Monday, June 27, 2011

EGGS: Snake? Lizard? Gecko?


I'm still working on cleaning out the shed. On Saturday I lifted up an empty birdseed bag to find this batch of tiny eggshells half on it, half beneath it. So exciting! They're so tiny and delicate. I thought they must be snake eggs, until I googled . . . now I think perhaps they are gecko or lizard eggs instead. Only the layer of the eggs knows for sure....






The photo above shows the membrane within the shell. In the photo below is what I thought was a wee snakeskin, or is it more inner-egg material? I know not.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Woodie: A New Guy


I did something in Photoshop called "equalizing" to turn a couple of crap photos into these interesting, yet sort of still crap, specimens. This bird is one of this year's golden-fronted woodpecker babies on his way to the hummingbird & oriole feeders that hang from our porch.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Rain!

I should complain, or at least be depressed, more often . . . it rained last night! I felt as though I were on a different planet, it's been so long. Then the irrigation system mysteriously turned itself on in the middle of the night, in the rain. It does that a lot. I think this house is built on the site of an ancient burial site . . .

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Hot, Dry & Depressing

We're in the middle of a terrible drought and just walking outside is so sad. Everything is brown, brown, brown. Much fewer bird babies than usual this year (though there are some!). Our meadow is completely dried out, except for the prickly pear. We are irrigating every day just to keep things wet near the house. Most of the trees are still green, but the area out back is covered with a two- or three-month-old layer of brown, dry, cedar needles. There have been two fires in our neighborhood, within a mile or two of our house, in the last two weeks, so it's frightening in addition to depressing. Sigh. I ought to be taking pictures anyway, to document this crap year, but I just can't get inspired.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Hamilton and His Mouth


I'm working on a little movie composed of the series of shots that culminated in this pose.

I also hope that I'm not repeating this image . . . it's a month or two old and I can't remember.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Moth on Lamp




This moth is the same as the Moth with Brilliant Underwings recently seen in my bathroom.

Monday, June 06, 2011

Saturday, June 04, 2011

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Dog-Washing


Hugh washed the dogs yesterday. This photo is from a dog-washing back inMarch , but I thought it fitting to post it now, since I didn't then.