Here are some photos from Barataria Preserve in southern Louisiana. I took them last summer and thought I’d shared some of the images before, but perhaps not. There are actually a few good ones in here! 
Chameleon or some kind of lizard Anole
And the Barataria Preserve photo album.
Originally submitted at Adorama
Kata Ergo-Tech Focus Q, Shoulder Bag for Day to Day use that can also Carry a Digicam or SLR + MP3/MP4 + PDA + Phone and Accessories.
Fits more inside than you might think…
Pros: Great price, Not obviously for cameras, Lightweight, Comfortable
Cons: Hard To Access Equipment
Best Uses: Travel, Transporting Gear
Describe Yourself: Photo Enthusiast
I bought this bag because I loved the look of it – sleek and not really at all “camera-bag-like”. This bag was great-looking and made with some pretty tough material. The space inside was more than you’d think just looking at it – I fit a Nikon D80 with an 18-135 lens attached, lens cloth/cleaner pen, 50mm lens, charger cable, pelican case of memory cards, spare battery, cellphone.. plus personal items and snacks (plane trip). There was a nice pocket under the flap, and a tiny detachable (velcro) pocket inside the main body for memory cards or other small items. Pockets inside each end of the main body were handy for organizing. With the main body flap open it was really easy to see and get to your equipment.
That being said, the pocket on the strap for a cellphone will only hold the smallest flip phone – mine, which is about the size of a blackberry, just would not fit. Also, in the pictures it looks like the loose end of the strap can be tucked in somewhere, yet I did not find anything for it so it hung down awkwardly. Lastly, at the “curve” of the bag the zipper sticks on the internal pocket and makes it hard to get into the bag quickly enough to grab the camera in a hurry. This may be something that lessens with use (maybe the zippers/fabric soften up), but I ended up exchanging it.
(legalese)
Hawk, Mississippi River levee, New Orleans, LA, 2009-Jan-01
I keep trying to get a good photograph of a hawk – got a halfway decent one in New York when visiting my family for Christmas actually, and today happened to see a hawk in a tree on the levee. Dashed home and got the camera… tried a new “stalking” technique, and managed to get just a little closer. I have no idea what kind of hawk this is; sifting through the hawks and raptors at the online Cornell Bird Guide leaves me thinking it is perhaps a Swainson’s Hawk, going by the chest markings, but that species isn’t supposed to be in this area. If anyone knows what it is, let me know!
All photos © Amy Friends Stone and all rights reserved.
Yesterday at work a small yellow songbird (I think a warbler of some kind, very small) was running into the glass doors and not flying very well. People were saying she had done that the previous two days. One of the members who had walked outside was able to catch the bird relatively easily. When the bird got out of his hand, I captured it.
Since it’s not in the natural order of things to be able to reach out and grab a songbird (unless you happen to have four paws and a wicked right hook), and it was recurring with this bird, I decided to rescue her. There was an empty computer paper box available; I quickly got her in there and poked air holes. Looking in the phone book yielded no immediate local bird rescue or rehab, so I called a local vet (whose name I recognized as one of our members!). The woman on the phone knew about an animal sanctuary that does regular pickups this side of the lake… however the next pickup isn’t until tomorrow. She gave me the number for the feed store pickup point, and also the number of a vet specializing in birds. I got the recommendations for what to feed the poor girl and how to care for her, and the last 36 hours have been a little crazy!
Feedings are interesting but messy, and the sensation of holding a tiny bird in your hand, feeling it calming down a little, and eventually coaxing it to eat or drink. She is still alive, so hopefully I’m doing something right! However, this morning at work, a male warbler also began crashing into the glass. Since the general consensus of the internet advice on caring for injured birds is quite frequent feedings, I happened to have the female bird with me in a box. I was able to capture the male, and now I’m feeding two birds!! One more night, and I can give them to the pros.
It’s been an experience, but while it’s exhilarating to hold that little life in your hands… it’s also terrifying! Their necks are so incredibly tiny, and their little feet holding your finger like a twig are so delicate as to be almost not felt at all, until you open your hand inside the box and the bird stays hanging on for a moment.
Feeding the female:
The male, right before he escaped my hand (that’s what I get for wanting to take a photo, eh?) and had me doing calisthenics in the tiny bathroom:
PS To give you a sense of scale, my fingers in these photos are not as large as they might look – I only wear a size 4 1/2 ring!
but I’ll probably be offline for a bit. Evacuating in case Gustav decides to come make a mess. (Oh the joys of living on the Gulf Coast!) Maybe I’ll get some nice pictures in Birmingham, if the weather’s fair there.
Packing has been interesting… take this? or this? So much is replaceable (yay for insurance – especially with the cost of it here), that it almost becomes “if it’s so ‘replaceable’, how much does it really mean? I’ll probably be getting rid of lots more things when I get back into town, unless Gustav does it for me.
Night Heron, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA, 2008-Aug-17
This night heron was not very far from me, both of us taking shelter from the light rain that came up. He posed for several shots, and this was one of my favorites. I managed to get his eye in clear, sharp focus, which pleased me, as it’s a skill I’m working on.
All photos © Amy Friends Stone and all rights reserved.
I took the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Certified Personal Trainer exam today. I’d scheduled it a while ago, and really just didn’t feel prepared enough. However, to reschedule you need 7 business days’ notice, and an extra $100… neither of which I had! So in spite of my reservations, I took it anyway, and chose to look at it like an expensive practice test.
My twin sister knew how I was feeling, and since we live in different states, had my husband pick up a small bag of jellybeans and write a tag on them: “Miss Yonchuk’s Smart Beans”. LOL In high school (yes, ages and ages ago now), Miss Yonchuk was our social studies teacher. Whenever we had a test, she would offer small pieces of candy and call them “smart pills”. It’s probably illegal now, but anyway… I guess they still worked!
I passed, and am officially certified as a personal trainer. I even get to put cool letters after my name, NSCA-CPT.
I have a new look! Well, honestly, I look the same-ol’ same-ol’, but my photohome on the web is all spruced up. Thank goodness for those awesome Wordpress theme developers, because this is now surely beyond my skills. Let me know what you think! (Oh, and those photos in the upper right that neatly change when you refresh? I took ‘em. How cool is that?)
Magnolia Blossom, Mizell Farms, LA, 2007-Sept-08
I liked how pure this magnolia blossom appeared, even though it was beginning to fall apart.
All photos © Amy Friends Stone and all rights reserved.
Squirrel, Audubon Park, New Orleans, LA, 2008-Aug-03
This little guy was too cute not to photograph… even though I had already folded up the tripod and was heading for the car!
All photos © Amy Friends Stone and all rights reserved.