Peripatetic Photos

Dust Devil Deluxe!

2011-05-15T18:21:00.001-07:00

This thing went way up and it was doing a great job of being a brown tornado for the time I watched it.

Footprints

2011-04-21T06:20:00.002-07:00

Dino tracks! Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico. A long way off the interstate, but a very cool place.

Sunrise and Fog

2011-04-10T09:41:00.001-07:00

When I left Lompoc yesterday morning, it was cold and damp. Fog was curling down the hills and filling the valleys in places. I was heading down toward the coast when I saw this and just had to stop and take the shot.

I was told by a guy in Banning, east of LA, that they got 6 inches of snow overnight. By the time I got there it was just a light cover, and only in places. As you can see, I shot this from the highway. Snow in Southern California in April - not exactly the image that you expect!

California Coast

2011-04-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

The hills above Highway 1 northwest of Santa Barbara are covered with yellow flowers.

Water Ranch

2010-11-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

I took a short walk this afternoon at the Water Ranch in Gilbert. There were just tons of ducks on the ponds, along with a smattering of other birds. In this shot there are Mallards, Northern Pintails and one Green-winged Teal.

Along with the ducks, there were a lot of egrets and herons, including this one:

I also saw coots, Black-crowned Night Herons, Black-necked Stilts, Kildeer, hummingbirds, sparrows, a Black Phoebe, a flock of blackbirds (I couldn't get close enough to see if they were red-winged), and several others. It's been a pretty good time for birds recently, with very cool encounters with a Barn Owl and two Great Horned Owls, plus a hawk, all near my house.

Macro Pictures Squidoo Lens

2010-09-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

I've created a new lens on Squidoo that talks about macro mode. It includes a couple of my pictures. The flower and the bee, specifically.

Shooting Macro Pictures links to it.

Fou Corners Power Plant

2010-09-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

My destination for my trip last week.

Canyon de Chelly

2010-09-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

This was taken out the window of the Durango to Phoenix flight. We flew in a Bombardier DH-8 (assuming I remembered the type correctly).

Bee-yootiful!

2010-09-06T06:20:00.001-07:00

A flower from a field of them. Taken near Farmington, NM.

Red Pyramid

2010-08-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Rick Riordan's "The Red Pyramid" and thought that I'd share these pictures.

The first is of Camelback Mountain, taken from the north side of Mesa, AZ. I think it looks a lot like a pyramid from this view...

The second is of Red Mountain, which is on the north side of Mesa. I think it looks kind of like a step pyramid that has been scrunched to the side...

If you haven't read the book and if you like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, you should give it a try!

Mustangs in January

2010-07-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Quoth the Raven...

2010-07-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Damned rain!" The disgruntled bird was perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon...

What a lovely beastie!

2010-07-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this is the smaller of two of these we've seen this summer...

And they fly, too!

Lovebirds

2010-06-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

I found these near our house. Fortunately, I had my point-and-shoot Sony handy!

Brighton Wading

2010-06-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

The First Rule of Photography

2010-06-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

The first rule of photography is Have Your Camera.

It does not matter whether you have a $30 discount store close-out or a top-of-the-line professional setup, it won't do you any good sitting on the desk at home. I was reminded of this when Brighton and I went for our walk this morning. It was just after sunrise when we went out and we were only going to loop around our block.

Brighton, as is her sacred duty, was patrolling for cats and looking for a good bush to pee on (she's a terrier) while I was listening to the birds and enjoying the relative cool of an Arizona desert morning. As we reached the corner, the sun was shining straight down the street to spotlight a giant sunflower in full bloom. Perched on top of the blossom itself was a Peach-faced Lovebird, and the sun made its feathers glow green and blue. The house and bushes behind were still in shadow so it would have made a fantastic shot.

My cameras, however, were all safely back at the house...

By contrast, I had my small Sony with me when I drove past a group of the lovebirds balanced on some ocotillo branches. Those, I did get a shot of and I'll post the best of those as soon as I get them out of the camera.

The camera in hand is, in the end, worth the birds in the bush...

Standin' on a corner...

2010-04-18T20:45:00.002-07:00

Winslow has done a good job of resurrecting the mural and park after a fire destroyed the building on which the mural was painted. Seizing the moment, they also have gone for the "Historic US 66" tourist trade in a big way. A clerk in a nearby store said that the remaining construction should be cleared up within a few days.

"God Bless America" in Mesa

2010-03-14T19:49:00.003-07:00

This super-sized salute to "American Gothic" is visiting Mesa for the next few weeks...

In the painting, you can't see what's at their feet...

