New Year 2021 Moon Over Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

We Missed the December Full Moon

 The last full moon photographed over this island was on Halloween night, October 31, 2020.

Clouds and rain have kept the full moons hidden for the past few months.

Maybe, this is a sign, things will be better this year. Coronavirus get under control.

And for heaven's sake, USA quit arguing about who's president.

One guy came in first and the other can say he came in a close second!

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 560 MM with 1.4 Converter Focal Length 784 MM

Exposure:  f/16  1/125  ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  JAN 1, 2021  6:34 AM

New Year's Eve Afternoon Stroll with the iPhone

 Wet and Cold Winter Weather

Normally, I'm out with the camera, backpack, and dog, early in the morning.

With wannabe typhoon-like winds and rain, I've slacked off doing 10,000 step hikes before noon.

The drizzle stopped for a while this afternoon so, I headed out to do some end-of-year business.

Suddenly I noticed a patch of blue sky with white clouds, directly ahead of me.

A bit of maneuvering got me this shot with no telephone wires in the scene.

Leaving the post office and walking the backroads, I spotted this gem of an attraction.

2020 has been sort of a lousy year and everyone has been stuck at home, social distancing.

It didn't stop this Komatsu family from having a baby!

Heading back across the south side of the highway, I stopped at a local electrical store.

One of the things I've been putting off all year was buying a new computer mouse.

Got that and a new iPhone charging wire to boot, for under 20 bucks.

It turned out to be a Not-so-bad, crappy New Year's Eve, I guess. Hopefully, yours went well, too.

Next, I'll have to Google, "Breaking in your new mouse" and see if there are instructions.

If not, I'll have to see if that can be remedied sometime next year.

 THE END

Wordless Wednesday: Xmas Social Distance Dinner

 

Wordless Wednesday: Ducks Not in a Row

 

Sample Images: Pentax 560 MM Lens

 Some Bird Shots

It will take a month or two for me to write an honest review of this monster lens.

I decided it would be a good idea to post a few photos before they get buried in my files.

This Northern Shoveler, launching into the sky was taken on the morning of November 22, 2020.

Using  1.4 Teleconverter the focal length of this image was 784 MM.

The Great Egret image was taken December 8, 2020, shortly before 9 AM.

Focal Length: 560 MM

Other Equipment

A Gitzo tripod and Wimberly Gimbal with Arca-Swiss quick release plate.

Unless walking a short distance, shouldering the contraption, a backpack is required.

My favorite spots (hiking) for wildlife photography are kilometers away from home.

I backpack the big lens, while I shoulder the tripod and camera with a 300MM lens attached.

Nearing a location where the big lens will be needed, I unpack and build my big rig.

One of these days, I'll have an assistant photograph the old guy hiking with all his gear.

Meanwhile, just use your imagination!

Ducks Can Brighten Up a Rainy Day in Okinawa

 

Out for a quick four-hour walk in the wind and rain, this was one image I decided to save.

Normally, the dog and I would be out for five hours or longer in better weather.

Lots of time was spent getting shelter from the cold drizzle, beneath a highway overpass.

The ducks (Northern Shovelers) hangout in wetlands, sucking what they eat from the water.

Sometimes a flooded field and other times, this canal they're seen taking flight from.

They migrate here for the winter months and I photograph them almost daily.

It's lots more fun, taking long walks on sunny days with blue skies.

But, any time spent outdoors beats sitting around stuck indoors, on a day in December.

What do you do for excitement on foul-weather days?

MORE ABOUT NORTHERN SHOVELERS

Wordless Wednesday: We Missed NOV Full Moon but Not in 2017