Translate

Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Egret unruffled by my camera

You know that this egret had to feel pretty safe with me shooting pictures of him, if he took the time to scratch.  There was a good bit of swamp between the two of us.  Still, he was playing it pretty cool.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Flowers passionate about time

The Passion Flowers are still hanging around in the backyard, opening by day, closing by night -- floral clock style

Monday, April 2, 2012

Caterpillar strikes fear in his crawl

This prickly little caterpillar can put a whole can of hurt on you with his minute stingers.   I have a close up below.  I learned the hard way to stay plenty far away from these guys.


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Tongue is bird's best tool

A sparrow performs magic with his tongue. After cracking a seed with his beak he uses his tongue to flit out the shell an preserve the tasty germ of the seed.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Food fights at the bird feeder are serious

I told you, stay away from my side of the bird feeder, you thief.  The attacking sparrow, lets the snacker know he is serious by putting his claws on him.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Hummingbird -- That's a lot of nectar, by golly.


This is something new for the Hummingbirds that have been hanging around our backyard.  This guy stands on top of the plastic petals and stares at the nectar reservoir.  It's like he's planning how long it will take him to drink it all.

The rest of them will take their drink and then fly away or fly up to the top to play King on the Hummingbird Feeder -- chasing after any rival that comes near it -- including, one time, giving me a ear-popping buzzing as I was walking past.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Smiley Gators



Well, snap my finger!  

It looked like a chorus line of Alligator mississippiensis.  They sat staring out at the crowds from their French Quarter shop perch.  They seemed almost to be saying "Come on, snap me up."
Okay, it was a bad joke, but I tried didn't I?
-steve buser

Powered by ScribeFire.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Black-Crowned Night Heron



I go all over the place trying to find these birds, then I walk out my door a few months back to find one is there in the ditch.   This is a Black-Crowned Night Heron.
--steve buser





Powered by ScribeFire.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Giraffe ballet anyone?



A little giraffe ballet anyone?   These giraffes were just checking me out -- trying to guess if I was going to feed them or something.  I was standing about eight feet back from the fence at Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, LA. Nonetheless, the attendant wandered over and suggested that giraffes have a longer reach than that, should they decide to lean across.   I had no problem moving back.
--steve buser


Powered by ScribeFire.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Giraffe, eye-to-eye.



Seeing wildlife is an up close and personal thing at the Global Wildlife Center near Folsom, LA,  north of New Orleans.  The animals come up to the wagon train to eat from the visitors' food cups.
--steve buser


Powered by ScribeFire.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Crystal flowers from Yellowstone



I love these lovely crystalline structures that grow in the pools of geysers at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.   Unless I am mistaken, that is a quarter that someone dropped (hopefully accidentally) on the "flower" -- it gives a sense of the dimension.
--steve buser




Powered by ScribeFire.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Cool journey home




In the cool of the evening and in frigid mountain waters, this gal was slowly making her way back home up in the mountains.  This is on the west side of Yellowstone National Park, shortly before you exit the park.
--steve buser


Powered by ScribeFire.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Chipmunk


This little chipmunk pounced out of the rocks in front of us on this trip to Colorado.  I don't think it was because he was not afraid of us -- more than he just wasn't paying attention to us.
--steve buser

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Sunset breath-stealer at the Grand Canyon



The Grand Canyon at sunset is one of the real treats at this national park.  There are good spots and better spots to do this.  We kept traveling along the rim of the Canyon looking for that perfect spot.  Finally as the hour grew late, we pulled into a parking area and found a "suck-the-breath-out-of-your-lungs" view.  The scenery, the colors, and the shadows made a constant play as the sinking sun skimmed its rays over anything it could still hit.
--steve buser


Powered by ScribeFire.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Sniping Stripes --Zebras zerks


My biggest surprise at Global Wildlife Center where we visited this past weekend was the orneriness of the Zebras.  They would push their way to the front nearthe wagon train we were in and then chase away any animal that would push on them.  We were warned not to feed them from our hands because they will bite -- apparently an expression of affection. Apparently, from the way I see it,  the stripes are just to a make them look more friendly.

--steve buser
Powered by ScribeFire.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Wildlife are happy to greet you



We had the grandkids and a bunch from Linda's family at the Global Wildlife Center in Folsom this weekend.  I don't think I have ever seen brighter kids' eyes thatn when they found out they got to feed giraffes, zebras and buffaloes and more.  It's a vast open range prairie that the animals roam freely.
--steve buser



Powered by ScribeFire.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Great Egret,


This lone Great Egret (Ardea Albus) was ranging around the pond at the Oil and Gas Park in Jennings today. I managed to get in a spot, just behind a tree, that allowed me some camoflauge and a place to steady my shot.  He quickly found me, though, and took a couple stares right at me to check for threats.

The fishing wasn't so good, so he soon decided to head to his (seemingly temporary) nesting place in some bushes near the bank. 

What surprised me on this shot, was how limber you have to be, to be a Great Egret and keep your feathers straightened.
--steve buser
Powered by ScribeFire.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Black-capped Chickadee



I had to shoot between the legs of a railing to catch a shot of this Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) eating on some tender shoots of a branch in Yellowstone National Park this summer.
I think the railing provided just enough cover to keep my friend here unfrightened by me.
--steve buser
Powered by ScribeFire.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Blowing off steam



Will the geyser blow soon?  If you know the ways of this beast, you can probably guess the time it will blow within a couple hours.  A Yellowstone National Park ranger would come out to the site periodically to check the signs and give her prediction. 

When the geyser blows, it really puts on a visual and sound phantasmagoria.
--steve buser


Powered by ScribeFire.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

A Peek at the Peak Peak



At the top of the photo is the peak of the Grand Teton.  The photo is from our trip to Yellowstone earlier this month.   We were climbing to Inspiration Point on the far side of Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons National Park.
--steve buser





Powered by ScribeFire.