Nature and Wildlife


Tough Grits
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I took this the other morning with my point-and-shoot (Canon Powershot) on the default setting.

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This one I took zoomed in as much as I could. I was leaving my house for work and in hurry, so I didn't even use a tripod. I can't beleive how much detail can be seen of the surface of the moon just from a point-and-shoot camera!!

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I have had a Canon Rebel on my wishlist FOREVER. Well, since it seems I will never have the $$ to afford one, I bought the Canon Powershot last Summer.

I have to admit...I seriously disliked this camera at first. I have an obsession with taking close-up shots of my flowers. It sometimes gives me fits zooming in on the extreme close-ups.

However, the zoom feature on this camera is SERIOUSLY awesome. I took a picture of a hummingbird on a telephone wire from yards away. Now that is awesome. I never even thought of a hummingbird sitting on a phone wire!

I now LOVE this camera. It is perfect for a mom on the go, for amateur photographers, and for birdwatchers. I am going to use this thread to post some of the amazing shots I have taken.

For me, taking pictures is a passion and a hobby, but it also allows me to marvel at the seriously amazing creations of Heavenly Father.

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That is awesome. Seriously awesome. I wonder if you took a picture of Saturn or Jupiter if you could see any details?

I told the kids the other night that I wanted to try taking a pic of a planet...but Dad will have to help me. I have no clue, when looking at the night sky, where the planets are. ;)

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I told the kids the other night that I wanted to try taking a pic of a planet...but Dad will have to help me. I have no clue, when looking at the night sky, where the planets are. ;)

Got a smartphone? Google Sky Map uses the position sensors in the phone; point it at a section of sky, and it will tell you what's there.

For the PC, Stellarium is the best free software. You can also put a 360 degree panorama of your observing area (make sure to put the tripod exactly where you'll be looking from for best results) into it, and once you have it perfectly aligned, you'll be able to use ground-based reference points when you're looking for stars.

Also, check out Astrophotography Techniques

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Got a smartphone? Google Sky Map uses the position sensors in the phone; point it at a section of sky, and it will tell you what's there.

For the PC, Stellarium is the best free software. You can also put a 360 degree panorama of your observing area (make sure to put the tripod exactly where you'll be looking from for best results) into it, and once you have it perfectly aligned, you'll be able to use ground-based reference points when you're looking for stars.

Also, check out Astrophotography Techniques

Thank you very much. I truly appreciate your information. I love astronomy. I have so many books on our solar system and the universe, but when I get outside I am totally lost! LOL

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I am pretty sure this is a Loggerhead Shrike, though this one (in my opinion) is prettier than the one on Loggerhead Shrike, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

I did not take this picture with my Canon Powershot. I took this with my old Kodak Z740. Pretty good pic, considering that I was standing in my house taking pic through the glass of the window of this little bird sitting at the tippy-top of a tree that was at least 20-25 ft. away from the window.

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This series of pics is of an Argiope aurantia (Yellow Garden Spider). She (and her sister who is not pictured) made side-by-side webs spanning the length of my sliding glass doors on the outside.

I would not let anybody use the doors, as I did not want the spiders or their webs disturbed. All of these pics were taken through the glass. How fortunate I was to have an opportunity to take such wonderful shots. These pictures were taken with my Kodak Z740.

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HOLY COW!!!!!!!!

I went outside this morning to walk around the back yard with my two dogs. I saw two male Towhees and I think I saw a female. I was feeling pretty happy and blessed to have had my first sighting of 2013 of my annual Towhees...

AND THEN I SAW IT...I heard some small birds fighting or chittering, which caused me to look to my right. I scanned the trees, and then I looked up.

There was a HUGE bird surveying everything from the top of a tree, the very top. I very slowly and calmly made my way inside the house to get my camera, which coincidentally I had put on a tripod last night.

I thought it was a hawk. There are a couple that have my property as their territory. I have even seen a Swallow-tailed Kite survey my property on two different occasions.

I set the tripod/camera up on my back porch, zoomed in, and started taking shots. However, I don't think this bird is a hawk. It swiveled it's head in a manner that reminded me of an owl. This would make it a HUGE owl.

Pics soon to come!!! How glorious nature is!!! I got the shots of a lifetime today!!!!! SO EXCITED!!!

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Okay, totally NOT an owl. This is a hawk (immature?). Not sure what kind. I have books, but hawks are so hard to identify (for me) between all the various kinds of hawks.

Still, these pics are AWESOME!!! These are just two pics from the series. I got a shot of him/her looking at me! She had to be at least a hundred feet or more away and at the very top of a tall tree.

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