Smile for the Camera, Mr. Hawk

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

Location: near Tucson, Arizona, USA

Okay, just one more shot of the very photogenic Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis), and then we'll move along to other subjects.  This is the same individual that was posing in profile in the previous photos, and flying in the one before that.  All of these photos of the Ferruginous Hawk were taken at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's raptor free-flight display.

For this shot, the elegant Mr. Hawk was nice enough to look directly at the camera.   I think he smiled!  Note the spiffy feathered leggings, too.  He was only about four or five meters away from me, perched on his handler's gloved hand.

Ferruginous Hawk Close-up

Ferruginous Hawk  (Buteo regalis)

Location:  near Tucson, Arizona, USA

The previous photo showed a Ferruginous Hawk in flight.    Here are some close-up photos of the same individual.  The common name, Ferruginous, refers to the bird's 'rusty' color.

The photos here, taken in quick succession, show the hawk while he was perched just a few meters away from me.   I posted both photos for a reason: If you look closely at the first, you will see a small drop of moisture at the tip of the bird's beak.  This is a product of respiration.   In the second photo, the droplet is falling, because the bird has moved its head to watch something.

I took both of these photos at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's raptor free flight display.  Here is another photo of this individual, smiling for the camera!

Ferruginous Hawk in Flight

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

Location:  near Tucson, Arizona, USA

This is a Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis), another bird of prey featured in the raptor free flight display at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, near Tucson, Arizona.

I managed to capture this image of the hawk in flight, using my camera's Sports mode to freeze the action of this fast-moving subject.   In hindsight, I wish I had used the Shutter Priority mode, because I would have chosen a faster shutter speed than the camera's program selected.  Of course, a complicating factor was that it was very overcast, so it might have been tricky trying to balance the fast shutter speed with the amount of available light.  The bird was flying now, so I didn't have a lot of time to tinker with settings, thus I let the camera's program figure things out.

Related:

• Ferruginous Hawk Close-up
• Smile for the Camera, Mr. Hawk

Barn Owl in Flight

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Location: near Tucson, Arizona, USA

Here is another shot of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) that was in the previous photo.   In the earlier photo, the owl was perched.  This time it is flying -- or, more correctly, gliding.

This owl was part of the raptor free flight display at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, located outside Tucson, Arizona.  The raptor free flight display gives visitors an opportunity to observe birds of prey in their natural habitat.

The Barn Owl - Not just another pretty face

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Location:  near Tucson, Arizona, USA

This is the Barn Owl (Tyto alba).  One of this owl's distinguishing features is its lovely heart-shaped white face.  The Barn Owl is said to be one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, occurring naturally on every continent except Antarctica.

I photographed this individual at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside of Tucson, Arizona.  One of the most interesting outdoor exhibits at the museum is a raptor free-flight demonstration.  The Barn Owl is one of several birds of prey included in this demonstration, in which raptor species native to the Arizona desert are displayed in their natural habitat.

Update: Here is a photo of the Barn Owl in flight, and another portrait of the Barn Owl, in profile.

Rain Squall at Sunset

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Our back garden faces west, so we often sit outside to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.  On this particular evening a rain squall sweeping across the surface of the ocean was competing with the sunset for our attention -- so I photographed both together.

Ivory Hibiscus Blossom

Ivory Hibiscus

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

When we began to develop our garden 15 years ago, this Ivory Hibiscus was one of the first flowering shrubs that we planted.  The petals of the blossoms always have a slightly wrinkled appearance, but the pale pink in the center of the blossom adds a delicate touch.

Mountain Lupines at Walker Creek, New Zealand

Walker Creek

Location:  Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand

When we were in New Zealand in December of 2007, wildflowers were in bloom all over the countryside.  Some of the prettiest and most plentiful wildflowers were the lupines, in shades ranging from pale pink to deep indigo.  I took this photo from a hiking trail along Walker Creek in the Fiordland National Park, on New Zealand's South Island.

You're Chivin' Me

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

In addition to flowers and vegetables, we also grow herbs in our garden.  It's so nice to have fresh herbs for cooking.  One of those is chives, grown in a big pot, located conveniently near our kitchen door.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are the smallest species of the onion family.  They are perennials; ours have been growing continuously in the same pot for years.  They are flowering right now.  The blossom reminds me of a fluffy clover flower.

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA

While I was in Arizona in February, I saw many birds that we don't see here in Hawaii.  This one is a male Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus).  I was told that this species is common in the western Unites States.   I saw him in Tucson, and he was kind enough to pose for me.

