Big Bang Black Hole

2012, Here We Go!

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:14:00 +0000

Looks like 2012 is off to a great start. The sunrises and sunsets have been spectacular. Here's sunrise earlier this week.

Cyndi and I have been involved in various pursuits to try to stay active and creative. She's invited me to her English Country Dance group, and they put up with my mistakes in a most collegial way, so I'm giving it a try. I'll let you know when the YouTube video is ready for prime time.

Last weekend Cyndi, her daughter Emily, and I took a class in pottery. I threw a few bowls and a plate.

Cyndi bought Emily a class in glass blowing, and Emily made some marvelous Christmas ornaments. This one was very colorful!

And, Cyndi took a class in enamel, and one of the results is pictured below.

Snowy Owls have been in the news, wandering far south of their usual arctic haunts. On Christmas Eve Cyndi and I went to see a pair of them that came to a nearby town. Here's the whiter one.

We went back again today, and though it was in a different field it was still in the same general area. This time I tried to photograph it through my scope.

So far 2012 has been an exciting year, and I have high hopes for adventure and excitement as the year unfolds. Looks like there's gonna be an annular eclipse of the sun sweeping across the continent not to far from me. Count me in.

Impossible Eclipse

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Today's total lunar eclipse is known as an "impossible eclipse" because the moon is in totality at sunrise. Cyndi and I awoke early and absorbed a lot of coffee (with chocolate and cinnamon). We then proceeded to a dark place, on the Oregon Trail, near where we live. Here is the result. Enjoy. In this image you can see the State Capitol building, and the place where I work.

The Scavenger Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:47:00 +0000

Can you believe it? I never participated in a Scavenger Hunt ... until recently. Cyndi put together a winning team, and yes, we really did win! We had to find some things and bring them back physically, and others we needed to photograph to document some activity. All with a time limit. We had a huge list with things to bring back like a raisin, a valentine, a parking ticket and much more.

We also had to find and photograph things like a rotary telephone, a small car, and an engraved brick.

And, we had to have photos of ourselves in certain places, positions, or situations. Like on the Idaho State Capitol steps and at a bus stop, or with a bride or groom, or behind the wheel of a taxi. As you can imagine, we briefly met many strangers (who often thought us stranger).

You get the idea. A good time was had by all. In this photo we are "wading in a fountain" as required. Part of the fun is dissing the other teams' efforts, and I'll just state here and for the record ... I never saw their feet in the water.

Nevermind, they can have the point for photographing their faces in front of a fountain ... they still didn't match our results!

And, since from this photo it might look like I'm not taking my online schooling seriously, I have to give an update. I just finished my second semester one month early, and instead of the required 12 credits I earned 21 credit units moving my graduation date a bit earlier.

A few more from Maine

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:21:00 +0000

To finish up my series of posts of photos from our Maine vacation, I'll share these last few images. We fly into Bangor, and nearby is the Orono Bog, which we have visited in a few different seasons now. This time we were fortunate to see the Sundew, a carnivorous plant with sticky droplets on the end of hairs that cover each leaf. An insect can get trapped, stuck by the droplet, and the leaf slowly folds around the insect and digests it.

This Spruce Grouse kept a watchful eye on us as we passed. Her chicks were feeding nearby.

There were numerous types of orchid in bloom.

On another hike we found this saprophyte, Indian Pipes.

Maine can be thick with biting flies of many kinds, but we were not too bothered on this visit. I photographed this fly which seemed determined to hover in one spot.

This Canada Lily was in a botanical garden we visited.

Near the ocean we found Cedar Waxwings.

And a Common Yellowthroat.

This Belted Kingfisher sat on a wire, watching the creek below for any signs of fish.

An Osprey was gathering material to patch a nest.

We walked a short trail to Sand Beach in Corea. Sandy beaches are rare in that part of Maine. The ocean currents tend to take all the fine material southward, leaving the rocky cliffs and cobblestones.

The wild rose was in bloom.

This Black-throated Green Warbler visited us at Frasier Point, a part of Acadia National Park that gave us an opportunity to explore tide pools.

Acadia National Park

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:18:00 +0000

We visited Acadia National Park while in Maine. We walked this boardwalk near the Sieur de Mont Spring. The Red-eyed Vireos called from the treetops but were impossible to spot.

Here's a view from the Boardwalk.

We saw a Downy Woodpecker.

And a Puffball fungi.

This Eastern Phoebe has an insect it just caught.

My brother Timothy joined us at the end of our vacation, and he took us on a hike he enjoys, climbing the Beech Cliff Trail overlooking Echo Lake. Echo Lake has a swimming beach, so we could cool off with a swim after this steep climb.

This trail has numerous iron ladders bolted into the granite, and in this photo I've just climbed up one ladder and am photographing Cyndi below while she photographs me above.

After the hike, we went for a swim, and this American Black Duck was there at the beach, taking advantage of all the chips left over from some earlier picnic.

