Anniversary

Today is our anniversary, the 19th on the 19th. Has it really been that long? We'll celebrate with a nice dinner tonight. My husband is also beginning a week-long vacation, or as they say nowadays, a staycation. That doesn't mean that we won't go anywhere, it just means that we won't go away overnight.
On the home front, it is getting harder and harder to medicate our cat Roxy. She has our routine down to a pat and disappears under the couch the moment we appear. So we decided to give her her medicine at night for a while until she becomes less suspicious. I've even googled the problem, only to find my own blog--which was no help at all. Does it really take two people to give a five-pound cat medicine? I am tired of looking like the cops on "It's a wonderful life" as they grab thin air. She does have the advantage of being very slippery. She gave me two nice scratches on my shoulder the other day as she wriggled out of my embrace.
In other news, I am preparing for the fall show season. The first show is Art under Glass at Bedners Greenhouse in Cecil on October 4. The other show is the HolidayMart at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley which will take place in late November. I have sold another article to Pennsylvania Magazine and will have features in the January and March issues 2009.

A Froggy Day

Last Sunday, we headed out to Beechwood for a little walk and a picnic. I took my camera along, which turned out to be a good thing. Every time I leave it at home, I regret it (like that time when a juvenile hawk landed in a tree in front of us and sat there for quite a while). I stepped to the endge of the pond and spotted a bullfrog close by. This time, it really filled the frame and I got some awesome photos. I didn't take any bird photos at all because birds were mostly absent. I also stalked a monarch feasting on a field thistle. The goldenrod is just beginning to bloom and it will probably be another week or so until the entire meadow is in bloom. It was a nice day, though, and we saw quite a few families out enjoying it.
In our backyard, the New England Aster is in full bloom and looks awesome. Its purple color it quite a sight when everything else has gone to seed. We now have achieved continuous color from spring - columbines - to fall. We still have at least two hummingbirds around and keep filling our feeder. It won't be long before migrants pass through our yard. I'll keep an eye out for them.

"Independence" Day

My knee felt pretty good yesterday and so we went out to explore Independence Marsh. I had read that egrets and herons and other shorebirds gather there and wanted to check it out. Of course, although we had been there once years ago, we didn't exactly know where it was. It was not marked on any map we own, either. So we drove around and around until we made a complete circle. In the end, we stumbled on it with sheer luck and because the name Cowpath Road sounded familiar somehow. I'm glad we found it.
Although the water level was low and therefore it was no use for me to set up my camera in the blind, there were killdeer everywhere. Later, I noticed egrets and herons on the other side of the pond. We also saw wildflowers we had never seen before and butterflies flitted about the place. There were even two honeybee hives and I made sure not to get too close to them. The carp carcasses floating in the water did not diminish my desire to return to the marsh at a better time of day in fall or spring.
In our backyard, there are good news and bad news. The bad news is that a groundhog has taken residence in the area and is not only munching our flowers, but he is also devouring my tomatoes. Tomatoes that I had been looking forward to munching myself. This is serious business! We bought a repellent (making these the most expensive tomatoes we ever planted) and I'll be anxious to see if it works.
The good news is that we discovered three Monarch larvae on our butterfly weed last week. Since we hardly saw any Monarchs this summer, we weren't sure if we would see any larvae this year. And the New England Aster I inherited from Old Economy Village is coming into bloom and looking beautiful.

Canceled Plans

It is one of life's mysteries that the farther ahead you plan something, the less likely it is going to actually happen. I had signed up for a photography workshop six months ago in the hopes that it would give me a chance to improve my bird approaching skills and increase my stock photo list.
Because my bum knee is still giving me trouble, I was about to call the instructor and cancel the workshop when I received an e-mail and phone call from him. The township where the workshop was supposed to take place on Lake Erie is staging a D-Day reenactment this weekend. Because this will involve cannon fire, machine gun fire, and noisy crowds - all of which are probably going to chase birds away - he offered a refund on my deposit and I accepted. After all, if I were a bird that had just crossed a huge lake, I would want some peace and quiet instead of being greeted by cannons. Under the circumstances, I got off with the least financial damage--having only lost my deposit on my lodgings. Perhaps my husband and I can check out the lcoation by ourselves. Right now, I just can't plan anything. At least the weather is nice enough so that I can sit in our backyard.
Our little butterfly garden has assumed its late summer look. The purple coneflowers are wilting, but the black-eyed Susans are still putting on a show, even if they're drooping. The New England Asters are getting ready to bloom soon. The hummingbirds are visiting our feeder more and more often, stocking up for their big trip south. I actually spotted one checking out the flowers in our little garden. Isn't this what they are supposed to eat, flower nectar? Ours seem to prefer the fast food of our syrup feeder.

A Matter of Taste

I have always known that I'm not a beer drinker. But now I know I'm not a birch beer drinker either. After drinking a peppermint phosphate recently, I got brave and decided to try a birch beer. Luckily, I only bought one bottle. Yikes! It is certainly a matter of taste, but not mine. I have a sweet tooth, but this was way over the top. Coming from a area where bakeries bake special (=sweeter) cakes for Americans, I should have known better. My European taste buds cannot be trifled with.
My knee is still giving me trouble and that puts my weekend trip in jeopardy. Right now, I'm on the same medication our cat is on. I can attest that it does improve the appetite, if not my knee. Another call to the doctor is on my agenda.

Odds and Ends

Last Friday, my husband spotted a weird creature at the edge of our property--meaning the neighbor's wall. We whipped out our cameras to photograph what turned out to be a Dogday Harvestfly just emerging from its nymph skin. That's a fancy name for a cicada. We fired off some photos before the cicada left the skin and crouched on top of it. Its green wings were transparent and looked pretty cool. The whole process didn't take very long and so we were happy to witness another first for us. Amazing what adventures await us in our own backyard. We are not so happy about the groundhog that seems to fatten itself up in our butterfly garden.
Our cat Roxy is doing much better now. In fact, she ran outside on Saturday--something she hasn't done in years. Apparently, she felt very frisky, at least until the neighbor's dog spotted her...
I, however, am sidelined again by a persistent flare-up in my knee. Instead of playing around with my new tripod, I have to prop up my knee and wait for the swelling to subside. At least I was able to finish all my three writing assignments I worked on for most of the summer.

A great Sundae

The past weekend was pretty much perfect, for August. We had a break from the humidity of last week and the temperature was bearable. I put my new tripod to work photographing the black-eyed Susans in our butterfly garden. Nothing says summer like a group of yellow flowers buzzing with insects. We also saw a monarch, but it didn't stick around for me to photograph it.
Yesterday, we visited relatives and we all headed to Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor. It was a really great experience. I had never seen an old-fashioned drugstore before (I'm not counting new restaurants with phony interiors) and had a good time inspecting it. I tasted a strawberry sundae and a peppermint phosphate. I wanted to buy a bottle of the syrup, but my favorite flavors were not available. Perhaps next time, if there is a next time.
This morning, I headed to the National Aviary to photograph some newly hatched flamingo chicks. As I pulled up in the parking lot, I saw a van from a local TV station parked there. Apparently they had the same idea I had and were already filming the chicks when I approached. I quickly fired off frame after frame and soon they were put back into their crate again to get their breakfast. The whole experience lasted less than 10 minutes, but I got a couple of great shots to include in my article. And I was glad that I arrived a little early...

Decisions, decisions

Back in the dark of winter, I signed up for a shorebird photography workshop in Ohio which will be held next month. I decided it would be a good idea to buy a lighter, more versatile tripod before attending the workshop. When I finally settled on a model I learned it was discontinued. More research followed. Last week, I ordered it and it arrived two days later already. It is hard to order something I have never set eyes on, but this is the most beautiful tripod I have ever seen. I almost hate to use it so I don't scratch it. Unfortunately, my bum knee is acting up again and so I haven't been able to put my new purchase through a serious test yet.
Last week, it also occurred to me that I better find a place to stay during the workshop. The workshop leader mentioned the only chain motel in town, but I learned that it received less than favorable reviews. My online research revealed that there were two bed & breakfast places in town (or rather right outside of town) and one of them had rooms available. I therefore decided to "splurge" and stay there. Who knows, it might actually be cheaper than a chain motel since they always add on so many fees to your bill that you get sticker shock. This might turn into a scouting trip since there are 15 covered bridges in the county.
Our cat Roxy now has a much better appetite and seems to have put on a wee bit of weight. That doesn't mean that she likes to be medicated. On the contrary: she has a sixth sense about the exact moment when we try to give her her medicine. Oh well, at least she's eating better...

