Here are a few pictures that I wanted to share with you all....They are close ups of some birds and a lizard or two and a flower or two, too!Enjoy! This one above is a sweet little finch...taken down below in my garden on a very clear beautiful day....so pretty....!
This next picture is a Morning Dove, also taken down below....another lovely day and he is sitting on a branch of one of my Red Tree's. I love that this is such a sharp clean clear picture...Isn't he dear?
Here is one of the hundreds of Lizards that inhabit my garden, especially down below...though they are upstairs, too....They are so incredibly ancient looking....so pre-historic, like from thousands and thousands of years ago....
And, then, another Lizard in the picture below, too...I really love these little guys...They are so amazing in the way they scurry around so fast...One day a really little guy somehow got into my house and was hurrying like crazy along the dining room rug....I was extremely lucky and caught him under a glass and then slipped a piece of paper under the glass so he couldn't escape and then I took him outside and put him on the dirt of the bed where all the plants are on my patio...I was so very glad I was able to do this....cause he was really scared and there was nothing familiar about my rug to him...
I wish the light had been better only because I would have loved to see his eyes more...but in another way, I kind of like this just the way it is....Here is one of those beautiful delicate Cereus flowers that I had on my last post about this plant....It really is so wonderful in 'close-up', isn't it? So delicate and soft looking....
And then this next picture below is another flower taken in the daylight hours when it is beginning to wane.....Still very beautiful I think, and I love the light in the picture, a lot!
If you think you have seen these before, you have...only not in close-up....I have been so enjoying playing with these...and I am probably going to do more of this 'playing'...
And here is another bird. My favorite favorite bird, in fact...The Hummingbird....what an fantastic little creature he is....I think I have said before that since I have had my garden I have seen more Hummingbirds than I had ever seen in my whole life....and that was true after five years of my Cactus Garden...now at 20 years, well....it is still utterly thrilling to me....They are 'Magical Beings'.
I think I'm going to try and get even closer in on this one...not today, but soon...(lol). If it comes out really really great, you will see it, for sure!
I got a few pictures of some Finches as you may recall chomping on that fabulously sweet fruit of the Cereus plant....Here below are a couple of these dear sweet birds and these you haven't seen....
See the color of that fruit? Gorgeous, isn't it? And I love seeing all these other fruits that haven't quite ripened as yet....but, they will, as sure as the sun is going to come up tomorrow!
Here is another bird and from a different angle...it looks like he is looking right at me, doesn't it? Again that fabulous fruit ready and waiting for him to eat away...
And below, here is another dear bird from the back...They must weigh nothing! Because that long thin leaf that he is sitting on is not that stiff...I mean if I touched it, it would bend immediately...yet, look at him....he is just resting there before he moves over to the Cereus and those ripe fruits....
And the picture below shows another Finch sitting on the top of one of the arms of the Cereus which is filled with lots and lots of fruits....
I really do wish the light was better here because then you could see the beautiful color of the fruits in all their glory...from the not yet ripe-still-green ones to the almost ready to burst-open red ones....and you would be able to see Mr. Finch a little better, too...though I think he looks pretty good....
And here are a couple of Finches. Mr. & Mrs. Finch, I do believe....just surveying they view from their perch on a plant down in my garden below....they look so meditative to me....just taking a moment to rest and contemplate...something we all should do now and again....
And last, for now anyway....here down below again, is a flower that blooms on the Golden Barrel, a beautiful round plant that creates the most stunning flowers which leave us speechless and more in awe of nature than ever....
There will be more to come, for sure....
- had this to say:
Hi. As ever your pictures of your visitors are amazing! I really like the one of the bird about to land and the last one of the golden barrel flower. Fantastic!
I also wanted to say how sorry I was to hear about the death of your friend. It sounds like he lived a rich life.- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 5:50:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
goodness Naomi ! lol.. soon you will be able to make a book with all "nature" photo's of birds and lizards! Great shots!! I love hummingbirds too. When I lived in the Valley there were many of them and I never tired of seeing them. Amazing little birds!! I'm glad so many come to visit you!
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 6:28:00 AM PDT
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The finch couple and that last flower are stunning!
Thanks for sharing.
I posted new pics at my site as well.
Take care.
Kendra- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 6:32:00 AM PDT
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had this to say:
Add photography to your list of talents! I'm just popping in to say hi and get "the bird's eye view." I'll come back later for a closer read...and not just to look at the picuters! The hummingbird shot is a winner!
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 7:20:00 AM PDT
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Your pictures are always very special. But the one with the hummingbird is amazingly beautiful!! specially with the "city" in the soft background...just beautiful!
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 7:27:00 AM PDT
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those are gorgeous photographs, very uplifting to see them this morning :)
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 8:05:00 AM PDT
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had this to say:
Lovely shots, especially of the golden barrel flower.
