Duckies at Burdette

These images were taken at Burdette Park in June and July of this year during a couple  of my visits to Heavensville.  We always go to Burdette early in the am and sit for hours …. she reads and I shoot a gazillion photos ….. always loads of Ducks and Geese around the water.

 

 

  

 

Hummingbirds

I haven’t shot any hummers this summer so I decided to take a few shots today. 

 

Fungi …..

I took this photo in August when I was at Dolans Lake.  It is some kind of Fungi but I don’t have any idea what kind it is.  It was just gorgeous!

I grabbed the little Canon P&S, jumped out of the car and started taking shots  …. Mother was with me and she was just amazed at the beauty of this thing.  Now, I could kick myself for not taking the time to change lenses on the DSLR and getting some decent images.

View this image at the larger size to see how pretty it is.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

“Old Blue Beauty”

 

 

A couple of intruders in his territory

A Double-crested Cormorant Take-off (Phalacrocorax auritus)

One lone Double-crested Cormorant on the lake yesterday ….

 

 

 

 

The double-crested cormorant is a little more than two feet long with a wingspan of about four feet. It has dark brown to black feathers, a long hooked bill with an orange throat pouch, a long tail, and webbed black feet. Adults have tufts of feathers over their eyes. Males and females look alike.

Cormorants dive for fish and marine invertebrates from the water's surface. After catching a fish, the cormorant surfaces, flips the fish in the air and swallows it head-first.

The double-crested cormorant doesn't have well-developed oil glands and isn't waterproofed very well. It often dries its feathers by perching on a pole or tree limb and stretching its wings out.

9/11

Leaves in the early morning …….

 

 

 

“The Government Can”

It will make you laugh …..

Top 100 Web Sites of 2009

Two sources for the Top 100

PCmag.com

Time.com

Some I agree with , most of them I don’t!

25 Best Blogs 2009

Time.com

The Huffington Post???  give me a break ……

Assassin Bug

Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus

This silver-gray insect is the largest assassin bug.  The “Wheel Bug” gets its name from the structure on its thorax which resembles a gear or saw blade.  It has a 

hinged Beak used to inject poisonous digestive fluids into its prey, which can immobilize it in seconds.
It is then used to extract the digested Insect or Caterpillar,
leaving only the empty skin of its victim as evidence of the event

Although assassin bugs  are not considered dangerous, most can bite, and should not be handled.

I was outside talking on the phone with Jan when I saw this  “assassin” on my old petunias.  They are truly one ugly bug!

Look at the larger size to see just how ugly he is :)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

  The Great Egret is a large bird with all-white plumage that can reach one meter in height and weigh up to 950 grams (2.1 lb)  It is thus only slightly smaller than the Great Blue Heron.  The Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet, though the bill may become darker and the lower legs lighter in the breeding season. In breeding plumage, delicate ornamental feathers are borne on the back. Males and females are identical in appearance; juveniles look like non-breeding adults.

There were plenty of Great Egrets at the river yesterday, along with several Great Blue Herons and Cormorants.  This image is my favorite of the day.