Wildflowers

2010-03-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

The wildflowers haven't gotten into full swing yet. The rains came late and it's been cool for a while. Still, there are a few here and there.

Weavers Needle

2010-03-14T19:35:00.002-07:00

Looking for wildflowers, but couldn't pass up the Needle.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Brighton comes to live with us!

2009-10-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

Harris's Hawk

2009-10-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

All the neighborhood birds were making a racket this morning when I left for work. When I looked to see why, I found this bird on an old TV antenna next door. It was quite entertaining to watch the rest of the birds watch the hawk. When it flew over to a nearby tree, it looked like a small bomb blew out all the sparrows and doves that had been hiding there.

Huntington Gutenberg

2009-09-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

There be whales here!

2009-09-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

The back of a Blue off Newport Beach.

AZ-260 near the Mogollon Rim

2009-08-15T22:19:00.001-07:00

This was taken from the top of the Rim, looking west toward Payson.

Stellar's Jay

2009-08-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Woods Canyon Lake, AZ. Beautiful place and a beautiful, if noisy, bird...

Ash-Throated Flycatcher and Gambel's Quail

2009-06-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

The feast of saguaro fruit has brought all sorts of birds to the table.

Wickenburg's Old Town

2009-06-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

The boardwalk is concrete these days and the dirt road is blacktop now, but the flavor is still there...

Gila Hanging from the feeder

2009-06-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get this picture for a very long time and it finally worked out. I shot this through our front window because I can't get the bird to hang around (pun intended) if I try to get outside and take it. The bird also flips (pun intended) and gets on the perch and then drinks sideways from a hole around the rim from where it is, so these upsidedown ones are hard to catch.

I'm pretty happy with this in case you can't tell... :D

US-93 over the Black Canyon

2009-06-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

This was taken from the top of Hoover Dam looking west. As I understand it, there will be a walkway out to the middle of the bridge, which will be about a thousand feet above the river and offer a spectacular view of the dam.

Saguaro and Flicker

2009-05-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

I think this is a Gilded Flicker...

Boojum sunset

2009-03-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

This was at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Boojum, cactus and glass

2009-03-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Desert Botanical Garden, Dale Chihuly exhibition...

Butterfly and goldfish

2009-03-21T22:44:00.003-07:00

The fish kept trying to get to the butterfly, which appeared not to notice at all.

A sky full of cranes

2009-01-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Near the Whitewater Draw Nature Preserve we saw this huge swirl of cranes overhead. It was just amazing.

Willcox Cranes

2009-01-19T10:59:00.003-07:00

This is my first ever video post. The shot is of cranes taking off from the Willcox playa. I shot it with my Canon S5 camera, so it has some background sounds and I took some in-process snapshots. I left it as is so that the sound of the cranes is there...

Uof P stadium

2009-01-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Cardinals play here...

Oh, Say's, can you see?

2009-01-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

I think this is a Say's Phoebe. If it's not, then the title doesn't work so well...

Anna's in Flight

2009-01-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

This was a long zoom and cropped, so it's fairly pixelated, but still kind of a fun picture.

Burrowing Owl

2009-01-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

This wee beastie was just taking a little sun this morning.

Highway art

2009-01-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

The freeways around the Phoenix area are decorated with all sorts of patterns and designs. Each highway has sections that are somewhat themed. Both the slopes and the concrete structures are treated, as you can see here. The slopes are covered with gravel of different textures and colors. This particular shot is at the Loop 101 (AKA the Pima Freeway) and Chapparal.

Water Ranch, New Years Day

2009-01-01T17:58:00.002-07:00

Green Heron

Orange-crowned Warbler

Peach-faced Lovebird

33 species that I counted today, but probably twice that many that I missed, given my neophyte status...

Tea blossom

2008-12-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

My Christmas gift!

http://preview.tinyurl.com/7rswao

Superstitions after the rain

2008-12-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

The mountains were wreathed in clouds as the rain moved out.

I missed a great picture by 10 minutes or so - sunset glowing on the mountains and the clouds - but I couldn't get into position fast enough....

Celebrating Christmas with flowers

2008-12-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

These came to visit for a short time...

Lovebirds and blackbirds

2008-12-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

These were hanging out at the Water Ranch this morning...

The two top-middle are peach-faced lovebirds that refused to turn around to the camera...

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

Gila flipped

2008-10-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

I can never get the bird to stay around or stay upside down enough to get a clear shot, so this is the best I've managed. Notice how the bird uses the tail to get enough lift to tilt the head up to drink...

2008-10-05T17:32:00.004-07:00

Found this other critter on the slope of Superstition Mountain in Lost Dutchman State Park.