Stagecoach at Tombstone, Arizona

Replica Stagecoach

Location: Tombstone, Arizona, USA

And now for something completely different!

I went to Arizona with some friends this past February, and one of the places we visited was Tombstone, known as a 'wild west' mining town in the late 19th Century.  Tombstone, which calls itself "The Town Too Tough to Die," is the home of the Boot Hill Graveyard, and the O.K. Corral, scene of a famous gunfight.

Nowadays, the historic area of Tombstone is closed to motor vehicles during daylight hours, making it easy for tourists to roam the streets, which are lined with shops and restaurants.   Replica covered wagons and stagecoaches, like the one in this photo, offer narrated rides around the town to tourists.

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

Location: near Tucson, Arizona, USA

In February of 2008, I went to Arizona with some friends.  One place we visited together was the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside of Tucson.   It was a nature photographer's paradise.

One of the excellent displays at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a hummingbird aviary in the form of a large screen house filled with trees and other plants to form a hummingbird-friendly habitat.   The hummingbirds fly freely within the aviary.   Visitors can enter the aviary and walk around among the trees and birds.

We saw several species of hummingbirds in the aviary, including a few that were actively nesting.  The one in this photo is a Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri).   I think it's a female, because the male of the species has a black patch on its throat, giving rise to the common name.

These cute little birds are less than four inches long.  Their natural home is southern Arizona and northern Mexico.

Grazing at Pololu

Horses grazing in a meadow

Location:  Pololu, Big Island, Hawaii

This place is near the northern tip of Hawaii's Big Island, about a half hour's drive from my house.   It's called Pololu, and it is one of those 'end of the road' places, not on the way to or from anywhere else.     It was overcast on the day I took this photo, but  I think the cloudiness added a softness to the image of this idyllic spot.

This meadow, at an elevation of about 400 feet, borders the top edge of some sea cliffs.  There is a scenic overlook nearby, just outside the frame of this image.  The overlook is at the top of a rugged hiking trail that winds all the way down to the ocean and a small black sand beach.

Rainbow Plumeria

Rainbow Plumeria (Plumeria sp.)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

We have several varieties of Plumeria trees in our garden.  The blossoms they bear are very fragrant, and grow on the trees in clusters that look like little bouquets.  They are favorites for lei-making in Hawaii.  Most Plumeria varieties are deciduous, and at this time of year their branches are just beginning to show leaf buds.   In Asia the Plumeria is known as frangipani.

Spotted Dove - Flared for Landing

Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

The Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) is one of two dove species that visit our garden daily.   This one is coming in for a landing on our hedge.

I've been trying to capture images of birds in flight for ages, but until I got my Nikon 55-200mm lens with "VR" (Vibration Reduction), I never managed to capture anything except blurs!  I used the shutter priority mode for this shot, but I really think that the VR feature of the lens helped a lot.  This image is not perfect, but it is an improvement over my earlier efforts.

Hong Kong Orchid Tree Blossom

Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia blakeana)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Flowering trees are a standard feature of gardens here in Hawaii.  A favorite ornamental tree in my area is the orchid tree.  The shape and coloring of the blossoms on these trees resemble true orchids, thus the name.

One of the most prized varieties is the Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia blakeana), which produces very showy magenta blossoms like the one in this photo.  While other varieties of orchid trees bear seeds in long bean-shaped pods, the Hong Kong Orchid Tree is a hybrid that does not fruit.  It must be propagated by cuttings or air layering.

New Zealand: Mitre Peak

Mitre Peak at Milford Sound

Location: Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand

Here's another photo from our December 2007 journey through New Zealand.  This is Mitre Peak, situated at the head of Milford Sound in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park.   Mitre Peak is 1,692 meters tall, and is one of the most well known landmarks in the Fiordland.

A Double Portion of Ecstasy

'Ecstasy' Hibiscus

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here is another hibiscus variety in our garden.   This one is called Ecstasy.  It doesn't bloom as often as most of the other hibiscus varieties we have, but when it does, its blossoms are dazzling.

Mauna Kea with Snow

Mauna Kea with a snow cap

Location: Big Island, Hawaii

This is Mauna Kea in winter.  Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, is the tallest mountain in Hawaii, rising 4,205 meters (13,796 ft) above sea level.  Its name means "white mountain," and in winter you can see how it got that name. Mauna Kea's summit is home to a number of important astronomical observatories, which are visible in this photo.

We can see Mauna Kea from several places in our garden, but I took this photo from a neighbor's field in January of 2008.