hello world...

...to the new goslings - born within the last couple of weeks... so cute - little yellow fluff balls: learning to swim... balancing on webbed feet... exploring dry ground and munching on the grasses. their tiny wings beginning to form - excitement building with the realization that flying lessons will soon take place.

they will grow quickly... entering the 'tween stage before you know it... pressing the limits with mama and papa goose - testing for independence... it will be fun to watch - observe - record... nature is so fascinating - a thrill to be a part of it...

happy day.....

water droplets...

i had some fun the other day... playing with geese at the lake...  one was drinking water - we experimented with water drops...

then... he just gave me the eye...

happy day.....

close goose encounters

so elegant in their flight patterns...  graceful with wings outstretched...  i don't ever tire of watching them - observing their fanciful ways in the sky - at times, swooping down so close overhead i feel i might be able to just reach up - and touch those big bellies...

then once they've come in for the landing... in this case onto the water - the most beautiful preening takes place...

the preening is done to get the oils redistributed through their feathers... make them lubricated again so they can fly to the best of their ability - not just to show off... i'd never really realized that 'til someone told me.  i always thought it was to shake the water off - to fluff - a way to make themselves look beautiful and/or because they were truly listening to me when i asked them to preen for me - boo... right!  they are most remarkable - some of the prettiest birds on the planet albeit a bit quirky at times...

happy day.....

the 3 stooges

i love geese... they are some of the funniest creatures on the planet.  they honk and make a fuss at each - you really have no idea what's going on because they're just gathered around when the honking begins out of nowhere...  of course, they honk in mid-air too to announce their arrival - to let you know they're landing somewhere - in addition to communicating with each other.  they play chase amongst themselves - racing around in water as well as on land... they have absolutely no manners when it comes to eating and will waddle around with grasses hanging from their beaks - not caring what they look like - even though i do tell them to wipe their mouths.  but they are also smart, tenacious, caring and compassionate birds... they protect the little ones in summer, guiding them to safety as necessary - teaching all the while...  my camera has given me a whole new perspective and appreciation of the goose.

as i was visiting a nearby park the other day, a flock of geese came zooming in overhead...  fast and furious - they were honking instructions to each other - trying to balance as they landed on the frozen lake.  it wasn't until i processed the photos that i saw this set - immediately thinking of the 3 stooges.  when you see geese coming in, getting ready to land - their legs do come down like landing gear -  the whole body gets sort of wobbly and shaky... it's a true wonder they don't just topple over it appears so awkward.  however they remain upright; graceful most of the time - with feathers lost and the honking becomes a loud cacophony to the ears...

landings are successful - even if ducks are an interloper every now and then!

happy day.....

portraits...

it's a wonderful thing - to be able to capture the life of nature in its natural state - in the air... on the ground... in trees... on the water - it's all very special and treasured...

ignore my chin hairs

...of a crow

rock dove in flight

honk, honk

 

soaring over water



unidentified birdie hanging in branches



deer on the rocks



soft and dreamy goose



skimming the ice

living in a state where such wildlife is abundant to enjoy every day - and share the planet... is a true blessing.  i am always amazed and of course, carry on conversations with them as though they're my best friends... sometimes much to my advantage - as they allow me to get rather close obtaining remarkable photos.

happy day.....

feathered friends...

they fly around... peppering the sky... catch them if you can...



duck in flight... a mallard, i think...



classic pigeon - but don't count on me being correct...

robin - which surprises me, because i didn't know they stayed through the winter...

seagull - caught over the water...

rock doves - which have the most gorgeous iridescent sheen in the sunlight...

crow - who allowed me to get within spitting distance albeit giving me the eye...

 a flock of gulls - looking for food near the shore line...



canadian geese - coming in for a landing...

keep looking up to enjoy the sights...

happy day.....

new toys...

little kids aren't the only ones who get new toys at christmas time... big kids get them, too... i was the fortunate recipient of a telephoto lens for my camera... it made me do the happy skippy dance of joy let me tell you!  this new lens allows me to bring in close those things in the distance - it so magnifies them, it's as though they're suddenly in my lap... totally amazing. 

with that capability, though, comes a steep learning curve with shooting pictures.  suddenly i'm finding it difficult to get shots in sharp focus - they appear in focus when i snap, but when i download... nada - so lots of them end up being throw aways.  yet i'm having an incredible amount of fun learning - practicing on the fine feathered and furry creatures in the area... trying to catch them in flight - in the air - landing - or simply on the ground.

not bad so far... i will continue to refine - practice - to make more perfect... it all leads to a...

happy day.....