Lizard in waiting

2008-10-05T17:32:00.002-07:00

Found this critter on the slope of Superstition Mountain in Lost Dutchman State Park.

From Hopi Point

2008-05-25T13:25:00.001-07:00

This is not a great shot, but it does show just how far down it is to the river from the rim.

Weather rolling in

2008-05-25T13:23:00.001-07:00

We planned this trip with the intent to be on the rim near sunrise, but the weather made that a bust. We got there later in the morning as a result, and just relaxed our way along the south rim. Toward early afternoon there were a few hints of sunshine, but they petered out.

Instead of the clouds breaking up, we got more precipitation in the form of snow flurries, sleet and brief showers. Instead of the brilliant reds of a clear-weather Grand Canyon sunset, we got this misty, muted landscape. The canyon is always the same and always different, which is one reason that we keep going back (having relatives and friends come visit us being another).

Grand Canyon formations

2008-05-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

I think this is Duck on a Rock, with Cape Final directly behind it, and Jupiter Temple being the pointy formation to the right rear. This is from the south rim looking north-northeast.

Closer look at the river

2008-05-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

A zoomed look at the river and one of the rapids.

North from the tower

2008-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

To the north, the Colorado and some of its rapids are visible from the Tower.

The Tower, by the by, was designed by Mary Colter, completed in 1933, was designed to mimic Native watchtowers in the Southwest.

Looking west from the tower

2008-05-25T12:51:00.002-07:00

The Colorado is invisible in the canyon below because it enters the inner canyon here. The reason there is a Grand Canyon is the Kaibab Plateau popped up and the Colorado has cut down through it. See http://www.durangobill.com/Paleorivers_preface.html for a big (really big!) discussion of the geology.

There's a wide, flat valley to the east and north, through which the Little Colorado River has cut a 1,000' deep canyon to get down to the level of the Colorado.

The Colorado itself comes from Utah through Marble Canyon. The land around Marble Canyon is also flat, but to the north are the Vermillion Cliffs, creating a great red wall. On the other side of Marble Canyon are the Echo Cliffs. The end of Marble Canyon is the junction with the Little Colorado coming in from the east. So, the whole complex goes like this: The Colorado comes out of Glen Canyon into Marble Canyon, where it goes for maybe 40 miles or so across the flat plain until it reaches the Kaibab, meets the Little Colorado and starts into the Grand Canyon proper.

This bottom picture is looking east from the Tower. You can see the flat plain and in the middle distance the great crack in the earth where the Little Colorado runs.

Desert View Tower

2008-05-25T11:44:00.001-07:00

At the east end of the Grand Canyon National Park, this tower provides a huge view of the canyon. The Colorado River comes south from Utah and makes a turn to the west here. Because of the bend, the view of the canyon is wider than elsewhere in the park.

Scientists argue about how the canyon formed. Some say that it's been only 6 million years, others say more like 17 or 20 million. Some think that the ancestral Colorado flowed up into Utah and then west to reach the ocean at Monterey Bay, which was then located close to where Los Angeles is now. If so, then the San Andreas Fault may have moved it north while also creating the route that the river now takes to the Gulf of Calfornia (or Sea of Cortez).

Along the way, the Fault may also have had a hand in creating one of the Creationist arguments about the age of the earth. The contention is that the Colorado doesn't have enough delta to have removed all the rock from the Grand Canyon and the rest of its drainage system. There are several answers to this, including the fact that much of the rock may not have reached the sea, being dropped before then to build up the area south of the Salton Sea and the fact that much of the rock removed was limestone and other rock that dissolves in water. Another piece, though, is that part of the delta itself has been moving northward along the Pacific tectonic plate, resulting in a "delta" that's much more elongated than is usual for a river system.

Snowy drive

2008-05-25T11:38:00.001-07:00

Heading north to Flagstaff from Payson, we ran into a late spring snow storm as we crested the Mogollon Rim.

When driving in this, it's hard to believe that it was about 110 degrees in Phoenix just a few days ago.

Gila on the feeder

2008-05-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

The bird lands hanging upsidedown, then flips over and turns sideways to drink from the feeder hole 90 degrees around from where it perches.

Saguaro Blossoms

2008-05-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

I like the patterns in this one...

Feather Dusters

2008-05-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Cactus Garden

2008-05-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Cactus Blossom

2008-05-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like everything in the desert is either spiney or poisonous or both, but it's also beautiful.

Fountain Hills

2008-05-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

Shot from the Wind Cave on Pass Mountain. The fountain is something like 560' high.

Ocotillo Blossom

2008-05-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

For some reason, the ocotillo bloomed in orange this year rather than red.

