Happy Woosday!!!

Gator Bait

 
I thought I would post a few from a trip to the beach earlier this year as it's been awfully hot for lugging a camera and tripod around.

A Ring Billed Gull




The Black Skimmers are unusual birds, they fly just over the surface of the water with their mouths open and just the lower half of their bill in the water. If it was looking at you the bill is very thin like a knife blade. Skimming along they snag small fish that they eat on the fly. Feeding mostly at night you can sometimes hear them over head, they have a call that reminds me of a small dog barking.


Graceful even in sleep.


This large flock will roost on the same sand bar every day when the tide is out. They let me get within about 15 - 20 feet of them with no complaints. A large bird with about a 4 foot wing span. Every now and then they will all fly up at once, circle the sand bar and then settle right down again. It's an amazing sensation to have a couple hundred birds that size leap up in flight while you are standing that close to them. In less then a minute or two they are back on the sand bar sound asleep.




Happy Woosday All,

Gator

 

mr toad

a lobster or ten - grand-kids' favorite
mr toad

Gator Bait

 
Those are looking great mr toad. I'd love a few of those for breakfast! Thanks for sharing.

Gator

 

Boxerpapa

fishlessman

nm

fishlessman

pics this week arent so graceful, my ramp beaten down by an eleven year old. only thing serene about it will probably be his punishment, fifteen minutes of quiet time. almost found all the glass to put back in

Susan Egglaine

Fluffyb

Stunning pictures! Thank you for sharing.

Fluffyb

Hibiscus from by garden.


Pair of kitties.


More desert flowers.

Cpt'n Cook

I always enjoy your photos Gator.

vidalia1

Susan that box turtle is looking at you... :P

Gator Bait

 
Your garden must be a work of art! Great photos Boxerpapa, thanks for sharing.

Gator

 

Gator Bait

 
Great photos Susan, I have always liked Box Turtles. I used to have a Labrador Retriever that would point on them. Something about the way they smelled really fascinated him and if there was one anywhere at hand he would find it and point. The markings on our southern variety are quit different.


Thanks for sharing,

Gator

 

Gator Bait

 
Sorry to hear your having a tough week fishlessman. Looks like it's time to go fishing. :(

Gator

 

Gator Bait

 
Thanks Teresa, they are a lot of work but very rewarding.

Gator

 

Gator Bait

 
Great photos Teresa, I love pictures of a sleeping kitty, they always look so content and comfortable. At one time I think I slept that well. :laugh:

Gator

 

Gator Bait

 
Thanks Cpt'n, hearing that adds to the fun of taking them. I have trouble walking and had to carry my heavy tripod and camera over half a mile across the mud flats for these. It is a labor of love. The heat and humidity are slowing me down this time of year.

Gator

 

Cpt'n Cook

Gator

I know where you're coming from, I got those walkin blues too!

Cpt'n C

JLOCKHART29

Some one get you a job for National Geographic! Always outstanding wild life pics Gater!

WooDoggies

Wow! Nice shots, Gator. The compressed perspective of the last two shots makes it look like you caught all of the skimmers just before they fell into a huge tangle.


Here are a few from our garden in full summer swing.





Luminescent prickly pear, zuch blossom and mullein.











Cool blue bug with white camouflage eyes on it's backside.






And a couple more...








Happy WoosDay!

john

YB

Here is a box turtle from my backyard.

Larry

WooDoggies

Dude, that sucks. That eleven year old sounds like he needs a little more than 15 minutes of quiet time.
Good grief.


john

fishlessman

this state wont even give you the kids name and if you even said something to him the officer on duty would be on your case. im guessing maybe 15 to 20 grand with all the other vehicles he did this too down the street. i figure mom gives him 15 minutes now, and sometime down the road a judge gives him 5 to 10 yrs for doing something stupid like this when he is older

Photo Egg

Very cool bug photo. I have seen many similar but not to that extreme.
Darian

Gator Bait

 
Thanks JL, nice critters yourself! What are the snakes? If they were around here I would think they were Black Racers but those look bigger then our Black Racers. Your horses are always gorgeous. I'm guessing mother duck is a Mallard. I had to wait for a family of 6 ducks as they crossed the street the other day. They were funny because they were all grown up but still walking around shoulder to shoulder like they were still chicks. :cheer:

Gator

 

WooDoggies

Thanks, Darian. A quick check and it looks like the cool blue bug is an Oncometopia nigricans or Sharpshooter.
The bug book says it's range is Florida... if that's the case, he's a long way from home. And the description doesn't mention anything about the white "eyes". If you can find out anything more, I'd love to know. Cheers!


john

Gator Bait

 
Thanks John but WOW yourself! Those are beautiful. That bug is bizarre!

Gator

 

Gator Bait

 
My parents would have given me 15 - 20 and I wouldn't have been able to sit down for a month! If he had been mine I would have doubled it just for good measure.

Gator

 

Serial Griller

water iris

peones

clematis

water iris

Gator Bait

 
Hi John, it seams that you have found the female of the species. I have seen reference to one photographed in Maryland here http://www.insectimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1366063 as well as Louisiana and Georgia but have also seen reference to them being found only in Florida. Go figure! :blink: (Actually not unusual in the field of Biology)

Some photos . . .
http://bugguide.net/node/view/55974
http://bugguide.net/node/view/203235

The cause for the white spots . . .
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~rakitov/oviposition.html


Cool,

Gator

 

fishlessman

couldnt imagine what would have happened when i got home, i think i would have just run away for ten to twenty :laugh: the police back then would have called all involved in that night as well, i dont get this minor thing and hiding names etc, there would have been some face to face, has to be this state im living in. as it sits right now i couldnt even name someone for small claims