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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Crops & Clips: August, 2012 Meme Mashup

This month's potpourri gathered from my photo archives features the themes of critters, fences, skies, macros and reflections. It is a retrospective view of photos taken three years ago, in August, 2012. Actually it is a scavenger hunt, as at that time I did not seek to portray each of these memes. Let's see how far I need to go into the month to find at least one of each. If I can get them all I will have won the game eight months in a row since starting in January, 2015.

The month started out on a disappointing note. I should have been happy because the native Trema trees were bursting with fruit and this foretold of lots of food for the warblers and tanagers passing through this autumn. We were about to leave for our second home in Illinois.


August 8, 2012:

Trema Berries ripening 20120808

However, the vandals who had ravaged my favorite "sit spot" which, four years ago,  I called the "Fake Hammock" had completed their destruction of the habitat. After cutting down all 5 of the mature Tremas, their campfires ignited a blaze that completely opened up my shady and secluded retreat. Now it is exposed to the sun and invaded by tall grass:

Destruction in Fake Hammock 20120808

CRITTERS:


Also on August 8, I watched as an Anhinga caught and then swallowed a very large sunfish in our local wetlands. Here is a link to a video of the entire sequence of photos  "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head":  

Anhinga with sunfish 02-20120808

Anhinga with sunfish 10-20120808

In contrast, the same day, this Tricolored Heron caught a tiny fish in our back yard lake. Look closely:


Tricolored Heron with tiny fish 20120808

A pair of Common Ground Doves walked the gravel road on August 8, 2012. The more brightly colored one is the male:

Common Ground-Doves 20120808

A Northern Parula was the final warbler I would log before departing from Florida, this photo also taken on August 8, 2012


Northern Parula 3-20120808

In Illinois, a family of Sandhill Cranes occupied the"backyard" of our condo. Their feathers are discolored by minerals in the water:

Sandhill Crane family 2-20120812

On August 22, 2012, at an Illinois sod farm, I captured this "triple play" of a Killdeer, an American Golden-Plover, and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper:

Killdeer-Buffie-Golden trio 20120822

MACRO: 

On August 24, a delightful photo of a female Chestnut-sided Warbler in Batavia, Illinois:

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) SOOC cropped 20120824

A Green Anole (August 4), a female Julia heliconian (August 8) and a bee look-alike hoverfly (August 31) posed for my favorite MACROs of the month:

Green Anole 2-20120804

Julia Heliconian female 20120808

Hoverfly 20120831


SKY, REFLECTION (and, if you look closely, a FENCE-- sorry it does not meet Texas standards, but this was the best I could do that month Theresa!):

The morning before leaving Florida we had a beautiful sunrise over our lake, on August 10, 2012:

Sunrise HDR 20120810
 
Well, that was fun. I think I may have just squeaked by and kept my record clean, provided Tex gives me a break.


Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

 Linking to I Heart Macro by Laura

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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25 comments:

  1. Hello Ken, wonderful collection of birds and images. I love the Parula and the Cranes. The sunset shot is gorgeous. Have a happy day!

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  2. Your photography skills are incredible!

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  3. enjoyed all the shots, even the far-off fencing. :) lovely views. sorry about that dreadful campfire taking our your rest spot! loved the variance in the fish catches. :)

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  4. Every shot is breathtaking. You do excellent photo work.. My favorite is the bird eating the fish,

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  5. Wonderful photos. I especially like the one of the anhinga eating the fish! We will go to Rockport, Texas, this fall to see the cranes. Looking forward to it!

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  6. Fabulous post. - So sad about the vandals though. Loved the shots of the Anhinga with the sunfish and the Heron with that tiny little fish. - You find such great birds to photograph and today I also enjoyed the lizard shot. That last shot was so pretty even if the fence was hard to find, who cares with a sunset that lovely.

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  7. Hi Kenneth well you certainly did it again. GORGEOUS images and that sunrise over your lake is stunning. Love all the birds shots and it was lovely to see the 3 waders in the same shot. Lovely group of Cranes adn that butterfly is beautiful. I wondered did yo see that tiny fish when you took that shot? Have a lovely weekend ahead.

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  8. @Margaret-- Thanks, and no I did not see that tiny fish until I viewed the photo on the computer. An entirely lucky shot!

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  9. Fantastic captures. The last shot is gorgeous.

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  10. Sorry to hear about your hide being vandalized. A great set of pics as always...the Heron with the tiny fish is an amazing capture!
    ~

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  11. Sweet birds in this post! What a combo....American Golden Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper.....you don't see that everyday!

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  12. Amazing shots...I always enjoy coming here and try to wait till I can just sit and enjoy your photography.

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  13. Love the size of the fish in those shots. What a contrast!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  14. Hello Ken, just stopping back to say thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy weekend!

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  15. It is really fantastic collection of the birds life... Every one is amazing... The sunrise is absolutely gorgeous too...

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  16. Absolutely extraordinary photography. Impossible to choose a favourite. Shocked that minerals in the water could have such an affect. I think I see a fence in the 2nd photo :)

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  17. Looks like fire beyond - well done!

    http://einwenighiervonunddavon.blogspot.de/2015/08/weekend-reflections-in-bruegge-belgiume.html

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  18. @Black Jack's Carol-- Thank you for visiting! The cranes are said to take mud in their bills and work it into their feathers while preening. Iron oxide and possibly other minerals such as manganese cause permanent staining.

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  19. Gorgeous pictures... the one with bird and fish is so perfectly timed

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  20. That sunrise is phenomenal!!! And your 'last warbler' is precious. Love the "king"fishers....I will promise to go to the video link after I leave a comment. I was reading the other day about the buff breasted sandpiper on TexBirds...a rare sighting just up the road a piece by 100 miles a lot have been spotted...listed on the ABA Texas Birds as RARE. Too hot to drive that far for me with temps soaring to the triple digits...but now I know what they look like. I've also been on the 'look out' for the ground doves seen here near us. Maybe someday.

    Great shares Ken, and thanks for adding the link for us bird enthusiasts at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

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  21. Some absolutely stunning photographs! I thoroughly enjoyed this blast from your recent past! Gorgeous bird shots, macros and sunset particularly!

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  22. It is amazing how that bird swallowed that big sunfish.
    Truly delightful, unique photographs - enjoyed all of them!
    The sunset is breathtaking.
    Have a Beautiful day!
    Peace :)

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  23. Your self imposed challenges are always so much fun. Marvels, but being of my advanced age and all I sometimes forget what I meant to say about the early photos by the time I get to the end. However today the bigger than his head meal will stick in my weak memory forever! Amazing! Love all the birds and everything .. Except for the vandalism. Who does that? Sickening.

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  24. Such an impressive array of pictures. My favourites are the three different waders together and the very large Sunfish shot. Incredible.

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  25. such a great collection of images -- incredible that the anhiga was able to swallow that sunfish, from the first frame I thought it looked hopeless!

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