Last Week's Fox Photos, this Week's Opening Images
Here's Lookin' at You, Kid; Red Fox
© A. Mac/A.G.
I watched this Fox dig a hole, presumably for some critter to eat.
© A. Mac. A.G.
I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens; altogether, 5 keepers in the shoot.
Article is LOCKED by moderator [Perrie Halpern R.A.]
First things first; check the article at the link below … then come back and get this article going.
Thanks.
I've never seen a fox up close except in a zoo. When I first saw the title for this article, before opening it, I thought it had something to do with a right-wing news site. LOL
You were, indeed, very lucky to be able to get those photos.
That's quite a hole in the top one, elbow deep.
Great shots of a rare opportunity. How far away do you suppose you were, Mac?
Cruzin on the Wekiva River close to Apopka FL.
Yes, there are gators there as well.
Photo by the Stone Creek photo club.
Your photo club consistently produces great photos.
I especially like the one of the heron. Outstanding.
The top one looks like an alien planet to me. Southern coastal and swamp vegetation is so different from what I'm used to.
It is quite different than most of the US and fascinating with plants and critters unknown to most of the US.
Actually, Dig, it isn't coastal at all, it's over 100 miles inland.
There is a great story from the Civil War that takes place in Silver Springs.
What's the story? Got a link?
I can't find the link right now but towards the end of the war, 70 Black soldiers from St. Augustine barged down the St. John river and then marched 30 miles through the swamps to attack the Confederate garrison at Silver Springs and freeing 90 slaves and destroying the Confederate garrison. They headed back through the swamps to St. Augustine being chased by Confederate cavalry, (they were on foot) Before they got to safety at St. Augustine the Cavalry was almost on them and 20 slaves volunteered to stay behind and hold off the Confederates while the remainder made it to safety in St. Augustine.
The person that wrote the original article will be giving a lecture on it in November at the lifelong learning center here in Ocala.
Here is another link that explains it but not in the detail of the History professor did it.
That's interesting, thanks.
Were both photos by the club or did you take the top one?
Both were by members of the photo club, Buzz.
Reflections on a mirror-surfaced pond, and a lonesome lamppost
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Never drink from still waters...Haha
Unless they're waters from a still.
Photos with reflections are always interesting and often very beautiful.
Great photos. Buzz. I'm a fan of still water reflection shots.
The photos with the mirror image are so cool. Well done, Buzz.
Here there be monsters!
A caiman floating at the top of the water at the OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, AZ when I was down for my granddaughter's birthday.
No swimming allowed.
How big was it?
Probably 2 feet. Not very big.
Morning evil... what a cute little snappy...has got nice eyes.
Oh, Granny, what big eyes you have....
Cool shot. Looks like a Gorn, lol.
Your pic reminded me of this one...
She may be a monster but she's a fashion forward one.
Photographer Mark Cowan has been honored with Special Commendation at the 2016 Royal Society Publishing photography competition for this remarkable wildlife photo, titled “Butterflies and caiman.” It shows a caiman in the Amazon wearing a crown of butterflies on its head.
Reptile dysfunction if ever there was one.
That is the coolest photo, Pat. It's wearing (live) it' Sunday best.
The article said that the butterflies are attracted to the Caiman's salty tears.
The Sun Shining Through the Trees, an Impressionistic View
© G. Gam
Very nice, G.
Thanks, Kavika.
We'll sing in it.
OK, but try not to sing out of key.
It's okay if I sing out of tune, cause I'll get by with a little help from my friends.
LINK ->
I was thinking of this. We'll Sing in the Sunshine. LINK-
Gale Garnett composed and sang that song. She lived around the corner from me in Toronto, back during my hippie days before I was married, and she was a good friend - gave me my cat when it was a kitten - my Fidget that was my buddy for 17 years.
You got my reference.
I know.
And you got mine. Professional courtesy. We'll see if anyone else gets that one.
Wow, that's great! I really like that one.
Thanks, Dig.
Photos from the Silver River on the edge of Ocala.
Some photos are mine some are from the Adventure Club as we were kayaking down the river.
cool shots!
Thanks, EG, I didn't go swimming cuz the turtles looked really aggressive.
I don't think Gator has missed a meal recently.
I doubt if he has ever missed a meal the porker.
