Barn Owl Flight

Wilbur the Barn Owl

Photo taken at the San Francisco zoo.

I am participating in THE WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE

Autumn Blooms

All photos taken at the San Francisco zoo.

Tree Sap

I am participating in Monday Mellow Yellows

Bobcat

This feline critter is solitary in nature and only do the males and females come together during breeding season. The resulting litter consists of three to five kittens who typically stay with their Mother for up to twelve months before they head out on their own. Once heavily sought out for their fur, the bobcat is now protected under law and relatively safe from hunters.

Bobcats stalk and hunt their prey with a quick leap and attack method. They dine mainly on rodents and birds though can fill their appetites with rabbits, reptiles and even deer. Though by looking at the bobcat who is relatively small it is hard to imagine them eating a small deer.

Their usual habitat is forests though they do make their homes in swamps and deserts as well. At the San Francisco zoo, the bobcat has a somewhat small habitat but is built to allow the cat everything she needs to fulfill her days. This particular bobcat at the zoo does not like people being around and taking photos of her. It's stare is somewhat unnerving. She is basically small and is comfortable in her habitat. Although in a roomy exhibit, she is outdoors and behind a chained fence. The picture as you can see shows a portion of the fence.

Click the above widget for more Camera Critters fun.

Fishnets and Heels

The Famous Legs of Haight Street

These famous legs are a tourist attraction which hang out of a second story window above a gift shop on Haight Street. They have been there for decades and attract many people to the area including photographers, tourists and gawkers alike.

I researched the internet, San Francisco history books etc... and could not find any information as to why these legs hang outside a window. So, as a result I decided to either write a poem or senryu about the legs. I had no creative words or imagination that were publishable that would inspire me to write a poem so I decided to write a senryu.

Now, what I would like to do is encourage all of you to write your own thoughts, poems, haiku etc... about these legs while leaving a comment. Also, if anyone does know the history behind these legs, please comment.

Here is my senryu:

fishnet and heels

display garrish art

legs or thighs?

Silent Sunday

The Embarcadero

Along the Embarcadero with the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge in the background.

Ice skating rink at the Embarcadero, downtown San Francisco

I am participating in Scenic Weekends

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Great Blue Heron

Photo Taken At Lloyd Lake San Francisco

The great blue heron is one of the largest birds in North America. They stand about four and a half to five and a half feet tall and have a beautiful five foot long wingspan. They can be found around lakes, ponds, coastal regions and rivers. The ultimately hunt alone but do nest in colonies within tall trees.

Their diet varies in that they usually hunt for shrimp, crab and crawdads though they have been known to feed on mice and rodents. They feed their young ones by regurgitating their food into their mouths which is why they will consume four to five times what they would normally eat.

There is a regular blue heron who roams our pond at the botanical gardens for food. They hunt so elegantly due to their slow stance and quick bite. They normally swallow their food whole. Due to them being in close proximity to well traveled ponds and lakes in our area they are used to humans and are not scared away by people getting too close to them. I once was able to get about five feet away from a heron at Metson Lake in Golden Gate Park while taking photos.

You can find them during the day waiting to find their prey. They mingle right along with the seagulls, turtles and mallards sharing pond and lakes.

Simplicity In Nature

Photos taken at Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

Blue at the Zoo

All photos taken at the San Francisco Zoo.

I am participating in Blue Monday. Click the widget for more Blue Monday fun

Nature Photography Haiku and Poetry

reflection of grace

a water pond masterpiece

as she glides, with ease

blue and green ripples
mirror aquatic light shows
disco water dance

barren wintry limbs
surf the azure blue lakeside
endless water dance

water symmetry
pirouettes a reflection
narcissistic hues

the sand dollar

rests upon the shore

seaside sands of time

Fog Horns

setting sun

bids farewell

beyond the horizon

daylight fades

as dusk lurks

below sea level

my thoughts

drowned

by fog horns.

As I walk through

the mist and fog
gazing upon dew drenched leaves
I see floral creation masterpieces.

Flowers created

by the universe

etched in floral bouquets

with vibrant hues

coloring fog imbued

landscape.

A museum of art

treasures unlike

any other venue

as displayed by

the hand of God

a natural oasis

I am participating in Our World Tuesday

The Age Of A Tree

Photo taken in Golden Gate Park

If you have ever walked in a forest or redwood grove where tress have been living for centuries you know how beautifully they age. They provide shelter, warmth and shade from the sun. They touch the skies with an everlasting kiss from nature. However did you ever wonder about how old specific trees are?

Now obviously you would not want to cut a tree down to find out its age. So what do you do? You look around for trees that have been cut in the same area with a likeness to the tree you are seeing. If you find one that has been cut or has fallen look closely at the core on the trunk

Photo taken at the San Francisco zoo

This core on the trunk of a fallen tree exhibits the perfect way to determine the age of a tree. From the very middle circle, count outwards the circles around the core. The amount of circles or annual rings as they are called will give you the exact age of any particular tree. In this example, the tree was seventy years old.

Scientists also use this method to determine other factors such as the health of the tree, the climate during any specific color on the annual ring etc...

In short, trees, like any other living species can provide us with useful information. So the next time you are in the woods or around trees, remember that trees tell stories just as any other living species in this world.

Water and Leaves

Photos taken at Lloyd Lake and the San Francisco zoo.

I am participating in Straight Out Of The Camera Sunday