 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Isaiah 48:6 I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.  Mississippi Kite - The Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air. It is not uncommon to see several circling in the same area. Tuesday, 9:14 PM - This evening I scored a new Life Bird photograph! No, I didn’t travel to Mississippi to capture this newbie, but Mississippi came to me! Just before a big evening thunderstorm blew in, I spotted a pale gray raptor circling waaaayyyy high up, just under the gray clouds. Even with the 600mm lens and 1.5x teleconverter, I could barely see more than a speck. But digital technology being what it is, I captured my first shot of a Mississippi Kite. Although not a great photograph, still a thrill to photograph something new to me nonetheless! Sunrise Today: 6:26 am  Mississippi Kite - The Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air. It is not uncommon to see several circling in the same area.  Northern Cardinal at the bird feeder  Northern Mockingbird at the bird bath
0 Comments
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Ecclesiastes 10:20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.  Saturday, 6:54 AM - Passing clouds through a mostly clear sky at sunrise. Nice to not have to go to work on a Monday morning (two doctor's appointments and going into Atlanta to the Peachtree Road Race expo!). Two Red-shouldered Hawks screaming back and forth in the neighborhood. So much so that someone actually posted on the neighborhood page wondering if there was something wrong with them! Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.  Brown-headed Cowbird and a ground squirrel forage seeds below the bird feeder.  Black Vulture roosts in a Loblolly Pine Tree  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Tiny female Ruby-throated Humminbird bird perched on red nectar feeder. Summer wildlife and birding photography in Athens, GA. The ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.  Tiny female Ruby-throated Humminbird bird perched on red nectar feeder. Summer wildlife and birding photography in Athens, GA. The ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.  Tiny female Ruby-throated Humminbird bird perched on red nectar feeder. Summer wildlife and birding photography in Athens, GA. The ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Genesis 1:5  Carolina Chickadee singing from the Loblolly Pines Sunday - At sunrise, a backyard Carolina Chickadee. My first photo of the morning. At sunset, a Summer Tanager. My last photo of the evening. Clarke County, Georgia  Summer Tanager calling from atop a Persimmon Tree  Red-bellied Woodpecker and Brown-headed Nuthatch at black oil sunflower seed bird feeder.  Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains."  Thursday, 10:47 AM - “Jack” was a 4-month-old Beagle and Terrier mixed puppy that was surrendered by his owner on June 28, 2018. They had surrendered two of his littermates earlier in the summer, but thought they’d keep him. Well, when it “just wasn’t working out”, the shelter had to find a home for “Jack” too. No problem. A super-cute pup like “Jack” just might find a better life elsewhere anyway! Besides being irresistibly cute, he was one-hundred-percent “I wanna play with you!” So, how do you get a 100-mile-an-hour puppy like “Jack” to sit still for photos when he wants to run straight to you? I placed him up on a picnic table. When up higher, the dogs will tend to stay put. But after a few minutes Jack figured out that the jump wasn’t that far, so I tied a short tether just behind him. “Jack” was photographed for the Walton County Animal Control shelter on June 28, 2018 and put on the shelter’s adoption website, www.waltonpets.net.    Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains."  Thursday, 8:52 AM - “Gage” was a friendly boy that was picked up by a Walton County Animal Control officer on June 27, 2018. Unfortunately he had no tag or microchip to find his way home and was brought to the animal shelter. “Gage” had a wonderful, happy personality; a cute kind of goofiness. After getting his photos, we were in the exam room together waiting on his heartworm test results. Funny “Gage” kept leaning up against my legs and nudging his nose under my hand looking for some petting! He was a big boy - obviously a German Shepherd mix - and probably over 85 pounds. But with his flopped ears and puffy lips, we guessed maybe there was a bit of Shar-pei mixed in there somewhere. “Gage” was photographed for the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Monroe, GA on June 28, 2018 and put on the shelter’s adoption website, www.waltonpets.net.       William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Blue Dasher dragonfly skimmer in Monroe, GA. Common near open water lakes, ponds, rivers and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America. Photographed in June, hot humid summer days.  Blue Dasher dragonfly skimmer in Monroe, GA. Common near open water lakes, ponds, rivers and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America. Photographed in June, hot humid summer days.  Limenitis arthemis, the red-spotted purple or white admiral, is a North American butterfly species in the cosmopolitan genus Limenitis. Monroe, GA. Common near open water lakes, ponds, rivers and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America. Photographed in June, hot humid summer days. William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Regal Moth, Citheronia regalis, on tree bark. The regal moth, also called the royal walnut moth, is a North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The caterpillars are called hickory horned devils. The regal moth is found throughout the deciduous forest areas of the eastern United States from New Jersey to Missouri and southward to eastern Texas and central Florida. Photographed in Athens, Clarke County, GA. June 23, 2018. "Mr. Wise!!! Mr. Wise!!! Come outside and see this cool bug!" All the kids in church know that "Mr. Wise" loves this kind of stuff. So they all ran enthusastically into the church to bring me outside to see this Regal Moth clinging to the bark in the shade of a tree in the parking lot. - Partly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Black Vulture bird, Coragyps atratus, with wing extended perched on a utility pole on Danielsville Highway in Athens, GA. Photographed June 23, 2018. The black vulture, also known as the American black vulture, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Central Chile and Uruguay in South America.  