Winter Warblers

I saw a post just yesterday where someone was saying that a Yellow-rumped warbler had come and taken over their feeders.  Somehow, that has not been my problem this season.  I do get the “butter butts” as some people call them but, they haven’t reduced the visits from other birds in my case.  I have seen the aggressive behavior of yellow-rumped warblers chase off competitors but that only last for a moment.  Once the bully is gone, all the others are right back.

The Pine Warbler shown here is a frequent visitor to the suet feeder.  I see both male and female but since the yellow color is so much more vibrant, the males attract my eye more often.

I thought maybe there would be lots of variety this winter when I started seeing the pine warblers, yellow-rumped warblers and goldfinches coming round.  They still visit but, I haven’t seen any new breeds show up recently.  Could be, I haven’t looked closely enough.  I did see some ruby-crowned kinglets that from a distance, looked like small pine warblers.  It’s hard to distinguish from a distance.  I’m hoping I chance across some new finds in the near future.

Pine Warbler
Roswell, Georgia
January 20, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/8 – 1/200 sec – ISO 400

#BirdWatching #birds #PineWarbler #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Color or not?

I have a very hard time deciding when and if I should create black & white images.  To me, color adds so much that I am almost always hesitant to go to monochrome.  I know that you can do some really interesting stuff in b&w or tinted tones but can never tell whether it add or takes away.

I tried doing a sepia version of this abandoned plantation home near Bostwick, Georgia.  The James A. Nolan house which is currently boarded up and closed to the public is one of a few buildings remaining from the plantation that was worked by the Nolan family from the Civil War era up until 1970.  This home is not antebellum but was built about 1906.  There are older structures on the surrounding property.

I guess I’m looking for some input on what you think of the two versions.  Anybody have suggestions on how to decide when monochrome is a good choice?  I’m still not sure.

James A. Nolan House (circa 1906)
Bostwick, Georgia

Nikon D7100
Tamron SP 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
22mm @ f/16 – 1/125 sec – ISO 400

Close up of wintery waterfall

When I dropped by the falls at Roswell Mill a couple of days ago, I was expecting the water to be more frozen. I found Vickery Creek flowing quickly over the dam and makinglots of spray at the base.  The water was then freezing in the surrounding tree branches.   This close up view shows the white branches to the right and the water glistening in the sun as it roared over the falls.  A beautiful sight to see. 
Old Roswell Mill waterfall
January, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
50mm @ f/22 – 1/13 sec – ISO 100

#RoswellMill #waterfall #winter #Roswell #Georgia #WithMyTamron Roswell, Georgia Historic Roswell Georgia

Not frozen but icy

Yesterday, I went over to see what the falls at Roswell Mill looked like.  I guess our couple of days with below freezing temperatures were not enough to freeze the water over.  It was rushing pretty fast but, the spray from the falls was icing over the nearby trees.

I went down near the base of the falls and the surrounding rocks were slippery with ice as well and there were icicles along the surrounding slopes where water ran down the sides of the rock face.  The sun was out and the day was actually truning rather pleasant at that point.  I got a few shots and said Hi to several groups that were out hiking so, it wasn’t a wasted trip.

I guess this was one of those times when you wish for winter weather so you can get those beautiful landscape shots but are also thankful that you don’t live somewhere too cold.  Kind of like when you want snow for Christmas but don’t want it to stay around.  Winter is always fun for a day but when you have to shovel snow or slip on ice it’s not so much fun anymore.  Oh well, it was a pretty day anyway.

Old Roswell Mill waterfall
January, 2018

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
50mm @ f/22 – 1/13 sec – ISO 100

#RoswellMill #waterfall #winter #Roswell #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Mourning Dove

How often have you heard doves cooing from the tree-tops or the rapid beat of their wings when startled?  The mourning dove is so commonplace we don’t pay them much attention. Up-close however, this is a beautiful bird.  I am always amazed by the texture and color of the feathers. Also amazing is how the colors they display camouflage them instead of making them stand out.

Once again, nature exhibits diversity and the ability to adapt to the surroundings.  I can hardly believe what amazing sights are always just outside my back door.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100 tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
460mm @ f/9 – 1/100 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #birds #MourningDove #winter #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Female Downy Woodpecker

I love it when we get a variety of birds at the feeders.  It is also neat to see the pairs of male and female coming in so you can see the differences.  Here is a female downy woodpecker waiting her turn for some suet.  The only visible difference between male and female seems to be the red patch that the male has on the back of its head.  I saw her mate (probably eating at this point) but didn’t get a shot of him this time.

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/9 – 1/200 sec – ISO 800

#BirdWatching #DownyWoodpecker #birds #Georgia #WithMyTamron

Who you lookin at?

I love to catch that moment when it certainly seems that the birds are looking right at you.  They may be much more interested in a competitor for the food or some predator like the neighbor’s cat but there’s that look like they are trying to communicate with you.

If we could get a somewhat sunny day, I would be spending lots of time watching these little wonders.  As of now, it looks like we’re in for another dreary winter day.  Oh well, Christmas is amlost here!!

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/11 – 1/50 sec – ISO 320

Bluebird’s breakfast

I guess I didn’t give this guy enough warning of portrait time.  He still has remnants of breakfast on his beak.  It was obvious that the bluebirds were hungry and very anxious to get at suet and birdseed.  I frequently had 3-4 hanging off the suet feeder at the same time with others waiting their turn or fighting for a chance to get in.

I’m certainly happy to feed them and watch their antics.  It’s a great way to spend time over the holiday season!

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
600mm @ f/11 – 1/10 sec – ISO 320

Vintage Tractor

Sometimes, I have to just go back through the archives and grab something interesting.  This is one of those days when I didn’t have a brand-new image to share so I pulled this up.

The tractor shown here is from the Cotton Gin Festival in Bostwick, Georgia.  There were lots and lots of John Deere tractors but this one was different.  I’m not a farm boy so, maybe it’s not all that unusual but I don’t recall ever seeing a Minneapolis Moline tractor before.

Minneapolis-Moline was formed in 1929 as a merger between three companies: Minneapolis Steel & Machinery, Minneapolis Threshing Machine and Moline Plow.  The company produced tractors and farm machinery in the Minneapolis, MN area and Moline, IL  up until its acquisition by White Motor Co  in 1963.  The brand continued under White until 1974 when the last Minneapolis-Moline was produced.

Nikon D7100
Tamron SP 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
31mm @ f/10 – 1/60 sec – ISO 125

#BostwickCottonGinFestival #BostwickGA #Autumn #farms #Georgia#Festival #WithMyTamron

Busted

Old Car City is full of contrasts.  Some things are amazing because they are well preserved and others, like this, are interesting because they are broken.  This car window was interesting in detail because of the patterns and bubbles visible.  It reminds me of what ice on a frozen pond looks like when it cracks.

Things like this make me wonder how they made this glass and how it is different from what is used today.  From one point of view, it’s good that the window didn’t shatter but then it sure did spread those cracks across a wide area.  No matter what caused it to end up this way, the patterns are pretty neat to look at.

Old Car City
White, Georgia, USA

Nikon D7100
Vanguard Altra Pro 263 AT tripod
Tamron SP 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC
240mm @ f/18 – 1/80 sec – ISO 200

Old Car City USA #junkyard #shattered #automotive #Georgia #WithMyTamron