How to (not) medicate a cat

Our cat Roxy is now only getting Prednisone once a day. Nobody is happier about that than we are. That's because she's on to us now and knows that we usually give her the medicine around the same time in the morning. That turns out to be the time when she becomes Houdini and disappears mysteriously. This morning was the hardest one ever. As if the heat and humidity weren't enough to wipe us out, we had to chase Roxy all over the house. First, she crawled under the couch and I grabbed a broom to flush her out of there. Unfortunately, she ran under our bed next. I brought her syringe in and closed the door. We had her trapped, but how to coax her out from under the bed? The broom came to the rescue again. Finally, she came out and a very exhausted "mother" cradled her in her arms while my husband administered the medicine. We are going to have to alter our time schedule a bit because we are too predictable. I can understand why she doesn't want to swallow cherry-flavored medicine (it's made for children), but take it she must. She is eating much better now but still looks like a feather-weight. I have bought some prescription dry food for her and am anxious to see if she eats it. Little Miss Finicky won't just eat any old food, you know.
On the gardening front, we are having hits and misses this year. Because of the wet, cold spring, only two of the flowers we started in the house actually survived. Then we went out and bought a pot with three sunflowers for our flower island. The next morning, almost all its leaves were eaten. We suspect a rabbit as the culprit. So, now we have to buy rabbit-prove plants. Sunflowers seem to be particularly tasty since we are having bad luck planting them. Too bad, because we really love them. Our native plants are faring better this year. Last week, I photographed a honey bee on a common milkweed. Now the milkweed stopped blooming, but the purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans bloom now. I haven't seen any monarchs yet and am wondering what happened to them. The insects sure like our little garden and it's always buzzing until late in the evening. And, best of all: we don't have to water our native garden since they're all perennials.

Sprechen Sie English?

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were at Sewickley Heights Park and noticed that the milkweed was almost ready to open. On Saturday, we went back to see if the blooming milkweed attracted any monarchs yet. Indeed, we saw several monarchs all over the park feasting on milkweed, together with honey bees and countless other insects. At one point, the sign post said that we were on a "Bridal Path." Alas, there was no bride to be seen anywhere. Neither were there any bridesmaids with interesting dresses. A look at the hoof-shaped prints in the mud confirmed my suspicion that we were on a "Bridle Path." This is only the latest example of my ongoing study how Americans mangle their language. Recently, I've noticed that my grocery store doesn't sell iceberg lettuce anymore. It's now iceburg lettuce. I have heard that produce travels long distances nowadays, but to literally ship it in from the North Atlantic is ridiculous. Are there any greenhouses in Greenland?
On the home front, there is one piece of good news. Since we put Roxy on medication, her appetite has greatly increased. She doesn't exactly eat the diet she should eat, but right now we're just trying to increase her weight so she can get her strength back. This doesn't mean that she likes to take her medicine. The better she feels, the more she fights when we try to perform our "favorite" hobby: cat wrestling. Yet, we're happy that she has regained her appetite and is also livelier.

Cat Health

After weeks of watching our cat's health and weight deteriorate, we decided to have an ultrasound done to find out what's ailing her. Did we get a diagnosis of the problem? Not exactly. One of Roxy's kidney's is small (the other one shows signs consistent with kidney stone), her adrenal glands are enlarged, and she might have inflammatory bowel disease. The last one is ironic because I have colitis. I know we have a lot in common, but that goes too far!
Because Roxy has always had an inquisitive mind and ate stuff that she found on the floor etc., we had associated her frequent vomiting with the fact that she ate something she shouldn't have or that she simply ate too fast. As a result, we eliminated canned food from both cats' diets a while ago. Another mistake. Now we know that we should have taken her to the vet much sooner for a blood test and whatever else was required. Right now, we're treating her for IBD and are trying to increase her appetite with the help of corticosteroids and a special diet.
Of the two cats we own, Roxy has always been "my" cat. In winter, she spent all evenings on my lap and the nights on my bed. Was I outside in summer, she meowed in the basement until I came back in. Nowadays, she rests most of the time with the occasional jumping on the keyboard or a window. It is hard to see such a lively cat acting so listless. Right now, all we can do is feed her often with small portions and give her tender loving care.

A Day at Beechwood

Last Tuesday, I went photographing at Beechwood for the first time this year. Usually, I spend a lot of time there in the spring, but this has been an unusual spring. Between arthritis, allergies, and bad weather, I haven't had a chance to go shooting as much as I hoped. It was quiet at Beechwood, except for the Song Sparrows. I now know how they got their name. They just won't shut up! This sparrow seems to sing "The hills are alive!" I also chased an Indigo Bunting around, but it was very skittish. A summer day at Beechwood wouldn't be complete without taking photos of bull frogs. I don't know why, but I always feel compelled to add more photos to my growing collection. Perhaps it's because there wasn't much going on at the pond. The summer wildflowers are not blooming yet, either, so there aren't many insects around the place. Weatherwise, it has been a strange year.

Green is In

I can't open a magazine or a newspaper these days without seeing countless references to green living, recycling, etc. Green is all the rage these days. Will it last? When I moved here from Germany, I had to rethink (=meaning back-track) my recycling habits. Every shopping trip yielded numerous plastic bags and I soon didn't know what to do with all of them. In Germany, people have always taken their own shopping bags to the store and if they needed plastic bags, they had to pay for them. Charging Germans for something is a sure way to get their attention.
Recycling and reusing materials is also in our genes. My frugal, depression-era mother went so far as to recycle Christmas wrapping paper from one year to the next. I will never forget that I had to open my gift so carefully that I didn't damage the paper too much. Then, before next Christmas, my mother ironed the gift wrap and the ribbons, too!
I applaud all efforts to recycle plastic, metal, and paper, but my pet peeve is litter. In this area, the U.S. could take an example from Europe. When the snow subsided, I was shocked to see how much litter had accumulated alongside the Pittsburgh roads. Why can't these people take their trash home with them? It shouldn't require the efforts and time of volunteers to keep the roadsides clean. Whenever we go somewhere, we take all our trash home with us to discard there. Why can't everybody do that?

Communing with Naturalists

I mentioned in my last blog that I got a big assignment--with a short deadline, no less. So yesterday, my husband and I headed out to Powdermill Nature Center to get material for my article and take the photos. Our drive was accompanied by lightning and pouring rain and I was beginning to question our sanity for getting up so early. I was particularly interested in the bird-banding which was supposed to begin around 7 o'clock. That's why we got up at the unreasonable hour of 3:30 a.m. Because of the rain, the banding was delayed but fortunately not postponed. After the rain let off, it got steaming hot. That did not tamper the enthusiasm of the naturalists who really seem to enjoy their jobs. I also learned that they're getting quite a work-out during their research and have to walk miles inspect nesting sites twice a day over uneven terrain and streams. After watching the bird-banding in the morning, I opted to take some photos of the "fish shocker" and his BioForay "crew." I was told that the site was 300 yards away from the parking lot. Because I grew up with the metric system that meant absolutely nothing to me. The hike turned into quite an exercise that involved crossing a stream and bending under fallen trees. And a trail was virtually non-existent. I tried to remember our way since we had to trace it back alone but we had our doubts sometimes. We made it, though, parched and exhausted. My new purchase, a pair of overshoes, proved to be a real help yesterday. Not only did they keep my shoes and feet dry, I didn't slip once.
Most amazing for me was that I met three people who had a) a German wife; b) had been stationed in Germany while in the Army; c) had studied German in college and had actually spent three months in a town that is less than 20 miles away from my hometown! I often run into people who have German connections, but this was a record.
I had to absorb a lot of information yesterday and only wish that Powdermill was closer to our home so we could go out there more often.

