Monthly Archives

June 2009

General

The Evolution of Oceanlight.com

Oceanlight.com is a natural history stock photography website that first appeared in 1998 as an exercise to learn what the world wide web and websites were, learn to write the HTML to bring a site into being, get it hosted and see if the world thought anything of it. Considerable…
June 21, 2009
Abstract

Fluid Carpet, Abstract Photo

OK, I admit it, my youngest daughter shot this image. I let her loose with our uber-mikro-digi-kamera one day while we were crashed at a hotel. I set the camera up for long exposures, and this is one of the images she came up with. Kids don't know any rules…
June 19, 2009
AbstractLa Jolla

Layers, Abstract Photo

Another abstract cloud photo. I like using a medium telephoto lens to isolate landscape elements, and patterns in clouds are no exception. This was probably shot with a 70-200 on Velvia film, vintage. Moments after the green flash, orange skies over La Jolla. Today's abstract photo, #12 of 15. Clouds…
June 16, 2009
AbstractGalapagos Diaries

Sunset Booby, Abstract Photo

Our days at Darwin Island in the Galapagos islands have been fantastic. On each of our trips we spent several days, sometimes almost a week, at this usually spectacular, remote and wild place. The diving can be, of course, unsurpassed which is one reason that virtually all visitors to Darwin…
June 15, 2009
AbstractHawaii

Clouds on Fire, Abstract Photo

Resuming the series of abstracts (before it was so rudely interrupted with bird pics): today's abstract photo is an image of clouds on fire, taken from the lanai of Skip's seaside surf pad in Napili, looking out over Lanai and Molokai. Wow, did we ever have some epic sunsets in…
June 14, 2009
ArizonaBirds

Northern Cardinal Photo

Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). This was the other small songbird that I hoped to see in Arizona. It is very similar to the Pyrrhuloxia (see yesterday's post). In fact the female cardinal looks a lot like the male Pyrrhuloxia at first glance, although the shape of the beak (among other…
June 13, 2009
ArizonaBirds

Pyrrhuloxia Photo

Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus). This was one of the two birds I was hoping to see in Arizona. In general, we do not see small colorful birds like this in Southern California (except for escaped exotics like parrots). At first I thought Pyrrhuloxia was the latin (scientific) name for this bird,…
June 12, 2009
ArizonaBirds

Roadrunner Photo

Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus). Greater roadrunner.Image ID: 22902Species: Greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianusLocation: Amado, Arizona, USA Shot at Bill Forbes' Pond at Elephant Head, which I visited and described recently.
June 11, 2009
ArizonaBirds

Gila Woodpecker Photo

A Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis). Gila woodpecker, female.Image ID: 22928Species: Gila woodpecker, Melanerpes uropygialisLocation: Amado, Arizona, USA Shot at Bill Forbes' Pond at Elephant Head, which I visited and described recently.
June 10, 2009
ArizonaBirds

Gambel’s Quail Photo

A Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii). Bill told me to expect a quail family, complete with lots of chicks, to show up about 9:30. They were right on time each morning! Gambel's quail, male.Image ID: 22925Species: Gambel's quail, Callipepla gambeliiLocation: Amado, Arizona, USA Gambel's quail, chicks.Image ID: 22920Species: Gambel's quail, Callipepla…
June 9, 2009
ArizonaBirds

White-winged Dove Photo

A white-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica). There were lots of these birds around Bill Forbes' pond, making their soft coo-coo sounds. I know some people hunt dove, I wonder if these white-winged doves are on their list and whether they taste any good or not? They sure are pretty but for…
June 4, 2009
ArizonaBirds

Curve-Billed Thrasher Photo

Curve-billed thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre). Wow, this guy is a THRASHER! Sounds like one serious kick-ass bird. Thrasher? If I was a bird I'd want to be called Thrasher too. Curve-billed thrasherImage ID: 22904Species: Curve-billed thrasher, Toxostoma curvirostreLocation: Amado, Arizona, USA Shot at Bill Forbes' Pond at Elephant Head, which I…
June 3, 2009
ArizonaBirds

House Finch Photo

You might guess, given its name, that the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a common bird. Indeed, the plants around Bill's place were covered with these colorful, twittering, hyper little birds. The males had great coloration, deep reds and oranges, while the poor females had to settle for brown and…
June 2, 2009
ArizonaBirds

House Sparrow Photo

A little house sparrow (Passer domesticus), male in breeding coloration. House sparrow, breeding male.Image ID: 22945Species: House sparrow, Passer domesticusLocation: Amado, Arizona, USA Shot at Bill Forbes' Pond at Elephant Head, which I visited and described recently.
June 1, 2009