• Home
  • galleries
  • create a virtual gallery
  • most recently uploaded photo's
  • most popular
  • my favorties
  • about me

all creatures great and small

birds and bees,flowers and trees, dogs and cats and things like that...
Read More
DSC_4604 a snails pace
1181 / 4017

DSC_4604 a snails pace

Staten Islandmy front yardsnailssummerNYCnatureflowerscone flowers

  • DSC_4604 a snails pace
  • After "running" around in circles for 10 minutes or so our intrepid little snail decided to give up looking for a way down and decided to chill out for a while instead.
  • DSC_1061 honey bee
  • DSC_1066 honey bee
  • DSC_1207 honey bee
  • DSC_1222 hover fly
  • DSC_1653 scenes from the botanical gardens
  • Cormorants are fish eaters, and from what I've observed at Clove lakes voracious ones at that. Which makes this guy so unusual. I've seen him here in this pond in the Japanese gardens many many many times and never once have I seen him try and eat any of the abundant fishes inhabiting the this obvious favorite haunt of his. Loved to know why.
  • What's that brown object trailing behind the cormorant? As I recall it was a turtle, and it swam below the surface following him as he circled the pond above it, why I do not know. Neither do I know what it was that caused that big splash of water to his right with that colorful pop of red in the middle. But I'll guess by saying something below the water just became a meal for someone.
  • DSC_1385 cormorant
  • DSC_1401 cormorant
  • DSC_1432 Japanese Gardens
  • DSC_1427 cormorant
  • Most "snappers" and turtles in general here at Clove Lakes quickly scurry under water when they spot a person coming to check them out.<br />
<br />
 But what interested me with this fellow was that the man I saw walking  up to the waters edge to capture his picture with his cellphone was able to do so for several shots, when he only should have gotten one of the back of his shell disappearing into the muddy bottom below. Turns out he found one turtle that likes getting his picture taken.
  • Today I decided to take a trip to the Staten island zoo to try out my 2 new lenses. Relatively close to my house, it made for an easily accessed place to go that also wouldn’t be too crowded this time of year on a non weekend.<br />
<br />
The place I wanted to go most was still under renovation, and my trip there today was brief. Exiting out the front gate I walked onto Martling ave. and headed to Clove lakes.<br />
<br />
Whenever I come from this direction I almost always stop at the overlook at the end of Martling lake, where I’ve photographed so many people fishing over the years.<br />
<br />
Stopping at the edge I set down my camera bag and enjoying the utter beauty of the day I leaned against the ledge and looked out over the lake.<br />
<br />
A moment later I looked straight down to see what the turtles which amass here in droves when people start tossing in food, were doing. As I did I spotted swallows flying back and forth, in and out of the four openings in the wall below, chatting and chirping with each other as they often do.<br />
<br />
Training my camera on one sitting on the portal directly below me. He looked up at me just as I focused in on him and just then one of his buddies  stopped by to chat.
  • DSC_2119 swallows
  • DSC_2088 redtailed ratsnake
  • DSC_2142 deer
  • DSC_2156 doe
  • DSC_2163 doe
  • No Comments
  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2023 SmugMug, Inc.