Archive for February, 2009

Photo365: February 16, 2009

Monday, February 16th, 2009

It’s funny how proprietary you get — and how fast! — about the birds that come to your backyard feeder.  First I saw a pair of white-throated sparrows. Then the northern cardinals. Then a pair of mourning doves. Then a downy woodpecker. And my attitude quickly became: they’re mine. I want ’em!

But life has been so incredibly busy the past few weeks (mock trial season) that I didn’t have much time to look, and hadn’t seen the cardinals or the woodpecker in days. I admit: I was getting a little worried.

But today was a holiday, and I had no mock trial practice sessions scheduled, so I got to stay home all day. And between the laundry and the chores and getting my taxes filed, I was entertained by all of my “missing” backyard friends.

Downy woodpecker

Downy woodpecker

Northern cardinal (female)

Northern cardinal (female)

Northern cardinal (female)

Northern cardinal (female)

Northern cardinal (male)

Northern cardinal (male)

Northern cardinal (male)

Northern cardinal (male)

Photo365: February 15, 2009

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Can’t do just one shot today, ’cause I got two that I’m really happy with. The last full mock trial practice before my teams go into the regional competition ended a little early today so I scooted over to Branchbrook Park in Newark. Lo and behold… there were lots and lots of birds around, including a lovely female mallard:

Female mallard

Female mallard

What made the day even better was that I managed — finally! — to snag my first even half-way successful bird in flight — a little ring-billed gull:

Ring-billed gull in flight

Ring-billed gull in flight

Photo365: February 14, 2009

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

Busy all day at the law school, and came up with nothing that was even close to a Valentine’s Day theme. So I settled for a late afternoon shot of the church bell tower across the street.

Church bell tower

Church bell tower

Photo365: February 13, 2009

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Friday the 13th, and I couldn’t find a single black cat, broken mirror or even a ladder to walk beneath! So I settled for a Newark street shot:

Shadows and bars

Shadows and bars

Photo365: February 12, 2009

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

There was a terrible wind storm today, wicked and destructive. Two people were killed by falling trees, the Turnpike was closed for miles, just terrible. Even the birds were totally and absolutely grounded. My resident mourning doves hunkered down and tried to ride it out as the wind even blew their feathers. Here’s one of them:

Grounded by wind

Grounded by wind

Photo365: February 11, 2009

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Ciara was a not-entirely-willing subject for today’s shot-of-the-day!

Ciara

Ciara

Photo365: February 10, 2009

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Passed by Trinity Church on my way to fill a prescription tonight, and thought the way the moon was rising behind the church and the way the church was lit would make a really nice image.

Moonrise at Trinity Church

Moonrise at Trinity Church

And here’s an entirely different take on the same scene:

Moonrise at Trinity - take 2

Moonrise at Trinity - take 2

Photo365: February 9, 2009

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Had a business meeting out of the office today — a field trip! — and so was on the road as the sun was starting to go down. Lovely sunset tonight.

Sunset at the shore

Sunset at the shore

Photo365: February 8, 2009

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

There’s a full moon risin’ …

February moon

February moon

Photo365: February 7, 2009

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

It’s mock trial season, and I spend a LOT of time at the law school (I coach the national mock trial team!):

Rutgers Law clock tower

Rutgers Law clock tower