Saturday, December 16, 2017

Hawk1Dove0

Coffee. 
A bit after 8am my brain unfogged and registered something odd on the ground below our kitchen window.  Camera.

8:30am, about 10 minutes into the session, IMG_1940-csL.jpg
With those grey feathers sticking out I first thought Titmouse. I had yet to notice the wing, bottom left. Eventually it became apparent that it had to be something larger, a dove perhaps? Not being good with hawk IDs, I only knew what it was not, by the tail, i.e. not a red-tailed hawk. Tom W. on FB suggests Coopers, mentioned eye colour, let's see if a closer head shot helps. 

10:43am IMG_2111-csS.jpg

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Most of these were shot through two panes of glass which I'd thankfully cleaned just last week. At some point I got that down to one pane.

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When we couldn't wait around any more we deliberately spooked it by opening the remaining pane with the camera running in video mode: 
https://youtu.be/geC8UfV53pE 1:16pm 
Here are a few frames from that, making it a little easier to see that there was enough left to carry out for future snacking.



IMG_2135, Scale
In this picture, the man-made item is of metal tubing about 5/8" diameter.

A little GIF sequence from video frames, I call it the Yawn. 
I didn't pick up any sound with this.
The longest feather of the dearly departed is around 4 inches. I think those white tipped ones are tail-feathers and confirm the dove diagnosis. 
Note: I blurred out the top half of Nancy's tape. Who uses tenths of feet anyway?! Just confuses me.


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Saturday, November 4, 2017

G's Special Guitar Pick

Nov 4, 2017

Somebody has already marketed (and no doubt patented) something like this, but my music friends can attest I came up with a wooden pick-holder something like this decades ago. I didn't copy anybody's idea. Trouble is I keep losing them and have to make another. This time I thought I'd try InstaMorph. I think I used about 17 grams of it.
Seems to work, I need to get used to playing with it but I'm optimistic it will help my flat-picking and strumming as much as the previous models did.



 



Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Hatteras Holiday

2017 September - Avon NC
Blog Under Construction

1st stop, Edwin & Sandy's in Virginia. Praying Mantis.

When we arrived (Sept 17) the surf was pretty vigorous.
Possibly as a result of hurricanes Irma or Jose?

 3 days later.

Someone said this was fairly recent damage, just a few houses down.
House location: 35.345757, -75.502096
 
Green Tree Frog by the pool at the Mariner's Light.
The next picture is for scale, 1-7/8" diameter pool hose.



 
 I think this is a Willet. 
Eventually I'll post some beach-bird video.

 
Willet and Sanderling

  
Sanderling

   
On the Avon Pier. Ruddy Turnstone? 

   
As yet unidentified skipper on Blanket Flower.

A different skipper. Oughta be able to ID this one.

 
That ubiquitous Mockingbird


Now some people-pictures.

Peanut

Pete on the pier.

My first ever time surfing. 
This was Friday 22, and the waves were back in strength, enough to knock you over.

Thanks Laura Marlow for cool photo and video!

Jeff, Trish and Scott on the boardwalk, haircutting, wine-tasting. 
Tricia did some great enhancing of the group shot.

High water and our first traffic jam on the way home, still on Hatteras Island.

Nancy, Bodie Island Lighthouse

 
Coffee with Edwin and Sandy.

Nearing home, this cool cloud guided us. Nancy said it looked like a conch. 

Monday, August 28, 2017

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Solar Eclipse 2017

August 21. We headed for S.W. Kentucky and soon discovered we weren't the only ones. Bumper-to-bumper on the interstate, yikes! There were times I lost all hope of making it to the path in time but Nancy charted a new course and we made it to Central City with minutes to spare. 
Our location was in the driveway of a strip mine: 37.267529, -87.104159. 
Unless otherwise noted, the solar filter was attached to the camera.


The show was well under way by the time we got the camera up.
Wow - sunspots right from the get-go! 
IMG_0035-cs 13:16 CDT


We were right on the edge of the path, close enough for me. 
Solar filter removed.
IMG_0099-cs 13:24 CDT

Full-res crop for flare detail.
Solar filter removed.
IMG_0100-c 13:24 CDT

Even this out-of-focus shot is fun for the colour, I think. 
Solar filter removed. 

The famous "diamond ring". This is the only picture I did any kind of enhancement with (so far) other than scaling down and cropping. There was an internal reflection I had to remove, also I messed with the levels a bit. Filter still off.
IMG_0103-csL-edit  13:25 CDT

 Solar filter back on. 
IMG_0113-cs  13:26 CDT 

More sunspots.
IMG_0113-cs  14:04 CDT

The obligatory solar-selfie. 
 Didn't realise the phone was in some weird 'enhancement' mode.
Note: big lens shown above not used, the camera below did all the work.


Solar filter mounted on Canon SX60 HS. 


At the same place Nancy found this, wants to know is it juniper? 
Not juniper it seems... help still needed.

Location location location. Just south of Central City, Muhlenberg County. 
We crossed the Green River to get there too!

Did I mention the traffic? I can relate to this comic strip on the subject.
 
Ages ago I read in an astronomy magazine about someone going to great lengths to spot the last old moon crescent, and then the first new moon all in one day, on a mountaintop in Hawaii if memory serves.
It occurred to me the solar eclipse may be the only time we get to watch the moon transform from old moon to new moon in a matter of minutes.