More of the usual suspects

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only person on the block that's got a feeder out this year as I'm being covered up with hungry birds here lately. There are a couple of mourning doves that like to hang out on the bird bath. They must enjoy the company of the other birds because I never see them on the hanging feeder. I guess they aren't made to eat that way.

          The male cardinal decided to pose for a while

                 Here he's looking like what you might see at the mall

                   Yesterday's female Cardinal, just too pretty to leave out.

                        and again

              The bluejays don't normally land on this limb, and they don't stay still long

                 These Eastern Bluebirds aren't doing a very good job of posing this year

                   These guys bring back sunflowers from the feeder and hold them in their feet to eat

First, and hopefully last, snow of the season

The usual suspects were hitting the feeder today, which along with the snow falling, made for some pretty images. The brown ones all look alike to me, but I think there were some differences if one really wanted to correctly identify them. I'm just killing time till it warms up.

                                                            Female Cardinal, for sure

                                                           Might be an Oven bird

                                                                   Downy Woodpecker

                                    Another female Cardinal, the males are shy with those bright red coats they wear

                                                  Not sure what this guy is

                                                     Tufted titmouse, an unusual name

Wreath laying, Arlington National Cemetery, December 11, 2010

I think the images speak for themselves.

The following were the most difficult to take, from the "new" section where loved ones were placing personal gifts of love to those that would never again make it home for the holiday.

Here a mother sits in front of her Marine Corp son. Simply awful.

Everyone else is playing with their Droids and iPhones.....

but I just got a Lensbaby Composer to play with since Verizon isn't yet carrying the iPhone.

A soldier, along with her daughter,  was feeding the geese out at the Marina. She had a nice jeep and allowed me to take it's picture.

She said her husband had pulled two tours in Iraq and got out. For some reason I assumed she was still serving.

There's probably something in focus on the above images. I'm liking the Lensbaby as post processing is held to a minimum, or at least mine is.

The old Honda's check engine light came on again for the second time in as many months, so I'm out car shopping again.  I thought the Toyota 4Runner was ugly at first, but it's starting to grow on me, and it would probably be a good cross-country sight-seeing vehicle. I wish I could decide between full-timing with a very large truck and a fifth wheel, or just going on very long camping trips. I do know that I want to see everything this country has to offer.

This song sparrow was in my backyard. A Peregrine Falcon landed on my deck the other day, but I didn't get it's picture, which was a very memorable moment.

Bombay Hook/Prime Hook

Went Sunday to Bombay Hook with friends Greg Daily and Don Rosenberger to photograph migrating birds. There wasn't much to shoot at Bombay, although a couple of birders were excited about seeing a barnacle goose there. Don asked around and got driving instructions to where a couple thousand snow geese had landed in some ponds next to the road at Prime Hook.

That sort of reminded me of a scene from Gadsby.  On the other side of the house was a beach with another nice view.

Sunset reflecting off a pond on the other side of the road.

Don packing it in.

Greg sighting down the barrel of a 500mm cannon. I wonder if the Japanese are aware they misspelled Canon on all their equipment?

I didn't do well in the form of bird photography, but had a good time and I didn't have to drive.