Relaxed Poses for Sue’s Challenge.

This week, Sue’s Word a Week Challenge is Pose, and she’s posted some wonderful pics from her trip to Africa.

Here are a few favourite subjects that have unwittingly posed for my camera.

The Lion with its huge mane and majestic appearance, has to be the indisputable King of Beasts.

The gorgeous Cheetah can run faster than any other land animal, and has the ability to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just three seconds. This one was just relaxing at the side of the road as we stopped to admire her.

The exotic Toucan is famous for its brightly coloured bill. It always makes me smile to see nature’s proudest and most impressive schnoz which is about 30- 40% of its total body area. Aren’t you glad that your nose isn’t that huge? 🙂

This beautiful Eagle Owl was a most inscrutable poser ever. Couldn’t get him to smile for the camera at all.

The birds are flocking down to spend the winter in Florida. Here you see the Wood Stork posing with his good friend Snowy.

The Great Egret is always stalking around in my back yard.

I really think that animals and birds are such great subjects to photograph, because even if they don’t smile and haven’t done their hair and makeup, they always look perfect.

To see more entries for Sue’s photo challenge, just click here.

 

 

 

 

Feathered Derrières for Sue’s Word A Week Challenge

This week, Sue has chosen the word “Behind” for her challenge, so I decided to give you a few behinds, discreetly covered by feathers. As always you can click on the pics to enlarge.

The Wood Stork has a short black tail poking out beneath his beautiful snow-white feathers.

The gorgeous Spoonbill is modeling the very latest in rose pink ruffles.

The Anhinga is just hanging out to dry.

The Tricolored Heron is displaying his very best slate-blue feathered back view.

Mr GBH really has quite a resplendent behind.

Last but by no means least, is an audacious display of mooning by a very cheeky duck.  Bottoms up!

To see more behind pics, just click here.

Sunday Stills: My Backyardigan Birds

Ed’s Sunday Stllls Challenge this week, Is ‘Birds’, and I currently have such a lot of bird pics which I’ve taken at nature reserves close by, but I’ll save those for another post, and just show you the regulars in my back yard.

When we got back to Florida a month ago, Mr Great Blue Heron was the only bird around here, and had the place to himself. Here you see him surveying his territory.

It wasn’t long before his friend the Great Egret arrived back from his summer holidays up north, and started searching around the foliage for a few tasty tidbits.

He didn’t find anything worthwhile in our garden, so decided to try next door where there are more hiding places for frogs and lizards.

A not too frequent, but very welcome visitor, is this Wood Stork, who was just strutting over to start up a conversation with Mr Mottled Duck.

Suddenly out of nowhere, Mrs Duck arrived to tell hubby it was time to leave, and off they went, sailing across the water.

The other evening, a Common Gallinule was perched on the roof of our neighbours’ verandah. He was sitting so straight and still that he could have been mistaken for a weather vane.

Today, as I was typing this post, a merry band of Snowys arrived to try their luck in the neighbours shrubs. I had to sneak this pic through the window, as they are very timid. Maybe that’s why they tend to go around in groups…….. safety in numbers.

I’m not very good at photographing birds in flight, but I did manage to catch the Great Blue last night as it flew off across the water.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my back yard birds. To see more entries for Ed’s photo challenge, just click here.

On Earth Day…….Love is the answer.

On this Earth Day, 2013, I decided to share this wonderful song which I remember England Dan and John Ford Coley recorded in 1976. The words, “Love is the answer” are still as true now as they were then, but the ‘ticket to paradise’ is just as elusive.

“Name your price
A ticket to paradise
I can’t stay here any more
And I’ve looked high and low
I’ve been from shore to shore to shore
If there’s a short cut I’d have found it
But there’s no easy way around it

Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all, set us free
Love is the answer

Tell me, are we alive, or just a dying planet?
What are the chances?
Ask the man in your heart for the answers

And when you feel afraid, love one another
When you’ve lost your way, love one another
When you’re all alone, love one another
When you’re far from home, love one another
When you’re down and out, love one another
All your hope’s run out, love one another
When you need a friend, love one another
When you’re near the end, love one another
We’ve got to love one another.”

Here are just a few pics of some of the natural wonders of our world, which I’ve been privileged to see. The amazing wild animals, some of which are in danger of extinction because man has neglected to properly protect and care for their well-being. “Love is the answer.”

Another song which also came to mind, of  is of course, “What a wonderful world.” How amazing are the truly natural wonders of our world.

We need to really care for this wonderful world we live in, to ensure its preservation for our children and our children’s children. Love is the answer.

Peaceful in my back yard for Jake.

Jake has asked us this week to do a peaceful post. I hope that you find that most of my posts are peaceful, with the possible exception of the jackhammering and the parasailing, ones. 🙂

Today, whilst hubby was busy again in the kitchen, building cupboards, not cooking, I took a walk outside to see what was going in in our peaceful neck of the woods.

The only sound was of the wind gently rustling the palm fronds, and not a single person was to be seen. The only inhabitants of the lakeside, were the birds. The Great Blue Heron seems to be the kingpin around here, and he stood meditating by the water’s edge for quite a while,

before marching off to see what was potting a bit further down.

His friend, the Anhinga was busy drying his wings, and didn’t want to chat to anyone.

and the duck family were practising their  swimming, up near the golf course,

under the watchful eye of mom and dad.

The Wood Stork was umm…… just stalking around, 🙂

and then there was a bit of action, closely watched by the Ibis.

Mr. Great Blue decided to go over to the other side of the lake, and catch himself some breakfast too.

Yummy  sushi  is his favourite dish.

The most peaceful creature of all though, was Lizzie lizard, who just sat motionless, waiting for her breakfast insects to venture near.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my peaceful morning in my back yard. To see more takes on Jake’s theme, as well as his own amazing images, just click here.