Wildlife Photo: Ebony and Ivory Pacific Reef Egrets

These Pacific Reef Egrets flying in perfect harmony reminded me of that tune by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.  Ebony and Ivory was a big hit in 1982 but, you'd be surprised at all the knuckleheads that just don't get it.  Have a look at what WIKIPEDIA REPORTS ABOUT SOME OF THE KNUCKLEHEADS HERE. 

Visit my Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

Do They Really Have Little Peckers in Japan ? (Photos)

This little pecker was up in the mountains of Okinawa, Japan just banging away on a tree.

My hearing is about the same as that of a rock so, I'd have never known it was there.  But, I saw Ryukyu Rusty with his tripod set up concentrating on something in the trees and clicking away with his Pentax.

Once he got me pointed in the right direction I saw the little bird and started firing away, too.

They certainly do have little peckers in Japan.  This is a Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker.  They go by the scientific name of Dendrocopos kizuki and some folks just call them Pygmy Woodpeckers.

These characters eat bugs and hang out on hillsides or in forests and may also be found in China, Korea and Russia.  They really are little guys, about as small as a sparrow, and they peck away at wood loud enough for people with good ears to hear them before they see them.  That's why they got the name woodpeckers instead of little peckers, I guess.

Everybody should walk around and see if there's any little peckers in their neck of the woods because you never know, they could get a mention in the HUFFINGTON POST just like our Woodpeckers, someday.

Not many people run around, bragging about their little peckers but, I'm right proud of mine !

Sunday's Silly Sign (Photo) Jun 12, 2011

The government couldn't possibly cover all the areas that need silly signs.

So, there are places where responsible citizens lend a hand.

We don't go around acting like vigilantes er nuthin like that.

Just give the foreigners gentle reminders like this:

"NO DUMRING

VIOLATORS PUNISHABL

UNDER JAPANESE LAW"

This Sunday's Silly Sign photo was captured this morning just two blocks from my house.

Right nice neighborhood and real friendly folks.

Ya'll got any good neighbors warning foreigners to stay outa trouble where you live?

If you'd get some folks to pitch-in and post silly signs around your town,

just think of the tax dollars you'd save.  And, before long people would start acting right !

VISIT MY HOMEPAGE FOR THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

Wildlife Photos: One Good Tern Deserves Another

Saturday three of us camera shooters got on a boat to do some landscape and seascape photography on the small island Minna Jima in Okinawa, Japan

           The scenery we were hoping for just didn't happen so we decided to shoot birds instead.

                     These characters are some fast-flying critters called terns.

                   When they're flying in grey skies it's hard to catch them at any distance.

            But, one tern flew directly overhead in blue skies and was yapping about something.

                             Another one showed up and flew right in front of my lens, too.

                      This guy stared right down the barrel of my lens but, disappeared quickly.

After spending all day Sunday developing photos of Minna Jima and the terns, tonight I decided to get the scientific name of these birds for you.

But, it seems like these guys don't fit the descriptions of any of the half dozen bird channels I've visited, so far, today.  I've just about exhausted all my resources on this one.

It may take a few days for me to send off some photos to the bird ID people.

Maybe one of my readers knows which breed of terns these might be and will holler back at me.   There's a chance that Doc or Ryukyu Rusty got some better photos and did the research.

That would really be nice.  One of them could get the scientific name and give it to me.

After all one good tern (turn) deserves another.  Dontcha think ?

UPDATE: WE HAVE AN ID ON THIS BIRD

It is a Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana)

Flower Photo: The Hawaiian Lily (Solandra maxima)

Here's an unusual one for you flower lovers.  I'm calling it a Hawaiian Lily but, the Solandra maxima is also known as a Cup of Gold Flower or a Golden Chalice.  You can call it whatever you like.

Whenever I get a chance, I like to shoot a sample of what these critters look like when they're just little babies, too.  I do that just in case some start growing around your house and you don't accidentally whack them with your lawn mower or weed eater.  Give the little fellers a chance.

This critter was growing up in Motobu Okinawa, Japan just outside the ticket booth at the International Orchid Show I went to in February 2011.  Lucky, for me, they had a sign hiding in the bushes below the plant.  I'm not trying to win a photo contest with this shot.  I just know, when you can find a plant that you've never seen before, the Latin (Scientific) name makes it lots easier to identify the critter as you research, later on.

Ryukyu Rusty's girlfriend helped by pulling some of the undergrowth out of the way.  See her pretty little finger over there?  She's not too thrilled about me calling her the Girl with Muscular Arms, any more so, I promised I'd try and cut back on doing that.  Shucks....

Just this morning, I discovered these plants can be started from cuttings.  so, I'm thinking I might just take a ride back up to Motobu and see if they happen to have any Hawaiian Lily cuttings lying around. 

You know what I mean, like, someplace where nobody's looking.

REFRENCES:

http://www.tropical-plants-flowers-and-decor.com/solandra-maxima.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solandra_maxima