This one is from an old Kodachrome. We had to drive through this brush fire, but it wasn’t a problem. Tsavo West, Kenya, Africa. 1983

 

Elvis the Baboon,On Safari, Okonjima, Namibia, Africa. 1993

 

Etendeka, Namibia

A couple of weeks ago, an Anna’s Hummingbird showed up at the feeder at a friend’s house in Edgemont Highlands. This bird is common in “open-wooded or shrubby areas and mountain meadows along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to Arizona.” (Wikipedia) The only other reported sighting of an Anna’s in my area was in 1970! On Monday evening, I was able to photograph the bird even though the light was low.

 

Two days after I photographed the Anna’s and just after we’d finished a bird walk, a birder called me to say she had found a Chestnut-sided Warbler. This bird breeds in eastern North America and in southern Canada westwards to the Canadian Prairies. There had only been two other reported sighting of a Chestnut-sided Warbler in La Plata County until this one. I drove and then hiked to where Susan was still monitoring the bird. Eventually, it showed up again and I was able to get some good photos in good light. It really pays to keep a camera in a daypack.

What is interesting is that those two very rare birds to our area – one from the West Coast and the other from the eastern US – showed up within a few days of each other. Why? Could it be global climate change?

Whatever the reason, I love these two birds and feel a kinship with them. Whether they know it or not, they are explorers and pioneers. Seekers. Risk-takers. Perhaps lonely – and maybe because of it – they are adventuresome. They are willing to strike out from what is normal and explore new territories and distant horizons. We could all stand to learn to live a bit more like these beautiful birds.

Here are a few cell phone photos from our recent trip to NYC.  Marilyn sings with the Durango Choral Society and they along with the Artistic Director, Dr. Linda Mack Berven were asked to perform at Carnegie Hall with Linda as the conductor. We were there for six days and five nights.

 

 

 

 

One day we took a walk on the High Line Trail which has lots of native plants growing along the way.

Even though we rode the subways a lot we never encountered a rat except for this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum. It was very powerful. If you decide to go, I would recommend that you spend at least two hours in it. This photo was taken at the outside memorial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Times Square – can you find Marilyn?

Near the United Nations Building

I’ve got to figure out how to make these images larger for viewing. The first photo is so dramatic when viewed larger.  There should be some way that one can click on the image to make it bigger.

We saw hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and many thousands of them crossing the Mara River and I’ve got dozen of images.  Everyone always asks about crocodiles getting a wildebeests so I’ve included one image.

The sight of the large herds stretching from horizon to horizon is awe inspiring and one of the most dramatic wildlife life spectacles on the planet, but unfortunately the Mara is being ruined by the encroachment of livestock grazing and the poisoning of wildlife by the locals.

Four out of seven vulture species found in Kenya are Critically Endangered, while one is Endangered. These birds face a number of threats but the major is poisoning, which accounts to over 60% of their deaths. Over a recent stretch of 2 weeks guides have recorded over 30 vulture deaths.

I’m trying to catch up on sharing some images and events.
Here’s a few images of African Lion cubs in the Masai Mara taken during the photo tour I led to Kenya in August/September of 2017

Unfortunately the Mara is being ruined by the encroachment of livestock grazing and the poisoning of wildlife by the locals.  The famous March Price was poisoned by locals a few years ago and these lions are now found further inside the Reserve.  There are dozens of new camps and the Mara is overcrowded with vehicles and many are driven by inexperienced guides who care nothing about the well-being of the animals.  The Mara is not like it used to be and I am glad that I was able to see it the way it once was.

It was quite an interesting day, but then again every day in Durango is new, different and interesting.

Marilyn woke up this morning before 6 AM and realized that I was not in bed. She noticed a light on in my office, but I was not in there. She then searched all over the house (even in closets) thinking that something might have happened to me. She thought that maybe I had had a heart attack or stroke and had wandered off in a daze. While downstairs she noticed that my old winter down jacket was missing from its hook. She let Duffy out the East door and called me – still no response. Then they went out the West door and finally found me photographing the Super Blue Blood Moon!

It was the first total lunar eclipse since 2015 and the first Super Blue Blood Moon visible from the U.S. since 1866! There was a thin layer of high cirrus clouds and the moon eventually dropped down into thicker clouds and disappeared, but I did manage to get a few okay photos through the thin cloud layer. Canon 500mm/f4.0+ 1.4x, Canon 7D Camera, ISO 1600, -0.33 exposure compensation. f/5.6. Exposures 1 sec. to 0.4 sec.

Then in the late morning we arrived at the Snowdown’s Fashion Do’s and Don’ts’.

Snowdown is Durango’s crazy week-long winter festival. The Fashion Do’s and Don’ts’ is a rather wild noisy event attended by over 600 people. The theme for Snowdown this year is “It’s a Black Tie Affair”. Photos taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5.

 

Prizes were awarded for the best dressed, worst dressed, funniest costume, best theme and the costume grand prize. I’m not sure which one Marilyn and I won, but we were the last ones announced and we were awarded a $100 gift certificate to Guido’s Pizza Pasta Panini. Guido’s is a restaurant, bar, gelateria and market (gastronomia). Thank you Guido’s!!!!