Charlie and the Nature Factory [Warning: Stunningly Beautiful Large Photo Images]

[heyjude]

Oh, is he beautiful! Is there something wrong with his wing, I wonder? That orange stuff?

I love those birds.

 

[swachski]

I noticed that to, jude. Looks like some feathers are missing. I love the way its neck is curved... beautiful shot, Dino.

 

[swachski]

Here are my morning glories that are just like RG's. Each flower only blooms for one day, but new blooms open every day until the frost kills them. And contrary to its name, they are glorious all day.

 

[swachski]

Here are a couple shots of my dad's hibiscus. I think the buds are almost more beautiful than the opened flower, but the full bloom is pretty impressive. I thought I'd peek through the leaves so you can see the scale of these monsters.

 

[LadyV]

And the last shot I could catch of the hawk and the squirrel before the squirrel got smart and decided he needed to be somewhere else fast.

Is that squirrel capable of fast? He's quite the little porker. He could body slam that hawk.

 

[Haggis]

My money's on the hawk.

 

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

swachski! Those morning glories and that hibiscus!! Beautiful color, beautiful flowers.

LadyV... yeah. All our squirrels are porkers. We've got an oak tree in the front that's loaded with acorns. We're surrounded on three sides with pecan trees. We feed copious amounts of black sunflower seeds, thistle, and safflower seeds to the birds, in covered/caged/'squirrel proof' (Bwahahahahahahaaaa!) feeders... the buffet here at the Ol' Fashioned casa is choice.

I told Ol' Boy last fall that I was concerned about the squirrels hitting the roof when they jumped from the oak tree to the roof to run across it to the back, to hit the fence highway to the pecans and back again... he laughed at me... until he was sitting in his office (at the front of the house, right under the most-used limb of the oak) and heard the flying cow hit the shingles right above his head!

 

[Silver King]

Oh, is he beautiful! Is there something wrong with his wing, I wonder? That orange stuff?

I love those birds.

I noticed that to, jude. Looks like some feathers are missing. I love the way its neck is curved... beautiful shot, Dino.

Thank you.

The heron was flying okay, just a little wobbly as it picked up speed, which caused it to sweep the surface for a moment. The orange (or rust) coloring is natural and also appears on the upper legs of most great blues.

I'll post a closer image soon that shows the many different markings they sport.

Here are my morning glories that are just like RG's. Each flower only blooms for one day, but new blooms open every day until the frost kills them. And contrary to its name, they are glorious all day.

That angle is stunning. The trees and sky in the background help to give the viewer a remarkable perspective of the flowers.

Here are a couple shots of my dad's hibiscus...

Wow, those are huge! Did you take the second shot yourself? If so, I don't know how you managed to pull it off so well.

 

[Silver King]

A great blue heron enjoys a vigorous ruffling before it settles into a more dignified pose:

 

[Silver King]

More snowy egrets creating waterworks while feeding, a long post of recent favorites:

 

[Angie]

Those are AWESOME. The water itself looks like it's alive.

 

[Cricket18]

Lurker here. I get National Geographic and I have to say, some of these shots are just as good.

Thank you all for sharing. SK, you've got a true gift.

 

[Angie]

Lurker here. I get National Geographic and I have to say, some of these shots are just as good.

Thank you all for sharing. SK, you've got a true gift.

I second this. SK, it's a damn crime that you're not a Nat Geo photographer.

 

[heyjude]

Wow, swachski! Those are huge! Very cool.

SK, I love the heron with his feathers ruffled. Awesome! I see what you mean about the orange.

 

[swachski]

Yes, Dino, I took the pic of me peeking behind the hibiscus... I confess I cropped it so my arm holding the camera isn't showing... and of course you don't get to see the dozen photos that aren't as well composed...

I never get tired of looking at the egrets splashing in the water... it's like those close up photos of milk droplets from... the seventies, was it? Those were revolutionary at the time... (actually it was from 1937 ((I googled it))...wow) and yours are endlessly fascinating..

But I really, really like the blue heron pics... I'm thinking one of them would make a great new desktop background (to replace the snowy egret image currently there...) Maybe I could get them in high res? Pretty please?

 

[swachski]

Okay, so these may be a little weird to some, but I think the web has a certain beauty in its purposefulness and disregard of the flowers.. plus I thought of Wicked when I took them..

The wavelike shape of the web in this one brings to mind a half-underwater photo.

 

[Tepelus]

Here's a spider picture I took two months ago. I liked the web.

And speaking of spider webs, you know it's autumn when everywhere you go, you get attacked by a web. At least at my house and especially first thing in the morning leaving the house. I hate walking into webs.

 

[Tepelus]

Swachski, that had to have been one busy spider.

 

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

I hate running into a web... doesn't matter how small or how big the spider who made it is. I feel that sticky/hairy/fine thread and start doing the freakazoid dance!

 

[heyjude]

Me too OFG. I hate that feeling!

 

[Silver King]

Lurker here. I get National Geographic and I have to say, some of these shots are just as good.

Thank you all for sharing. SK, you've got a true gift.

I second this. SK, it's a damn crime that you're not a Nat Geo photographer.

You two are going to give me a big head if you don't stop; but I very much appreciate the sentiments. Thank you.

Yes, Dino, I took the pic of me peeking behind the hibiscus... I confess I cropped it so my arm holding the camera isn't showing... and of course you don't get to see the dozen photos that aren't as well composed...

I had a feeling you took the shot but wasn't sure. I rarely see self-portraits, where the photographer is holding the camera, turn out as good as yours did. You have great eyes, by the way, penetrating and sharp, which hold the viewers' attention while everything else in the picture becomes of secondary importance.

...I never get tired of looking at the egrets splashing in the water... it's like those close up photos of milk droplets from... the seventies, was it? Those were revolutionary at the time... (actually it was from 1937 ((I googled it))...wow) and yours are endlessly fascinating...

In that case, I'll have to post more of them soon, like maybe tonight.

...But I really, really like the blue heron pics... I'm thinking one of them would make a great new desktop background (to replace the snowy egret image currently there...) Maybe I could get them in high res? Pretty please?

Yes, of course. I'll have time to go through that batch more carefully tomorrow and will send you a few of the better ones to choose from.

Okay, so these may be a little weird to some, but I think the web has a certain beauty in its purposefulness and disregard of the flowers.. plus I thought of Wicked when I took them...

It almost seems as if the flowers have been captured in those webs and are being held against their will. Or maybe they like being tied up and enjoy the sensation.

Here's a spider picture I took two months ago. I liked the web.

I like it also, and I'd bet our dear Wicked could identify the spider for us.

And speaking of spider webs, you know it's autumn when everywhere you go, you get attacked by a web. At least at my house and especially first thing in the morning leaving the house. I hate walking into webs.

On the bright side, you're blazing a trail for everyone that comes after you.

 

[LadyV]

I just took this about 20 minutes ago. The quality sucks, (thanks to bad lighting and my phone's camera) but seeing one of these is pretty rare in my neighborhood, especially hanging out next to our front door.

 

[Silver King]

...I just took this about 20 minutes ago. The quality sucks, (thanks to bad lighting and my phone's camera) but seeing one of these is pretty rare in my neighborhood, especially hanging out next to our front door.

Is that a type of praying mantis, LV?

 

[Silver King]

A few more shots of waterworks on the flats, then I'll take a break from posting similar images for a while.

Little blue herons take the plunge:

Then a tri-colored heron:

And more snowy egrets:

And finally a juvenile tri-colored that was so proud of his work that he asked me to slap him five before sauntering off:

 

[Angie]

"Don't leave me hanging, bro."