Sullivan, Maine

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:14:00 +0000

My parents live on an estuary called the Taunton River. It really isn't a river at all, but a narrows where the ocean's salt water ebbs and flows with the changing tides. At the head is Hog Bay, named for the domestic pigs that would wallow in the mud at low tide. It's just a short walk down the hill to the estuary, through the Gordon Cemetery. My parents purchased their home from the Gordon family. This headstone is for Admiral Judson Gordon, who died in New Orleans July 27, 1862. The headstone made reference to the fact that Judson answered his country's call to duty and died far from home. Though I do not know the details of this individual, some research informed me that the Battle of New Orleans was a pivotal Union victory in the Civil War. The battle was fought months before, so I can only wonder if Judson received a wound that much later proved fatal, or it he just perished of disease or some other cause, at the young age of 29 years and 4 months while serving Company 1 of the 13th Maine Regiment. How very fortunate I am, to have now lived more than two lifetimes when compared with his short time on Earth.

Here's another access to the estuary. This dirt road goes down to the water through an evergreen forest.

Many little creeks empty into the estuary.

The image below is Mud Creek. The tides come far to fill this creek bed with brackish water at every high tide.

Eel Grass and rockweed sit at the edge of the tidal basin, cast up at the high-tide line as the water ebbed.

At sunset the warm evening hues reflect off the water.

Here's an expansive view of the Taunton River, looking toward Hog Bay.

Whales, Puffins and pelagic birds

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:09:00 +0000

On our recent visit to Maine, Cyndi and I went on a whale watch with Bar Harbor Whale Watch. The tour we went on made a point of going to an island where Puffins nest, and we were as interested in birds as whales. Onshore it was a 90-degree day. On the Gulf of Maine, the temperature was 45-degrees. We knew we were getting close when we saw Terns bringing fish to their young. The short bill suggests this may be the Arctic Tern.

Here's the island we approached, Petit Manan. I think this might be Maine's tallest lighthouse. This was a large boat, a jet catamaran, so we didn't land. There were only a few bird researchers on the island.

Near Petit Manan we saw Common Murre.

And Razorbill.

The real excitement was over Atlantic Puffins.

They're not very aerodynamic. They're almost like a penguin, with bodies built more for swimming than flying. That colorful bill is only sported during the breeding season.

This next bird is a Laughing Gull. The black hood and red bill makes them distinctive, and much more showy than the prevalent Herring Gull.

And I saw Northern Gannett for the first time. Some of them were diving after fish, folding their wings back and plunging into the water like a dart.

We spotted Atlantic White-sided Dolphins. I'd never seen that mammal before.

There were Greater Shearwater in abundance, many floating on the ocean near where we stopped to observe the dolphins.

I enjoyed seeing the Wilson's Storm-petrel. They flit about just over the surface of the water.

Here's another. I'd get excited when I saw these birds and proclaim, "There's one!" to Cyndi, much to the irritation of the whale watchers who would always turn to see a whale and be disappointed, again.

When there's a whale, it's hard to miss. When it is a pair of Humpback Whales, they're awesome. "Thar she blows!"

Whale tails become encrusted with barnacles and scarred by encounters with Killer Whales, so every whale has a unique tail, much as people have unique fingerprints. The tail can be used for identification. The biologist on board the tour said these two were Gemini and Triton, and Gemini was first seen in 1976, and Triton in 1981.

There they go, back to the deep to feed in the cold upwelling nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf of Maine. Click on a tail to get a closer look at the scars, bite marks, and barnacles.

We watched them for about a half-hour. They often slapped their tails forcefully against the water, and the biologist said that is presumed to be a way to communicate over great distances, and may assist in knocking some of the barnacles off. I thought they were just "marking their territory" since there was a big boat stopped next to them. Maybe it is a warning, like, "Could be whalers." It was certainly a joy to watch, and the tour ran overtime ... to our delight.

Maine warblers and other birds

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:13:00 +0000

Cyndi and I took a trip to Maine in July, to visit my parents, eat some lobster, and see the Atlantic Ocean.

There are many icons that make me think of Maine.

The Black-capped Chickadee is the state bird, so it is near the top of my list.

Blueberry fields abound in Maine. I even raked blueberries once long ago to earn some extra money, when I was in high school. They're harvested with a tool that is a bit like a scoop with tines, called a rake.

Every morning before sunrise we were awakened by birdsong, and getting out of bed was always rewarded with wonderful views of warblers and other birds in the yard.

Here is a Magnolia Warbler.

This one is a Brown Creeper.

Here's Cyndi sneaking up to view the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that is feeding in the locust trees. My mother grew those beautiful sunflowers, and behind Cyndi is a tangle of thornless raspberry bushes.

The raspberries were ripe!

