Sparkling Wings

Turtle Roadblock

There was something in the middle of the road. Hubby threw the car into park and out we jumped, cameras in hand. The lens you see up there is the fisheye (on the Canon 5D) and if you scroll down to the bottom you can see one of the shots Dennis took. He really was only a couple of inches from the turtle; the neat thing about the fisheye is you can be really close.

The turtle willingly stopped and posed for his paparazzi.

He even waved at the camera.

I guess he was waving ‘bye’, cuz then he was off like a flash, well, uh actually more like a tortoise.

I snapped a few close ups, from a distance, if that makes sense. I was using the Canon 40D with the huge honkin lens (100-400mm), too lazy to take it off after birding.

I love the moss on his shell (it gives him character) and the stripe on his eye that matches his body.

As promised, here’s one of Dennis’s photos and me in the background, about five feet from Mr Turtle, as that’s as close as I can be to focus with that huge lens.  Sidenote - You see that is the bad thing about his using the fisheye, it has 180 degree view so I have to be slightly behind him or I will be in the shot.  And honestly, when we plan a day in the woods taking photos I don't exactly dress up for a photo, afterall, I'm supposed to be behind the camera, not in front of it.

Birds of Sandhill

Wondered around Sandhill Nature Preserve for a little bit. Not sure what kind of bird this one was, but it was curious. Pine Siskin?

Scarlet Tanager

Thrush