Snow!

From 2010 Blog

Yes it did snow today about 6 to 8 inches at our house. This picture was taken this morning while it was still snowing. Last Thursday night I told my grandson Robert that it wasn't going to snow and he adamantly disagreed. First thing this morning the phone rang and I heard his voice say "I told you so." Canon G10, 1/400 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400, +1 exposure compensation.

From 2010 Blog

I know this is a photo a day blog but I have another picture to share with you. It's a twofer. This afternoon the backyard feeders were jammed with activity. I had four pairs of cardinals, dozens of goldfinches, a pair of blue jays, a few chickadees and house sparrows, and a lone squirrel. This male cardinal was patiently awaiting his turn at the crowded feeder. Canon 7D, 1/50 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 400mm focal length.

357 - Meet Petrie

From 365 Project

We have a new addition to our family - the "grandbird". A gift to our son Michael from his fiancé Kelly, she is a very pretty and quite social female Cockatiel named Petrie. She has quickly won our hearts and taken over the house. Canon 7D, 1/640 sec @ f/1.8, ISO 800, 50mm prime lens.

276 - Happy Heron

From 365 Project

This Great Blue Heron was happily sunning himself while standing on a piling at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry dock in Surry Virginia. He didn't move at all as the ferry pulled out while I took this closeup portrait shot. Canon 40D, 1/1600 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 400, 260mm focal length.

210 - Guardian Gulls

From 365 Project

These two gulls stand watch at the Phoebus Section of the Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton Virginia. The gulls can often be seen perched on the perfectly aligned rows of grave markers and even though they can be spread out across the tens of thousands of markers, every perched gull is facing in the same direction. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/10.0, ISO 200, 400mm focal length.

202 - West African Crowned Crane

From 365 Project

Went over to the Virginia Zoo at lunch today. It's a great place walk and get some exercise, especially when carrying about 15 pounds of camera gear. The West African Crowned cranes are just so photogenic. They are beautiful and great posers. Canon 40D, 1/325 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens fully extended at 400mm on a monopod. This lens has a nice bokeh effect (soft background) when opened all the up.

187 - Night Heron

From 365 Project

This is a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Apparently they are fairly common in our coastal area but I don't remember ever seeing one close enough to identify it. He was concentrating on the water looking for fish. Here's what the full bird looks like. Canon 40D, 1/500 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, zoom at 320mm focal length.

185 - Fish Dinner

From 365 Project

This Great Egret has just caught his dinner. He was fishing in a body of water in Norfolk Virginia known as the Hague near Mobray Arch and Olney Road. The Hague and Mobray Arch are part of Norfolk's historic Ghent neighborhood. Canon 40D, 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400. 400mm focal length.

180 - White Wings

From 365 Project

This young great egret was testing his wings in a large nesting colony located in the Campostella Heights neighborhood in Norfolk Virginia. There were hundreds of egrets in nests high up in the pine trees. While beautiful to watch, the nesting colony can make a real mess. Some residents appear to have cut down or severely trimmed tress to rid themselves of the messy birds. Canon 40D, 1/500 @ f/9.0, ISO 400, zoom at 400mm with a 1.4x extender.