Big Job

Last week, I landed my biggest assignment so far. Not only will I write an article on a subject I am keenly interested in, I'll get to provide the photos too. My secret is: persistence. I kept sending queries to an editor and in one of them I mentioned that I am a bird photographer. She replied that, while she wasn't interested in my idea, would I like to do something else along that line? Of course I would! So, next week I'll be off to shoot this assignment together with my assistant, aka husband.
Things have quieted down in our backyard. The migrants have passed on to greener pastures, meaning that the rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles have disappeared.
On Sunday, we visited the Wingfield Pines area in Bridgeville. We saw bluebirds, Baltimore orioles, mallards, and yellow warblers, to name the ones we could identify for sure. It is an interesting place and I am sure we'll go back once the wildflowers and butterfly weeds are in bloom. I can hardly wait to get the overshoes I ordered so I can explore wetland areas without getting wet feet.

Health woes

I had already had a sore throat when I left for Presque Isle last Friday. I took along plenty of cough drops but my throat got worse over time. Just when I wanted to talk to people I croaked like a frog. Now, I am slightly better and can't wait to stop coughing.
When I returned from Presque Isle, our kitty who has just been diagnosed with kidney disease did not greet me as usual. She barely lifted her head and I learned that she had scarcely eaten anything while I was gone. I was alarmed over her gaunt looks and took her to the veterinarian. It turned out that Kitty had lost more weight and her kidney values have gotten worse. I was told to give her what she wants to eat, even if it is not a kidney diet food. The most important thing right now is to put some weight on her. So far, it seems to work. She is eating more now and with great appetite. I am also giving her vitamins and hope that makes a difference. She still is very skinny and does not play like she used to. I miss her antics of running through the house and playing with her feather toy. Now, all she does is sleep and eat occasionally.

Festival of the Birds

I just returned from the Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle State Park. It was were well organized and the weather was awesome, especially on Saturday when we had sunshine and blue sky all day. People took advantage of the great weather and fished, hiked, biked, and birded all over the peninsula. On Saturday, I attended a walk at Fry's Landing that yielded a lot of warblers for birders. My summary of the walk is: Warblers seen: plenty; warblers photographed: 0. I am now convinced that photographing a warbler is just about as difficult as winning the powerball. My greatest success that day was a Cedar Waxwing I photographed in a flowering tree. Yesterday morning, I had better luck during a photographer's walk on the Sidewalk Trail. I spotted my first Tree Swallow and my first Red-headed Woodpecker. The woodpecker, of course, was too far away for a good photo, but it was exciting to see it. On the way back to the conference we stopped to look at the Bald Eagles' nest but the eagles were absent at the time. At least, now I know where the nest is. In fact, the most fruitful aspect of the conference was the inside scoop, the information on which trails yield which birds. During the two days of the festival, birders tallied 132 species. Don't ask me how many I saw... I was surprised, however, when one woman spotted her first Rose-breasted Grosbeak. That was one day after I had seen three at our backyard feeder!
To sum it all up: Presque Isle is a great place to visit this time of year, before the summer crowds arrive. The festival therefore closed with these words: Happy trails and happy birding!

Spring is here

Yesterday was a great day for birding...in our backyard. I glanced out the window and jumped for joy when I spotted a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in our silver maple. I put my camera together and carefully went outside to photograph it but it flew off when it saw me. A while later, I set up my blind in the hopes that it would show up again. It took a while to come back so I photographed other birds, including a very streaked brownish bird that turned out to be a female RBG. Finally, the male returned to our bird-feeder and I got some great shots. I would prefer to photograph it on a branch but right now, I'll take what I can get. While I was sitting in the blind, I also saw the first male Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year. Is it a coincidence that I just filled the syrup feeder with fresh syrup yesterday? Other regulars are Chipping Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows (yes, they're still here), Blue Jays, and our "resident" Eastern Towhee. I have yet to see a female towhee so I wonder how long the male will be around.
Our backyard is turning greener every day. The redbud in our front yard is having an excellent spring and the insects are swarming around it all day long. The columbines are ready for the hummingbirds to savor their nectar and it is exciting what will bloom next. We have started some flowers indoors, including a very good-looking crop of sunflowers and zinnias, another hummingbird favorite.

Gone Birding

Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day and we decided to go to the wetlands trail at Raccoon Creek State Park. We were rewarded with many first sightings of the year: a Bluebird, several tiger swallowtails, Yellow Warblers, Catbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds (not really a first since they hang around our yard right now), a Baltimore Oriole, and a snapping turtle (the first ever for me). I tried in vain to get a good photo of a warbler but they never sat still. We had a great time anyway. When we spotted what looked like a log in the pond a passing couple informed us that it was a snapping turtle. It still had all kinds of plant debris on its huge back.
We love the wetlands, except after a heavy rain because the trail does get wet. From spring till fall there is always something new to see there. Besides birds, there are numerous wildflowers, butterflies and other insects and in early summer the bullfrogs provide a noisy concert.

Busy week

Despite my knee problems, I have dusted off my blind to photograph the birds that visit our feeders. Spring is a great time to do that since they all wear their best clothes. Because we have a wooded hillside behind our property (and also because we have three bird feeders) we get a wide variety of birds. Lately, an Eastern Towhee has been showing up under the feeder regularly, and it also entertains us with its beautiful songs. I already have great photos of it from last year and so I was more interested in photographing Blue Jays and Red-winged Blackbirds. The Blue Jays are still eluding me, but I finally took a great shot of a blackbird today. I am eager to increase the number of species in my collection and so this is a great addition. The juncos appear to be gone now, but the White-throated Sparrows are still around and also make good photo objects. I hung up my hummingbird feeder last week and am eagerly waiting for their arrival. That usually happens around the first days of May. Every day, there is something new to see out there and the weather is cooperating too. Happy birding, everybody!

Good news and bad news

Last week, I got two assignments for Pennsylvania Magazine. One of them will be a big photo feature and the other one a regular one. I'm very excited about both jobs.
On Sunday, I attended an art show with my photographs and greeting cards but I did not have a single sale. That was a bad omen since my week got worse from there. My arthritic knee flared up again and has been bothering me since Monday. On top of that, my back also began hurting hellishly. Then yesterday, I took our younger cat to the veterinarian for her annual check-up. She had lost some more weight since last year so I decided to have her blood tested. The veterinarian called me back to inform me that our kitty's kidney enzymes are elevated. She suggested to put kitty on a special diet and I rushed back to her office to pick up the food before the weekend. I don't know yet if she'll take to the food. Right now, she is still bummed out from her rabies shot. I hope we can manage her disease since this is the cat that is attached to my lap all winter. In summer, not so much...
On the birding front, I haven't seen many migrants passing through yet. The only one was an Eastern Towhee I spotted yesterday under our birdfeeder.

At the Rookery

Yesterday morning, we decided to check out the Great Blue Heron rookery on Big Sewickley Creek Road. Naturally, we drove around for quite a while until we found it. And then we had to turn around another couple times to park our car. I set up my tripod and camera on the edge of the road, right by the guard rail. It was a bit nerve-wrecking to think about all the cars that passed behind me. Most of them slowed down, however, to see what in the world we were looking at. We attracted quite a following. Seeing all the nests perched on tree tops was quite impressive. We never counted them, but there must have been nearly 20 of them. The photo shows a heron adding a stick to an already huge nest. But then, they are huge birds. Every once in a while, a fight erupted between two herons over whatever it is herons fight about--territory probably. Occasionally, one bird would fly off to catch some food and I had my camera ready. However, the rookery was only "relatively" close by. Even with a 400mm lens it was hard to focus on something that only filled part of the frame. In the end we left vowing to come back when the creek is stocked with fish. Spring birding has finally begun.

Gone birding

This week, my husband had to take some old vacation days before he lost them. So on Tuesday morning, we went to North Park to do some birding and photography. Unfortunately, there weren't many birds around. We had better luck when the lake was frozen. The gulls were too far out in the lake to get a good picture of. At last, we gave up and went to our favorite place, the Shaler shelter, where there is a little wetland area. I managed to get some great photos of--Canada Geese. Not exactly a rare bird around here, but it was the first time I took really good photos of one. For some reason, they're hard to focus on. Not this time, even though my approach through dried reeds sounded more like small explosions. The two birds were safe across the little creek and didn't seem to mind posing for me. Other than that, we saw three mallards and a red-winged blackbird in the distance. I can't wait to see some migrants passing through.

