Arizona Water Bird Photos

Hello!

I was going through some photo files looking for references for a painting I'm working on and found some pics I'd never shared here.

There were taken with my much loved and trusty Canon EOS 5D — along with the latest Canon 100-400 L Lens.

Let's start with this guy:

Snowy Egret - Copyright - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^ After a bit of research on this handsome creature — I believe it is a Snowy Egret — which according to a Wikipedia entry on the Birds of Arizona is a bird seen frequently in the state.

This is definitely true in my experience — as I've seen these beautiful boids all around riparian preserves and lakes near my home in the Phoenix area — though this one was photographed at the Phoenix Zoo.

He stood contentedly on that perch for as long as I was there — and I'm pretty sure I heard it say it was ready for its close-up.

: )

BTW — until I saw this photo full-sized on my computer screen I had no idea how BIG their feet are!!

Pelican Too - Copyright - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

 ^ ^ ^  This beauty stretching it's wings was spotted during a trip through the Phoenix Zoo as well.

I think this is an American White Pelican which are also surprisingly found on riparian preserves and lakes in the Phoenix area.

They're listed in the Wikipedia entry on Birds of Arizona. — and I've heard they fly in from California.

I love the texture on it's beak and it really comes out on this photo— and that can been seen better in the large version of this pic by clicking on it.

Evening Meal - Copyright - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^  This charming little fellow — grabbing some supper — is a Black-Necked Stilt — seen at a riparian preserve near my home.

These birds are called "waders" — and those long legs give that away.

The late afternoon sun added some soft reflective light on the normally VERY white parts of this little bird's body.

And while it isn't evident in this photo — their legs have an odd, almost florescent, orange-ish/pinkish hue to them.

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Thanks as always for stopping by!

Ciao fer now..............

Desert Sky Photo

Hello!

We are slowly working our way through another blistering summer here in Phoenix.  But still—it's  hard to believe that we are already a third of the way through the worst of it.

: )

Last year about this time, a friend and I drove east of the city and I set up my camera aimed at the sky with a very distant Weaver's Needle at about the middle of the image.

I was using my Canon EOS 5D Mark II, the kit lens I bought with it (24-105 L), and a Satechi Wireless Timer Remote Control Shutter to take a time-lapse of the sky and ended up getting some very nice footage.

Recently I rediscovered a very nice image taken while I was still setting up for that time-lapse—and decided to share it here.

Hope you enjoy seeing it!

(Click the image to see a larger view)

"Desert Echos" - Copyright 2016, Jephyr!

 
 Thanks as always for stopping by!

Cya soon!