David's Images of the Day Photoblog
Some birds at the bird feeder at dusk. Trying the new Nikon D850 camera out with a 600 mm f/4 VR lens and pushing the ISO as it was starting to get darker out. Some post processing noise reduction using Topaz Define. Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinals, and Blue Jays. The Blue Jay is a bit big for this bird feeder. Also, unlike the finches and cardinals it needs to take the sunflower seeds away from the feeder and find somewhere to break the seed open.
A yellow flower on the cucumber plant, a Blue Jay at the bird feeder, a male Northern Cardinal below the bird feeder.
Blue Jay’s and Northern Cardinals at my bird feeder. I don’t think that these images taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS telephoto zoom lens are as sharp as the ones taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 lens. Part of the issue may be that the images with the Fuji camera were taken hand-held vs. on a tripod for the Nikon camera.
Individual images from the slide shows can be viewed here.
Afternoon walkabout. The zucchini plants were getting too big in the Garden Towers because they were using too much water, and their leaves were blocking sunlight from the other plants. I attempted to transplant the zucchini plants. After a day they still seemed to be alive and still flowering. The Garden tower (level 1 (top) — tomatoes and carrots; level 2 — various lettuce; level 3 — various herbs; level 4 — peppers and peas; level 5 — zucchini (now gone) and swiss chard; level 6 — broccoli and cauliflower. The blue jays have become the dominant bird at the bird feeder, even though they are too big. It is funny to watch as they have to take the sunflower seed away and find somewhere hard to break it open, whereas the cardinals and house finches are able to open and eat the seed just with their beak. The only wildflower for the day is a daisy.
Lots going on. When the Blue Jay is at the bird feeder, all the other birds stay away. I noticed some White Clematis flowers across the street. Then I noticed some new wildflowers in my yard. So far this year it has been pretty sparse compared with last spring at this time. I don’t know the identity of the small white/pink/purple flowers. The plants in the Garden Tower are growing very fast. I am starting to eat some of the lettuce. The summer squash and cucumber plants are getting too big as their leaves are blocking light to the smaller plants in the tower. Some of the pepper plants are starting to bloom. The mile-a-minute vine is getting way out of control. In one section I used a propane torch to burn the vine. In another section I tried a chemical approach. I will compare the two sections in a week. While working the back section I found a couple of May Apple fruits. I have been told the Box Turtles eat, and then spread the seeds of the May Apple.
