Dave W.'s photostream  

Although I know some butterflies come out on sunny days in late winter and early spring, I was still surprised to see this Mourning Cloak about a month before spring arrives on the calendar. It was a sunny day with spring-like temperatures. Elsewhere I heard Spring Peepers calling and I have seen several frogs in my pond at home.The day after this shot several inches of snow fell. This has been one of the mildest winters on record in western Virginia.

See: www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Nymphalis-antiopa

Also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphalis_antiopa

February 18, 2012. Madison Run Fire Road, Shenandoah National Park, Rockingham County, Virginia.

Mr. Linen, our little Maine Coon cat, doesn't care to have his portrait taken as this image conveys quite clearly. If he's just getting up from a nap or playing with his best friend, Silver Storm, I might capture one or two frames before he is gone.

November 25, 2009.

I found this Green Kingfisher feeding from a cable across a pond at the Canopy Lodge. I didn't approach too closely as I didn't want to scare it off in case others would get a chance to see it. As it fished for a while, I was able to see it perched at several different angles.

The Green Kingfisher is a bit more than half the size of the similar looking Amazon, and can also be distinguished by the white spots on the wing. An image of the Amazon Kingfisher that I saw the same day in the same area is earlier in my Photostream.

While it would have been nice to have had more sunshine, it was great to see the two similar kingfishers in the same afternoon. With luck, the sun will be out and I'll get some sharp images on my next visit.

See: avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=ED7...

Also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Kingfisher

June 27, 2011. Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Anton, Panama.

I found this Green Kingfisher feeding at a pond in the gardens at the Canopy Lodge. This was not long after I saw the Amazon Kingfisher previously pictured in my Photostream.

The Green Kingfisher is a bit more than half the size of the similar looking Amazon, and can also be distinguished by the white spots on the wing.

While it would have been nice to have had better light, it was great to see the two similar kingfishers in the same afternoon. With luck, the sun will be out and I'll get some sharp images on my next visit.

See: avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=ED7...

Also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Kingfisher

June 27, 2011. Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Anton, Panama.

This female Amazon Kingfisher perched briefly along the stream just out from the dining area at the Canopy Lodge. Light rain was falling. It was a lifer for me. Earlier in the year I had just missed an individual seen my most of the rest of my group when birding in Costa Rica.

On the same day I saw the Amazon Kingfisher, the smaller but similar Green Kingfisher spent some time feeding at the pond by one of the Canopy Lodge gardens.

See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Kingfisher

Also: avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=331...

June 27, 2011. Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Anton, Panama.