California – Page 5 – Circadianreflections Blog

P52 12/52: Hum

March 22, 2015March 22, 2015Posted in Bees, Butte County, California, Mary Oliver Poems, Poetry, WildflowersTagged Bees, California Poppies, Hum, Lupine, Mary Oliver Poetry, Spring, Wildflowers10 Comments

It’s officially Spring! The Wildflowers are popping up all over, and the bees are busy at work.
I made this image yesterday while on a Wildflower Hike on Table Mountain in Butte County, CA.

Here’s one of my favorite poems about Bees by Mary Oliver. My favorite Nature Poet.

Hum
What is this dark hum among the roses?
The bees have gone simple, sipping,
that’s all. What did you expect? Sophistication?
They’re small creatures and they are
filling their bodies with sweetness, how could they not
moan in happiness? The little
worker bee lives, I have read, about three weeks.
Is that long? Long enough, I suppose, to understand
that life is a blessing. I have found them — haven’t you? —
stopped in the very cups of the flowers, their wings
a little tattered — so much flying about, to the hive,
then out into the world, then back, and perhaps dancing,
should the task be to be a scout-sweet, dancing bee.
I think there isn’t anything in this world I don’t
admire. If there is, I don’t know what it is. I
haven’t met it yet. Nor expect to. The bee is small,
and since I wear glasses, so I can see the traffic and
read books, I have to
take them off and bend close to study and
understand what is happening. It’s not hard, it’s in fact
as instructive as anything I have ever studied. Plus, too,
it’s love almost too fierce to endure, the bee
nuzzling like that into the blouse
of the rose. And the fragrance, and the honey, and of course
the sun, the purely pure sun, shining, all the while, over
all of us.~Mary Oliver, Sacred Poems

Nikon Df| AF-D Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro lens| Hand-held| Hoodman STEEL Ultra High Speed Digital Film

More to come…

Crab Fest!

January 25, 2015January 25, 2015Posted in California, Elkhorn Sloug, Grebes, Moss Landing, Seals, Shorebirds, Willet Adult WinterTagged California, Clark's Grebe, Elkhorn Slough, Harbor Seals, Moss Landing, Shorebirds, Willet Adult Winter11 Comments

I picked up a new Point & Shoot camera to take Kayaking since I’m too chicken to take my DSLR with me. I meant to go Kayaking yesterday, but it was windy there, and the water was a bit choppy, so I bailed. Instead I wandered around the slough using the camera getting used to it. I bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200 for it’s 25mm-600mm zoom (35 mm equivalent), its Fixed f/2.8 Leica lens, it shoots in RAW, and has Manual controls. Here are some of the first images I made with the camera. (Click on the image to see it larger)

Willet Adult: Winter

The Empty Slip

The Outpost

Clark’s Grebe

The Lookout

It’s different, but with a little more time I’ll get the hang of it.

Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200| Lexar Professional 600x Speed Digital Film| Hand-held

More to come…

Dia de Muertos

November 2, 2014November 2, 2014Posted in California, Day of the Dead, Dia de Muertos, Fairs and Festivals, Photography, San FranciscoTagged Day of the Dead, Dia de Muertos, Events, Fairs, Festivals, International Holidays, PhotographyLeave a comment

In remembrance of those we love.

I hope you are able to spend some time with family and friends today.

Nikon D700| AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D| Hand-held| Nov. 2011

More to come…

Catch of the Day!

September 13, 2014September 13, 2014Posted in Birds, California, San Jose California Nature Photographer, Shorebirds, WildlifeTagged Birding, Birds, Birds in the Wild, California, Carmel by the Sea, Seagulls6 Comments

The fish this Seagull caught was so big it kept slipping out of the Gull’s mouth onto the sand. It was still alive and flopping about too. Several times the waves came up threatening to pull the fish back to sea, but that Gull would grab a fin and pull it back to the dry sand and try to eat it over and over. Finally he managed to swallow it.

Carmel by the Sea- Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4| AF-S Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter

Daybreak in Santa Clara Valley

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014Posted in California, Fine Art, Landscapes, Photography, SunrisesTagged Blue Period Imaging, Daybreak, Fine Art, Lonely Trees, Photography, San Jose California Nature Photographer, Santa Clara Valley, Sunrises5 Comments

I woke up wide awake just before 4AM and before I could talk myself out of a morning “stretch my legs” hike I got up, dressed, ate, and left the house and headed to my lonely tree on the “Steep Hill” overlooking Santa Clara Valley.

