Category: Nature

Views of nature and the natural world. Plants, animals, and wildlife from around the world.

Tuesday (01-March-2016) — India

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 56: Palaces and Princes Field Trip. Bharatpur and Agra, India.

While waiting for our bus, I was taking pictures of butterflies in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden in Bharatpur, India. Then what I thought was a hummingbird showed up. It turns out that hummingbirds are not native to India. I think this is a Purple Sunbird. I will let others more knowledgeable about Indian birds confirm the ID. The Sunbird posed for several minutes.

Common Tiger Butterfly on a Yellow Flower in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Common Tiger Butterfly on a Yellow Flower in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Common Tiger Butterfly on a Pink Flower in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Common Tiger Butterfly on a Pink Flower in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Common Tiger Butterfly on a Red Flower in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Common Tiger Butterfly on a Red Flower in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Purple Sunbird on a Rose Stem in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec) (David J Mathre)
Purple Sunbird on a Rose Stem in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel Garden located in Bharatpur, India. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec) (David J Mathre)

Saturday (20-February-2016) — Burma (Myanmar)

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 46: Bagan, Burma (Myanmar).

Dawn in Bagan waiting for a Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Boyer 8 mm fisheye lens (ISO 640, 8 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec).

Dawn in Bagan Waiting for a Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Boyer 8 mm fisheye lens (ISO 640, 8 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dawn in Bagan waiting for a Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and Boyer 8 mm fisheye lens (ISO 640, 8 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)

Two Years Ago (13-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 13: Big Cypress National Preserve.

Snowy Egret, Wood Stork, and Immature White Ibis at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/6.3, 1/320 sec). Image converted to B&W with Capture One Pro 7.

Snowy Egret, Wood Stork, and Immature White Ibis at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/6.3, 1/320 sec). Image converted to B&W with Capture One Pro 7. (David J Mathre)
Snowy Egret, Wood Stork, and Immature White Ibis at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/6.3, 1/320 sec). Image converted to B&W with Capture One Pro 7. (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (12-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 12: Big Cypress National Preserve.

Dew covered spider webs at sunrise. Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve in Florida. First image is a composite of three images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. Raw image processed with Google HDR Efex Pro. The second image is a single exposure with the same camera and lens.

Dew Covered Spider Web at Sunrise. Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve in Florida. Composite of 3 Images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 100, 140 mm, f/8, 1/50, 1/13, 1/3 sec). Raw image processed with Google HDR Efex Pro. (David J Mathre)
Dew Covered Spider Web at Sunrise. Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve in Florida. Composite of 3 Images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 100, 140 mm, f/8, 1/50, 1/13, 1/3 sec). Raw image processed with Google HDR Efex Pro. (David J Mathre)
Dew Covered Spider Web at Sunrise. Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Dew Covered Spider Web at Sunrise. Big Cypress Swamp National Preserve in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 100, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)

Tuesday (09-February-2016) — Vietnam

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 35: Approaching Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Sunrise through an orange haze over the East Vietnam Sea while approaching Vietnam.

Sun rising through an orange haze over the East Vietnam Sea from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec) (David J Mathre)
Sun rising through an orange haze over the East Vietnam Sea from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/125 sec) (David J Mathre)
Brealfast Club members celebrating sunrise, through an orange haze over the East Vietnam Sea from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec) (David J Mathre)
Brealfast Club members celebrating sunrise, through an orange haze over the East Vietnam Sea from the deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec) (David J Mathre)