A note today from our friend (photojournalist, falconer) Anne P. Hocker included this link to a selection of letters by Edward Abbey, published by Orion Magazine, in which Abbey provides this essential autobiographical statement: “I am six feet three and weigh 190 pounds, sober.” There’s a lot of great stuff here! I could pick dozens …
Bio-bloggosphere
Some recent blogging within the Q.Community (which could as easily be called the Three Martini Community, or the Fretmarks Community or on and on…) in appreciation of this unique medium. Take a look-see: GONNA BLOG ABOUT BIRDS, GONNA BLOG ABOUT BATS: Wildlife artist Carel Brest Van Kempen Fellowship across the web, or “I didn’t know …
Matt’s Ten Birds part 2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher [Tyrannus forficatus] Photo from: http://www.birdsofoklahoma.net/Scissor-tail09.htm The marriage of a Meadowlark and a Swallow-tailed kite might produce something like this bird, but that’s not the only reason I like it. The Scissor-tailed flycatcher is a passing migrant and stays just a week or so in October. I’ve been hawking for a month by then, …
The Lost City of DeMille – Continued
I was up in the area last week and took this picture of what the “Lost City” looks like today from the entry road. This shot shows a little better the scatter of boards, rusted nails and plaster of paris fragments that are the surface manifestation of the site. The area is closed both to …
The Lost City of DeMille
In 1923, the silent movie classic “The Ten Commandments” was filmed by Cecil B. DeMille in the Guadalupe Dunes area of northern Santa Barbara County. It had the largest production budget of any movie made up to that time, with huge costs incurred building the massive sets (see the above still) and hiring and supporting …
Matt’s Ten Birds Part 1
Kudos to Darren and Steve for sparking this neat thread. I’ll add my own ten in turn, putting a Louisiana spin on the list and ratcheting it down even further with birds commonly seen on my way to work. Common they may be, but these Louisiana natives meet the Ten Bird theme being both beautiful …
The Curse of the Ten Bird Meme
A little note of explanation: Steve spent considerable effort scanning images and compiling the text for his three posts below. But due to the strange and improbable machinations of the Web, Steve is unable to post pics from home; Reid and I do the honors, which is (almost) never a problem. This time neither of …
“Ten Birds” Part 3
The Roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus, is everyone’s sentimental favorite Southwestern mascot. Of course, they are not much like the cartoon version– I think they are the most dinosaur- like of the non- avian dinosaurs that I know. They eat EVERYTHING– lizards, snakes, small birds like House finches. When I try to imagine how a Deinonychus moves, …
“Ten Birds” Part 1
NOTE: These posts are listed under my name but written by Steve. We had a hell of a time getting them posted….technical difficulties! MATT Recently Darren introduced me to the meme “Ten Beautifully Interesting Birds”. I was challenged! Being as I am a hard- core Bird Guy, there is no way I can pick only …
“Ten Birds” Part 2
You didn’t think they wouldn’t have a section to themselves? The Barbary Falcon, Falco pelegrinoides. Also known in the eastern part of its immense range (North Africa to Mongolia, though only in deserts), where it is larger, as the Red- Naped Shahin– or, a name fans of my dogs would know– “Lashyn”. This photo is …