Here's the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, hard at work making a new row of holes to allow the tree sap to flow. The sap is sticky and attracts insects. I think the sapsucker eats both the sap and the insects. You can see a previous row of holes, with white sap, near the bottom left of the picture.

This Leopard Frog was living in the garden.

The call of the Red-breasted Nuthatch could be frequently heard.

Both the above photos are Northern Parula. They sure are colorful.

The Black-and-white Warbler, like a Nuthatch, will often go headfirst down a tree or branch.

Though not brightly colored, the Black-and-white Warbler is very elegant and beautiful.

I suppose this one, though a bit distant, is one of my favorites. An adult Blackburnian Warbler is feeding the juvenile.

Swallowtail on Sweet William

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Idaho birds

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:44:00 +0000

Where has the time gone? I've been studying hard and taking exams, for the most part. But, to get a little fresh air and exercise Cyndi makes sure I take my eyes from the computer screen from time to time, and we go birding. I've not found the time to blog, or even edit all the photos I've taken.

I've just finished another course of study and am in my final review for my next exam. To reward myself for my determination to get through this one I'm spending a little while organizing and editing my photos.

You now get to share the joy I've had taking these. You might want to click on some of your favorites in this batch to see them really large. The feather structure can be seen in the close-ups.

This is a Chipping Sparrow.

Though we didn't enter the closed area, of course, we could still see some wildlife. It wasn't hard to find!

This Killdeer is one of those photos you might enjoy seeing larger. Look at that eye color! And, I must say, you can probably tell that the bird was not running in fear for its life. I'm learning to get along better with our avian friends. Patience and a longer lens are my secrets.

Here's a colorful Kestrel.

These are Horned Grebe.

Everybody loves Eagles, and this is a mature Golden Eagle.

The Mountain Bluebird is Idaho's state bird.

I got quite close to this Yellow-headed Blackbird, and the light was favorable as well.

Here's an American Avocet feeding.

I had to put in another, so you could see that wonderful curved bill.

Here's a Wilson's Phalarope.

And, a muskrat is gathering plant materials. Do you think it eats that stuff? Or is it making a nice home with a soft bed?

I saw this Pronghorn yesterday. Cyndi and I took the long way home from her mother's house in Gooding.

And this fox kit was seen just outside of the urban area of Boise at Foote Park by the Boise River.

Vacation in Nevada and Utah

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:24:00 +0000

First, an update on my progress toward a degree ... I've completed my first semester requirements ahead of schedule and am already working on next semester's studies. There will be another difficult Cisco exam, but I'm feeling confident. Wish me luck.

Cyndi and I took a week-long vacation to see her parents, and we birded our way through Idaho, Nevada, a tiny piece of Arizona, and Utah before arriving back home. Because most of my free time is now spent studying, I'm going to make just one long blog post with the highlights of our trip. (I even did a little studying while on the vacation, and will be working mandatory overtime later this month. Whew, where does all the time go?)

Here we are at the base of a Joshua Tree, enjoying the warm spring day.

The skies were mostly clear, and the further south we drove the warmer the days became.

We visited a remarkable birding hot spot called the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. That name sounds more glamorous than "sewage treatment ponds" does it not? And, it's a more fitting name as well. Where else could one get a photo of a Common Moorhen, Cinnamon Teal, and Green-winged Teal all in one shot?

And, I got my wish there when this Crissal Thrasher foraged on the ground, diving its long curve bill deep into the soil probing for insects. This was a Life Bird for me, the first one of that species I'd ever encountered.

When up in a tree, the curved bill can be seen more clearly.

The Verdin were busy building nests, but I managed to get a photo of this one before it went back to work.

And would you believe it ... a Roadrunner! Running! In broad daylight. There it goes. They don't hang around much, do they?

On the way out of Nevada, we visited Valley of Fire and this arch caught my eye.

There was a site with ancient rock art. I like the two figures at the top left, waving or gesturing with open arms.

Here is what the rocks looked like, layered and eroding sandstone.

More rock art was seen in a side canyon.

Cyndi spotted a pair of Loggerhead Shrikes on a sandstone formation.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch and these Antelope Ground Squirrels kept getting closer and closer to us, and at one point erupted in a frenzied tussle.

The scale of the landscape can be hard to convey, but if you can spot Cyndi in the middle of the picture, you'll get the idea. Go ahead and click on the image to make it larger as that may help you to find her.

On our way toward Utah we drove across a corner of Arizona, and this is the Virgin River. It had quite a flood event recently that left rocks and sand and tree limbs scattered in the bottom of the wash. We wandered around here until it was too dark to photograph and bats were flying overhead in the dark blue sky.

The next morning we drove past this big bird. The ranch was selling Ostrich eggs. I entered it as a note on my birding list, but speculated that it was likely a captive so not one to count toward my Life List.

In the trees was a wild, unconstrained, native species, the Ferruginous Hawk, our largest hawk. What a magnificent raptor! I think I've only seen them a few times before, and never this close.

