Pink Hardy Hibiscus

Several years ago I bought 2 hardy hibiscus at the same time. One white and one a VERY dark red. Thought they would look great next to each other. Apparently in the hibiscus family the white is the dominant color. The red soon turned white. They are now planted 150 ft from each other and the red has now turned back to the above color. Maybe when I bought it they had put food coloring in the water, or maybe it just can't get back to it's original color. At least it has turned back to pink, and I do like the color. I like the fact that daylilies and iris don't bleed over like that, they can be planted right next to each other. I didn't know about the hibiscus, but we live and learn.

Sunrise Watts Bar Lake - Sky Watch - October 3

Since we post Sky Watch Friday is on Thursday in my location I decided to add another post, just one link from Sky Watch though, because that is the rule. This sunrise photograph was taken at Watts Bar Lake from the Spring City, Tennessee side of the lake. Be sure to look at my post before this one, it is the moon during the morning close to this same location. Thank you for visiting, and I appreciate any and all comments. Please visit Sky Watch for great photographs from all over the world.

Moon over East Tennessee - Sky Watch Oct 3

The first moon photograph was taken at 9:40AM, September 19, on a gravel back road in Rhea County, Tennessee. I just came around the bend in the road, and there it was, just asking to be photographed.

As the 2nd time, the moon also just jumped out at me. This one was 6 days later, in the city park in Spring City, Tennessee, also in Rhea County. This one was at 7:42AM, September 25th.

Please visit Sky Watch to see great sky photographs from all over the world.

More of the baby Eastern Bluebird

When we returned from Panther Creek State Park the little bluebird had moved from one side of the driveway to the other. It was hot and he really wanted in the shade.

His parents or older siblings started chirping at him when we got out of the car. He went back across the driveway, and we never saw him again.

I hope they fed him even though he was not in the house, because he sure looks too young to be on his own.

He is definitely having a bad hair day, and he looks upset about it in this last photograph.

Baby Bluebird out of nest

These photographs of a very young Eastern Bluebird were taken in my yard on September 7. We were leaving to go to Panther Creek State Park in Morristown.

As you can tell from these photographs this bird is too young to be out of the birdhouse. But what can you do when you don't know which box he belongs in?

I was not even aware we had yet another new brood of bluebirds. Without this one we think we had at least 5 in a row, and they may not be counting all the different birdhouses. No wonder my swing was not safe this summer.

As I photographed this bird he started chasing me. I thought he had decided I was 'Mama', but he just wanted in the shade I was creating. He went back into the shade of the Crepe Mrytle when I passed it.

Turkeys at Panther Creek State Park

These turkey photographs were taken at Panther Creek State Park in Morristown, Tennessee.

The Muscovy Ducks

Notice some yellow feet and some black. My Peterson Field Guide shows both. Yellow is the domestic variation, the black the ancestral variation. This is part of how I decided. So if I am wrong, please correct me on these ducks. And the 2nd and 3rd photographs could possibly be a different type. Please comment with any corrections.

Muscovy Ducks

These photographs were taken at the Hot Air Balloon Festival last Saturday. Not sure if I am correct about the type of duck, it was the best I could do with my reference books. Love his hair on top of his head.

Later in the evening I looked out at the 'lake', and they were all in a row, except the one that got left.

Birds in work parking lot

I don't know what these birds are. They seem to be common in city parking lots, but I do not think I have ever seen them at one of my feeders. My work parking lot does not really have food in it, so it is just the city dwelling. There were about 10 to 15 in the lot.

This Mockingbird was taken the same evening. He is sitting on top of a truck, when he flew he almost flew inside a car with it's window all the way down.

Zinnia Collage

Playing with options in my new computer. Please don't be too critical of my first attempt at this.

Hovering bee

This is also from Veterans Park in Spring City, Tennessee. When the woodpecker was gone I heard this noise, and this bee was hovering in front of me. I was having trouble getting the auto focus to pick him up. Believe or not, I had to change to manual focus, focused on him, and snapped. He hovered that long.My number 1 critic (husband) said I should have taken the picture from the front of the bee. Even if I could have gotten on the other side of the bee, I didn't think that fast.

Downy Woodpecker at Veterans Park

I heard a loud woodpecker off in the distance, was trying to locate it when I saw this one above me. He was almost making no noise at all as he went to work. Even as I photographed him I could barely hear him. I just snapped away while he worked at getting those bugs.

The one above is just a little blurred around his head, he was moving fast, as woodpeckers do, and I had my camera set on 1/160 of a second. A little slow for birding, but it did ok. I did change the setting and continued to photograph him.

And then he was gone!