Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[EmperorDinobot]

I think it is Autumn/Fall that is in the air now.

Depends on where you live, @triceratops83 lives in Australia, where it is now spring!

The name of the thread is only there to honor Radman, who ran this thread on the original version of the forum and passed away some years ago. Spring is in the Air was the name he gave it. I'm not going to change the thread name every season, since the thread is barely acknowledged anyway. 

Cut me a break man, I just woke up. Everything looked flatter than a bad N64 game XD

[postsaurischian]

Maybe my favorite photo I took from a recent birdwatching vacation to Costa Rica! Resplendent Quetzal. Modern Dinosaurs are quite beautiful!

 Adorable! I love Quetzals a lot.

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   Alien invasion in Australia!

[Gwangi]

I didn't know Australia had cicadas! I guess I'm not surprised though. Ours in the U.S. are long gone for the season. I did get some pictures of a cicada being killed by a hornet, I should share them here.

[postsaurischian]

I didn't know Australia had cicadas! I guess I'm not surprised though. ........

 When I've been to Australia for the first time hearing that unbelievable loud and strong sound I thought it was a heavy electric device .
 I could hardly believe it was from a small insect.
 My picture only shows the empty exoskeletons of course. There were dozens on my friend's garden fence - a weird sight.
 

[EmperorDinobot]

We had cicadas in Caracas. Nights could be relaxing or annoying depending where you were or who you were. We would see their exoskeletons on a lot of trees.

[Gwangi]

I didn't know Australia had cicadas! I guess I'm not surprised though. ........

 When I've been to Australia for the first time hearing that unbelievable loud and strong sound I thought it was a heavy electric device .
 I could hardly believe it was from a small insect.
 My picture only shows the empty exoskeletons of course. There were dozens on my friend's garden fence - a weird sight.
 

I used to collect those exoskeletons as a kid. I had coffee cans full of them.

[Halichoeres]

I really got a kick out of the crested pigeons when I visited Australia. It's one of the derpiest crests of any bird, like Alfalfa from Little Rascals.

@Ajax88 nice shot of the quetzal! I've been in areas where they're native (though not CR), but never managed to spot one yet.

[triceratops83]

I really got a kick out of the crested pigeons when I visited Australia. It's one of the derpiest crests of any bird, like Alfalfa from Little Rascals.

It's not just the crest that's derpy, it's that pleasantly dumb expression on their faces that amuses me.

[triceratops83]

Native species of duck often visit my my Muscovies, who welcome all such guests. Here are some Radjah Shelducks.



And some Plumed Whistling Ducks. I only got one usable photo because I took my camera out of air conditioning into humidity so thick you could cut it with a knife, and the lens fogged up.


But my ducks weren't so sure about this visitor...

[Gwangi]

I've had Muscovy ducks when I was a kid. I would love to get some again but I'm not technically allowed to since I live within town limits. That said, they aren't loud and I have a large yard. I might be able to get away with it if i keep them hidden. 

The shelducks look like they belong in there with the Muscovy. How long do the wild ducks stick around for?

[triceratops83]

I've had Muscovy ducks when I was a kid. I would love to get some again but I'm not technically allowed to since I live within town limits. That said, they aren't loud and I have a large yard. I might be able to get away with it if i keep them hidden. 

The shelducks look like they belong in there with the Muscovy. How long do the wild ducks stick around for?

I think you'd be okay, they really don't produce any loud sounds - mostly they make a soft laugh-like exhalation like a dog panting. The male's pretty much limited to that, but the females produce a wide variety of soft cooing or trilling sounds, none of which are loud. When they fight they might briefly honk, but it's certainly nowhere near as loud as, say, a dog bark.

Whistling ducks show up every time it rains, and generally only stick around for the duration of the rain. Honestly, this is the first time I've ever seen shelducks. They stuck around for a whole day and I'm pretty sure they slept overnight in the old chicken coop in there. But they were gone the next day. Pity, they're such beautiful birds.

[Halichoeres]

This got me curious, so I looked it up and in Chicago you can keep poultry as long as you don't plan to slaughter it and as long as it's housed "humanely." I probably won't ever do it, but kinda nice to know I could?

[triceratops83]

I actually got my gravely ill computer to upload some photos so here is a pretty little skink.


A stick insect trying in vain to blend in with a kayak paddle.


And a bird I've never seen before, I think it is a Forest Kingfisher.

[Halichoeres]

Those are great! The skink is very cute.

[triceratops83]

Those are great! The skink is very cute.

I adore Lizards, they're my favourite animals alongside crocodiles. At my place we get various skinks, geckoes, legless lizards and the occasional goanna. In the creek across the road you occasionally see Eastern Water Dragons, the babies of which can run across water like Basilisks. I've never come across this information anywhere, but I've actually seen it happen.

[Halichoeres]

Those are great! The skink is very cute.

I adore Lizards, they're my favourite animals alongside crocodiles. At my place we get various skinks, geckoes, legless lizards and the occasional goanna. In the creek across the road you occasionally see Eastern Water Dragons, the babies of which can run across water like Basilisks. I've never come across this information anywhere, but I've actually seen it happen.

Hmm, are you sure they weren't just running across a sheet of glass? 

[triceratops83]

Those are great! The skink is very cute.

I adore Lizards, they're my favourite animals alongside crocodiles. At my place we get various skinks, geckoes, legless lizards and the occasional goanna. In the creek across the road you occasionally see Eastern Water Dragons, the babies of which can run across water like Basilisks. I've never come across this information anywhere, but I've actually seen it happen.

Hmm, are you sure they weren't just running across a sheet of glass? 

Maybe, those lizards can be a real pane.

Here is a spiny orb-weaver.

[Ajax88]

I've recently gotten into creek-fishing with a dip net and photographing the cool little fish of my area. There are some surprising beauties! Most of these fish are in the 2-4 inch long range! Now that spring is near, they are coloring up for spawning season.

Orangethroat Darter


Central Stoneroller with mating tubercles


Rainbow Darter, WOW! Never thought such a beautiful fish was swimming around in the farm creeks of Iowa!


Southern Redbelly Dace

[Halichoeres]

Wow, those are great! Are you taking those with a picture frame tank?

[Gwangi]

Excellent pictures @Ajax88! I used to dipnet and photograph fish too but haven't done it in many years. I plan to get back into it (partially inspired by Cow Turtle on TikTok, among others) and recently got a new dipnet (my old one is badly torn). No photo tank yet though.

I used to keep rainbow and orangethroat darters in an aquarium, they're so beautiful and inquisitive, a lot of fun to keep. Aquariums are something else I used to be into but fell out of several years ago when I moved out-of-state.