Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[Himmapaan]

Art, I wonder whether you would mind providing a link to Radman's original thread from V.1 in your first post at all? Or I can do it if you agree?  It would be good to revisit the original easily and to acknowledge Radman's having begun it, too.

[Gwangi]

Art, I wonder whether you would mind providing a link to Radman's original thread from V.1 in your first post at all? Or I can do it if you agree?  It would be good to revisit the original easily and to acknowledge Radman's having begun it, too.

Done and apologizes to Radman for not thinking of it sooner.

[Himmapaan]

Thank you. 

[postsaurischian]

Obviously spring has also arrived in Germany .
When I picked my mother up at the train station today I nearly stumbled over these cuties who were having a good time in the sun.



to Gwangi: Great photos of the different frogs! _{I need a better camera.}

[ZoPteryx]

I heard a Hooded Oriole singing outside my home this morning, so spring has officially begun for me! 

By the way, cool lizard photos Postsaurischian & Lio99!   I assume that's a wild Bearded Dragon, right Lio?

[Roselaar]

In addition to the sixteen toads (Bufo Bufo), there's now a Common Frog (Rana Temporaria) in my small pond. I'm quite excited about this, considering it's the first ever in our backyard. It's really amazing how these amphibians know how to find the one small bit of water in a five mile radius (I live in a fully urban, almost natureless environment). I can only imagine how many did not survive getting here...

[tyrantqueen]

In addition to the sixteen toads (Bufo Bufo), there's now a Common Frog (Rana Temporaria) in my small pond. I'm quite excited about this, considering it's the first ever in our backyard. It's really amazing how these amphibians know how to find the one small bit of water in a five mile radius (I live in a fully urban, almost natureless environment). I can only imagine how many did not survive getting here...

Semper Bufo!! Sorry couldn't resist 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGQVIKJeH8k

Skip to 3:42

[paleoferroequine]

My problem is over the last two years I've posted pics here so I don't have very much new to show. Hope to get out more soon.

Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis

American Coot - Fulica americana

[radman]

Well here's my first post in this new version!
I found this little guy resting beneath a board in the woods:



I brought him home for identification:



It is a grown Southern ringneck snake, Diadophis punctatus

They're harmless, so I indulged in a little Steve Irwin action before letting him go back where I found him:



Good-bye, little snake!

[Tylosaurus]

Very nice snake man the brown and orange are some sweet colors.

[steve irwin mode]Crikey! isn't she gorgeous! Whoo hooo Snakes rule![/steve irwin mode]

[paleoferroequine]

Cool snake, very pretty. When I was younger we found them occasionally. Interestingly, although they are totally harmless they are rear fanged snakes and do have weak venom.

[Gwangi]

Beautiful snake you've got there. I've only ever seen one ringneck snake (a northern) and I'll never forget it, such a treat.

[ZoPteryx]

Beautiful Ring-neck!  I've only ever seen one in the wild.

[paleoferroequine]

Got out a bit, walking the dog. The warm weather has really brought out everything, violets, wood sorrel and henbit are all over the place but it's beautiful. And we're over run with robins. They wintered over in vast flocks and most haven't left.
Well, here's new pics of spring here.

Painted turtle-Chrysemys picta

American Robin-Turdus migratorius

Red Wing Blackbird-Agelaius phoeniceus male

Red Wing Blackbird-Agelaius phoeniceus female

Painted turtle-Chrysemys picta

Mockingbird-Mimus polyglottos

Red-bellied Woodpecker- Melanerpes carolinus

Blue Jay-Cyanocitta cristata  Common European Starling-Sturnus vulgaris  Crow-Corvus brachyrhynchos

Common Grackle-Quiscalus quiscula

Cardinal-Cardinalis cardinalis

Turkey Vulture-Cathartes aura
I have to go,later I will label these when I get home.
There, got them labeled now. The grackle is one of the most common birds here along with robins, house sparrows and starlings. The temperature here was 90F (32C)

[tyrantqueen]

I have to go,later I will label these when I get home.

This one's my favourite I think. The sheen of its feathers is so pretty 
I had no idea such a bird existed called a grackle.  Forgive my ignorance XD

[Gwangi]

Great set of photos, really makes me want to take the camera outside and see what I can find. Kinda chilly around here at the moment. Thanks for sharing.

[paleoferroequine]

I have to go,later I will label these when I get home.

This one's my favourite I think. The sheen of its feathers is so pretty 
I had no idea such a bird existed called a grackle.  Forgive my ignorance XD

Not to worry, it is only N. America and mostly in the U.S. so no surprise you weren't aware of it.  It is a pretty bird with flocks of 50 or more on the ground sometimes. Too bad it's song is so discordant , although it does mimicry and even human voices. We have a lot of mimics here, grackles, starlings. crows, mockingbirds, catbirds, and blue jays so it becomes very hard to identify birds by their songs and calls around here.

[ZoPteryx]

Great photos Paleoferroequine!  Although I think your Flicker may actually be a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-bellied_Woodpecker

[Gwangi]

Great photos Paleoferroequine!  Although I think your Flicker may actually be a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-bellied_Woodpecker

I second that, and the slider pictures appear to be a painted turtles.

[Simon]

A few weeks back in February I was at the waterfront near Benicia in Northern CA.  My daughter and I went for a hike and found a blossoming tree - not sure what it was, but it sure was pretty.  Then, at the top of the tree she noticed a local resident - a bluish greenish Hummingbird;  well, out came the camera with the mega zoom - and after we were done, we found another visitor to the tree - a big ole bumblebee ...  see for yourselves: