One Good Tern ~ On Creative Arts Three Day Weekend
Back years ago when I used to fish for Bluefish off the New Jersey Coast, a sure way to know where there was a school feeding voraciously, was to look for a flock of Terns picking off the forage fish the Blues were chasing and forcing to the ocean surface.
The Common Tern -
Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.
© A.Mac/A.G.
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It's your TURN group.
My local friends in Hawaii call it "bird piles". If you see the bird piles, you know where the fish are.
The article in the link below mentions bird piles in Hawaii.
Thanks or the link, G. I will check it out.
I've been trying to open that link for a little while now, and all I get is this:
See if this one will open for you, Buzz.
Yes, yours opened and then I tried GG's and it opened now too, but for some reason not the same, not as well. In any event the article mentions the mahi mahi that resemble dolphins. When I was in Kona on The Big Island we went out on the Kona Queen fishing launch and caught the only saltwater fish I've ever caught in my life, a good sized mahi mahi which is a delicacy among fish. The chef at the motel where we were staying broiled it for us and it was delicious. Sorry to deprive the birds. LOL
Absolutely beautiful Terns, Mac.
Yes, they are.
I Egret the pic isn't sharper...
No cardinal sin, Pat.
That's not Robin us from enjoying it.
That is a wonderful picture.
Thank you Gsq
Punny. Haha
Beautiful Egrets, Pat, and they look very clear to me. Love the location they in. Great job!
Thank you, RW. That pond has lots of Koi fish. I've posted some pics a while ago.
I saw your pics of the Koi, they truly are a beautiful, awesome fish.
nice. if this is your yard, I'm moving into your pool house. best have G2 prepare a restraining order.
I wish, lol.
One good Tern deserves another...
CREATIVE CHALLENGE
As I announced last weekend, this weekend I'm posing a challenge to all to provide their own photographs and/or creative images to match the adage "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". Internet images are not acceptable - they must be personal originals. I will start the ball rolling by posting 4 photographs I took over the years, and explanations about them.
Something Old - About 15 years ago when I toured the Henan Provincial Museum in Zhengzhou, on the top floor this object was located. It is an ancient astronomical device. Unfortunately I did not photograph the describing placard in front of it. Although I have photos of things that could be older, such as The Great Wall, or the Terracotta Warriors, I thought something you may not already have seen would be more appropriate.
Something New - Because of the hot weather I've been staying indoors - these days it's 43 C (109 F) and I am not going to leave my air conditioning, but a couple of months ago we were out for a walk and saw that the municipality had installed brand new purified water dispensers on the streets - we saw two of them nearby. They provide both hot and cold drinking water FREE. My wife fills her thermos with hot water whenever she's out (Chongqing is her home town so she can handle the heat). Chinese people always drink hot water rather than cold, but being from Canada, I like my water ice cold.
Something Borrowed - A number of years ago I posted an article about photographers who take still photos during movie shoots (an unfortunate term considering what happened with Alec Baldwin, but I just read that it has been deemed an accident) and I set up this layout of some of my movie DVDs (I have more than 100) and borrowed a friend's Nikon SLR and lenses in order to create this image that I used as an illustration for the article.
Something Blue - From my balcony I could look down at this blue-coloured climbing wall that was on a blank wall housing the mall next door. When I was down below I took this photo while it was in use, but maybe because the mall's owners thought it could lead to accidents and therefore liabilities, the climbing wall no longer exists.
I look forward to seeing if anyone else will meet this challenge and post something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
I'm sure there will be lots of takers.
If the last time I posed a challenge is any indication, I doubt it.
Well... I'll be the first then...
Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed - From The American Indian Museum
Something Blue
Thank you. And from the other side of the world of The American Indian Museum, my photos from when I toured the area of the cultural minority Zhuang people.
The story is that there were many suns, and the heat and drought caused famine and death, so Mo Yi shot his arrows into the sky and destroyed all the suns except one, and then all was good in the land.
Very interesting people, Buzz. Thanks for sharing the information with us.
Arvo..hmm don't have all the categories you asked for but something blue...
Hummingbird cake and capucinno...at my favourite cafe by the sea...
oooohoo....that looks delicious, shona!
And now I am hungry for something sweet.....(drool...)
Good timing. It's my wife's niece's birthday today that we are celebrating here and soon I will be having a little cake, but no capucinno.
Hello Friday......
Native American Warrior
Well presented - I'd venture to say there's no way he would ever lose a fight.
