Wildlife Photo: A Butterfly Called an Orange-tip

Here's a photo of an Orange-tip Butterfly taken on Hamahiga Island Okinawa, Japan.

They are called an Orange-tip but, only the males have orange wing tips.

I'm glad I didn't shoot a female because I would have had to use the scientific name:

ANTHOCHARIS CARDAMINES  (Wikipedia's Butterfly Department).

Another source for critter research is ARKIVE IMAGES OF LIFE ON EARTH

Over there you can find photos of just about any wildlife and even watch short videos.

They tell you stuff like what animals eat, how they mate and where they hang out.

Like, in England these butterflies eat cuckooflowers and garlic mustard.

The ones I shot photos of were hanging around Hibiscus flowers.

Last Century the Orange-tip Butterfly almost went extinct in Scotland.

It seems Global Warming came along, just in time, and these butterflies are safe.

They are on the rebound in Scotland and the rest of Europe, all the way up to Scandinavia.

SEE MORE OF THE CRITTERS FOUND ON OKINAWA IN WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY.


VISIT MY HOMEPAGE FOR THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

Why Ocean Day (Umi No Hi) in Japan ? A Photo Essay

It's a National Holiday in Japan Monday July 18, 2011.  Call it The Day of the Sea,  Marine Day, Oceans Day or Umi No Hi (海の日) or whatever you like.  I'm just going to show a dozen photos to explain why Ocean Day in Japan is important to me.  It might surprise some people, even some way over in Scotland.

Many of the festivals and ritual ceremonies I take photos at are events associated with the ocean.


The gals hootin, hollerin, chantin, dancin in the ocean and beating drums are rooting for their team rowing a boat at the Unjami, a festival held in Ogimi Village Okinawa, Japan every August.


One of my favorite birds in the whole wildlife kingdom, the osprey, depends on the ocean for his food.

On a hot summer day, you don't need air conditioning when there's an ocean nearby to cool you down.

Dragonboat races, are held everywhere.  We wouldn't have them at all if it weren't for the oceans.


            Some people go fishing as a sport, or a way to get out of the house just for relaxation.


For others, it isn't for relaxation.  It is a matter of survival.  Get some fish or go home hungry.


Water sports and other recreational activities that take place in the ocean are good for tourism.


          Once a year we have a festival where a guy butchers a fresh tuna right before your eyes.


                                                Everybody lines up a gets a serving for FREE !


If you aren't into catching your own, or standing in lines at festivals, you can always find a fish market with the catch of the day.  You won't catch me eating any fish that was stuffed into a can.

All of the above photos demonstrate why the sea is important to me.  Just like Okinawa, many places in Japan are close to the ocean and depend upon it for the same reasons I do. 

The Holiday commemorates a trip the Emperor of Japan made way back in 1876.  The ship the Emperor sailed around Japan in was built by A SHIPBUILDER IN SCOTLAND !



I WONDER IF MY FRIENDS IN SCOTLAND KNEW ABOUT THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO OCEAN DAY IN JAPAN ?

Winners of the 500,000 View Giveaway Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta Tah-Dah !

It really happened this time. Not only did the viewmeter crank over and hit a goal, people actually got their entries in through Facebook or emails and we have two winners.  That's what I'm Tah-Dah-n' about, today.

Ladies first, a friend I met through StumbleUpon,  Betty-Boop chose "Attracted to Orange" a flower and butterfly photo.

Betty, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA reads my blog, follows me on Facebook and even chats at me a few times a day. So, it feels good to give her get one of my photos.

The other winner, Jerry, goes by the handle FishHawk and hails from Springfield, Missouri, USA.

Now, I haven't know him very long but, we've seen each other's comments on that crazy Scotsman's Channel Scotland Here and Now.

Fish Hawk, is another name for an Osprey and I have a whole pile of Osprey photos but, this is the one Jerry chose, only I'll give him a more spiffed-up version of it.

When he entered the contest, he said he didn't really care about winning a photo. He just wanted to beat that Ryan Dude from Scotland out of a prize. Hah !

It will take me awhile to get their photos ready for mailing.  That's another blog I can do as tips for those interested in learning the tricks of the trade.

Meanwhile, if you get a chance, visit the blogs of these 500,000 views winners, say, "Hi" and congratulate them.  They're both great people to know. 

I'm glad I met them and honored to have my photography displayed in their homes. 

Wonder if they'd mind me scratchin' my name on the frame with a pencil ?

Wildlife Photo (Bird) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in Flight

The Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) aka Curlew breeds in subarctic climates of Asia, Europe and North America and Mr Wikipedia tells me, even as far down south as Scotland.

Sometimes, I like to double check my bird sources so, we'll have to verify that with one of the EXPERTS over there who seems to have his feet on the ground (most days) and knows what's going on everywhere in Scotland. After he sees this photo, if he says he saw Whimbrels in Scotland, you can believe it's the truth because he has sharp eyes and when he writes something he calls it exactly the way he sees it.

He even knows what the Queen is thinking when she sits next to this Army guy wearing a skirt.  The dude was like a Colonel, or something and get this, he FORGETS TO PUT ON HIS UNDERPANTS!  Is he, Wee Willie Wikileaker?

Now, back to the birds who really fly. These Whimbrels only visit Okinawa in the winter. They hang around in shallow water along the shore and poke their crooked noses in mud, sand and cracks in rocks and eat little shells, crabs and whatever else they can find. It's fairly easy to shoot them when they're on the ground. But, when they decide to fly they are faster than a bat outa Scotland.

So, there's two questions I'd like to ask my contact in Scotland. First, do you have any Whimbrels there?
And, I was wondering if you guys let women be Colonels in that Army outfit; just outta curiosity !