March Madness

March is going by pretty fast. My talk at the garden club went very well and I even sold some greeting cards afterward. I am also working on several story ideas. One of these projects led me to the National Aviary the other day where I received a fascinating tour of the animal hospital. I hope that my proposal will be accepted because it would combine my passions of birds, photography, and writing. The gift shop manager was out sick so I don't know yet whether I can sell my photos at the gift shop. Next week, I will participate in the Ladies' Night Out at Soergels Orchards in Wexford.
I am also planning on attending the first Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle in May. My goal is, of course, to write a story about it; but I also want to learn where to find certain birds so I can return later and photograph them without so many people around. I have no idea how many birders will attend the festival but it sure was difficult to find a room in Erie.
We are still experiencing family problems and are therefore, once again, dog-sitters to a very energetic (= high-strung) Jack Russell Terrier. Did I mention she is high-strung? Last night, my husband took her outside and she encountered our neighbor's Labrador. She took off after the Lab like a shotgun and pulled the leash out of my husband's hands. Had it been me, I could have injured myself since she would have likely knocked me on the ground. Brandi is having a good time in our backyard with all its mole tunnels and other critters. Our cats are taking the dog's presence easier than the first time. I, however, am not used to having an animal follow me around wherever I go. The cats' reaction is more like, "So you're home, big deal!" Oh well, this too shall pass. Happy Easter!

News

February is finally over and once again, I have to say, "good riddance." It has been one of the worst months in my life and the reason is not because I am now eligible for the AARP. I would like to move my birthday into summer because not only did it pour buckets on my recent birthday, but then it snowed so hard that we couldn't even go out and have a nice dinner. Family problems and the weather are weighing down on me and my only consolation is that I am now busy with several projects.
I currently have an exhibit at the Mt. Lebanon library which will be up until March 31. Yesterday, I received the March/April edition of Pennsylvania Magazine and found that I have a full-page photo of an Eastern Fox Squirrel in it. Next week, I am giving a talk at the Moon Garden Club. The subject is how to attract birds to your garden. I will, of course, also cover butterflies (but not squirrels since they come anyway) and hope it will be enlightening for everybody.
I also have an appointment at the National Aviary and hope that I can offer my photos in their gift shop. In addition to that, I am working on another story idea.

Migrant

Yesterday, we ventured out to North Park lake to catch some rare rays of sunshine. The lake was almost entirely frozen. Only near a dam there was an ice-free area where several Canada Geese congregated. One was even sitting on the ice as if it were breeding. Near the geese my husband spotted a duck-like bird. It swam around the ice-free water but did not come close enough to take a good photo of it. I did take some record shots because otherwise we are never able to identify strange birds once we get home. This one, with a white stripe and outline on its bill and a "bump" on its head, flubbergasted us. Only after we looked through several bird books did we identify it as a ring-necked duck. We learned that this duck only spends time here during migration. I guess this one got an early start on migration and took a breather at the lake.
On the backyard front, I wished that the bird count had been last Saturday because I spotted over a dozen cardinals near out feeders. The worse the weather, the more birds we get. However, a couple weeks ago I heard and then saw several red-winged blackbirds. Migration must be around the corner!

Backyard Bird Count

As a relief from the stresses of life, I decided to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. They couldn't have found a better day than last Saturday for the count: The weather was sunny and the snow-covered ground lured many birds to our four feeders. Here is a list of the birds we saw:
1 Mourning Dove
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpeckers
1 Hairy Woodpecker
6 Blue Jays
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Tufted Titmouse
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Caroline Wren
2 European Starlings
5 White-throated Sparrows
2 Dark-eyed Juncos
7 Northern Cardinals
1 House Finch
6 American Goldfinches
I did not look out the window constantly but once I watched as a Blue Jay picked up a sunflower seed from a feeder, flew to a tree and fed it to another Blue Jay. Love is in the air. Literally!
On the homefront, we are now a dog-less household again. Our house gueast, a very active Jack Russell Terrier, is gone. It was a very stressful time since she kept chasing our cats around. And she didn't smell too good either. If we ever had any desire to get a dog, we're cured now. Our two cats fit our lifestyle much better--and they come with their own wash and rinse cycle.

Adventures of Dog Sitting

Today is Valentine's Day, but we don't feel very romantic. The hair ball that our cat spat out this morning was pretty much the highlight of our week.
For reasons I cannot divulge here, we have become sudden and somewhat reluctant dog sitters. The dog is a high-strung Jack Russell Terrier named Brandi. This wouldn't be so bad if we were a no pet family. But we have two middle-aged cats who don't take too well to intruders, particularly the "in-your-face" kind. Brandi wants to be friendly and is met with hisses. The first week was particularly bad since the weather was windy and rainy and we learned that Brandi gets scared when it rains. We didn't get much sleep therefore--and then the phone rang at 2 o'clock Friday night. I would have paid real money for a good night's sleep.
Things have calmed down now and we let Brandi loose in the house more often. In fact, I think I've been adopted. She follows me everywhere. The best part is that she now sleeps through the night. This morning I caught her growling at our washing machine. I guess she has never seen a frontloader before. Oh well, this too shall pass.

Bird Day

Yesterday was a bird day for me. During late morning I heard bird chatter outside and checked what the commotion was about. There was a female turkey under one of our bird feeders, gobbling up the seeds that fell on the ground. By the time I grabbed my camera and went out the front door to not disturb it, it was gone. But then I saw a turkey flying from one of the tall trees on our hillside down to the bottom of the hill where it joined another turkey. Wow, what a sight! I had never seen a turkey flying from a tall tree before. I didn't know they could fly this high.

After lunch I went to the Aviary to get some bird photography done. I had not taken my camera there for a while. The photo above of a Troupial is the best I got and it posed for me several times to make sure I got a good one. I had great fun "shooting" all the different birds but I can't wait to get out in nature again to add some more species to my stock photo list.

Published Again

The year 2008 is off to a good start. I just returned from the mailbox with my contributor copies of Pennsylvania Magazine of my article "Painting Noses." The big surprise was that the article was slated for publication in September 2008 so I didn't expect to see it yet. The editor ended up using six of my photos, a new record for me. I'm happy to say that the photos came out very nice. While my specialty is bird photography nowadays, the images show some pretty big birds, KC-135T tankers to be exact.
In November, Allegheny West magazine published a two-page story about my bird photography. I was recently asked by a garden club whether I would like to give a talk about how to attract birds to a garden. I gladly accepted the challenge because it gives me an opportunity to share my love of nature and wildlife with like-minded people. Our little butterfly garden attracts not only monarchs, tiger swallowtails and other butterflies, but also various insects, hummingbirds and goldfinches who eat the coneflower seeds in fall. My talk will take place in April so I'll plenty of time to prepare for it. Who knows what other opportunities it will lead to?
In our own backyard, the recent snowfall has brought many birds to our feeders, particularly juncos. Where do they all come from and what do they do when the weather is nice? We also noticed that our "resident" Cooper's Hawk (which I once photographed on our bird bath) is still in the area. I guess hawks have to eat too, but I hope it doesn't eat too many of the birds we feed.
I'm busy marketing my photos and look forward to the challenges and opportunities of the new year.

Ramblings

At the craft shows I attended recently I was often asked, "What camera do you use?" As if cameras take photos by themselves. It would make more sense to ask what lens I'm using. While it's true that a certain focal lens is necessary for bird photography, I can take good travel photos with an advanced digital camera. A person who always cuts off his subject's feet or shoots trees growing out of people's heads can't take a good photo even if he owns the most expensive pro camera. It's the photographer, not the camera, who takes the picture.
Many people think that digital photograph is automatically manipulated. The only time I "manipulate" a photo is when I decide that cropping will enhance the photo or I'll remove a disturbing branch or flare in the background. Sometimes, the background itself is the problem. Most often, though, I decide beforehand which background will work best and move around my subject to get the best possible photo. For me, digital photography is a great way to organize and distribute my photos and saving big bucks along the way. Happy shooting!