The Eurasian Collared-Doves are a recently introduced species that has spread across North America very quickly. It remains to be seen if they will disrupt other populations, but they're like a Starling or House Sparrow as far as ability to barge into an area and reproduce quickly with a rapid population growth curve. These are in a Pecan tree, at a nut orchard in Hurricane, Utah where we bought some fresh pecans.

We drove through Zion National Park. I'd never visited this park. The road is at the bottom of some beautiful canyons, so one can look up the steep walls painted with desert varnish (the deposits left after water runs down the face).

I snapped this picture out the window while Cyndi was driving. There was just too much beauty to stop and see it all. We were too late to arrive at Cyndi's brother's home in time for dinner, which wasn't the most polite we could have been. *sigh* There just were not enough hours in our days to see and do everything we wanted to, and once in an area like this it was very difficult to leave.

There was snow at the higher elevations, but it was beautiful, warm and sunny in the canyon.

The different sandstone layers represent different epochs and were laid down by wind and water over geologic time.

See the road down at the bottom left, in the shadow? That's where we just were. The road progresses up and out of the canyon as it heads northeast, toward our rendez vous with Cyndi's brother in Salt Lake City. (OK, so the road is actually going somewhat away from Salt Lake City ... but we'll backtrack northwest over a high mountain pass where the snow is still five feet deep and make it there before midnight).

Here's a Spotted Towhee who visited us as we ate lunch.

And, last but not least, on the way home from Salt Lake City (after a wonderful brunch with Derek) we stopped at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah and saw hundreds of migrating Tundra Swans. An Ermine was spotted at dusk, too, but didn't pause for a photograph.

We stopped at Cyndi's mother's home and stayed the night. In the morning we went to the Carmella Winery and Three Island Crossing State Park on the Snake River in Idaho and finally arrived home quite tuckered out and happy with all the memories and photos and fresh pecans and local wine.

Thanks for the great hospitality Bob, Kathy, Derek, and Mary!

Red-tailed Hawk

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:25:00 +0000

I've not been very good at posting of late. I suppose it deserves a quick explanation. I've started taking classes at Western Governors University. It's never too late to learn some new tricks. The classes are challenging, and I just made it past a big hurdle, passing my Cisco Certified Network Associate exam. There will also be classes in business and management, web design, programming and much more. If I can make it all the way through I'll have (another) accredited degree in Information Technology, this one with an emphasis on Security.

So, to celebrate, I did something I've really missed while studying so hard and long ... I went birding. Yesterday Cyndi and I drove down to the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area on the Snake River. We saw Golden and Bald Eagles (including a pair at their nest), Prairie Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrel. Here's the best photo of the day, a Red-tailed Hawk landing on a utility pole.

Lunar eclipse, Winter Solstice, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:01:00 +0000

Schoodic Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:17:00 +0000

On nearly the final day of our vacation we set off through the Maine woods to climb Schoodic Mountain, which rises on the mainland with a commanding view past Mount Desert Island and beyond to the open ocean. Looking north, one sees unbroken forest canopy and in the far distance Mount Katahdin, Maine's tallest peak and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

Large boulders, decaying logs and colorful leaves made this a wonderful hike.

Here a piece of bark from the White Birch tree rests among the leaf litter on the forest floor.

Beech trees were turning a golden yellow.

Amazingly, even this fungi was a bright yellow.

This log had many shelf fungi displaying concentric lines of brown and white.

There were even some of the "classic" variety of toadstool, with stem and cap.

We saw lichens, liverworts, and mosses galore. This image shows browning leaves among the Reindeer Moss (Cladonia rangiferina). It is actually a lichen, not a moss. And, yes, Reindeer do eat them (though there are not Reindeer in Maine).

These colorful fungi were peeking through the leaf litter as well. It was as if even the fungi wanted to get in on the colorful autumn celebration.

Overhead, a Hairy Woodpecker was hard at work on a decaying tree. I was initially disappointed when it took flight, but then became elated as it landed on a closer trunk with this gorgeous background of golden foliage framing it.

These Puffballs are inhabiting a rotting Birch trunk.

Cyndi often lagged behind, as I hurried toward the summit. I'd look back to see her prone on the ground, taking another photo of some unusual fungi. I'm not showing you all the different types I photographed ... and Cyndi found and documented even more than I did! The trail itself was gorgeous, and wild, and would serve well as an example of how to manage a wilderness resource. The trail was easy enough to follow, but largely untrammeled, with an outstanding opportunity for a primitive, unconfined type of recreation. I want to thank the State of Maine for preserving this area in such a pristine condition.

As a youth, I attended a meeting in which citizens had come together to try to formulate a plan to preserve this unique and beautiful area. Though we were warned of the dangers that it could be "loved to death" if its beauty was too well advertised, I'm pleased that it did not become a woodlot or gravel pit.

