Macro Monday: Black-crowned night heron

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

I got the opportunity to photograph a couple of black-crowned night heron herons up close during the holidays.  These photos are not technically macro but I didn’t have to zoom in to be able to get these close shots. The lighting was less than perfect so this is the best I got that day. The funny thing is, both herons look like they only have one leg. They must do like flamingos and lift up a leg when they stand up somewhere for a while.

Macro Monday: Black-crowned night heron
Macro Monday: Black-crowned night heron
Black-crowned night heron on wooden post
Black-crowned night heron on wooden post
Close-up of a black-crowned night heron
Close-up of a black-crowned night heron

Happy new year 2014!

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Happy new year! I wish you and your loved ones a year filled with happiness, love, friendship, kindness, caring, fun, and new experiences. Here are a few of my favorite quotes in pictures of sunrises to start the year on a bright and positive note.

Henry David Thoreau quote
Henry David Thoreau quote
Alfred Lord Tennyson quote
Alfred Lord Tennyson quote
Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Merry Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas light displays

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

You can click on any of the photos below to view them in a larger format. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

I wish you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas, whether it’s a white Christmas, or a wet one, or a sunny one. A few nights ago I went to our town’s best Christmas light displays with my kids and took picture after picture as we enjoyed the show. With these images, I’m sending some Christmas cheer your way!

Christmas light diplay on front yard
Christmas light diplay on front yard
Christmas light decorations on homes
Christmas light decorations on homes
Snowman Christmas light display
Snowman Christmas light display
Christmas light reindeers and dog
Christmas light reindeers and dog
Mickey Mouse Christmas light decorations and tree
Mickey Mouse Christmas light decorations and tree
Christmas light reindeer and candy cane decorations
Christmas light reindeer and candy cane decorations
Christmas lights : penguins playing with the snowman's head
Christmas lights : penguins playing with the snowman’s head
Christmas lights : polar bear and Coca Cola bottle
Christmas lights : polar bear and Coca Cola bottle
Christmas lights : Rudolph and the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh
Christmas lights : Rudolph and the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh
Christmas light outdoor decorations
Christmas light outdoor decorations
Christmas lights : Star Wars display - may the force be with you this Christmas
Christmas lights : Star Wars display – may the force be with you this Christmas

Travel theme: Winter

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Remember that my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m participating in Where’s My Backpack’s Travel Theme photo challenge. This week’s theme is “sky”. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Winter in San Diego looks a little different from what you might expect in other parts of the Northern hemisphere. The days are mostly sunny but definitely cooler, and we can have very clear mornings, or a lot of fog.

Travel theme: Winter fog in San Diego
Travel theme: Winter fog in San Diego

We don’t get snow in town, but our mountain caps less than an hour away do get the white stuff. If we’re lucky we get some rain, which we desperately need. I took this photo of my car roof a few days ago. I loved how the clouds reflected on it among the rain drops but all I had to capture the sight was my cell phone camera. I’m still happy with the way it came out.

Clouds reflecting on car roof with raindrops
Clouds reflecting on car roof with raindrops

And if it’s cold enough, we get frost.

Frost on ice plants in San Diego
Frost on ice plants in San Diego

I’m working on a post about Christmas lights, but for this winter theme, I thought I’d preview one of my newest photos. Winter means Christmas and the joy of going to look at Christmas lights.

Christmas light outdoor decorations
Christmas light outdoor decorations

WordPress weekly photo challenge: One

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

My 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

Today I’m participating in the WordPress weekly photo challenge and this week’s theme is “one”. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

For this theme, I thought I’d highlight some of the photos I featured recently on this photo blog.

There was one Nutall’s woodpecker, the first woodpecker I’ve ever photographed.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: One Nuttall's woodpecker
WordPress weekly photo challenge: One Nuttall’s woodpecker

One red pansy with water drops covering its petals.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: One red pansy
WordPress weekly photo challenge: One red pansy

One double rainbow (all the way!) in San Diego.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: One double rainbow in San Diego
WordPress weekly photo challenge: One double rainbow in San Diego

One very cute Tasmanian devil at the San Diego Zoo.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: One Tasmania devil
WordPress weekly photo challenge: One Tasmania devil

And of course, the one duck who photobombed my white pelican shot, which should have been of only one bird…

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: One duck photobombs my pelican shot
WordPress weekly photo challenge: One duck photobombs my pelican shot