Partial Solar Eclipse 2014-10-23

Lunar Eclipse 2014-10-08

This makes the day look lighter than it was (almost 1.5 hours before sunrise). 

It's a time exposure of 2.5 seconds, at 6:03am. 

The two red spots in the tree belong to another distant tower. I tried to obscure it with the tree but failed (that's how dark it was, couldn't see in the viewfinder). 

I could call this shot "The Two Towers".

The dot beneath the moon is Uranus. We knew to look for it but couldn't make it out with binoculars. I could, however, see the pair of stars in the upper right. Full disclosure: this is a combined image I did for the purpose of averaging out the sky noise. The Moon itself is from one exposure at 5:49am.  Supposedly the maximum eclipse was at 5:55am.

Photos taken by me from the Michael J. Kirwan dam (West Branch Reservoir in Portage County, Ohio) with Canon Rebel XT, 1.8 extender + EF 70 - 200mm F/2.8 L USM Lens, 2.5 second exposure at ISO 400.

29 Years Later

September 14, 2014
Why 29? 
Because this day Nancy and I celebrate 29 years of marriage, that's why!
Above is "shopped", couldn't get leaves and Moon in focus in same shot.

This Robin was one of the first birds du jour, looks fresh out of the bath.

 Oh joy - the Waxwings are in town!

I have a funny feeling I've seen the Ovenbird before, but if so I'd forgotten and it was like a new bird all over again. 

What a thrill, and right outside the open window too. I can only blame the heavy hand-held camera for the pics not being sharper, but I takes what I can gets.

Some kind of warbler I imagine, haven't looked it up yet.
Any ideas? 
Susie thinks Tennessee Warbler - looks like a winner to me.

Birdbath And Beyond

I don't often see epaulets like this on a Red-wing that isn't obviously a mature male. Is it a young male getting his colours early? I think I see some black there. And/or do females sometimes show a bit there?

We aren't seeing the Bluebirds lately, but this early August young'un has learned to keep his/her head steady when everything else moves. I like that top-of-head morph too.

One of my very favourite birds is the Red-breasted Grosbeak in transition like this one. He still has the white eyebrow and some brown, but the black is coming in. What a combination. Don't see that very often.

 

Same bird, uncropped, love that bokeh!

 Must be a young Rufous-sided Towhee, with that characteristic white-tail-flick.

I love the meek little Chipping Sparrow. 
A bit wet here, perhaps after a visit to the bird-bath.

Birds of Blue in July

Before this year, Blue Jay visitors would skedaddle just as soon as they noticed us looking at them. But this year there are youngsters coming to the suet and they're pretty bold. This one is just outside the kitchen window, and it's wide open, no glass between us (hence the sharp photos). 

I know some folks are down on Blue Jays, but since they can't get in to our Bluebird house and I haven't seen them bothering anyone, I have no complaint. Apart from maybe taking more than their share of suet!

July 18, 2014: We still see quite a lot of our young Bluebirds (almost 2 months old). These shots were from a sequence that lasted about 6 minutes, when they appeared to be trying to snuggle up with each other as the evening cooled.
It is not the only occasion when we witnessed this behaviour.
There are more shots I hoped to include in the sequence, but it looks like 4 is the limit.

Spring Bluebirds 2014

Ma Bluebird.

A simple sequence of two images, not fake or shopped. 

Sometimes I think birds look pretty cool when they're wet. 

Ma and child after the rain. 

July 6 Birds (2014)

Photographed July 6, 2014, Paris Twp. Ohio

Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

 Any closer and I wouldn't have been able to focus.

A composite of some others seen today

  Another composite. The warbler at top right was rather distant. The young male Hairy Woodpecker and Titmouse are in the same actual shot.

All these were kitchen-window shots, mostly with the window open. 
Canon Rebel XT with EF 70-200 (+extender) lens.

Frenchies '14

I put one of these back in the nest when it fell out, but the next day the nest looked empty.

 

Tent caterpillar, hey it's on a tent!