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 10:05:00 AM PDT
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I LOVE the hummingbird picture, the flowers in focus with the faint city skyline in the background, very nice! Pardon me if I've asked in the past, as obviously I've forgotten if you've previously answered, but what kind of camera, lens, etc. do you use? I'm looking into getting a new digital camera with a nice lens so I can get sharper pictures and shots of birds and animals before they spot me. :-)
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 1:07:00 PM PDT
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Do the hummingbirds stay there year round? In Mississippi they showed up each April and left in October. I haven't seen any here but we don't have any feeders out.
And that last flower is just breathtaking! The color isn't yellow, isn't gold, it's just amazing. It looks a lot like the sea anemone in salt water aquariums, texture-wise.- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 1:32:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I love the hummingbird capture... pretty pink bougainvillea too! I love hummingbirds and have seen more since moving to LA than I have in my whole life. I have a lantana bush outside my office window and they visit it all through the day.
~S :)- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 1:43:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
OUTSTANDING pictures Naomi! Loved the animals especially the humming bird in flight.
I have to say I'm VERY impressed by your photography.- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 2:26:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
You definitely have some amazing visitors! :)
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 3:06:00 PM PDT
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You know what I love? I love YOUR LOVE of all things nature! It just makes your "show and tell" come to life! I love your little lizzards too! And the story of the one in the house! We have little geckos that get in our house from time to time, and I'm always sO thrilled when I find them first and can catch them and set them free before one of the cats finds them! (cuz sometimes all i find is a head or a tail...) *sigh*
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 3:31:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Hi Naomi, I found your blog thru Tanya's blog; looks like you have lots of really nice shots here and lots of interesting things to say. I'll stop by from time to time to say hello!
-Anthony from LA (near South Pas.).- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 5:29:00 PM PDT
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More gorgeous photos, Naomi! I am viewing tonight on my daughter's computer and your photos are better then ever. I think I'll have to get a new monitor!!
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 5:41:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
I am impressed too! It looks like a wildlife magazine over here today. I so love my birds too, especially my finches and the hummingbirds. What wonderful creatures they are. I enjoyed this!
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 6:26:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
You're lucky to live in such natural beauty.
- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 7:49:00 PM PDT
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ok WOW
those are so amazing!
Did you ever consider teaching photography?- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 11:31:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
I dearly love the hummingbirds, too. See them flitting about my bird of paradise outside my living room window.
I put out some of those mesh-like socks with that special thistle the finches like. Was wonderful for many months, with beautiful finches, several varieties including some that were yellow in color.
Then, I started find large rips in even a brand new mesh sock, let alone the other ones. Haven't been able to figure out what sort of bird has entered the scene to be causing this, but, of course, ruins the sock and when the holes are large enough the thistle all falls to the ground.:-(
I love the golden barrel cactus. Had a little one for years from AZ Botanical Garden, then a few years ago it gave up the ghost. I was so saddened. Thanks for sharing the bloom on your large outdoor one.- Monday, October 9, 2006 at 11:38:00 PM PDT
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Your golden barrel is so fabulous. Oooh I just love the color. I wouldn't blame the birds, lizards and whatever to inhabit your garden because it is so lovely.
- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 5:18:00 AM PDT
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Beautiful. Just really beautiful. I can never capture hummingbirds, they're too fast for me. :)
- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 9:46:00 AM PDT
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Great pics, again:-) I'm awful at animal pics - by the time I've found one I like, they've moved!
I think we really miss out here in Britland though, as we don't have any lizards:-( Everywhere else I've ever been lizards have appeared and posed for photo's in the most amazing positions, but it's too cold & et here for them:-((well, we have slow-worms, but they don't really count!).- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 9:46:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
You really are a great photographer. I love the pick of the humming bird. that must have been a difficult photo to get. I can't believe that all of the nature is in your backyard. You do not ever need to watch Animal Planet - you can just sit in your yard.
- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 10:13:00 AM PDT
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had this to say:
That is not fair! You get the best images...the coolest birds, plants, flowers! I need some of your view.
- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 11:45:00 AM PDT
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ooh - I just LOVE that golden flower, my dear! :-)
Stunning.....
cq- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 12:54:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I ADORE that hummingbird picture it is just great, how on earth did you manage to snap that one.
You have a gift :)- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 5:24:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
What beautiful pictures.
- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 7:03:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Such lovely pictures Noami!! The plants, the birds, the lizards, I love them all!! Those lizards are pre-historic looking. We have lizards here, the little blue looking ones but Chunky Monkey has killed most of them, poor things. We have the salamanders too. I saw a brown one while mowing the lawn the other day when the grass was wet in the corner of the yard. He got out of the way. He was brown with spots.
The hummingbirds are so sweet!! I'm glad they enjoy your garden as do all the other birds!!- Tuesday, October 10, 2006 at 10:10:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Beautiful pictures as always, Naomi! Love your nature's photos!
- Wednesday, October 11, 2006 at 6:44:00 AM PDT
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