Successes

After attending some craft shows with dismal results I was pretty disappointed. An art show at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley proved to be more successful. I sold three out of the five images I was allowed to submit. That alone would have been great news, but it got better. I had offered my images at two stock photo agencies in England without any sales so far when I checked my account and found that I had made a sale. Before I recovered from the excitement, I checked again a few days later and learned that I had made another sale! This time, my image will be on the cover and the inside of the publication. I just wish I knew the names of these publications so I could brag about it. Naturally, I submitted more images to this agency.
I also wanted to have a presence in an agency here in the U.S. that specializes in outdoor activities and am happy to report that they accepted me. Such good news brighten up the gray, dreary days of December. I can't wait to get out there again and take more bird photos, but I'm using the indoor time wisely to get my images out into the public.

Taking Stock

I recently put together a selection of images for a stock agency to consider for their library. When going over the images, I realized that this wasn't a very good year for adding new species to my bird stock photo list. However, it was a good year for frogs. Everytime I went to the nature center to photograph birds I ended up taking photo after photo of the countless bullfrogs that populate the pond in the summer. I'm hoping that next year will be better for my bird photography.
Our bird feeders are very busy this time of year. This is the first time that some robins are staying here well into December. They are joined by the usual suspects, such as diverse woodpeckers, cardinals, tufted titmice, chickadees, goldfinches, and juncos. Occasionally, a flock of starlings or red-winged blackbirds will decend on our trees. The squirrels, of course, take great advantage of our generosity. Oh well, they are darn cute.

Birding

Yesterday may not have been a great day for hunters weatherwise, but it was a good day for birders - from the safety of our house. It rained buckets yesterday but the worse the weather, the more birds show up in our neighborhood. For the past few weeks, I've noticed flocks of Cedar Waxwings perching on a couple of tall trees on the hillside that belongs to our yard. They never visited our feeders and I wondered what they were doing here until I realized that one of the trees back there is covered with a vine that's full of berries. Aha! I thought I could finally get a photo of a waxwing eating a berry but it's not that easy. For one, these birds prefer lofty heights, and another, the weather is always gray and dark when they descend on our trees.
These aren't the only birds around here lately. The robins are still around and the juncos and White-throated Sparrows have arrived from Canada already. Flocks of starlings and crows show up from time to time, swooping down on lawns like locusts. Add to that the usual suspects that visit our feeders this time of year and we have a virtual aviary in our neighborhood.

Birding

Fall has been pretty boring for birders but that is changing now. Last weekend we saw a mockingbird in our backyard, a bird that had never visited here before. This morning, we spotted a large flock of Cedar Waxwings in two of our trees. The weather change must have driven them through our area because we had never seen any around here. A couple of robins were also stopping over. When the lighting was sufficiently bright for photography, I ventured out to photograph the birds that visit our feeders. Alas, only the usual suspects showed up. I did get a great close-up shot of a Downy Woodpecker. Well, tomorrow is another day and I am still hopeful to see some Rose-breasted Grosbeaks or more Cedar Waxwings passing through.

The Days Are Packed

A week ago, I received a call from Allegheny West Magazine. They wanted to interview me because of my talk at the Robinson library back in July. I was thrilled. The article will be in the November issue and I can't wait to see it. The publicity comes at a perfect time since I'll be participating in four arts and craft shows this month. The first one is tomorrow at John McMillan Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park.

Autumn Splendor

To say that I've been busy lately is an understatement. Not only have I been helping during my sister-in-law's move to Pittsburgh and settling in, I am also preparing for several holiday arts and craft shows. The first show, at Bedner’s Greenhouse in Cecil, was a moderate success. The next show will be at John McMillan Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park on November 3. I have also just been accepted for the Holiday Mart at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley. This show runs from November 25 - December 2, but I don't have to be present. Now I'm trying to figure out what other shows I can squeeze in. Did I mention that we are also painting our basement?
Sunday was such a beautiful autumn day with the trees dressed in their best reds and oranges that my husband and I decided to take a ride up to Moraine State Park. My hopes for some photogenic reflection shots were fulfilled when we discovered not one, but two little coves where the autumn trees reflected perfectly in the water. After a picnic lunch, however, our luck ran out and the lighting was just too bright to catch any of the sailboats on the lake with a decent background. Better luck next time.
Yesterday I went to the little cemetery that abuts our building plan because I wanted to photograph the beautiful old trees there. I was not disappointed. Two big yellow trees dominate the center of the old cemetery which is surrounded by bright orange trees and others that are still green. Because the weather report calls for rain for the next few days, I fear that most of the leaves will have dropped from the trees by the end of the week. I made the best of it while it lasted.

Quiet Time

I went to Beechwood today, despite the heat, because I wanted to drop off a framed photo at the gift shop where I sell my photos. I arrived there after being stuck in traffic on Route 28 and vowed never to go there again on a Friday.
The trails were almost deserted and I spent a quiet time at and near the pond. Although we're currently experienced August-like heat, I spotted several signs of autumn: fallen leaves everywhere, and a white-throated sparrow. Are they back from Canada already?
After a hectic week, I truly enjoyed the quiet time and photographed an entire mallard family (mommy, daddy, and a juvenile male) while they rested on the rocks near the water. Usually they fly or swim away as soon as I get into photographing distance. This time, I was able to hide behind some wildflowers near the waterline. Other than that, I saw mostly sparrows and cardinals. I have not taken as many great bird photos as I have last year.
I am getting ready for a couple of art shows. The first one, Art under Glass, will be held at Bedners Greenhouse in Cecil on Saturday, October 13. The second show will take place on Saturday, November 3, at John McMillan Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park.

Traffic and car woes

Last week was interesting, to say the last. On Wednesday, we celebrated our eighteenth wedding anniversary with a dinner at an almost empty restaurant. The food was good, but the fact that there were more waiters than guests was a little disconcerting.
To get away from some stressful issues and to hopefully photograph some migrants or butterflies, I ventured out to Beechwood last Friday. Bad idea! I was stuck in traffic three times on the way to and from the nature reserve and any thought of relaxation went out the window. Had I known that I would hit two traffic jams on the way home, I would have never left the house. To top it all off, I didn't see any birds or butterflies there. Where have they all gone? I did see a wooly bear, though.
Sometime last week, I must have driven through a freshly painted line because my car is all white on the bottom of the passenger side. To assess the damage, I pulled the car out of the garage and decided to finally check out that rattling noise my car makes whenever I start it. I still don't know where the noise comes from, but my husband and I found a whole winter's supply of peanut shells scattered all over the engine room. With the aid of a vacuum cleaner, an old toothbrush, a barbecue skewer and other long sticks, we were able to get most of the debris out of there.
Lesson learned: Don't store any open bird feed in your garage!

Walking down Memory Lane

When I returned from my trip to Germany, my husband told me that I needed to clear some space on our computer or he would do it for me. So I spent the hot, humid days of August glued to the computer, getting rid of thousands of bird photos I had taken during the last few years. I guess I had planned to delete them once I got better ones and then forgot about it. While I saved my best images on CDs and on an external hard drive, I'm a bit paranoid about losing anything. Besides, I like to work with them on the computer without having to go through all my CDs. I'm not sure how much space I actually freed up on our hard drive since it's not the .jpegs as much as the .tif photos that take up room. I save each photo that I consider a keeper as a .tif before reverting it to .jpeg again if I want to use it for something specific (such as forwarding it to my stock agencies or getting prints made from it). JPEG is a lossy format and each time you open a photo, the image data gets compressed and the image deteriorates. Therefore, it is advisable to save all good photos as .tif first.
Going down memory lane was very interesting, though. For one, I realized how much my photos have improved since I first started photographing birds. I also like to go back and revisit them to check what time of year I photographed a certain migrant. For example, last year I photographed a junco on November 5. I gasped, because that's less than two months away. Where has the year gone? It seems like they just left, especially since it was so cold in April that their departure was delayed. That means also that it's almost time to stock up on bird feed and clean the feeders.