Once I got to the top of the hill I set up my camera and took a few images of Blue Period and the little bit of color that was in the sky looking East, and then I heard to my right an Owl Hooting its morning greeting. It wasn’t too long after that the Blue Jays, and Sparrows started their morning songs, and two ladies came up over the top of the hill stretching their legs too with an early morning hike. We chatted a few minutes then they continued up the hill.

I waited for the Sun to crest the Diablo Mountain Range, but just before it did and during the Sun’s rise the colors grew in intensity, and splendor. All the while the Owl and birds continued their morning salutations. It was glorious!
Just a few minutes after this the colors began to fade so, I packed up my gear and hiked up to the tippy top of the hill then headed home for another cup-a-tea.

More to come…

P52 36/52 Guarding his Territory!

September 2, 2014Posted in Birds, California, Fine Art, Nature, Project 52-2014, WildlifeTagged Anna's Hummingbirds, Backyard Birding, Birds, Humminbirds, Nature, Project 52, San Jose California Nature Photographer4 Comments

I set up a little blind in my backyard hoping I’d be able to make a decent image of the Hummingbirds that come to the feeder. I used the cover of the sandbox as a blind by bracing it against my Camilla bush, then I set up my tripod, camera, and comfy seat behind it then waited.

It took about a half hour and a few over my head buzzes before the Hummingbirds felt safe enough to stop at the Feeder for a drink.
After lunch I moved the sandbox cover to the edge of the lawn for a different angle bracing the cover on the Patio Cover’s post. I heard the Hummingbird chitting away in the Flowering Plum beside me so turned to see if I could see him and there he was sitting on a branch watching the feeder.
There’s been another male coming by and this one chases him off whenever he comes around. He sat there for long enough for me to photograph him for several minutes.
He was in the shade of many branches overhead so, while the image is sharp there is more noise than I’d like. I tried Auto ISO during this shoot to see how it would do, mainly to see if I would be able to concentrate more on shooting than having to change my ISO setting frequently to adjust for the light changes. I was also shooting a Butterfly that would occasionally come by to sip on the Lantana Bush which was in much better light than the feeder, and the tree. Auto ISO worked very well for me in these conditions.

I used Adobe’s Camera Raw noise reduction a little bit to help remove some of the noise.

Here’s another image of an Anna’s Hummingbird at the Feeder. He’s just about to take off after drinking some nectar.

That sandbox cover worked a treat as a blind.

Nikon D300s| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4 + Nikon 14eII Teleconverter

More to come

Life in the Garden

August 29, 2014Posted in Birds, California, Flowers, Insects, Macro Photography, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birding, Birds, Butterflies, Insects, Life in the Garden, San Jose California Nature Photographer, Wildlife1 Comment

Most the flowers in my yard have been long gone, but the Lantana continues to grow and bloom! The Fritillary still comes by to sip on the Lantana, and yesterday I had a Skipper of some sort stop by.

Growing under, and around the Lantana I have some wild Scarlet Pimpernel. Most consider this a weed and pull it out, but I let it grow. I like its tiny flowers. They’re only as big as my little finger’s nail.

Change is definitely in the air around here. There are fewer and fewer Finches coming to the Feeder this week. I think they’re beginning to move on. Here’s a male House Finch perched on the feeder. I really like this feeder. It really is Squirrel proof! ( This was shot through a double glass window so it’s a bit soft).

The Anna’s Hummingbirds are still around, but I haven’t been able to get a decent image of them from my window.
I’m going to get myself a blind during the off season so I’m ready for them next Spring.

It’s a Holiday week-end ( Labor Day on Monday) here in the States I hope to get over to the coast, or to some favorite birding places to see if any of the winter birds are starting to arrive. It’s also He-Man’s birthday tomorrow so, I’ll be in the kitchen baking the cake he’s requested: Chocolate cake with custard filling and vanilla frosting.

I hope you all have a great week-end.

Images made with:

Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 105mm Micro lens, and

Nikon D300s w/ AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter

more to come…

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