Although I used to kayak up a large stream that divided my lakeside home property from the property next door, I never saw any wildlife. Those photos very nicely show some of the many forms of wildlife in Florida. I don't suppose you bumped into a manatee.
Yes, we did about half a dozen of them, beautiful and gentle creatures. Most people don't realize this but there is a huge monkey colony there on one of the islands. Around 300 of them and have been there since the 1930s. They were part of a plan to bring tourists to the area. They can be VERY aggressive and people are told not to feed them. They have been known to attack humans and recently it's been discovered that they carry the deadly Herpes B germ and have been declared a health hazzard. At this point I don't know what is their fate but I'm pretty sure that they will be removed due to the health dangers that they represent.
This is a photo of one taken from the internet.
Scenes from Arles, France
© G. Gam
At the Roman Amphitheater (Les Arenes)
A Wedding Party
Roman Ruins
Just pile them back up. It will look fine...
That's what they tried to do, and this was the result!
Seems that Humpty Dumpty was involved in this.
It's interesting that you mention Humpty Dumpty, because Humpty Dumpty actually has Roman antecedents.
" Humpty Dumpty refers to the British use of a machine called a Testudo (an ancient Roman engine of war). The Romans often used this predecessor to the modern tank to cross moats and climb over castle walls."
Humpty Dumpty - phrase meaning and origin (phrases.org.uk)
This is a replica of the Roman Testudo. I don't want to be the guy on the bottom.
Another fact, long before the Romans used the Testudo Native Americans were at the forefront of the Testudo invention and improvements. We called it the ''Turtle''...In fact we named North America after it. We call North America, ''Turtle Island''...
This is of course a very true story. I do not speak with a forked tongue.
Good find!
I love ancient stonework.
I love ancient stonework.
In that case …
© A. Mac/A.G.
That's so cool. The domed structure looks like part of the little bath complex on Hadrian's maritime theater island, the hot or warm room maybe. Do you have any more shots of the villa?
Do you have any more shots of the villa?
I do have others … will post them later today.
So do I.
We... umm... also have some rather ancient stoners around here.
Nice.
LOL
By "around here" I mean on NT!!!
Stoners on NT, no way. Fake news...LOL
Really ancient ones, too.
© A. Mac/A.G.
How's that?
Outstanding.
Well, if we're talking ancient stone structures....Was it ever cold at Christmas time.
Fantastic!
That first photo really shows off the good old Roman brick-faced concrete. They sure used a lot of that.
Awesome, Buzz.
From the Magnolia state...
Ok, I found this on my phone. Have no idea what it is or what I may have been trying to do.
It's stunning Ender, what is it?
I was thinking about what it could be and it hit me. I think I was trying to take a closeup of something out the window and that was the screen.
That's one tough-looking screen, are you in prison?
When I first got this house it had cast iron bars on the windows. Haha
Cool shot.
Actually, that accidental shot is quite artistic.
I wonder if I could line it up and make like a wallpaper. Like as an accent wall in a home. It would be cool. Haha
Is this just too cool or what. This photo was taken yesterday by one of my neighbors, One of our resident bald eagles (we have two) sitting on a roof here in the complex with ''Old Glory'' flying behind it.
They have an affinity for each other.
And this is tonight's sunset at Stone Creek, Ocala FL.
Morning.. mother nature at her best...
Let's call it an Amish sunset, it's quite "plain" as compared to the ones you've been posting recently.
Quote from the movie Witness: John Book (Harrison Ford) speaking with Rachel Lapp (Kelly McGillis):
I love that movie and have seen it probably half a dozen times.
The sunset is not spectacular but it is what Ocala is all about, gentle quite that soothes the soul. Almost like smudging.
Yes, a great movie - watched it a few times myself.
New video. It's a little long but I couldn't help myself, I had so much to work with.
That was great, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Pat. I hope the resolution was okay. The file was originally over a GB in size, but I had to get it under the 500MB maximum to upload here, and then the site took it all the way down to 225 after processing it.
Morning..great video Dig...I didn't realise chipmunks have burrows? I thought they lived in trees etc...see you learn something every day.
You have an animal paradise where you are..it's great to see..
At the moment I have a koala in the Gumtree, about 10 metres from my house..
A magpie nest with at least two chicks in it. A Wattle bird nest not far from the Maggies, both about 15 metres from my home...and the Swallows have built a new nest in my shed.