Black Vulture on Telephone Pole, Athens Georgia USA. June 23, 2018.  Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains."  Black Labrador Retreiver dog "Reggie" Friday, 7:51 AM - “Reggie” and I had to get out early this morning! I love the longer days, but summertime poses a challenge to the animal shelter photography. Summer means longer daylight hours. And longer days mean higher volume of animal intake and fewer shady hours to photograph them. The lengthening springtime days trigger most animals to come in season and begin breeding. Then after those 64 days of gestation, puppies and kittens are coming in waves into the shelter. That means a bunch more animals to photograph than we experience in the winter. Summertime also means that kids are out of school and outdoors. This, coupled with the longer daylight hours for strays to roam, means more calls to animal control and thus higher intake. All of these impounds means more heartworm testing, more vaccinating, more photography, and more posting. Preferring to shoot in the shade, I’ve got to get started early in the summer! In the other months, I have until around 10:00 AM to photograph the dogs outdoors. But in the summer, the sun spots pour through the trees and the open shade is lost by 8:30 AM. So, it is busy, busy, busy all summer long. But the rewards of seeing the dogs make into into new homes is worth the extra effort! And “Reggie” the Black Labrador didn’t mind coming out the shelter earlier in the morning…. He really needed to use the bathroom! "Reggie" the Black Labrador was surrendered by his owner to the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Monroe on June 19, 2018. He was photographed and placed on www.waltonpets.net for adoption or rescue. He was sponsored by pledges from Lane, Anne, Alice, Jason, Lorraine, Barbara and Heidi.      William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Long-legged wading bird Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, in swamp water in Monroe, Walton County, Georgia. June 20, 2018.  Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, a medium-sized icterid bird, very similar in appearance to the western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to South America, where it is also most widespread in the east. Photographed at dawn in Monroe, GA. June 21, 2018.  Large Great Blue Heron bird, Ardea herodias, in Monroe, Georgia, USA. The great blue heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America. Photographed at sunrise; June 25, 2018.  Large long legged wading bird Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, perched high in a Loblolly Pine tree in Monroe, GA. Common near the shores of open water lakes, ponds, rivers and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America. Photographed June 27, 2018; hot humid summer days.  Male Eastern Towhee songbird, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, perched in Sweetgum Tree. Summer wildlife and birding photography in Monroe, GA. The eastern towhee is a large New World sparrow common in the eastern United States. June 28, 2018.  Small House Finch songbird, Haemorhous mexicanus, perched in Mimosa tree. Summer wildlife and birding photography in Monroe, GA. The house finch is a bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is native to western North America, and has been introduced to the eastern half of the continent and Hawaii. June 28, 2018.  Male and female pale of bright gold American Goldfinch songbirds. Summer wildlife and birding photography in Monroe, GA. The American goldfinch Spinus tristis is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter. June 28, 2018.  Large Great Blue Heron bird, Ardea herodias, in Monroe, Georgia, USA. The great blue heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America. Photographed at sunrise; June 25, 2018. William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Cooper`s Hawk, Accipiter cooperii, a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Each morning at 5:30 AM during my weeklong stay in Tucson for our International Bible Conference, I took a walk down Medina Rd near the Tucson airport. Several desert species of birds inhabited the scrub within the vacant industrial lots. Pima County, Arizona. Thursday, June 14, 2018.  The western kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis, is a large tyrant flycatcher. The Western Kingbird is very similar to and easily confused with Cassin`s kingbird, Couch`s kingbird and the tropical kingbird. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.  Lucy`s Warbler songbird, Oreothlypis luciae, range includes southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. One of the smallest warblers, the Lucy`s Warbler is a bird of the hot Sonoran desert. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.  The greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus, is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from Southwestern United States and Mexico. The Latin name means `Californian earth-cuckoo`. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. FRIDAY, JUNE 15- Mostly cloudy, with a high near 92.  Red and black Vermilion Flycatcher bird, Pyrocephalus rubinus, common in parts of the southwest, the Vermilion Flycatcher is also widespread in Central and South America. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.  Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata. The black-throated sparrow is a small American sparrow primarily found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is sometimes referred to as the desert sparrow, due to its preferred habitat of arid desert hillsides and scrub. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.  Female immature Vermilion Flycatcher bird, Pyrocephalus rubinus, common in parts of the southwest, the Vermilion Flycatcher is also widespread in Central and South America. