July - August 2026 - September
Aug. 31
No it's not an interesting odometer reading, just celebrating the "50MPG" seen AFTER driving through all the traffic lights to the nursing home. It's not unusual to see that when I hit the first light but then it drifts down as I get through town.
Rental lens, day 4
Barn Swallows in flight: a bit of a challenge to photograph.
Chipping Sparrow, I often see a group of them at the dam.
Aug. 30
Rental lens, day 3
American Herring Gull at the dam. Not the most exciting subject but having gone to the trouble of lugging the heavy lens 3/4 mile I had to shoot something.
Before this a Bald Eagle treated me to a wonderful fly-by, but there was no hope of getting a photo with the camera packed on my back so I just enjoyed the moment.
Black Vulture
Another enjoyable moment: Pileated woodpecker hammering (audio only).
Aug. 29
Rental lens, day 2 Pre-eclipse Sturgeon Moon, about 9:45pm EDT, unmodified except for crop & scale.
It's in the trees at my house, I had to drive up the road for this.About 10:50pm, it's happening. Higher in the sky now, taken from 2nd story deck.
As good as it gets in our part of the world, they're saying. About 12:14am.
A very unevenly spaced time-lapse of about 7 minutes. At the time I didn't realise I'd captured a star coming out of occultation. This shows the Moon's motion relative to the stars. Of course they both appear to be moving relative to us, but at different rates. Another detail this shows me is that star's poor focus. I'm guessing it would have been better had I removed the UV filter. I wondered if there was a way to ID the star but it's not looking easy.
Dix Park. Full disclosure: tweaked with Topaz.
Zabulon Skipper (I think).
Eastern Tailed-Blue. What a treat to get shots of the top wing.Eastern Tailed-Blue. A lady in a Portage Parks t-shirt identified one exactly like this as a 'Summer Azure', I beg to differ.
Pearl Crescent (I think)
Viceroy on Goldenrod. It was nervous at first but settled down allowing many close-up shots. When I finally moved on it did too. Was it posing for me all along?
Aug. 27
Rental lens, day 1
Aug. 26
I'm pretty sure this one is my bold Catbird. His/her tail disappeared very recently. Clearly they can still fly without it.I was on the patio when the presumed juvie male hummingbird (photo just below, Aug. 22) stopped at the feeder there, a few feet from where I stood. It hesitated to approach but I stood still and it settled down for a long drink. After it was finished it came and hovered inches from my face, then moved to various points around my head. Felt like a lot of seconds, a wonderful thing.
Aug. 25
Writing Power Nap Blues.
This I believe is a young male. Either I've not photographed this one before or he's changed plumage recently.
So glad the Orioles are still coming around. In years past I thought they lost interest in the jelly as the summer wore on, but not this year.
Aug. 22
At the dam this morning I couldn't ID this bird by eye, it was too far away. The photo is poor (I still had the settings for the Moon) but no mistaking the Kingfisher with that big head and bill. Merlin (bird app) agrees, Belted Kingfisher. I very seldom see those.
Aug. 19
Unprocessed.
This is the first Black swallowtail, a male who eclosed yesterday. Posing with his now empty pupa casing (chrysalis).Female Black swallowtail, the last to eclose today.Female Black swallowtailMale Black swallowtail, at least that's what I thought at the time. Photographed through a cement block after his first flight, I liked the framing.
Facebook threw up these from August 15 2023 when evidently I released these swallowtails that I'd raised.
Aug. 15
A foggy morning walk at the dam today. Is black & white better?
Aug. 14
About three feet across the stump.
I watched it fall but wasn't quick enough to get photo/video.
Before & after, dead oak that was taken down today.
Had it fallen toward the house or garage, big damage!
Wondering what this is, and if it's best to wait until it's done flowering to transplant.
I was told Hibiscus and Rose Of Sharon. Turns out they're related.
Aug.13
Wordle-brag dam-selfie
Open Mic recordings (five songs on the playlist so far).
Aug. 11
A rather sorry-looking vine-thing I bought months ago for cheap has finally decided to bloom.I've been told this is Mandevilla. Looks like I have to bring it in for the winter.
Aug. 9
Here is the sound of the Pileated woodpecker hammering (from the Aug. 6 walk).
Aug. 7
With a day off I was able to do a few things around the house. I cleaned the birdbath and resurrected the solar fountain. When I checked on it later I found it was spraying water over the edge. No good deed goes unpunished.
Aug. 6
Barn Swallow
Chipping Sparrow Takes Off
Open micThat playlist should now include all 3 songs I did that night along with one of Jesse's tunes.
ShinyCarMothSelfieDuJour
Aug. 4
Project du jour. The trouble with some new items (a car for example) is it leads to getting other things for it. In this case, floor mats. The set I got wasn't quite an exact fit, hence the project.
A substandard shot (poor lighting/focus) but wonderful pose.
Aug. 3
Another 'lightning bug', I'm not seeing them flash lately. Celebrating not only 777 on odometer but an impressive 44 MPG. It briefly got over 50 on the same drive. The longer term average is still in the high 30s but it's slowly working its way up.
Since I started walking the dam I've been hoping to get confirming shots of the Eastern Kingbird I've been seeing for a week or so. Merlin agrees with my ID on both of these.
Lady Hummingbird, must be a wing shadow. Taken around 9am.
Aug. 1
This young male hummingbird came to the open window repeatedly. I like to think he could have been the same one checking me out on the patio last week. I did not see yesterday's mature male today.
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