Thank you, Buzz. Very glad you like it.
An image beautiful beyond words, RW.
Thank you very much, Mac.
That is a great image.
Thank you, G.
Early morning overlooking the Stone Creek GC. Stone Creek, Ocala, FL.
Beautiful sky.
Damned nice picture!
Beautiful photo, Kavika. The large cloud mass at the top looks like a flying dragon or a hummingbird. My imagination loves to play around. (grin)
Nice sunset.
It's early morning, G....You better lay of the wine...LOL
OOPS! But, it could be a sunset if you were facing west. (Because of my medical issues, I haven't had a drink of alcohol for over 2 1/2 years!!!)
I was down in Minneapolis yesterday ( 2.5 hr drive there) for a surgery follow-up (I'm great by the way!) and stopped at a store on the way home to pickup some guppies. I got 1 male and 2 females. Here is a shot of the male -
Here is the female -
I didn't know you had surgery. Glad you are doing good.
Guppy looks like it is going to be a Mama.
I had sinus surgery in April before my trip to Ireland.
Thanks! I'm so glad I got VA to do it. I should have done it years ago. I was miserable most of the time.
I was wondering and now I'm thinking I need to baby proof the aquarium sooner rather than later. I will put a filter sponge over the intake and purchase some floating plants today.
The female looks pregnant.
Yup! The gravid spot is a unique physical feature that's exclusive to livebearing females. It's the darkened skin of the womb located just behind the anal fin. The area is usually visible in female guppies whether they're pregnant or not because of their semi-transparent belly skin.
Great images, EG. Beautiful Guppies. Looks like you will get more than you paid for with the female.
It's always interested me that except in the case of humans, the males are usually more attractive than females.
There was an article about Mopar being discontinued. Talking about old cars.
A was thinking about an old friend of mine when I saw this pic I had. What happened to his car. Haha
This was parked outside my house. Car would have been worth a good penny today, though his was beat up. He was a terrible driver.
I didn't edit this because I had to laugh at what was caught in the bottom right...
ha ha ha
Hot tub bubbles, heavily edited.
I see an alligator.
That's a real beauty, Hal. Great editing as well. My imagination had a field day with it. (smile)
A fantastic fantasy.
I took this photo in front of our house looking down the street. I like how it feels a little mysterious.
© G. Gam
You just wanted to blur it so I can't figure out where you live and crash on your sofa...
It almost looks like a painting.
Hey, you're welcome to crash on our lumpy sofa any time you come to L.A., but bring your own pillow!
Great shot G. And the colors in the sky does give it a mystical look.
Thanks, Raven Wing.
Careful of the Windigo's, G.
Ever since I read the story you posted I have been VERY careful!
And I didn't even need to wear my glasses to look at it.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
This is a photo of Newgrange, which is a neolithic structure about 30 miles north of Dublin, Ireland. A passage through the front takes you into three chambers in the interior. It is covered by the mound. From 5,000 years ago, it pre-dates Stonehenge and the pyramids at Giza. A truly amazing place. Newgrange is old.
© G. Gam
Buds from a flowering aloe plant. Flower buds are new.
© G. Gam
This is a piece I posted not long ago. In Chinese landscape design, "borrowed scenery" includes "linjie", which means "adjacent borrowing" such as buildings and features. Here, Beisi Pagoda is outside of The Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, but incorporated into the scenery. The view of Beisi Pagoda is borrowed.
© G. Gam
This is another piece I posted recently of a woman in Zhouzhuang, China. It seems to reflect a blue mood.
© G. Gam
Beauties all, G.
Thank you, Raven Wing.
Way to go, GG.
Challenge met, I think.
Okay.
Actually, it isn't a contest - there are no winners or losers. It's an invitation for just playing a game of sorts, doing something different.
What you said:
What I said:
Umm... Participation trophy?
One that's not so old. As we're into birds......
A great rendition of a bird.
Thanks Buzz.
That is so great.
Thank you G.
End of the day. Stone Creek, Ocala FL.
Another beautiful sunset.
Are you sure that's not a sunrise photo?
I'm looking west so I'm sure that it's a sunset. Besides a few minutes later it was dark out. LOL
Nah that can't be right Kavika...you mob have got everything else back to front...so over there the sun has to set in the East surely..😁
Not only do we have it back to front at times we have it side to side...
This is how it would look Down Under.
LMAO, good one, G.
LOL
Morning G.. great photo, looks perfectly normal to me..is there something wrong with it???🤣
Ahh that's what is...the cloud on the left looks like a wallaby sitting front on and it's standing in water with hills behind it..
