Apr 2010

Birds, Birds, Birds

Chickadee 201004IMG_9831
Chickadee: ISO 400, 150mm, f/8, 1/180

The last few days our backyard has been like an international airport. Bird traffic has been heavy. Spring is here and the birds are busy with mating, nesting and training the young.

Monday night I was feeding our pet turtle and noticed through the window a flock of waxwings in our trees. I had been waiting all winter for the waxwings to feed on the berries of the mountain ash high above our crab apple tree. They never came. When I finished feeding the turtle I grabbed the cameras and went outside to watch the birds. It was a rewarding night.

The Robins were out. I didn't manage to get a picture because they hid high on the mountain ash waiting til I departed.

The above photo is of a baby chickadee. He did more hoping from branch to branch than actual flying. Just like the baby wren from last summer, the chickadee hid in the thick brush. It was hard to get a clear shot through the many branches even though I was able to get close.

House Finch 201004IMG_9829
House Finch: ISO 400, 400mm, f/8, 1/250

The above photo is a House Finch. The birds have been feasting on our blooming shrubs. We are worried that they will all be eaten before they bloom.

Waxwing 201004IMG_9816
Cedar Waxing: ISO 400, 260mm, f/8, 1/500

This is the reason why I ventured out. These waxwings travel in flocks. They come and go real fast. This one is on the look out in the mountain ash. Shortly after this photo this bird flew off with the flock to feed and play elsewhere.

One Year Anniversary

Burned Fence 201004IMG_9760
Neighbour's Fence: ISO 200, 135mm, f/8, 1/350

A year ago today I started this Photo Web Journal. I needed an outlet for my passion of photography. I didn't have much motivation for taking photos when they stayed on my hard drive collecting dust.

My very first post was a picture of our shared white picket fence with snow covered peaks. As you can see this fence isn't snow covered. Our neighbours had a fire that destroyed most of their home on Good Friday. This is a shot of their fence as seen from our backyard. You can see more of the story at their website www.rebuildtheanderosa.com

I want to thanks the many visitors that come to my website. An average month I get over 100 visits. Just under half of those visits come from the Red Deer area but I do get people stopping by from all over the world.



First Tulips

First Tulip 201004IMG_8284
First Tulip: ISO 200, 35mm, f/3.2/1/1600

First Tulip 201004IMG_8277
First Tulip Macro: ISO 200, 35mm, f/3.2, 1/3200

First Tulip 201004IMG_8269
First Tulip Experiment: ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, 1/60

Our first bunch of Tulips bloomed!

We have been watering the gardens an abnormal amount this spring. The rains just aren't coming. The temperature has been warm and we have large bunches of tulips this year.

Should be a bumper crop of pictures!

Flight Path

Mallards in Flight 201004IMG_9803
Mallards in Flight: ISO 400, 290mm, f/11 1/500

I took a drive southeast of Red Deer last week scouting for photo opportunities. Currently migrating birds are visiting our area for a rest before they reach their final destinations to our north.

Ever since I moved to Alberta over 15 years ago I have always wanted to see Snow Geese. I thought this would be my lucky day as I seen a few white birds swimming in a small lake as I drove by. I quickly found a safe place to turn the car and headed back to where I spotted them.

As it turns out they were not Snow Geese. They were Tundra Swans. I had not seen a Tundra Swan before so all was not lost. The elusive Snow Goose still evades me. I wonder if they are related to the Abominable Snowman.

Tundra Swans 201004IMG_9804
Tundra Swans: ISO 400, 400mm, f/11, 1/350

Messed Up

Cold Poppy 200905IMG_3480
Poppy in Snow: ISO 200, 90mm, f/5, 1/250

I have been going through my photo library the last few days and have noticed some photos I have not shared. Well, okay there are a few thousand but only a few I deem worthy enough to share with you.

The weather here has been normal spring weather for Alberta, Canada. Warm weather one day and sub zero temperatures the next. However, we are currently experiencing a very dry spring. The local governments have declared drought in some regions.

The "Poppy in Snow" image was taken last May and cleary shows the spring weather we experience where I live.

Downtown Edmonton

Hotel MacDonald 201004IMG_9733
Edmonton Skyline: ISO 100, 28mm, f/8, 1/500

Last week I had to drive to Edmonton for an appointment. Edmonton is an hour and a half drive north from Red Deer. You may have heard of Edmonton back in the 1980s when the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers were winning the Stanley Cup with a player by the name of Wayne Gretzky. Edmonton is also the Capital City of the Province of Alberta much to Calgary's displeasure.

This picture is taken from Edmonton's River Valley which is a dedicated Park System that runs along the North Saskatchewan River. We are looking up into downtown. The tallest building downtown is only 35 Storeys and is hiding behind the "Telus" building.


Hotel MacDonald 201004IMG_9748
Hotel MacDonald: ISO 100, 53mm, f/8, 1/350

The Hotel MacDonald was built in 1912 and was named after Canada's First Prime Minister (Sir John A. MacDonald). It is like the other Railway Hotels that the Canadian National Railway built in the Chateau Style. In 1983 the City of Edmonton almost lost this historic building to demolition.

The Low Level Bridge was also Edmonton's first bridge across the North Saskatchewan River it was completed in 1900.

Ice Flow 201004IMG_9742
Ice Flow: ISO 320, 33mm, f/8, 1/180

As it is spring here the ice is slowing melting. Here is a picture of a chunk of ice floating East towards the Low Level Bridge. Good thing the Titanic was too big to sail along this river.

We Miss You

Merlin GardenMerlin Garden 2Hunting

We lost a member of our family today, Merlin.

He loved our backyard more than anyone.

Happy Easter

Easter Dark 201004IMG_8234
Good Friday Cross: ISO 200, 35mm, f/6.3 1/1250

Easter Light 201004IMG_8241
Easter Sunday Cross: ISO 200, 35mm, f/6.3, 1/800

I drive past this Ukranian Catholic Church a few times a week. It is about 8 blocks from our home. I keep saying to myself that I must stop and take a picture of the roof line. The church has a wooden shake roof and I find the crosses on top of the steeples quite unique.

Tonight I finally put thought to action! I stopped tonight as the sun was setting and the subject of the cross is fitting for an Easter Weekend journal entry.

Both of these images are taken within minutes of each other. One was taken looking West into the sun (Good Friday Cross) and the other taken looking East (Easter Sunday Cross).

People believe cameras take pictures. I see the camera as capturing light. How the light falls on a subject can drastically change the mood of your subject.

Hope you have a Happy Easter!