by their Stow Lake cousins, showed off their triplets this morning, as the traipsed along the trail before me.

 

A Treat for Postcard-Lovers

Here's the Rustic Stone Bridge in Golden Gate Park, built in 1894. It stretches from the bank of Stow Lake to the island known as Strawberry Hill, the highest point in the park. Taking a picture of the bridge is a knee-jerk reaction.

 

Use Your Imagination!

Once in a while I allow myself the luxury of going over the top. Today, for instance. I inadvertently dropped a Kleenex to the floor. Looking down, I saw a face. "Camera, lights, action"!

 

The profile of a man's face, facing right. Pointed head, slanted eye, large nose, whistling lips. If you can't see it I'm sorry, but I cannot help you.

 

The Goslings Again

Feeding 101

 

Great Blue Heron Nesting

Great Blue Heron landing on her/his nest at Stow Lake. I could show a closer-up of the scene, but thought it would be more informative to have more of the tree in the picture.

 

Canada Goslings

Or are they Canada Goose goslings?

 

Taking advantage of an ophthalmologist visit in the City this morning, I visited Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, in the hope of seeing nesting Great Blue Herons. But the little goslings stole (as "they" say) my heart. I took a dozen pictures, with and without proud parents, the attached shot being my favorite.

Perhaps a Great Blue Heron picture tomorrow.

 

Hmmm?

Walking back to my car, after coffee with Dick at Starbucks, the message on this Volkswagen caught my eye. I think it referred to Wolfsburg, the VW home, because that city's name appears on the insignia to the left of the word CABRIOLET. However, according to Wikipedia, the population of Wolfsburg in December of 2010, was 121,451. Not that small! Unfortunately I was unable to obtain any information regarding the other part of the equation referred to in the message. Don't miss the German flag on the windshield! What's going on here?