Sentimental Journey

2008-05-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

Finally made it to the Commemorative Air Force shop at Falcon Field. I was there when this B-17 taxied up. I love the sound of those big prop jobs...

Duuuuddddddeeeee!!!!!

2008-04-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Sweeeet!

Beautiful Bees

2008-04-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Cool. Again.

Love the puns

2008-04-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

California Adventure is crawling with puns like this. One of the better parts of a good day.

Monorail Dreams

2008-04-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Cool.

Matterhorn

2008-04-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

I liked this juxtaposition.

Taking a break

2008-04-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

We took a break from the park and went for an ocean cruise. These sea lions needed a break too.

Main Street crowds

2008-04-08T19:06:00.003-07:00

Nightfall on the mountain

2008-04-08T19:00:00.003-07:00

I loved the juxtaposition of the mountain and the futuristic ride...

Bronze boy

2008-04-08T18:57:00.003-07:00

I really liked this, but there's a little irony in a puppet become a real boy only to be cast in bronze...

Tea cups

2008-04-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

See? Disneyland. Really!

Okay, one more...

2008-04-08T18:47:00.002-07:00

We were taking a break on the north side of the Matterhorn when I spotted this finch. I didn't have time to really focus on it before it flew, but I think it's neat to see something real in with all of the fantasy.

Disneyland

2008-04-08T18:44:00.003-07:00

Somehow my obsessions seem to have gone along with me to the Magic Kingdom. :D

Closeup in yellow

2008-03-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Closeup in red

2008-03-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

Closeup in blue

2008-03-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Poppy profusion

2008-03-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Climbing the grade toward Canyon lake we came across huge streaks of flowers going up the hillside.

Superstition hillside

2008-03-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

We found this swath of flowers on one of the side roads along the Apache Trail.

Yellow tide

2008-03-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

These are all over the south sides of the hills around here.

Usery Park flowers

2008-03-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've only been here three years, and I've been lucky enough to see two good wildflower seasons.

Floral fireworks

2008-03-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Cool, yes?

Cool blossoms

2008-03-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know what these trees are, but they're really neat looking. Bare branches and these bright flowers.

Sunset, Newport Beach

2008-03-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

I was eating dinner at the end of one of the piers in Newport Beach when the sun reached the horizon, lined up very neatly on that platform.

Cardinal

2008-03-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

I went to a meeting out near the new stadium and did a little birding. :D

Hidden in the tree

2008-03-03T21:36:00.004-07:00

Some of the pictures from last week show hawks sitting out on top of cactus and the like. Not like this one!

If you look carefully, you can find a bald eagle in this shot. It was a long way across the pond from where we were, so I had the camera zoomed full out to get this much. We watched it for some time and talked about the people walking along the path and using the paddle boats just below this tree, oblivious to the bird above them.

Herons perched

2008-03-03T21:32:00.003-07:00

There are three herons here (unless I've missed some). The third is a juvenile and doesn't have the same coloring as the full adults. Look at the difference in the shape when the head's down!

Black-Crested Night Heron

2008-03-03T21:28:00.002-07:00

On to another pond - this one at McCormick Ranch. There were whole flights of these herons flying by. Look how long that neck is!

Splashdown!

2008-03-03T21:21:00.002-07:00

A bunch of American Widgeons came flying in and splashed down amidst the Ruddy ducks, Mallards, and Shovelers.

Eared Grebe and Ring-neck ducks

2008-03-03T21:18:00.003-07:00

I had to trim this quite a bit to get the focus on the grebe and since the bird was way off across the pond it's not the sharpest of pictures. However, it shows this one is starting to change to breeding plumage...

Black-necked Stilts

2008-03-03T21:14:00.002-07:00

I like these - they look so silly out on the bank, but they're pretty fliers.

Ducks

2008-03-03T21:08:00.003-07:00

We moved on to another pond and this one had a different selection of waterfowl. The one with the white and brown and the huge bill is a Northern Shoveler.

Heron taking wing

2008-03-03T21:03:00.002-07:00

In the midst of the osprey's swooping and all the people clapping for the osprey's dive, this Great blue heron decided to depart the top of the pine for some other venue.

Ready to dive

2008-03-03T20:58:00.002-07:00

Right after I took this, the osprey rolled over and dove into the pond to come up with a fish. It was really amazing to watch it do the strike, but it was also very cool to watch it take off with the fish and do this kind of shudder to shake off the water, all the while still hauling the fish and flying.

Tree toppers

2008-03-03T20:51:00.003-07:00

We went to a pond along Hayden Road at Chaparral. There's a small island in the middle of the pond and on that island are palm trees and on those trees perch cormorants. They look rather odd there...