rural life

[wildthing]

Some of my seasonal visitors
Emerald crested and ruby throated hummingbirds humm around my deck all the time...squabbling and squeaking......
These tiny little guys fly up from Mexico each Spring....quite a trip!
:)

[wildthing]

:)

[Bou]

Wildthing,

That is an amazing bird!!!
Wow, you have picture taking skills which I can only dream of!!!

FAN-TAS-TIC pictures!
Cheers,
Bou

[M0oN]

Beautiful bird Wildthing, out here in southern california we have them year 'round...find myself sitting outside and watching them quite a bit.

[Barb Newell]

Beautiful pics! Amazing photography skills.

Barb :)

[wildthing]

20 years experience...many as an poorly paid assistant ( grunt)....
CanonEOSD30, 400 mm image stabilised lens, 1/500@f5.6
photohop to resize and 'sharpen image'
careful cropping.....and way too much time on my hands on a sunny afternoon in a lounger
8)
" don;t let them fool you.......the camera ONLY lies" :lol
:D

[Jeff]

Very nice David. I keep looking at the Canon 10D. Maybe by the end of the year. :)

Whew weeee... Those photos are gorgeous! Nice job David. I LOVE those hummingbirds. We certainly do get a few this way in New York (every so often). ;) Very nice photography skills you have. **angie**

[gary1218]

Hey David...............how much for a breeding pair of those ;D

GARY

[wildthing]

I sold all the breeders to Al
;D ;D ;D

[KD]

Beautiful Hummingbird Pictures!!! My sister has a bunch of feeders and when I visit I love watching them they can be very comical. We are from New York too- Fry Girl - what part of NY are you from?

[gary1218]

David..........LMAO ;D

GARY

[Mr. Limpet]

David, very nice pictures.
We have had a pair of hummingbirds in our Bottlebrush tree in the backyard for several years. Ever see a 300 pound man backed down by a 1 ounce hummingbird protecting it's nest. It is right next to our vegetable garden and I have had him/her charge me and stop about 6 inches from my face. Needless to say, I moved back. They also have an amazing courting practice where the male (I assume), swoops down back and forth in a 6 foot arc several times and then elevates straight up about fifty feet before swooping down past the female. His body whistles loudly as he passes by from how fast he is going. It is quite impressive. The coloring is also fantastic when the light hits it just right. Amazing creatures. Thaks for the pics. Paul.

[wildthing]

even at night there are amazing creatures... a Lunar moth.....so beautiful.....

[fshngal]

David,

The pictures are so beautiful.

Mary :)

[wildthing]

Am I the only one with a camera who has cool stuiff right there in the backyard?
8)

[keith_cny]

Hi David,
Those moths are so cool. I had one fly in my house last summer. Had a heck of a time gently catching it and getting it back outside before the cats got ahold of it. How large was that one? The ones I've seen here were pretty good size.

I have a bear that keeps sneaking in my yard at night. Bent over one of my bird feeders last fall and now he's back. I'm trying to catch him on my digi.

Keith

[wildthing]

:D

[wildthing]

:)

[Jean]

All these are Sweet!

You have a nice camera and talent for shooting!

Jean ;D 8)

[KD]

OH NO Turkeys :o
Last week a friend and I had a hen jump right in front of us on a trail ride. The horses did'nt like it to much :o. Thank God the horses listen to Whoa! I thought I was a goner. Later she found the hen - it was sitting on a nest of eggs. Guess we'll stay off that trail for now :-\

[jackkyky]

Very very nice pictures, especially the hummy and the butterfly... I love it :D

[RAWesolowski]

Out on the edge of Kalamazoo, I have a lot of these guys... ground squirrels!

[RAWesolowski]

In SW Michigan it's teen bird time. The young of the year are no longer chicks but they are not adults. They follow the parents and beg them for food. Sound like teenagers?

Am I the only one with a camera who has cool stuiff right there in the backyard?
8)


Yep!! ;D

Hi David! Love those nature pictures! Keep 'em all coming. Looks great.

**Angie**

[wildthing]

this is a Ribbon snake.
cute little critter, about actual size
:)

[fshngal]

David,

Nice pic of a cute little thing. I just hope to not ever have one of those in my fishroom.

Excellent photography. Hope you had a nice 4th.

Mary :)

[susankay1]

We live on the main street of a small town, no back yard, no yard at all actually, but here is a bit of wild life that was seeking shelter in our doorway this afternoon. Hope this little guy figures out what to do before the local cats find him.

[wildthing]

the family grew a bit
:)

[wildthing]

nice pics everyone, keep them coming, it is very sympatico
:)

David

[KD]

Great Shots!
Some of mine.

[KD]

One from spring

[wildthing]

:)

[oodi]

I can't get a pic of the coyotes we hear late at night, but here's a pic of some regular visitors...

Judi
:)

[Amadhunter]

Hey Oodi, great pic! :) Hey, you ever heard of "sauce piquante"? Or "duck gumbo"? LOL J/K but I sure do love duck!

[Amadhunter]

Oh, if your wondering. It means"it's hot, and hurts like a sticker in the tongue". ;) Here's a recipe:

Sauce Piquante

1/2 cup olive oil
1 sm. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 large can mushrooms
3 bell peppers, chopped
4 red onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups wine (white cooking wine)
2 cans beer
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Meat: almost anything (3 rabbits - quartered, 4 ducks, 4 lbs. venison - cubed 2", 4 lbs. alligator - cubed 2" "Se bon, eh mon cher?"

Marinate all meats at least overnight. Brown meats before adding to gravy.

Make roux with olive oil, as dark or as thick as desired. Add onion, celery, green peppers, and stir over med. high heat until this cooks down. Add tomato paste, sauce, Rotel tomatoes, and stewed tomatoes. Continue cooking at med. to high heat for 1 hour stirring often, then add garlic, bay leaf, mushrooms, and 1 cup wine. Continue cooking for another 2-3 hours adding beer instead of water when needed to keep from getting too thick. Add meats to sauce and cook for 3 hours or until meat is tender. Just before turning off fire, add 1 cup of wine. A good sauce piquante cooks for up to 5 hours.

Of course, need a couple more ducks, but, two will do. :) ;)

"Se bon, eh cher?" :)

[oodi]

As a matter of fact, I've heard of both... but my gut won't tolerate the spices, so I prefer mine Peking style! ;D

Judi
:)