Ceropegia's photos

In breeding plummage at a rookery in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, a city park that is a wetland backwater formed at the mouth of Black Creek by Alabama Power Company's Neeley Henry Dam impoundment of the Coosa River, Gadsden, Alabama (IMG_5010)

In breeding plummage at a rookery in the James D. Martin Wildlife Park, a city park that is a wetland backwater formed at the mouth of Black Creek by Alabama Power Company's Neeley Henry Dam impoundment of the Coosa River, Gadsden, Alabama (IMG_5002)

These toads were hanging around in the rain just outside my garage door. They tried to hop away when I opened the door, but I manged to corral them. I kept trying to keep them together long enough for a shot, but they weren't of a mind to cooperate. One or the other would hop off just as I was ready to shoot. Persistence finally paid off and I managed to get one of them together. Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_4768)

This is an Ed Roth carved modern replacement figure that is a "guest" animal on Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #62 which was built in 1922 and is housed in the Looff Hippodrome (a National Historic Landmark) at the Santa Monica Pier. Moved there in 1947, it is the third carousel to be housed in the historic building and is the carousel that was featured in the movie "The Sting". The carousel originally had only horses, but after restoration work in 2002 by Roth, who is a modern master carousel carver, the rabbit and other animals including a goat, and even a triceratops, carved by him, have served as guest animals in a couple of places on the carousel where an original horse once stood. Santa Monica, California (DSC01839)

Digital photo maniputation. This is the photo I used to create this image.

Digital photo maniputation. These are the two photos I used to create this image.

From the Observation Building at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_4703)

View from the Observation Building at the Visitor Center, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_4538)

These seven whooping cranes are in a field beside Priceville High School in Decatur, Alabama, a couple of miles from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge where they are wintering. The brown-headed young bird, #69-16, called Zion, named after the National Park in celebration of the National Park Service’s centennial, was hatched and raised by foster parent whooping cranes at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin in 2016. In the fall, she was released into the wild in Wisconsin near an adult pair, the goal being that she would associate with them and follow them when they migrated. She never really bonded with them, instead migrating to Wheeler for the winter with a group of sandhill cranes. At Wheeler, she has begun associating with other whooping cranes. (IMG_4734)

These two along with five others are in a field adjacent to Priceville High School, a couple of miles from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. They can be identified by their leg bands. The bird in front is 11-15. He is a male, hatched on May 11, 2015 at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, captive raised, transferred to Wisconsin in September, and later migrated south to Florida by following an ultralight aircraft, occasionally being crated and trucked to the next stop when he fell behind or the weather was bad. He successfully returned to Wisconsin in the spring of 2016 with several other cranes. In the fall, however, he did not return to Florida, but instead found his way to Wheeler, where he is wintering. His story is at (https://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/crane/15/BandingCodes_1511.html). The other crane is 65-15, a female, named Leola. She was hatched on June 8, 2015, captive raised ,and moved to Wisconsin in the fall. However, instead of being taught to follow an ultralight for migration, she was released near other cranes and followed them when they migrated. She spent her first winter near Goose Pond in Southern Illinois and returned to Wisconsin the next spring. In the fall, she migrated to Wheeler where she is currently wintering. Her story is at (https://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/crane/15/BandingCodes_65D.html). (IMG_4737)

These four whooping cranes are in a field beside Priceville High School in Decatur Alabama, a few miles from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge where they are wintering. The brown-headed young bird, #69-16, called Zion, named after the National Park in celebration of the National Park Service’s centennial, was hatched and raised by foster parent whooping cranes at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin in 2016. In the fall, she was released into the wild in Wisconsin near an adult pair, the goal being that she would associate with them and follow them when they migrated. She never really bonded with them, instead migrating to Wheeler for the winter with a group of sandhill cranes. At Wheeler, she has begun associating with other whooping cranes. (IMG_4736)

These seven whooping cranes are in a field beside Priceville High School in Decatur, Alabama, a couple of miles from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge where they are wintering. The brown-headed young bird, #69-16, called Zion, named after the National Park in celebration of the National Park Service’s centennial, was hatched and raised by foster parent whooping cranes at the International Crane Foundation in Wisconsin in 2016. In the fall, she was released into the wild in Wisconsin near an adult pair, the goal being that she would associate with them and follow them when they migrated. She never really bonded with them, instead migrating to Wheeler for the winter with a group of sandhill cranes. At Wheeler, she has begun associating with other whooping cranes. (IMG_4733)

Part of a group of seven that were foraging in a field adjacent to Priceville High School. They are taking off because some students came out to practice at the athletic field near where they were. The location is a couple of miles from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge where they are wintering in Decatur, Alabama (IMG_4749)

Flying away from a field near Priceville High School, a couple of miles from Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Alabama (IMG_4741)

Finally one of my trail cameras caught a bobcat in the daytime. About 4 other times they have caught one at night, but they were not very good catches. Etowah County, Alabama (WGI_0399)

One of many Santa ornaments I have

An opossum at my deck door on a cold evening. Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_4272)

On the eave of my house, Etowah County, Alabama (IMG_4242)