Late Summer Rambling

My last trip to Beechwood was not very fruitful. My best photo was that of the lone monarch I saw there. We have more of them at home. I did see, but not photograph, a warbler, a wren and some cedar waxwings. Butterflies were scarce that day, but so it goes.
Our own little butterfly garden is a hotbed of activity. We're having a good crop of monarch larvae this summer and also milkweed moths and bugs. Amazing that a poisonous plant such as milkweed (we have butterfly weeds and milkweed) can support so much wildlife. We're also seeing bumble bees and honey bees, all kinds of butterflies but not as many swallowtails as in the past.
I'm seeing and hearing more birds in our yard, including a pileated woodpecker. The male hummingbirds appear to have departed, yet the young ones are still around fighting over the nectar. They're also visiting our flowers, particularly the zinnias. I'll definitely plant those again next year.

End of Summer

August is my least favorite month. I don't like days that are so hot and muggy that I can barely venture outdoors--and get eaten up alive if I do. So I am relieved that the sweltering heat is over for now, hopefully for good.
Summer is winding down in our garden too. Yet, even flowers past their prime provide food and nectar for insects and birds. Goldfinches particularly like the seeds of coneflowers and coreopsis. Our butterfly weed and, to a lesser extent than we had hoped for, milkweed are again popular with monarchs. Every summer, they return unfailingly to our small butterfly garden as if by word of mouth. It is fascinating to watch how their larvae munch on the otherwise poisonous milkweed plants.
Zinnias and lobelias are again popular with insects. Not all our experiments worked out, however. The leaves of the New England Asters we planted in May to provide fall color were eaten by a stealthy thief, probably a groundhog. I don't know if they'll make it. The false indigo met the same fate. The cosmos looked very good, even though they all have the same color, orange, of which we already have plenty.
Now, I'm looking forward to my favorite season, fall. I expect to add some more birds to my stock photo list and hope for better fall foliage than last year. That shouldn't be too difficult since last October was the worst foliage since I've come here.

A Day at Beechwood

After a long absence, I took my camera out to the Audubon nature reserve at Beechwood yesterday morning. It was very cloudy when I arrived there and I wondered whether I had made the right decision to go. I headed toward the pond area, as I usually do, because that's where most of my photo opportunities seem to be located. I noticed an Indigo Bunting in a bush near the pond, but could not get a good photo of it. The difference between the sky and the dark bird was too great. At this early hour, I had the pond area for myself. I was grateful that I was able to listen to the birds and frogs without any human noises. At last, I walked around the pond and spotted a spicebush swallowtail landing on the grass. It sat still for quite a while, which is unusual for this busy butterfly, and I was able to shoot some great photos of it. When the sun came out, the tiger swallowtails were out in full force at the Joy-pye-weed and I captured them too. The crowning touch, though, occured when I was almost ready to leave. I made a last visit at the pond area when I saw two Cedar Waxwings land on a berry bush nearby. I had seen them earlier in a tall tree and hoped to get a better look at them. Cedar Waxwings had been on my wish list since last fall when I photographed many of them but couldn't get one decent shot. Now my wish has finally been fulfilled, although there is definitely room for improvement.
While I was disappointed that I didn't see any monarchs yesterday, I know they will return when the goldenrod blooms. I'll be back to capture them and any birds that pass through. All in all, it was a great day at Beechwood once again!

Lasting friendships

My most memorable experiences during my trip to Germany were several reunions with old friends. While the friends certainly aren't old yet, our friendships are--in years at least. Some of them go all the way back to kindergarten, which begins at age 3 in Germany. So, we're talking decades here. One girlfriend in particular is my trusty driver and almost always available for a dinner date.
My visits to the old country provide a perfect opportunity for a get-together. In fact, my friends don't usually meet unless I'm coming. The exception was last year when my business school mates organized their first ever reunion without me. I saw photos, of course. I was therefore thrilled that seven of us could get together during my recent visit. It amazes me what great memories some people have. "Do you remember our trip to...?" Blank stares were my only answer since I didn't recollect that trip at all. Although we had parted ways at age 16 and our lives took us in many different directions, it did not matter. We soon chatted away as if we met regularly.
After school, I joined a club where my brother was also a member. When everybody started a family, the club folded but a couple of years ago they started to meet again every three to four months, each time at a different restaurant. This time they organized a meeting during my stay. Again, the words "do you remember" echoed from the walls as we recollected funny or embarrassing moments from our trips together. As we talked away the hours, I wondered in disbelief whether it had really been twenty years since we sat together just like this. Of course, life has left its mark on all of us. Some of us had to endure serious illnesses or surgeries while others struggled to find a job. Yet, for one evening we were transported back to our youth which is probably why people go to reunions in the first place. May we all have many more reunions to celebrate!

Spaghetti ice, rain and white storks

I just returned from a trip to Germany. For the first two days, temperatures hovered in the 90s, but then they dropped considerably. So much so that cool, rainy days seemed to be in the majority. The weather affected people's moods and limited my outdoor activities. Unlike during other visits, I was not able to go for a ride until my last day. Stuck in a small town without a car, my days dragged on forever while my dates with friends mostly took place during evenings. One highlight was a mini-reunion from my business school where I met two "girls" I hadn't seen since 1974.
As the title suggests, a visit to Germany is not complete without eating several portions of spaghetti ice. This concoction consists of whipped cream topped by vanilla ice cream which is pushed through a press (similar to a potato press, I assume) and then covered with strawberry topping and white chocolate flakes. Thus, it looks just like spaghetti and tomato sauce, but tastes much better.
Years ago, white storks were reintroduced to my hometown and this time, I was finally able to take some photos of them. I know my pictures aren't very good, but it's the best I could do without a telephoto lens. There were four storks, but one was missing. Mrs. Stork was recently killed during an encounter with a power line. I hope that Mr. Stork finds another mate. I heard that he is quite finicky and won't accept just any lady that comes along. I wish daddy and the kids all the best.

Bird Talk

Last night, I gave the first public talk in my life. I'm currently exhibiting my photos at our new library in Robinson Township and the librarian asked me if I wanted to give a talk. I agreed since it was a good learning experience for me. My topic was birding and how to attract birds to your yard. The audience was small but very interested. My husband came along and together, we answered all questions that came up. It turned out that the librarian herself is an avid bird-watcher and has already acquired quite a few bird books. When I prepared for the talk, I made a list of all the birds we have sighted in or from our backyard and I came up with 35 species. While I haven't been able to photograph all these species, it's quite an impressive number. I had great fun doing the talk and it gave me confidence on doing similar sessions in the future. The interactive talk was a lot less intimidating than a formal speech would have been. I hope that the attendants came away from the session with an enthusiasm to learn more about birds and, most importantly, to enjoy themselves.

When good plans go awry

In early April, I booked a flight to Germany for mid-July after days of checking travel websites for the best possible connections. Since there are no more direct flights to Europe from Pittsburgh, I knew I had to make a connection at least once. I finally decided to use the same airline I had used twice before, with one exception: they now offered a second daily flight from Frankfurt to Detroit in the afternoon. This would enable me and my driver to sleep in and avoid the morning rush hour near Frankfurt. The fact that it was cheaper than the morning flight didn't hurt either, or so I thought.
Yesterday morning, however, I received an e-mail with a change of schedule. Instead of flying from Frankfurt to Detroit and then on to Pittsburgh, the airline now wants to send me via Amsterdam - Memphis - Pittsburgh. Memphis? Amsterdam? I looked at the itinerary in disbelief. Did I book three months in advance for this? And I thought Chicago or Charlotte were too far out of my way! A child with a dart could have just thrown it at a map of the United States and pick a better layover point. Also, my first flight would leave before 11:00 a.m. so I would have to leave during rush hour.
I called the airline. The customer service representative was very nice, but he didn't have any other seats available. Apparently the flight I had picked has been canceled and now they're scrambling to book people on other flights. The rep suggested that I check back if anything opens up and assured me that I would be able to make my connection in Memphis. What annoys me the most is that I will have to walk through four airports in one day with my newly recovered knee.
I have never experienced an itinerary change like this before, although I came close back in 1979 when I first came to the U.S. with a folk dance group. We were 39 people for the return trip from St. Louis via New York. Unfortunately, none of us had remembered to confirm our flight back from New York to Frankfurt. When we arrived at the ticket counter, they only had 13 seats available. A powwow followed and it was decided to give these seats to the farmers and married couples. I was among the second batch of 10 or 12 seats that miraculously became available so I missed what followed next. Our president told the musicians to unpack their accordions and the dancers started dancing in the check-in area. Within minutes, the distraught airline reps cried, "Everybody on board!"
Perhaps I should try something similar when I'm taking the grand tour, but I'm afraid my dancing days are over.