The natural inhabitants of the area thank you all for your support, and for keeping the wheels of progress off their backs.

And from the summit of Schoodic Mountain, here's a view over the lakes and forests of inland Maine. Looks rather flat, doesn't it, compared to the Northern Rockies? The ponderous glaciers of the last ice age rested heavily on this land, and ground inexorably south as far as what is now Manhattan Island in New York. That slow grinding polished some of the rock like mirrors, and sheared off most anything that stuck up toward the sky. This region of Maine rests on a solid batholith of pink and gray granite.

Acadia National Park

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:11:00 +0000

Acadia National Park was the first National Park to be designated east of the Mississippi River, and is now the third-most-visited park in the system. It is within easy reach of large population centers on the east coast, but draws people from around the world. They come for the gulls, but stay for the scenery and a taste of fresh lobster.

Here's a Herring Gull on a rock, one of many quintessential Maine scenes.

These are Greater Black-backed Gulls. No dump gulls, these. They prefer the ocean to a landfill, and are larger than the Herring Gulls that make up much of the gull population. Here they're drinking fresh water at the edge of the ocean, where a small stream trickles into the sea.

The relentless wave action breaks apart the granite on Schoodic Peninsula and polishes it into cobblestones, making a wonderful wind-chime noise as the smooth rocks roll in heavy surf and clank and bonk against one another.

The Black Guillemot has changed into winter plumage, and its natty tuxedo is mottled like the snow and spume which are soon to arrive as winter blows onshore.

This is a view of Frenchman Bay, looking out at islands and a lighthouse.

Near the park headquarters, a stand of birches with peeling bark create a shady grove.

Sand Beach is one of the few places in that part of Maine where sand is to be found. Here it draws sunbathers in the summer, and even in October a few fearless youngsters were swimming in the ocean ... well, at least jumping in and running out. That's about the extent of "swimming" to be had in the cold Labrador Current and local rip tides.

At low tide the black and olive rock weed lies draped over the rocks, and above them white barnacles coat the granite. The barnacles remain tightly closed until the return of the ocean waters with the incoming tide.

Offshore, Common Eider paddle just beyond the crashing surf.

Cyndi and I stopped for mid afternoon tea and scones at Jordan Pond House, and enjoyed the view of the Bubbles in autumn with many other vacationers (or "leaf peepers" as we all are collectively known in the fall).

Throughout Acadia National Park (formerly the Rockefeller estate, before it was donated), carriage paths wind near the most scenic spots and many hand-crafted stone bridges can be viewed. Each is unique.

This small stream had collected some of the most vibrant leaves. The smell of years of moist, decomposing forest duff mixes with the clean, salty ocean air. Footsteps are muffled by moss and soft earth. It really is a magical place.

The American Black Duck often interbreeds with Mallards, but this one does look to me to be the American Black Duck because of the olive colored bill.

Both sunset and sunrise from Cadillac Mountain are always crowd-pleasers, and even on a cold, windy, rainy evening many people had made the trek to the summit to watch the last rays of day fade from view. The body of water seen here is Frenchman Bay, looking toward my parents' home in West Sullivan across the bay on the mainland.

West Sullivan, Maine

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:05:00 +0000

Growing up in Maine, I wasn't a birder. I was aware of birds, and enjoyed seeing them, and even recall having some pointed out to me along with their names or habits. But I never appreciated just how birdy my yard was. Fortunately, it still is birdy. Within sight of a tidal estuary, mud flats, deep salt water, a swamp, open fields, a hardwood forest, and evergreen trees ... its an ecotone for sure.

Whenever I visit my parents I can't look out the window without seeing some interesting bird. Here a just a few seen in the yard.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle race).

Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

White-breasted Nuthatch.

Red-breasted Nuthatch, and in a classic pose ... they work their way down a tree with their head down. Most birds prefer to have their head up, but these little ones have plenty of grip in their feet and go down the tree head-first.

I mentioned the estuary across the street. Here it is at high tide, and sunset. It's called the Taunton River, but is really salt water as evidenced by the lobster buoys dotting its surface. It empties and refills through a narrow "reversing falls". The action of the tides cause whitewater rapids to form as the estuary cycles. It flows into Frenchman Bay, which in turn opens upon the cold, nutrient-rich Gulf of Maine ... after that it's open ocean and the vast Atlantic.

Up at the head of the estuary I photographed it in different light the next morning, at low tide. Two clam diggers work the mud flats of Hog Bay beneath the changing autumn light.

The land overlooking this estuary contains some very productive Blueberry fields, and in autumn they light up like an impressionist painting. I'm told that each blueberry plant spreads by roots, so is a single clone covering an area ... and each clone turns different autumn colors according to its own internal clock, leading to this magnificent celebration of red, yellow and orange.

An extended family of Eastern Bluebirds was working in the fields, gathering some last-minute protein to fortify themselves for the impending migration southward before winter's chill arrived.