Knew you tried to trick me...🦘🦘🐨🐨
Darn! You caught me. I knew I couldn't fool you.
Bet it was a peaceful day.
Arvo... another one of my favourite beach places I go to...about 70 kilometres from my place...even better at this time of year as it is usually deserted....
Looks like a shallow walk out into the water - peaceful now, but what happens in the summer?
Bloody chaos and you don't go then... tourists everywhere....it's actually high tide in the photo and you will be over your head about 50 metres out...
Beautiful shot, shona. Looks like a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery.
Does the Brownie take the bait? I'll never tell.
Great image, Mac, and a beautiful fish.
Whether or not that is an original image or a layered one, it's a great picture.
To call this area/lake otherworldly is at best an understatement.
Mono Lake California in the Eastern Sierra mountains along Hwy 395 in Lee Vining Ca. Is worth the trip to see.
A high saltine lake with no outlet it's creates its own world. At 760,000 years old it is one of the oldest lakes in the US. The photo is of Tufa Island which is actually limestone towers.
The Kutzadika’a Paiute people have lived in the Mono area for tens of thousands of years and still reside there today.
Photo from the internet.
Great photo, Kavika. I have not been there, but, a family member has, and they said it was, as you say, otherworldly. If the photo you posted is any example, it truly is an amazing site to behold.
Fascinating.
That is a beautiful picture.
This is a photo of Temple Mound, the last of the mounds in the Tampa Bay area. It's located in the small town of Safety Harbor on the banks of Tampa Bay. The site was built by Indigenous People; and reportedly served as the capital for the so-called “Tocobaga Chiefdom” and was a village featuring initially a large 20-foot Temple Mound, a smaller burial mound, and two large shell mounds. Archaeologists say that likely a ramp led to a “town plaza” at the base of the mound, and first-of-a-kind artifacts were recovered at the site revealing a culture not previously identified. It's thought to be around 1,000 years old and lies in Philippe Park, a 122-acre park where the mound is surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. It is part of the national register of historical places.
The park is never crowded and considering it's right in Tampa Bay that is quite unusual and a wonderful place to walk, ride a bike or have a picnic and enjoy the history that you are surrounded by.
I took the photo from the top of the mound facing out to Tampa Bay.
Excellent, beautiful, historic and informative - now how about something new, something borrowed and something blue. LOL
Beautiful scenery, Kavika, and a lot of history to be learned while enjoying it.
Here is a great tune, ''When the Levee Breaks''...There are at least 9 indigenous people in this video. Ute, Anishinaabe, Sami, Mohawk, Maori and Atacoma. The Anishinaabe is Keith Secola my cuz.
Arvo.. excellent vid..small world my brother's name is Keith...
Ute, as you probably know we call our tray trucks Utes so not sure how that came about...would be interesting to know...
Ute in Australia stands for a utility vehicle and in the Ute Indian tribe the name ute is a corruption of the Spanish word Yutas. The Ute call themselves Nuche which means ''Mountain People''.
Great Video, Kavika.
In a similar expression.
History set to music.
Great video, Mac. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks Kavika, I never knew of this version. Great idea to combine the global collaboration with scenic earth shots and environmental disaster. Your cuz plays a mean slide.
One more for Sunday....a run with the herd
I think I saw you use that format previously - to me it resembles looking into the rear view mirror of the car you are driving, and in this case it displays real motion to enhance a great image.
Thank you very much, Buzz. I'm glad you enjoy it.
If you see that in your rear view mirror you better step on it, lol.
LOL. You're not just kidding.
This is not a Praying Mantis it's an atheist grasshopper. Stone Creek, Ocala FL.
If that's not a praying mantis but is an atheist grasshopper, then this isn't a praying buddhist, it's a Ford motor car.
(Internet image)
I can imagine that if he was driving a Ford Maverick then a lot of praying was order.
That really is a great photo. It shows a good deal of detail which, for me, is very interesting.
Tucked Away in a Deep Pennsylvania Forest
© A. Mac/A.G.
What an awesome scene, Mac. It looks so peaceful I feel I can hear the rippling of the small stream You surely live in an amazing area of our world.
Sure wish there was an area like that within walking distance.
This little feeder stream is a few miles deep in the woods and I came across it the first time kind of by surprise following a
somewhat larger stream into the woods.
Will shut this down in an hour or so; thanks to everyone for another successful week.