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  The Abert`s towhee, Pipilo aberti, is a bird of the family Passerellidae, native to a small range in southwestern North America, generally the lower Colorado River and Gila River watersheds, nearly endemic to Arizona. Photographed in Sweetwater Wetlands, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona. It is a stream riparian oasis in the southwestern desert. Duckweed filled ponds are surrounded by Cottonwood, Willow, Saltbush, Bulrush, Cattail, Mesquite and Wolfberry. Photographed in June 2018. Thursday, June 14 - Having some time in the afternoon, I made another visit to Sweetwater in the heat of the day. Although it was 106 degrees, the vegetation and the pools at this oasis kept it feeling cool in the shade. Most of the birds were hiding in the shady vegetation.  Aberts Towhee. Pipilo aberti photographed in June 2018 in Sweetwater Wetlands Park, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.  Lucy`s Warbler bird perched on cattail. Photographed in Sweetwater Wetlands, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.  Lucy`s Warbler bird perched on cattail. Photographed in Sweetwater Wetlands, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.  The Abert`s towhee, Pipilo aberti, is a bird of the family Passerellidae, native to a small range in southwestern North America, generally the lower Colorado River and Gila River watersheds, nearly endemic to Arizona. Photographed in Sweetwater Wetlands, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.  Female mallard hen photographed in June 2018 in Sweetwater Wetlands Park, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.  Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus, on driftwood in a pond. A bird of the tropical waterways of Central and South America, the Neotropic Cormorant reaches the upper limits of its range in Texas and occasionally, the Great Plains. Although it superficially resembles North America`s other freshwater cormorant, the Double-crested Cormorant, the Neotropic Cormorant stands apart in various aspects of behavior, as well as range. Sweetwater Wetlands is a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.
 Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus, on driftwood in a pond. A bird of the tropical waterways of Central and South America, the Neotropic Cormorant reaches the upper limits of its range in Texas and occasionally, the Great Plains. Although it superficially resembles North America`s other freshwater cormorant, the Double-crested Cormorant, the Neotropic Cormorant stands apart in various aspects of behavior, as well as range. Sweetwater Wetlands is a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona.  Gila Woodpecker bird, Melanerpes uropygialis, perched on Saguaro Cactus eating fruit. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA.  Gila Woodpecker on Saguaro Cactus, Tucson Arizona desert  Gila Woodpecker on Saguaro Cactus, Tucson Arizona desert  Gila Woodpecker on Saguaro Cactus, Tucson Arizona desert  Gila Woodpecker on Saguaro Cactus, Tucson Arizona desert William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message Each morning at 5:30 AM during my weeklong stay in Tucson for our International Bible Conference, I took a walk down Medina Rd near the Tucson airport. Several desert species of birds inhabited the scrub within the vacant industrial lots. Pima County, Arizona; Wednesday, June 13, 2018.  Red-Tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, perched on telephone pole. The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America. Photographed in the Desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Desert scrub habitat.  Harvester ants crawling into a hole in the dirt. Aphaenogaster are called `harvester ants` because they gather and eat seeds. Aphaenogaster are most common in less disturbed areas outside the city of Tucson, but they also occur within the city itself. They tolerate high temperatures and can be found foraging on very hot days. Look for single workers collecting seeds, or for their nest entrances, which are large holes in the ground surrounded by pebbles. These ants can bite, but do not sting.
 The verdin, Auriparus flaviceps, is a species of penduline tit. A tiny, active songbird of the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Saguaro National Park.  The verdin, Auriparus flaviceps, is a species of penduline tit. A tiny, active songbird of the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Photographed in the arid scrub desert of Tucson in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Saguaro National Park. William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Greater Roadrunner bird, Geococcyx californianus. Photographed in the southwest desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Desert scrub habitat. Each morning at 5:30 AM during my weeklong stay in Tucson for our International Bible Conference, I took a walk down Medina Rd near the Tucson airport. Several species of desert birds inhabited the scrub even within these urban, vacant industrial lots.  Greater Roadrunner bird, Geococcyx californianus. Photographed in the southwest desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes. Desert scrub habitat.  Greater Roadrunner bird, Geococcyx californianus. Photographed in the southwest desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.  Greater Roadrunner bird, Geococcyx californianus. Photographed in the southwest desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.  Greater Roadrunner bird, Geococcyx californianus. Photographed in the southwest desert of Tucson in Pima County in southeastern Arizona, USA. Sonoran desert and Rincon Mountain landscapes.  The greater roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus, is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from Southwestern United States and Mexico. The Latin name means `Californian earth-cuckoo`. Photographed in Sweetwater Wetlands, a reclaimed wastewater treatment facility managed for wildlife habitat in Tucson, Arizona. It is a stream riparian oasis in the southwestern desert. Duckweed filled ponds are surrounded by Cottonwood, Willow, Saltbush, Bulrush, Cattail, Mesquite and Wolfberry. Photographed in June 2018. |
 All content is ©williamwisephoto.com. Please don't steal images. My images are available at dreamstime.com. Stock sales go into the shelter photography program.
|
In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
|
Donations help support the animal shelter adoption photography equipment and adoption website hosting and domain fees. Thanks for your support!
|