Just Checking It Out

 I saw this Downey Woodpecker checking out the Bluebird box recently.  He hung out for a few minutes, pecked a little around the opening, seemed to be making itself at home.  Then he left and hasn't been back.  I've also seen House Finch and Chickadee checking it out.  It'll be interesting to see if somebody takes up residence for the winter...

 We're in between the start of Meteorological Fall (9/1) and Astronomical Fall (9/22), but it is starting to feel more like Autumn either way.  For sure, the sun is setting earlier...

This was taken Wednesday (9/18) at 6:14pm.  Just a humble phone photo...

Birding, or at least Birdsounds...

 So I went for a walk at Schon Park yesterday, and used the Merlin Ap to listen for birds.  I'm getting (A little) better at recognizing (a few) birds, but it's on ongoing process.

See below for a list of what I heard.  Not that I did see some Turkey Vultures, but they were as quiet as usual:

Merlin "heard: the following, in order of appearance. This was over ..

• American Crow
• Least Sandpiper
• Canada Goose
• Eastern Phoebe
• House Sparrow
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Cardinal
• Blue Jay
• Red Shouldered Hawk
• Red-Bellied Woodpecker
• Carolina Wren
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Robin
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Indego Bunting
• Carolina Chickadee
• Killdeer
• Chipping Sparrow
• Northern Bobwhite
• European Starling

Not a bad slate for less than an hour and less than 2 miles.  And at midday (just before noon).  I'm not confident of the Sandpiper, I didn't hear (or see) it.  Similarly with the bobwhite, although Merlin has heard them before at Schon.

Photographing Landscapes and Cityscapes at Missouri Botanical Garden (Part 4)

  Part 4 of the series, see Part 1 for more background. This is the 2nd batch of photos (chronologically)  from my recent photo class at MBG.  

This is the last batch, as the sun was settings (and after)

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See all the posts from this outing using the tag PLC.  

 

RIP J.D. Souther

"But say goodbye, tell me goodbye

Say a pretty goodbye

Baby, you could be gone with a smile on your face

Instead of letting those good tears go to waste"

 - J.D. Souther, Pretty Goodbyes.

From the album Souther Hillman Furay Band (1974).  JD Souther passed away yesterday (9/17/2024) at the age of 1978.

I made a spotify playlist of songs written/co-written by JD Souther, I know it is FAR from complete.  Feel free to suggest additions!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/10M45qWmxk7SpsPEjIrwpe?si=342b026d36cb4c26

Moon Crazy

 There was a partial eclipse of the moon last night, I decided to try a photo.  I think it turned out pretty well.  What say you?

Taken with my 100-400mm zoom, for an equivalent focal length of 600mm.  1/1000th sec exposure, f/10, ISO=640...  handheld.  This is the first moon photo I've taken that I was pleased with, I'll have to try some more.

Photographing Landscapes and Cityscapes at Missouri Botanical Garden (Part 3)

  Part 3 of the series, see Part 1 for more background. This is the 2nd batch of photos (chronologically)  from my recent photo class at MBG.  

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Seiwa-en, Japanese Garden

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Seiwa-en, Japanese Garden

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 Lichtenstein Victorian District

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 Lichtenstein Victorian District

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 Lichtenstein Victorian District

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See all the posts from this outing using the tag PLC.  

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Photographing Landscapes and Cityscapes at Missouri Botanical Garden (Part 2)

 Part 2 of the series, see Part 1 for more background. This is the 2nd batch of photos (chronologically)  from my recent photo class at MBG.  

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Backlit plant,

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Grigg Nanjing Friendship Chinese Garden

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Grigg Nanjing Friendship Chinese Garden

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Grigg Nanjing Friendship Chinese Garden

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Blanke Boxwood Garden

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Outside Blanke Boxwood Garden

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See all the posts from this outing using the tag PLC.  

Photographing Landscapes and Cityscapes at Missouri Botanical Garden (Part 1)

 I stepped a bit outside of my comfort zone this week, and did a photo "thing".  Hosted by Missouri Botanical Garden, this was a class. entitled "Photographing Landscapes and Cityscapes".  I'm generally a self-taught, solitary shooter kind of guy, but need to 

This class description read:  

All levels. Learn how to create more dramatic landscapes in the field. We will find several areas that emphasize foreground, midground, and background. By adding the elements of layer, shape, and leading lines, we will add depth to the image. In addition, we will discuss the importance of selecting an interesting foreground that creates balance. A tripod and polarizer are helpful, but not necessary.

Sounded good, more experiential than class room. So I decided to give it a try.  And it was a fun experience.  Very low key. 6 photographers wandering the garden with our leader (Scott Avetta), with him talking about general composition etc.  Nothing new or dramatic for me, but a really good experience all the same.  Three (3) hours with the Garden to ourselves (essentially), from late afternoon until after sunset.

I took 115 photos, which I culled down to 27 processed images, then down to a dozen for Facebook.  I'll plan to post the 27 here, in batches of 6-8...  presented chronologically.   Hope you enjoy!

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Outside the visitor center, the outdoor seating area for the cafe

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Linnean House

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Linnean House, Fountain

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Climatron, Central Axis

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One of the ponds on Central Axis, with Chihuly sculptures

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Water Lilly (1)

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Water Lilly (2)

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Stay tuned for more!

Back To It

 Well, not the first time the blog has fallen to the wayside....  sorry once again.  But time to get it back to happening:

Nice walk at Watershed Nature Center yesterday, managed a couple of sunset photos with the phone.  Here's the one I decided to drop to FB and the photo sites:

I was pretty pleased with this one there's a minimal of tweaking, here's the Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) Version for reference below.  Can you tell the difference?

What You See

 It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.

- Henry David Thoreau

Light And Time

 What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time.

- John Berger

Bluebirds Round 2, Post 7

 Bluebird update: The nestlings are 5-6 days old and are starting to look more like birds! Based on the internet, they should be opening their eyes very soon. Note the "dud" egg barely visible beneath them... Second photo is mom bringing food.

The 3 babies hatched between mid-day Friday and mid-day Saturday, so they're 5-6 days old...

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Mother bluebird bringing dinner, not long after the photo of the nestlings.

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Bluebirds Round 2, Post 6 - Trio!

 We had our 1st hatchling of the 2nd brood around noon yesterday.  by 5pm, we were up to 3 hatchlings.  As of 5:30 today, we're still at 3, with one laggard egg.  I suspect this is a "dud", as they all should've hatched pretty close to the same time.  We'll see though.  The parents seem to be working hard to bring food, so they'll be growing.

At 1 - 1.5 days old, they're still pretty ugly, huh?

Bluebirds Round 2 Post 5 - A Hatchling!

 After the Bluebird mom quit laying (at 4), I figured (based on the internet) that we should see hatchlings between 6/6/24 and 6/10/24.  I checked at lunchtime yesterday, but still nothing.  Today I noticed that the mom was spending a lot of time hanging out in the doorway.  I wondered if maybe she was sticking close to defend the nest, but NOT sitting on the eggs (so they could hatch).  She flew off while I was out filling the feeders, so I decided to sneak a peek:

One hatched, three to go!  Last round I didn't get a photo in the first day or two, they almost looked like birds then.  Not so today!