Dactyloidae nights

After making the previous post, I went out in the evening to scope out the property, and soon had to call The Girlfriend out, since she doesn’t get the opportunity to see these guys too often. On the oak-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) in the front garden, my photo subject from earlier in the day was snoozing. I haven’t seen any Carolina anoles (Anolis carolinensis) read more

The clock is humming

They don’t even do that anymore, do they? Actually, we have a grandfather clock out in the living room that runs the old-fashioned way, weights and pendulum and ticking and all that, and it remains pretty close to atomic time after I spent two weeks adjusting the length of the pendulum rod. Okay, that’s not hard, but it has to be done in small increments and then observed for read more

Visibly different, part 33

Another different take on the title this time, partially because I have nothing else ready, partially because I feel like showing off my toys.


I picked up both of these, separately, last year just because I wanted them, though I admittedly didn’t pay a lot for either (less than $20 apiece with the shipping.) Both are subminiature cameras taking 16mm film, often considered ‘spy’ read more

The saga repeats. Kinda

After determining that the woodpecker nest was reoccupied, I never got back down there to check on progress. Part of this was due to already doing extensive (and successful) video of the fledglings read more

Some of us are trying to sleep

The shed out on the back forty of Walkabout Estates has been decorated with various beachy-themed items, which the green treefrogs approve of – they’re all on the shaded side of the shed, forming a flat vertical surface close to the wall that provides the ideal hidey-hole for treefrogs. I can often find the frogs tucked well in behind them, snoozing during the day.

But in putting the read more

Visibly different, part 32

This week we have another variation of the topic, as we see visibly different examples of a photo subject from just this past weekend, quite possibly the largest extremes that I have encountered locally – certainly the largest in a single day. We’ll start small.


I initially took this to be a juvenile ringnecked snake, but on examining the photos after returning, I was read more

Odd memories, part 26

This is one of those that, I suspect, most of those hearing don’t really believe, but at one time I had proof. Not that that means a lot, since I think it’s vanished now, but a select handful of people got to hear it.

While I was in my late teens I became an uncle for the first time, and before my niece was talking, she was talking. By that I mean, she uttered absolute gibberish, read more

Not a promise, mind you

Stopped down at Jordan Lake yesterday to do a few tests, and just see what was happening.

Results: Tests weren’t promising, and not much. Distant osprey, and an eagle before I had my camera out.

But as I stood in a familiar location, I heard some cheeping and caught a flash of movement, then had to stake out the area for a little bit.

Discovery: The nest is reoccupied.


Does this read more

So many sinners

That must be the explanation for all the electrical storms we’ve been having recently. And you thought the reversal of Roe v Wade would have been greeted with approval…

The trick remains, however, in getting a good image from it (we’re back to talking about lightning now.) It started on the 29th, when I collected Mr Bugg and went down to Jordan Lake for a storm cell that looked read more

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