Communing with Nature

I'm still nursing a flare-up of an old knee injury and avoid driving as much as I can. On Saturday, my husband therefore took me out on a picnic to North Park so I could get out of the house for a while. I had barely set up our lunch in a picnic shelter when a male cardinal showed up on the next bench. My husband threw a small piece of cookie on the ground and the bird picked it up and flew away with it. I had never seen a cardinal that was so unafraid of people and begging for food. We also saw an adult flicker feeding an immature flicker on the grass surrounding the shelter. As usual in those cases when I'm not in the mood to carry heavy camera equipment around, I see great birds.
A while later, we set up chairs at a wetland area where we were greeted by a yellow warbler. It flitted around us, chattering all the while and landing just a few feet away from us. I will probably never see a warbler this close when I have a camera handy. We also saw several groups of ducks across the inlet. A group of children from a nearby party flushed out three tiny ducklings - cute as buttons - that paddled across the water to get away from them. About an hour later, an adult duck (probably a wood duck) called out frantically for her kids and the three ducklings swam across the water again. On the other bank (and out of my sight), however, they were greeted by shrieks of annoyance. They had approached the wrong mother! Then they paddled around in circles, not sure what to do next. After a short while, all turned quiet again and I sincerely hope that the little ones were united with their mother. They were much too young to make it on their own.
By mid-afternoon, everything went quiet around the wetland. Even the frog that had croaked from time to time went mute. We packed up and went home again, happy with the discoveries we made.

Happy Hummers

June is not turning out to be one of my best months this year. Besides having some unpleasant medical tests done, my right knee, which I injured years ago, is also hurting a lot for over a week now. So, instead of going to the air show with my hubby this past weekend, I could only watch the planes that flew by our backyard. Since we live in the airport area, I saw quite a few and heard even more.

To make my time at home more pleasant, I've been photographing the ruby-throated hummingbirds that visit our feeder. I could do this from the comfort of a garden chair. Life doesn't get much easier than this, but photographing hummingbirds is no easy task. First of all, they are fast--really fast. A more dedicated photographer would probably set up several flashes, but I only have one flash and so it took quite a few shots to get a decent photo. Yesterday, I finally took some shots of both a male and female hummingbird that I'm proud to show everybody (which I'm doing right here). The hummingbirds are hitting our feeders hard and are not happy when the syrup gets too old (too old meaning three days max.). So, they might as well pose for my camera to earn their keep. They are fun to watch, but they are quite territorial and don't like it at all when another bird shows up at the same time. Never mind that there's enough for everybody, and how do some people manage to photograph half a dozen hummingbirds at their feeder at the same time?

Other than that, I haven't seen any unusual birds lately, except for a possible oriole sighting, but it has been a strange year. The weather has been weird this summer and the birds and plants are surely affected by that. Oh well, that's what makes bird photography so interesting and sometimes frustrating.

Frogs and other creatures

On Wednesday, I went to the Audubon Nature Center to photograph birds. I ended up photographing a bullfrog, a green frog and tadpoles (or pollywogs) in all stages on development. The pond at Beechwood was teeming with life, if one looked closely. The bullfrog, for example, was so well camouflaged that it took me a while to discover its eyes sticking out of the scum. At first, it pointed its back at me, but later it was kind enough to show me its side view and a reflection in the pond. I took some pretty good images of it and a green frog. Most amazing, though, was when I noticed a northern cardinal near the pond. I fired away when it caught a dragonfly in its beak. I was also happy when one of the swallows that hovered over the pond to catch insects actually sat down on top of the solar panel to clean itself. All in all, I spent over two hours at the pond. Nature photographers spend a lot of time waiting, but I couldn't have picked a better day to do it. The lighting was mostly good and the temperature was cool enough to enjoy an outing. Now we're back to sticky, hot weather.

My photo exhibit at the Robinson library is already a success. I'm told that people are amazed at my bird photos. They will probably be up till the end of July.

Spring, Where Art Thou?

I have recovered from the Pennwriters Conference and am now trying to digest all the information I gathered there. The workshops were all wonderful and my only beef is that I could only attend one at a time. There were occasions when I could have joined all three that were going on at the same time. I recognized more faces than I had two years ago and enjoyed networking with everybody I had contact with. Now it is time to sit back at my desk and apply what I've learned.
The weather is clearly encouraging me to write since it is too hot to spend much time outdoors. We seem to have moved from winter to summer in about two days. Last week, I ventured out to Beechwood Farms despite the rather warm temperatures. While I did not take any great photos, I did see a Pileated Woodpecker, a Blue Heron, a Catbird, and many Canada Geese and their goslings. My goal was to photograph the Baltimore Orioles that frequent the feeder but I have not succeeded yet. There is always next time.
On Memorial Day, my husband and I ventured out to the wetland trail at Raccoon Creek Park. On several occasions, it deserved its name and we got muddy shoes. However, we did see many Catbirds, an Eastern Towhee, a Blue Heron, a Baltimore Oriole, and plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds. The sound of bullfrogs filled the air, but we never caught a glimpse of one. What we did catch were mosquito bites and I'm still suffering the consequences. Still, it was nice to get out before we had to disappear into the house like vampires. Aah, summer in Pennsylvania!

Nose Art

During this time of year, I usually photograph birds. Yesterday, however, I had an opportunity to photograph some pretty big birds.

A few months ago, I learned that the artist who paints nose art on military planes at the 171 Air Refueling Wing lives in the next town. I thought it would make a good article for Pennsylvania Magazine and queried the editor after securing approval from the military. Last week, I got the go-ahead and was informed that a plane would be in yesterday for one day only. So Donna, the artist, had to paint the motive, the Duel 'n Fueler, in one day.

I went out to the base to take some photos while she was painting. But the story doesn't end here. I was actually chauffeured to the flight line where I was able to photograph each of Donna's designs that was on the ground. Her nose art is truly awesome. There were a total of seven planes available: the Spirit of Pittsburgh, the Falcons Spirit, Freedom will Endure, the Patriot, the Allegheny Warrior (my personal favorite), the Steel Phantom, and Pittsburgh Simply the Best. It was better than an airshow and everybody was super nice to me.

All this happened because I was networking with my fellow Pennwriters. I can't wait to write the article that will accompany my photos, but I guess I'll have to postpone the writing until next week since I'm getting ready to attend the Pennwriters conference from Friday till Sunday.

My photography has taken me places I would have never dreamed of going: a day sail aboard the Flagship Niagara, a museum for automated musical instruments, Old Economy and now this. What's next?

Busy Time

This is the busiest time of year for me. As a bird photographer, I was looking forward to migration to add some new species to my ever growing stock photo list. I was not disappointed since I took some great pictures of an eastern towhee, a white-crowned sparrow, a white-throated sparrow, a cardinal and a red-bellied woodpecker. On my wish list of desirable species is a bluebird. Yes, I do have bluebird photos from last year, but none of them is very sharp. So, on Tuesday, a birder friend and I went out in search of bluebirds. We did find them, including one that sat on top of a No Parking sign, cleaning its feathers. When not grooming itself, it and its mate fed the fledglings in their birdbox. But they didn't let me come close enough to get a really sharp photo. I didn't want to interfere with the feedings of their young so I backed off. On the way back, I took some photos of a yellow warbler, but again they're no more than record shots. So the quest for a great bluebird shot continues.

I am also getting ready for the Pennwriters conference which will begin next week on Friday. This time, I not only have an agent appointment, but I also volunteered to be a time keeper for another agent. Friday promises to be very busy.

I learned yesterday that my nonfiction proposal to Pennsylvania Magazine was accepted. This photo feature will showcase an artist who paints noses on military planes. I am very excited about this and can't wait to go out to the base to photograph some very big birds.

