Good morning.

16 April 2025

I still remember my first record player. It was green, a portable model that could be closed up and carried by its handle. I have no idea what became of it. When I joined the Marines, I relinquished all claims to my worldly possessions, and the player simply faded away. I had a few albums back then—The Young Rascals, Country Joe and the Fish, and some others I can no longer recall. Funny enough, it's possible those records are still tucked away somewhere in the back of my small garage. Now that I think about it, the green record player might not have been my first; if there was one before it, I don’t remember. Memory is such a peculiar thing—far from perfect.

“Right now, I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.” - Steven Wright

Reflection in Motion

The reflections on the water's surface create the illusion that there are twice as many ducks in this photo as there actually are. In reality, there are four hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) skimming across a Georgia pond. Perhaps in the process of becoming airborne, their wings lightly graze the water's surface as they prepare to ascend into the open sky.

Jump into the excitement—explore my photo gallery here:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

Tie Dye Ducks

Here is another over exposed photograph, these usually happen when I forget to check and reset the camera ISO setting in the morning. This one is of hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). I came that close to deleting the image immediately, but I kind of like the way the light caught the ripples in the water.

I don't post all of the photos that I post here to my Pixels gallery, but I post the photos I like best. Some don't make the cut. I usually wait a couple of days and see how I feel about it then.

You can check out my gallery at:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

Female Hooded Merganser with a tiny crab in its beak.
#beautifulbc #hoodedmerganser #hoodedmergansers #duck #ducks #birds #birdphotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #nature #nikonphotography #nikonz6ii

Good morning.

15 December 2024

I lost my pocketknife a couple of days ago and I can't figure out what happened to the knife. I don't really go out often. It is a Benchmade knife, one of those with a clip on the side. I had the knife for years, so it was building sentimental value, also Benchmade's aren't cheap. Of course, I didn't notice the loss until I reached for it to do something and nothing was there, just my pocket. Hmmm ... I started to say air just to make it rhyme. Anyway, I already ordered a replacement. Benchmade's have a lifetime guarantee, but that doesn't help if you lose the darn thing. Now I might come across it - c'est la vie.

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” - Robert Frost

Splashy Departure

This is a pair of hooded mergansers ((Lophodytes cucullatus) at a secluded pond in Albay, Georgia. It looks as if they are taking off, but they were just moving to the other end of the pond. I think that I may have been the reason for their sudden movement.

"The hooded merganser is a diving predator that largely hunts by sight while under water. Most studies report that its diet varies according to circumstances, usually being dominated by fish (44 to 81%). In addition, it feeds on aquatic insects (13 to 20% of its diet) and other aquatic invertebrates such as crabs and crayfish (22 to 50%)." - wikipedia.org

I don't post all of the photos that I post here to my Pixels gallery, but I post the photos I like best. You can check out my gallery at:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

Good morning.

1 December 2024

We're back at home and step one of the holiday season is completed, two or three or four more steps to go. I include taxes and insurance into the holidays because they coincide. I need to check on property taxes. Do you know I pay taxes for road maintenance, and I live on a gravel road. I pay school taxes, and I don't have any children who are still in school. There are also other taxes wrapped into property taxes that don't particularly do anything to help me. But I don't mind because those taxes as most taxes are for the greater good of our society. It is part of pitching in.

Oh goodness the temperature dropped below freezing this morning.

“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin

Water Dance

These hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were taking off from water on a secluded pond in Albany, Georgia. They noticed me above on the edge of the depression photographing, and I wasn't very close to them. No worries, they didn't leave the pond but instead just flew low to the end of the pond where I couldn't see them.

I've had several inquiries about how to get a print of some my photographs. This is a hobby for me, so I haven't been equipped to handle those requests. But I enjoy what I'm doing and want to share my photographs.

So, I set up an account and website with pixels. My website is:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

Water and Wings

Here are some of the hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) that I saw yesterday. It is not the greatest of photographs, but I like the idea that three were flying and three were swimming. Last year when I was here, I attempted to get closer by climbing down to the water's edge, but all the water birds flew away. This year they even notice me walking along the top of the depression. The birds here are pretty skittish and prefer not to have humans around.

You can check out my gallery at:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

Ducks at Dawn

These are part of a flock of hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) that I saw on a small hidden pond in Albany, Georgia.

"“Hooded” is something of an understatement for this extravagantly crested little duck. Adult males are a sight to behold, with sharp black-and-white patterns set off by chestnut flanks. Females get their own distinctive elegance from their cinnamon crest. Hooded Mergansers are fairly common on small ponds and rivers, where they dive for fish, crayfish, and other food, seizing it in their thin, serrated bills. They nest in tree cavities; the ducklings depart with a bold leap to the forest floor when only one day old." - allaboutbirds.org

Visit my gallery, I generally add new content every couple of days or so. The URL is below:

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

Merganser Parade

I saw these hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) swimming in a small pond, at Albany, Georgia. I was thinking about the saying get your ducks in a row. It's just that when we see them lined up, they are usually in a column.

"Hooded Mergansers find their prey underwater by sight. They can actually change the refractive properties of their eyes to improve their underwater vision. In addition, they have an extra eyelid, called a “nictitating membrane,” which is transparent and helps protect the eye during swimming, like a pair of goggles." - allaboutbirds.org