A Few From Saturday

[SCraig]

I started out at Old Hickory Lake this morning about 30 minutes after sunrise ...

#1 - Northern Shoveler during "Golden Hour"

#2 - Dammit!

#3 - If you northern guys wonder where your gulls went, a lot of them are standing around down here ....

On the way back home I stopped at the Nashville Zoo to walk around for a while.

#4 - Cockatiel hamming it up for the crazy human with a camera

#5 - Cockatiel still hamming it up for the crazy human with a camera

#6 - A Wise Old Spectacled Owl enjoying the sunshine

As I was leaving the zoo I heard the roar of what could only be a fighter in flight. Two F-18 Hornets came howling over the zoo headed in to the ANG base at Nashville International airport.

I didn't notice it until I got home and looked at the shots, but notice in the photograph that only his nose landing gear is down; the main gear is still up. I got a series of shots of this airplane, and the next shot shows the nose gear going back UP while the one after that shows the nose gear coming back down again (actually the nose gear is unlocked and on the way back up in this shot). Apparently he was having problems getting the gear to come down for landing. I didn't hear an explosion and there is nothing on the news about a problem at the airport, so presumably he did eventually get all three down and locked.

 

[robbins.photo]

Love the lighting in #1 - spectacular. #5 is awesome, the expression is just priceless, and the detail in #6 is truly remarkable. Great set!

 

[The_Traveler]

Max Bialystock: We are seeking Franz Liebkind.
Concierge: Oh... the Kraut! He's on the top floor, apartment 23.
Max Bialystock: Thank you...
Concierge: ...But you won't find him there... he's up on the roof with his boids. He keeps boids. Dirty... disgusting... filthy... lice-ridden boids.

from the 1967 movie 'the Producers'

Boids.
Exactly how I feel.

 

[SCraig]

Love the lighting in #1 - spectacular. #5 is awesome, the expression is just priceless, and the detail in #6 is truly remarkable. Great set!

Thanks, glad you like them.

I labeled the white ones as Cockatiels but they are actually Triton Cockatoos. I don't know what the difference is, but there presumably is some

They are strange birds though, and they KNOW when someone is taking their picture. Each time I tried to walk off they started squawking until I turned around and then they would start hamming it up. That went on for 10 minutes and when I finally left they were still squawking at me.

Max Bialystock: We are seeking Franz Liebkind.
Concierge: Oh... the Kraut! He's on the top floor, apartment 23.
Max Bialystock: Thank you...
Concierge: ...But you won't find him there... he's up on the roof with his boids. He keeps boids. Dirty... disgusting... filthy... lice-ridden boids.

from the 1967 movie 'the Producers'

Boids.
Exactly how I feel.

I guess it's a good thing everyone isn't required to photograph the same subjects or one of us would be looking for a new hobby.

 

[robbins.photo]

I labeled the white ones as Cockatiels but they are actually Triton Cockatoos. I don't know what the difference is, but there presumably is some

About $800 bucks is the difference at the pet store I think.. lol

They are strange birds though, and they KNOW when someone is taking their picture. Each time I tried to walk off they started squawking until I turned around and then they would start hamming it up. That went on for 10 minutes and when I finally left they were still squawking at me.

Rotfl.. I run into that too sometimes - there are some critters that you would just swear up and down know they are getting their picture taken. It's just bizarre.

 

[BillM]

I guess it's a good thing everyone isn't required to photograph the same subjects or one of us would be looking for a new hobby.

I'm thrilled that we don't all have to photograph the same subjects, if we did than I'd have to see how much better everyone is than me lol

Really nice set you have here :thumbup:

 

[annamaria]

Very nice set. Love 5 and 6.

 

[dalmatian949]

The white cockatoos are actually Sulphur Crested Cockatoos from Australia. We have a flock of them that come and eat our macadamia nuts every year just when they are ready to ripen! they can be a pest our here, but they are real comedians.

 

[SCraig]

About $800 bucks is the difference at the pet store I think.. lol

I suspect that's the case I couldn't believe how expensive the so-called "Smart" birds are but they are absolutely outrageous.

Rotfl.. I run into that too sometimes - there are some critters that you would just swear up and down know they are getting their picture taken. It's just bizarre.