In June, I booked a photo exhibit at the new library in Robinson Township. I am pleased to show my work for an entire month in the town I've lived in for almost 10 years. And besides, I always love to hang around libraries.

Happy spring to you all!

The Hummingbirds are back

I am in full birding mode right now. Yesterday afternoon I spotted a male ruby-throated hummingbird at our new feeder. This feeder not only has an ant moat, but it also has perches that make it more comfortable for the little fellow to drink. Yesterday was an interesting birding day anyway since I observed two male rose-breasted grosbeaks under our feeder in the early morning. Then I went to Beechwood were I was disappointed at the amount of birds I saw. There were no bluebirds at all and I only saw one warbler. Even the feeders weren't very popular. Where have all the birds gone? Apparently, they all come to our feeders. It seems indeed that all the action happens in our own backyard at the moment. The juncos are probably gone now, but I photographed both white-throated and white-crowned sparrows a few days ago.

Sometimes I wonder why I love photographing birds. They never land on the branch I want them to land on, they move with lightning speed, and when I finally focus on their eye, they turn their head and my focusing job goes out the window. Nine out of ten of my photos go right into the digital trash bin, but the tenth photo is a thrill. Like the photo of an eastern towhee I show here, it is exhilarating when everything comes together: sharpness, action, a great looking bird and a decent background. And if I can photograph a species I haven't collected yet, so much the better.

Happy spring, everybody!

Bird Photography

I've been photographing the birds in our backyard for the past couple of years, but some species are so shy that I could never get a close-up picture of them. Last fall, I purchased a collapsible hunting blind so I can get closer. I have yet to figure out the collapsing part of it. It's supposed to fit into a small bag but it took too long to fiddle with that, so I just left it out of the bag all through winter. Now that the weather is more favorable, I've set up the blind several times to get a closer view of the many birds that visit our four feeders. My objective was to catch a shot of the Eastern Towhee that has been foraging under the feeders. On Tuesday, it finally showed up once and I fired away. Although it never returned after that, I was able to grab some great photos of a White-throated Sparrow which is quite beautiful in its new spring dress. The blind really works in allowing me to fill the frame with the bird. Even shy birds such as Red-bellied Woodpeckers show up occasionally when they don't feel threatened. Now, if I could only snatch a photo of a migrant passing through...

Spring is here, I hope

A while ago, I wrote that spring is just around the corner. That was foolish, considering the recent wintry weather we endured. I'm afraid we won't see our redbud bloom this year, but I hold out some hope that our azaleas survived the frost.

On Thursday, I attended a fundraiser at a library and was very pleased with the event. The evening was sponsored by Lincoln Avenue Arts in McDonald of which I am a member. I not only sold several prints and greeting cards, but I also met the nicest people who told me about the birds in their yard. Some of them were bird-watchers who admired my photos. After such a success, I was more than ready to get back into photography mode. Yesterday's warm weather prompted me to set up my blind again in the backyard. I was not disappointed. While I didn't get to photograph any new bird species, I am pleased to report that I took not just one, but five fantastic photographs. Besides the cardinal shown here, I also shot a goldfinch singing, a red-bellied woodpecker up close and a black-capped chickadee eating a sunflower. What a great ending to an exciting week! I can't wait to make prints of these photos and show them to the world.

Planet Earth

When I was young, I could not understand why my dad loved to watch nature programs on TV. Nature was boring and something for older people, I concluded. Fast forward twenty years and I'm the one who watches nature shows on the tube. For the past three Sunday nights, we have been glued to the TV to watch the Planet Earth program on the Discovery channel. It is a fantastic, although sometimes disturbing, show and the photography is spectacular. Never before had I heard of elephants in the desert or camels in snow. The other day, my husband asked me, "Why do we hate predators so much?" I had no answer. We humans aren't really innocent creatures. Animals, after all, only kill to feed themselves and their young. Humans, on the other hand, kill animals without need and without thinking about the consequences. When I thought about the predators of humpback whales, for example, I could only come up with one: humans. So--who are we to judge when an animal who has gone hungry for days kills another animal to feed itself and its young? Survival drives all life on earth.

Personally, I was hoping that I would be photographing birds by now, but winter has made another appearance here and the temperatures are still hovering in the forties. While this would be decent weather in January, it's a bit harder to take in April. Everything that was getting ready to bloom either froze or came to a standstill. I can't wait to see blooming and green trees. It's no surprise that the juncos are still here and I'm worried whether the hummingbirds will survive their spring migration. I guess I will hang up my feeders a little later than usual.

Spring Photography

For the last few days, we have witnessed an Eastern Towhee visiting our backyard to feast on the seeds that fell from our bird feeders. Yesterday, I set up my blind in the backyard and waited for the towhee to make an appearance. Of course, it never showed up. Instead, I saw plenty of robins foraging through the grass. I also photographed the juncos that are still around. As a wildlife photographer, I have to act fast. So, when a fox squirrel showed up, standing upright at the edge of our hillside I clicked the shutter until it disappeared. Squirrels can be very annoying when they raid our feeders (and our pockets) since we have to fill the feeders three times a day when they're in high form. They also destroy (and sometimes abscond with) our feeders. One recently broke a metal perch off a feeder. But, when it comes to modeling for the camera, they are second to none. Who could possibly be mad at such a cute photo subject?

Why I photograph

I came to photography by accident. Yes, I had always loved to take vacation photos and had taken a couple of photography classes geared at amateurs. Sadly, my photos from the 1970s have faded badly. I traveled extensively during the 1980s and I now wish that I had decent photos from that time. The way I traveled, though (backpacking, bus tours, even hitchhiking), prohibited carrying around a big camera.
After my husband and I started dating, we traveled every weekend to a different town and he took a camera along. He graduated into shooting 35mm transparencies and purchased another camera for me. I took my first slides during a vacation to Norway. Unfortunately, it rained the entire week we were there, off and on. Needless to say, most of our photos are not top quality. But I was hooked. I signed up for a photography course with the New York Institute of Photography and we listened to the lessons together. We wanted to operate a homebased portrait studio photographing children and pets, but things didn't work out.
Over the years, my interest in portraits waned. After buying a house here in Pennsylvania, we began to feed the many birds in our backyard. We purchased a 35mm digital camera and I was finally able to photograph birds with a telephoto lens (the digital sensor extends the lengths of a lens). Six months later, I took a photo of an airborne Tufted Titmouse that has won me two awards so far and a feature on TV. But fame alone is not the reason why I photograph.
Photography gives me an opportunity to see the world in detail that I would otherwise overlook. There are photo opportunities everywhere you look. In the city, that could be a fire escape or an interesting shadow or colorful store front. In a state park, there are grasses, trees, water, fungi, animals and birds that beg to be photographed. By showing people the beauty of nature, I hope that they, too, will want to protect it. Children are particularly attracted to my bird photographs and I hope that they will take that enthusiasm into their adult lives. Our own future depends on it.

Spring is Around the Corner

Last Tuesday was a very warm day and, since the weather forecast was not favorable, I decided to take my camera out to the Audubon nature center. As I left my car, I was already greeted by the honks of Canada Geese from the pond area. You can always hear them before you see them. Another sign of the spring ahead was the house sparrow checking out the real estate of a bird house. The pond itself was still covered with solid ice, so there was no sign of life yet besides the geese. As I walked along the trail, I kept my ears and eyes open for birds, never knowing whether it was a slight breeze or a secretive bird that rustled in the thickets. A hawk glided overhead and a honey bee actually landed on my lens. Nature is awakening at last. It was too early yet to see migratory birds, but a red-winged blackbird screeched out his mating call (which can only be attractive to another blackbird) to the world. Too bad it was perched in the middle of a holly bush and I could not get a decent photo of it. They look pretty impressive when they flex out their wings and show off those red and yellow striped feathers.
By March, I'm tired of looking at gray trees and can't wait to go out into nature again and witness its awakening. Our crocusses are coming out now and it won't be long before our silver maple will show fresh greens and the birds are pairing off. The robins have arrived a couple of weeks ago. Another long winter is finally coming to an end.