works the wetland pond, as if mowing the lawn back and forth, herding and gulping carp in the process. Seems quite successful.
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos).
Telephoto images caught with my smartyphone. Not bad.
works the wetland pond, as if mowing the lawn back and forth, herding and gulping carp in the process. Seems quite successful.
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos).
Telephoto images caught with my smartyphone. Not bad.
in preparation for the upcoming Sod Blaster VII event in just one month.
The Wildman Cherokee (left) and Wildman Journey (right) fly on 29 and 38 mm engines, respectively.
projectile pooping in the preferred direction from the nest platform. But mother Osprey (not seen here) could be a better housekeeper.
Juvenile Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) assuming the position in the platform nest.
It’s amazing what you can capture at 120 yards (110 m) with a 500 mm prime lens, shooting at 1/1,000th of a second.
warming in the sunshine following a dip in the birdbath.
Adult male Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana).
is usually cool, calm, quiet and peaceful.
standing proudly above the Fish Lake trail this morning, gazing calmly toward the horizon and the future. This could be the logo for an insurance company.
Young male mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in velvet.
is open for business this summer, and just in time for the next new Moon that occurs tomorrow.
The roll-off roof observatory houses a polar-aligned 10-inch Meade LX-200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope mounted on a fixed pier.
are in order, especially given the long drop from the platform nest. Junior is stretching its wings as it gets ready to fledge.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus).
(27,000 km) ridden on my collection of electric mountain bikes since September 2020! My riding style is becoming increasingly aggressive with growing experience and time on the trail, so I’m leveling up with a new enduro-style eMTB. But the acid test of this very capable bike awaits on the considerably more challenging trails around Moab, Utah this fall.
It still has the new bike smell: Trek Rail+ 8 Gen 5 eMTB at Fish Lake on its first ride. The sidewalls of the tubeless tires matches the terrain in Utah!
keeps Mama Osprey busy in the wetlands.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus).
allows for the lovely reflection of cirrus clouds on the mirrored surface of Fish Lake early this morning. It feels like I’ve left Mars and returned to Earth.
on disturbed soils, this bright yellow giant always impresses with a spectacular blossom.
Giant blazingstar (Mentzelia laevicaulis).
1980 USGS image.
occur in the Wanapum Basalt Formation (Columbia River Basalt Group) along the Fish Lake Trail, exposed in a railroad cut through the volcanic formation within 100 yards (meters) of one another. One can easily imagine a landscape with a stand of large trees being invaded and enveloped by an advancing lava flow around 15 million years ago. I’m certain that 99% of the trail users aren’t aware of these interesting features and the story they tell.
Note the silicified wood that is preserved near the base of this large tree mold.
This tree mold is about 20 inches (0.5 meters) in diameter.
The underlying paleosol (ancient soil horizon) in which the tree were rooted is clearly seen here beneath the overlying basalt formation. This tree mold is about 15 inches (0.4 meters) in diameter and penetrates the interior of the volcanic unit.
forage in the ponderosa pine forest, announcing their presence with high-pitched peeps. They’re very tiny and very charming birds.
Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea).
and these Crossbills fully enjoy playing in the splashing water.
Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), adult female on left, adult male on right.
Immature male Crossbill.
Immature female Crossbill.
are forming on area wetland ponds, relaxing, bathing and preening in advance of their seasonal migration. It’s a trigger for my seasonal migration, too.
Canada Geese (Branta canadensis).
serves as the venue for the well-named Sod Blaster VI, an annual event held during Labor Day weekend at a sod farm near Pasco, Washington. More than 100 rocketry nerds gathered to launch low- to high-power model rockets during the four day-long event. It’s fair to say that everybody here has a blast!
An array of launch pads is commanded by the launch control officer (on left) at the well organized event. A high power rocket is heading skyward from a distant pad on the range.
My Nike Smoke Pro ready to go on a mid-power launch rail. It successfully soared to a 617 foot (188 meter) apogee on a “F” rocket engine.
Preparing to attach the electrical igniter to the high power HV Arcas model rocket for my Level 1 certification attempt on a “H” engine.
The HV Arcas zipping off the pad to a 1,719 foot (524 meter) apogee. Unfortunately the rocket separated too energetically when the ejection charge fired but all components were recovered. I'll have to try again for the L1 certification given this failure during flight.
The Arreaux shooting off the pad on a “G” engine to an apogee of 1,826 feet (557 meters).
of Wild Turkeys maintains oversight of her brood as she relaxes and slowly explores the territory around the house.
Female Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).
likes to glean insects on the ponderosa pines and is frequently observed visiting the bird bath, washing down its meal of wood-boring insects with a drink of water.
Male Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus).