Ha! More puns on multiple levels!
So sometime last year, when out early, I observed a northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) on top of a Leyland cypress tree, venting forth with a varied and seemingly neverending barrage of calls, many of them lifted from other birds I vowed then to return with the long lens and tripod and capture video of it. This finally happened, oh,
I mentioned in the previous post that, after seeing the barred owl (Strix varia) family without a camera in hand, we may try to remedy that with another kayak excursion down there. However, yesterday I got busy on modifying the dock, and then the rains rolled in, so we never actually took the kayaks out.
Right around midnight, I was in the kitchen and heard the juvie call, and it sounded close
Another entry in the GIMP tutorials, this one in patching grunge and unwanted doodads within your image. Generally a pretty straightforward process – until it isn’t, and this is intended to head off some of those stumbling blocks that can make things frustrating. Don’t get me wrong you will still have a lot of trial-and-error, back-and-forth attempts, especially
Another post on digital editing, this one for (as it says,) dodging and burning, which is lightening or darkening selected portions of an image. This used to be a common darkroom technique, though it’s probably a bit less-so now, but it’s still handy to know how to accomplish. This is definitely one where practice and experimentation will improve the results. So herewith, a quick video
Poking around at night by the headlamp again, endeavoring not to get eaten by a bear, I realized there was a faint sound that kept repeating, and I didn’t recognize it as anything ‘typical’ – the frogs were making a racket down at the pond, but this wasn’t a frog. So I started following
I’ve stalled on this video compilation for too long, especially since I have another waiting in the wings that now has far too many clips to add to it, but here it is, anyway: more of what goes on at the pond edge, mostly at night, but there are a couple day clips in there.
Now, I’m well aware that a video this length will cause a certain percentage of people to simply skip it, unable
Well, it’s now “Then and then,” since I didn’t quite get things done while it was still World Turtle Day, but I got to recognize the holiday a little, anyway. The photos are all from WTD, which was yesterday now, though the video from a week ago. I did a patrol of the Estates while it wasn’t raining, but found nothing to do any closeups
Mostly trivia here, with a closing bit of amusement, but at least I’m posting some more. Now, if we could only get it to be something good…
Despite the up-and-down nature of the temperatures, actually requiring us to move a few things back into the greenhouse, many of the plants around Walkabout Estates are kicking it this spring. The largest butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii,)
… it was just a matter of time.
The first reappearance (after a long hiatus) of the wood ducklings (Aix sponsa) came just as we were running out the door, because of course. Then the barest of video clips that evening, before it rained for about 16 hours. Once it cleared, however, things picked up, and by this past Monday, we were seeing them just about every hour, cycling through.
A little
You can expect to find things like this, if you’re looking around. Two short clips, one from last night, one from, damn, ten days ago – I’d been hoping to get some more to go along with it, but there’s been no further sign as yet.
A note about the toads. This isn’t actually mating, since they do external fertilization: the female finds a body of water