The trees were returning their nutrients to their roots for the winter, draining all green from the leaves, revealing the true colors hidden beneath.

While driving to visit friends, and running late, we saw this beautiful pond. I advised Cyndi we had time to take three photos each, but only three. This was my first exposure. I think it was the best of my three. Often first impressions are the ones to go with.

This harbor is Sorrento, and lies off a small peninsula near my parents' home.

Common Loons in winter plumage were frequenting the harbor.

Another Red-breasted Nuthatch posed against the golden autumn hues.

Blue Jays have been a bit of a nemesis for me to photograph, and on my last day there, on one last walk through the neighborhood just before driving to the airport, this one flew down close to where I stood ... perhaps to wish me a safe journey and tempt me to return soon to listen to their raucous calls and enjoy their noisy, colorful antics.

Orono Bog

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I recently took a vacation in Maine, in the autumn, with Cyndi ... and went to see my parents, the fall color, the ocean, and all the things I love. We arrived late at night, and spent the night at a motel in Bangor. The next morning my parents came to pick us up, and by my request, we headed right for the Orono Bog. This natural area has an interpretive boardwalk. And, good thing too, because a bog is an area formerly open water, now slowly filling in with decomposing moss and water-loving vegetation. Sometimes the mat of moss actually hides a pocket of open water, and one can punch through the surface to the mucky water below. The boardwalk bobs up and down as one walks on it, like a dock floating on water.

This is a unique vegetation community, and the boardwalk goes from hardwood forest to coniferous forest to bog. The photo above is the bog. The trees may look small, but they're stunted by the harsh, wet conditions and can be as old as the tall mature forest in the distance.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew overhead. Often raptors and accipiters course over the open area, seeking prey.

The tiny tree is called by many common names: hackamatack, tamarack, larch. Whatever you call it, it is a tree with needles that sheds the needles in autumn. Next to it are some tiny Black Spruce trees, the classic bog-dweller.

This Golden-crowned Kinglet was in the larger forest, along with nuthatches and chickadees.

A Hermit Thrush or two was seen.

And, my favorite, the carnivorous Pitcher Plant. It has downward pointing hairs on the leaves, which are fused together to form a structure that fills with water which the plant supplements with digestive enzymes. Insects fall into the water, can't escape, and are digested to feed the plant. Cool, huh?

My next blog posts, and there will be three, will show the area around the Taunton River estuary where my parents live, then Acadia National Park (one of America's most-visited), and finally the Maine woods. Stay tuned ...

Night Sky II

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:38:00 +0000

I learned from a friend that Jupiter is at its closest approach to earth this year at this time, so when I heard the Great Horned Owls calling by the light of the full moon I just had to go out to see (and hear) the show. Two owls (or more) were calling to each other and high clouds slightly obscured the view. Only the moon and Jupiter could be seen. First I looked through my telescope, but when I saw Jupiter I just felt compelled to try to take a photo to better tell my tale. First, though, here's the moon as seen with my new camera.

To my delight and amazement, the four largest moons of Jupiter were all to be seen. One was on the left side, very close to the planet. To the right, another hovered about four Jovian diameters away ... and right against the right side of Jupiter the two remaining moons sparkled. One nearly touched the edge, and I'm sure if I look again soon it will have either passed in front of, or behind, the planet. Even with the faint haze, the two further moons show in this photo ... and the closer ones disappear in the bright haze illuminated by the Jovian glow. Through my scope the dark bands can be clearly seen. If you're a sky-watcher, this week is a great time to look up!

It would take more knowledge than I have to say for sure which moon should go by which name. After all, one may appear close, but really be at a greater distance from Jupiter. Wouldn't it be fun to watch hour after hour, night after night, until one knew which was the inner, and which the outer, moon?

And, if you're an early riser ... Mercury is making one of only two appearances this year about a half-hour before sunrise, seen right where the sun will soon rise, visible even after all the stars have been obscured by the brightening morning sky. I'm not much of a morning person, so you'll have to tell me about it!

Crater Lake ... and the trip home

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:14:00 +0000

It was with mixed feelings that we left the coast and headed inland once again. The beauty of the sea had been tempered by fog and wind. But, as soon as we got a few thousand yards from the coast, the weather was summertime hot again in an instant!

Seeing the big trees in the Coast Range is always a joy, though. We were determined to get to our next stop, Cyndi's brother's home in Prospect, before nightfall. Nonetheless, we still made time for a couple of quick stops. We took a very short hike in the big trees, up a verdant creek, to see Oregon's highest waterfall.

It was already turning darker, and the mosquitoes kept us moving toward our goal.

Cyndi's brother works at Crater Lake National Park, and the morning after our arrival he took us to an overlook near the park lodge. I'd never seen this particular vantage before, and the deep blue of the water was stunning!

