Tuesday, September 22, 2009

First lines....

Below are the first lines in some of my favorite books and stories, care to name them?
(no particular order of favoritism)


"Call me Ishmael."

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

"Not long after with my family to New HampshireI happened a path that into a wood on the edge of town."

"Barnardo: "Who's there?" "

" Lo! 'tis a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!"

"From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper."

"When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods..."

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Excellent Birding

Double-Crested Cormorant in Flight
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Capsian Tern In Flight



Osprey catching a fish

(please excuse the low quality of these photos, they are the raw product and have not been proccessed)
The processed photos can be seen HERE

The Falls of the Ohio is a hot bed of good birding opportunities right now. The young Osprey raised on the tower by the hydro-electric are pretty much full grown and very capable apex predators.




A small flock of Caspian Terns has taken up residence, taking advantage of the low water levels to target easily caught shad and Skip Jacks.




Like wise a very healthy population of both Black-crowned Night Heron, and Double-Crested Cormorants are doing very well in the shallower than normal waters catching fish and crayfish.




A large Beaver has also been spotted on multiple occasions, and is getting more accustomed to people, making him less reclusive.




A friend of mine has also photographed a perfect example of a Peregrine Falcon, and I have finally been able to capture a return of a healthy pair of American Kestrel. Unfortunately it has been since early spring that I last saw either the juvenile or mature Bald Eagles that were nesting in Loop Island Wetlands, and hunting the falls area for fish, ground hogs, opossums and the likes.