Wondered why my cat was going in there suddenly...she hasn't got a hope catching them or anything..but likes to look..
And my brother is feeding a brush tailed possum at the moment..but it comes through my yard to get to his place..they only come out at night...
A brush tailed possum...or more commonly called a brushie...they eat fruit and roses, they love them...as people find out.
They grunt and snort and regarded as a pest but they are protected...do a big of damage if they get into your roof...but I like them..
Not my photo off the internet...
Are they protected because they have some value in the cycle of life?
Yes all Native animals are protected here including all snakes regardless if they are poisonous or not...but I have killed a few. I leave them alone in the bush etc but when they are in my backyard sorry they are fair game. You are meant to call a snake catcher so he can relocate it. Yeah right how many hours later .
Possums also eat insects, certain plants that can kill Gumtrees eg mistletoe, eggs and bugs etc...but they love fruit especially apples and bananas...so yes they play a part in the food chain and cycle of life.
My poor SIL from Ukraine grows lovely roses..she had only been here a few months and something was eating her roses...she went to my brother and said what is doing this to my rose bushes??..he just said a Brushie!!!
Naturally she had no idea what that was and said can we get rid of it...eg move it away...he said nope they are protected...that went down like a lead balloon.
Now they feed it so it leaves the roses alone..he gets apples, banana, grapes and loved raisin bread but they stopped that..better to stick to more natural foods.
if you work with Nature it's a better outcome for everyone...
Can't beat that, about the cutest little things in the world.
Oh yeah, it's springtime for you. That's great. Fall just started here. The trees are just barely starting to turn.
Your possums are quite a bit cuter than my possums.
Yes Koalas are lovely but when the males are grunting in the early hours and the females start screaming.... they do become a bit trying at times ..
But I wouldn't change it for the world..🐨🐨
Oh Dig, how could you say that.
Isn't a possum in a pear tree one of the 12 Christmas gifts? Here is a Cami Monet print:
Err umm that almost looks like a ferret!!....
Nope ours look cuter and definitely more up market... certainly doesn't eat rats and mice...
Give me a Brushie any day...
They keep the rodent population and disease down. Lyme disease is quite serious and they are great at getting rid of the ticks that carry it.
They help keep the snake population out of your yard as well.
Lol. But that loose, shaggy hair always makes them look nasty, especially when wet. Maybe that's just me, though.
And they have some serious fangs. They look ferocious when they bare their teeth.
They do look a bit strange when wet because of the shaggy hair, but are excellent to have in the neighborhood for all the reasons stated above. If you see a wet one just use a hair dryer, problem solved.
Thanks, Dig, that was great.
Thanks. Glad you liked it, Kav.
Nicely done and always gives the Group a special edge!
Many thanks & greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Mac.
By the way, how good are you at identifying flycatchers? I'm still trying to figure out what the one in the video was. It looks like it should be a pewee, but there's no yellow bottom beak or obvious wing barring. Did you have any thoughts when you saw it?
There are many look-alikes but I'll say Least Flycatcher … no guarantee.
You may be right. It did have a hint of an eye ring. Still no wing barring, but maybe it's a juvenile or something. Thanks a bunch.
That is outstanding, Dig.
Much appreciated, G.
Thank you for that, Dig. Although I couldn't make the video work without long stops yesterday, this morning it ran though perfectly. I don't get to see birds from our home, and the ones in the neighbourhood that I do see are pretty colourless. The only colourful ones I've seen in China were a peacock at a zoo, and ducks. I did see one chipmunk up on the sacred Buddhist Mount Emei, which is a pretty forested place. As Shona said, you live in a wildlife paradise.
I think all the warblers in the video spent the summer in Canada and are making their way down to southern Mexico and Central America for the winter. I see several of those things every day now. Strange that so many of them can find my tiny little fountain on their journey. I'm glad they do, though. I get such a kick out of them.
I wish I'd had the camera out there today. Catbirds and tanagers were having a field day in the fountain earlier. I watched them for a while through binoculars. I don't even have regular pictures of those birds, but there they were in the fountain. That thing's great. I should have made something like that years ago.
Wood ducks just landed out the front of my place...they meow like a cat..
Thanks to all for another good one! See you Thursday night.
You forgot to lock it. Perrie did it for you.