Far below my perch on the rim, the steep sides of this volcanic crater plunged quickly out of sight into the bottomless blue depths.

Inside the lodge, I was fascinated by this stairway and wall which showcased bark as the facing material, rather than peeled logs or sawn beams. The grand public spaces of our National Park Lodges are always worth investigating.

Next, for the afternoon's adventure, we set out to see a place in the park I had never seen before, called The Needles. Here they are on the far side of a canyon.

Seen closer, they are eroded spires of volcanic ash and tuff, fused into fantastical shapes.

The interpretive sign explained that these were the fumarole vents long ago, and the hot gasses and mineral-rich steam fused them solid.

As the surrounding material eroded away, only the hardened core remains standing today.

On our way out of the park, we left via the South Entrance, and headed across the vast sagebrush desert, homeward.

We went across the Upper Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

After a long day of driving, we stopped at sunset and pitched our tent in the sagebrush.

As the curtain of darkness dropped, we ate some dinner and fell asleep to the sound of coyotes. It would be a short drive home in the morning after a good night's sleep under a clear, starry sky.

Bandon and environs

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:28:00 +0000

Bandon, Oregon.

It has been a while since I've made time to share more of my Oregon vacation photos. It has been busy at work, and I've relished every occasion to get out and about, so will have more to share on that account as well. But, for now, to return to the story where I left off ...

The campground Cyndi and I visited was near the town of Bandon, and this lighthouse guards the entrance to the bay and harbor.

The Pelicans were feeding, and the Heerman's Gulls were attempting to steal fish from the Pelicans. The Pelicans would fly until they spotted a fish, then plummet into the water, at the last minute folding back their wings and piercing the water like a huge dart.

It was a blustery day, and there were not many people at the beach today!

I can't begin to describe the brisk wind. It picked up spindrift from the ocean and blew it ashore. I was soon shivering before the power of the sea breeze, and retreated to the car to warm up and clean my camera lens.

Even the Heerman's Gulls (the darker ones with red bills) and Western Gulls were hunkered down in the parking lot, all facing into the wind.

Sometimes the fog rolled in, other times the sun broke through. We drove up the coast and explored the many beaches and headlands.

The Beach Pea enjoys the sandy environment doused by salt spray.

We visited Bandon on three occasions and dined there twice.

To escape the chill wind, we drove around behind the dunes to a protected lagoon where this Snowy Egret was watching for fish.

A Raven harassed one of the many Turkey Vultures we saw, hurrying it out of the Raven's territory. Turkey Vultures were just about the most numerous bird we saw ... well, I guess they were easier to count than the myriad gulls.

Wherever the coast provided steep cliffs the Pigeon Guillemot had nesting areas and they clung to the steep faces with their bright red feet.

Oregon vacation: Shore Acres

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:36:00 +0000

Cyndi, Jennifer and I all went together to Shore Acres. It's an arboretum and botanical garden set on a high cliff above one of the most spectacular shorelines I've ever witnessed. (Not as nice as the Atlantic Ocean, where I grew up, of course ... but quite good for the Pacific.) Here is a pond at the arboretum ... just on the far side is a wonderful view of the ocean!

This Black Phoebe was foraging for insects.

Here's the view of a sandy beach from high on the rocky headland. It looks like there may be a cave on the south side.

We walked down to the sandy beach. The sedimentary geology was uplifted at a 45-degree angle.

Here's a close view of that rock jutting into the sea at such an angle.

It almost seemed like there was a basalt layer in there, as I was reminded of the pillow lava from the edge of the sea in Hawaii.

The waves were crashing in, creating that soothing rhythmic heartbeat, and the warm sun on a 70-degree day was a delightful relief from the hot summer back home in Idaho.

My sister Jennifer explored the cave and proclaimed it went further into the darkness than the eye could see.

OK, this one is just a nice portrait of my best sister ever. (Thanks for driving over to the ocean to meet us and help celebrate my birthday, Jennifer!)

At sunset, after Jennifer headed homeward to her work obligations, Cyndi and I returned to the overlook and walked along the trail on the headlands. Do you see the small figures, two people on the next promontory? It is difficult to convey the scale of this scene, but the people help.

At low tide the kelp were exposed. Cyndi saw some Black Oystercatchers, but I didn't get a photo this time.

The warm evening light highlighted the strange geology.

The park closes just after sunset, and here it is, the great ball of the sun sinking into the offshore fog.

Oregon vacation: Sunset Bay State Park

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:49:00 +0000

Upon arrival at the coast we stopped to view the sand dunes and beach grasses. We did not stay long as we had plans to meet my sister at our campground, but it was neat to see these coastal dunes.

When we arrived at Sunset Bay State Park, where we would camp, no birds seemed more prevalent than the Crows! Here's a juvenile begging for food, perhaps from a sibling.

Certainly more melodious was the sweet, flutelike, breathy "freelia, freelia, freelia" of the ubiquitous Hermit Thrush.