Animals can be more aware of what is going on than many people give them credit for. I have a shot of a Schmidt's Guenon from the Nashville Zoo and the animal is just sitting on a limb contemplating a small stick he's holding in his paw. It's not like he is confused about what it is but it really looks like he is thinking about it. Maybe those ape movies weren't as far off as we all thought they were

I'm thrilled that we don't all have to photograph the same subjects, if we did than I'd have to see how much better everyone is than me lol

Really nice set you have here :thumbup:

I wouldn't say that. That squirrel you posted in Robbins' thread is top notch But thank you for the comment.

Very nice set. Love 5 and 6.

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them. I love the owls at the zoo, but they are a challenge to photograph and I seldom get anything that I like.

The white cockatoos are actually Sulphur Crested Cockatoos from Australia. We have a flock of them that come and eat our macadamia nuts every year just when they are ready to ripen! they can be a pest our here, but they are real comedians.

Interesting, thanks for posting that. One of the zoo staff told me a few months ago that they are Triton Cockatoos (I had noted it on my web site or I wouldn't have remembered). They are in the same exhibit as some Red Kangaroos so I assumed they were from Australia as well. Other than what she told me I have no idea what the difference is or if, perhaps, it's just a different name for the same bird.

I can't imagine a flock of them though. The zoo has 4 and they are VERY loud! A whole flock would be deafening if these are any example. They are fun to watch though.

 

[sm4him]

LOVE that Northern Shoveler shot, Scott! Beautiful.

I labeled the white ones as Cockatiels but they are actually Triton Cockatoos. I don't know what the difference is, but there presumably is some

About $800 bucks is the difference at the pet store I think.. lol

They are strange birds though, and they KNOW when someone is taking their picture. Each time I tried to walk off they started squawking until I turned around and then they would start hamming it up. That went on for 10 minutes and when I finally left they were still squawking at me.

Rotfl.. I run into that too sometimes - there are some critters that you would just swear up and down know they are getting their picture taken. It's just bizarre.

I have a good friend who is a vet, and also a long-time cockatiel owner. The basic difference between cockatiels and cockatoos is their size--Cockatoos are 2-3 times bigger than a cockatiel.
But robbins is also right that Cockatoos can cost $1000 or so, whereas you can buy a Cockatiel for around $100. ONE of the reasons for that is one of the other differences between them. Cockatiels, generally speaking, have far less vocal ability--they tend to learn some very basic vocals and can repeat some words and phrases, but Cockatoos are louder and have a greater capacity for language, so that's much of what makes them more highly sought.

 

[manaheim]

Awesome. I laughed at the plane, just by the nature of "bird ... bird ... bird ... bird... PLANE!"

That's a cockatoo... not a cockatiel.

Lovely shots. Thanks for sharing duuuuuuuuuude.

 

[SCraig]

LOVE that Northern Shoveler shot, Scott! Beautiful.

Thanks! That's the first one I've seen at Old Hickory. Everything else is gone except for gulls and the resident Mallards though. That shot of cold weather must have sent everything down into Georgia or something.

I have a good friend who is a vet, and also a long-time cockatiel owner. The basic difference between cockatiels and cockatoos is their size--Cockatoos are 2-3 times bigger than a cockatiel.
But robbins is also right that Cockatoos can cost $1000 or so, whereas you can buy a Cockatiel for around $100. ONE of the reasons for that is one of the other differences between them. Cockatiels, generally speaking, have far less vocal ability--they tend to learn some very basic vocals and can repeat some words and phrases, but Cockatoos are louder and have a greater capacity for language, so that's much of what makes them more highly sought.

I have a phobia about birds that can repeat what they hear. That could get, um, embarrassing at times

My sister had a parrot once. I hated that bird because it took a chunk out of my finger, but other than that I've never been around big birds. They are interesting but I think that squawking would get really annoying after a while. Much like children, I prefer them when I can go home and leave them somewhere else

Awesome. I laughed at the plane, just by the nature of "bird ... bird ... bird ... bird... PLANE!"

Well, lessee .... it's an F/A-18C Hornet (frequently referred to as a "Bug") and most pilots refer to airplanes as "Birds". Plus, they all fly so I think it fits the scheme

Lovely shots. Thanks for sharing duuuuuuuuuude.

My pleasure bro!

 

[JacaRanda]

Indeed the Shoveler is a beaut.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[SCraig]

Indeed the Shoveler is a beaut.

Thanks, JacaRanda. I would have liked to have been closer but he just wouldn't cooperate. I got that shot and he headed for the middle of the lake as usual.