I will kick off with some Dragonfly pictures from yesterday (late end of season for them here which leads to some odd situations). I have seen them die on mass covering a local park which was sad but also impressive until the colours faded. Not really shots for the geat Images that lift your spirits thread ( https://omegaforums.net/threads/images-that-lift-your-spirits.111637/) so I thought a thread for general nature shots might work..... .
Great idea, great photos! Er... can we just have a rule that anything qualifying for "Not All Things in Australia Want to Kill You" really needs to stay on that thread, just in case...
Hummingbird at the feeder... Yellow-legged meadowhawk...only one not taken at my home as this was in a local conservation area... Red spotted newt... Scarlet tanager... Great spangled fratillery... Blue Morpho...
Took this earlier in the year. Not a great pic, but the white bird is interesting. It’s a common blackbird, with white feathers. A condition referred to as leucistic, which differs from albinism in that the eyes retain their dark pigmentation. Quite a rare occurrence in the UK, but on the increase according to research. They have a shorter lifespan as they are more conspicuous to raptors, of which there are many in the New Forest area.
We gather acorns in the neighborhood and leave them out for squirrels, who bury them at strategic spots in the yard. We were rewarded this spring when mom brought her baby around to show it off.
Red Bellied Woodpecker... We had a population explosion of woodpeckers when the Emerald Ash Borer moved through and decimated our ash trees. Blue Jay... More blue jays, plus a bonus rabbit and squirrel... Something a little larger - white tailed deer... Again all in the back yard.
Sort of an odd couple of photos here...while trying to catch and dispose of these... We accidentally caught a real resident, so we let him go... No cats were harmed in the taking of these pictures...
Ha ha sorry for so many but these were during some hikes a took, well accept the bird sitting on wood I had just replaced. And the dove on my front steps. Saw these butterflies doing intricate maneuvers looked cool so I watched them but then figured it may be a mating thing so I left them be. The Blue Heron is interesting small groups approach me during hikes and ask me if I know if he nests in these woods. Sometimes I walk them to the two areas I know he likes to hang out. I didn’t realize people were that into them I just thought it was another cool looking bird that shows up. They are pretty big, I mean really long legs. The one picture where it looks like he is flying I actually had to duck as he really buzzed me. He is pretty cool though I got very close to him one time as he was well camouflaged I had no clue I was three feet from him he stood his ground watching me I just slowly backed off as I was just trying to spot turtles or fish wasn’t trying to impose on him. I have one of a bear that crossed our path but it’s blurry as I was moving in the opposite direction when I saw him lumber through. Amazing such a large animal can surprise you like that.
We have tons of Turkey Vultures around, and last year we had a fledgling in one of our trees, so a took a walk and tried not to scare it away while I snapped some shots... It saw me...but stayed put...
I caught two flies at it in our garden. Actually I don’t know if flies mate in doggystyle, so it could be something else. Any fly experts here?
Thanks. The eastern coast of zealand in denmark (stevns klint) is a good place to watch (and photograph) migrating birds of prey.
This visitor turned up (grass snake) in the garden a few weeks back. Rare to see them locally and in the open where I am in the UK. I checked him over but he seemed fine and went on his way. He did let off a foul smell and play possum to discourage any attention. . .