There was a feeder at the campground's nature center, and all sorts of birds came to it in the morning. We spent many hours just enjoying the colorful show. The golden yellow of the American Goldfinch, the blood-red cap of the Cassin's Finch, the yellow and orange of the parrotlike Crossbills, and the bright blue Steller's Jay all made a rainbow of color in the morning light.

Our success at seeing and photographing hummingbirds continued for the year, with these beautiful Rufous Hummingbirds. (As an aside, while I'm typing this blog entry, three Black-chinned Hummingbirds are bickering over the hummingbird feeder outside my window!) We spent a lot of time trying to study the structure of the second tail feather to see if maybe one of these birds was the nearly-identical Allen's Hummingbird. For the record, we found that examining the tiny tail feathers of a hummingbird to be problematic at best.

The coastal geology was fascinating and beautiful. Sedimentary layers of different colors had been eroded by the waves.

This was just one of many canonball-sized orbs appearing out of the sandstone.

Perhaps some ancient civilization left these runes to be deciphered? I could not glean their message.

This was a bit easier to figure out ... fossils! In the relatively recent past, sea creatures left their imprint in this clay which has now turned to stone.

While fossils are cool, the marine mammals hauled out on this offshore rock were cooler! There was quite a mix of sea creatures out there. Though the Steller's Sea Lions were large, the Elephant Seals loomed over all others in the pack. I suppose you'll be wanting to click on this photo to get a better look.

To be continued ...

Oregon vacation: Day 1 & 2

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:45:00 +0000

On the way to the Oregon coast, on our first night, we stopped and camped in a free rustic campground on National Forest land near this small lake. It had frogs calling, bats in the evening, Chestnut-backed Chickadees (see the brown on the side) and American Three-toed Woodpeckers (no photos to marvel at, but they were there) in the trees ... and a wonderful observatory nearby with views of the surrounding mountains.

Here's Cyndi looking out the window of the Dee Wright Observatory. Built by the CCC out of native materials, it has many windows large and small. The small windows perfectly frame the geographic feature upon which they gaze, and a caption names the mountain and gives the distance to the feature.

This is one of the many mountain peaks visible.

Here's one framed by the observatory's rough lava rock opening.

Pine Siskin were the most prevalent bird seen among the lava rocks at this elevation.

We went at sunset ...

... and again at sunrise!

Here are the Sisters at sunset. The Cascade Range is volcanic in origin, and lava flowed here just 5,000 years ago.

The Pacific Crest Trail passes through, and we hiked it ... for a few feet.

Alpine meadows have a special place in my heart and soul, so it was a true joy to visit this wet area in early mountain spring. Cyndi and I spent time photographing the wildflowers.

Shooting Stars had already bloomed!

And the Elephanthead were just pushing their first flowers forth at the bottom of their spikes.

A bit lower in elevation, Beargrass was in bloom.

And, at last, in the inimitable words of the Lewis & Clark expedition, "Oh Joy! Ocean in view!" Cormorants and Great Egret greeted us that evening at the Pacific coast.

To be continued ...

New camera ::: Life bird

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:50:00 +0000

My family sent me some birthday money. A camera I've long wanted to buy was on sale ... so, thank you! I bought it!

Though criticized for its fuzzy images and halation, the camera comes with a 30x optical zoom, image stabilization, and a digital zoom that only crops some of the image instead of magnifying and interpolating. What I'm saying here is that it's like a telescope.

Last weekend was Cyndi's birthday, and we returned to the wonderful campsite we visited nearly a year ago, a little lake in the mountains at the edge of a burned area. Swimming, hiking, and birding fun was had by all (Cyndi's daughter, Emily, joined us.) OK, I swam and the others were not quite as willing to trust the waters. But we all hiked and birded.

More on that later. For now, I just want to share an example photo from the previous camera I've been using; and my new camera, to show how it magnifies distant objects. I had to ask for help to make these images. One person looked through my spotting scope and called out the bird's position relative to large landmarks, and told me if it dove underwater or not, while I tried my best to aim and shoot. "To the right of the dock," or, "By the dead tree," or, "In front of the cattails," my assistant would say ... and I'd take a photo of some water, and sometimes, the birds.

This was the first time I'd seen a Red-necked Grebe, a Life Bird! Can you see the pair of them there? That's what my old camera shows. One can't tell if they're loons, ducks, grebes, or what.

But, with the new camera ... hey, red necks and white faces; even a hint of a yellowish bill.

And, with Emily looking through the scope, proclaiming excitedly, "They're fighting or something!" I took this photo of some natural greeting behaviour on the far side of the lake.

So, considering that these birds could not even be seen with the naked eye, I'm satisfied with my birthday present. Thanks family, you're the best!

Black Widow

noreply@blogger.com (jonathan) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:22:00 +0000

I'd advise you not to rummage about in my garage.