Humpback Whales in Atlantic

In mid-June we traveled to Boston for a family function and then took a side trip to Plymouth, MA for some whale-watching and relaxation. This is the time of year when Humpbacks and their calves are feeding in Stellwagan Bank National Marine Sanctuary near Cape Cod Bay. It took about one hour for the Plymouth boat to reach the feeding area, but once we were there we were not disappointed.

The whales, several with calves, were feeding all around us. Locating a feeding whale was easy---all we had to do was look for the sea gulls hovering above the whales, hoping to snatch small fish that escaped the whale's mouth.

 Humpbacks are "baleen" whales, named for the long plates of baleen which hang in a row (like the teeth of a comb) from their upper jaws.  Baleen plates are strong and flexible; they are made of a protein similar to human fingernails. The whales blow bubbles underwater, forcing the krill and other small fish and plankton toward the surface. The whales then propel themselves to the surface with mouths open, swallowing water and fish and then "straining" the water through the baleen plates, leaving fish to be swallowed. This is much like the method I use to eat chowder.

The photo above is a close-up of the baleen structure of the whale's mouth and probably a good representation of the last thing Jonah saw during his biblical ocean journey.

 Taking photos of the whales was not without its challenges. By the time you see the whale and get to the correct area of the boat, the above photos are often what is captured.

 A calf came so close to our boat, the only photos I could take with my telephoto lens were of the blow hole.

Whales do not expel perfumed vapor from their blow holes. As you can see, this calf's spray was close to me and it smelled pretty bad, kind of like spoiled fish.

I went on three whale-watching trips in Plymouth, but only saw the feeding on the first trip. On the other two trips most of the whale activity was limited to occasional breaching, fin-slapping and diving, usually by the whale calves in the area. But it was a fantastic experience just being around these huge, graceful creatures. I recommend it.

ICE ABSTRACTS---PART 2

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO "LIKED" MY PHOTO ("CEDARBURG MILL REFLECTIONS") ON FACEBOOK DURING THE CEDARBURG ART MUSEUM PHOTO CONTEST. THE PHOTO PLACED SECOND AND ANOTHER ENTRY I SUBMITTED PLACED THIRD, SO I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY.

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TODAY'S BLOG FEATURES A FEW MORE ICE PHOTOS. I HAVEN'T TAKEN MANY PHOTOS THIS WINTER. THE BIRDS ARE DOWN SOUTH, MANY EAGLES STAYED AWAY, AND GENERALLY SPEAKING THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF AVAILABLE PHOTO OPS FOR ME EXCEPT FOR THESE ICE ABSTRACTS.

USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND LOOK FOR IMAGES LIKE FACES IN THE PHOTO. THIS ONE REMINDED ME OF AN OLD WOMAN WITH A HAT.

              A SNAGGLE-TOOTHED WITCH COMES TO MIND WITH THIS ONE.

 DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS WITH THE REST OF THESE.

Egret, Heron, etc.

Update: My last blog about the Sandhill Crane family on Wasaukee Road contained photos of the Sandhill "colt" (correct term for the chick). I followed the colt's progress for many days and noted its quick growth spurt, realizing that it wouldn't be long before the crane family would leave the confines of their colt's birth home for more open fields and better food supplies.

The photos below of the colt stretching his/her wings was the last I would take because the next day the family was gone. And like all kids he/she doesn't write, doesn't call.

After being mired in the throes of depression over the loss of the Sandhills , lo and behold, I saw a Great Egret in the pond located a short distance from where the Sandhills were nesting.

The Great Egret is slightly smaller than the Great Blue Heron and hunts for food in similar fashion, spearing fish and other aquatic critters with amazing speed and accuracy. The Great Egret was almost hunted to extinction for its plumes in the late 19th century but has come back fairly strong, thanks to conservation laws that were enacted. I haven't seen many Egrets in our area so I was very happy that this one stayed for about two weeks before moving on.

                                                                                                         

          

The Great Blue Heron has been plentiful in this area and the photos below were taken in Cedarburg  and Mequon. The "dancing" heron photo below was taken from the bridge overlooking Cedar Creek in Cedarburg.

 

Above photo and following photos were taken at the Essex Place pond in Mequon.

 

 

Note: Information regarding the Great Egret shamelessly taken from Cornell Ornithology website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes are those huge stork-like birds that resemble Great Blue Herons and have a noisy "clack-clack" call that can be heard from afar. The adult Sandhill has a six to seven foot wingspan and although they are very tall they weigh less than 12 lbs. A bright red patch on the crest of their heads makes them stand out.

While searching for Sandhills in flight, I came across a small clearing on Wasaukee Road just north of Donges Bay Road and spotted two Sandhill Cranes and their chick. For the next week or so I kept going back for photos.

 

The chick was probably born in May and by late July or so it will be able to fly. It learns quickly how to dig for grubs and worms by watching the adults and also by getting food directly from them.






                                                                                     

                         

Before long, the chick begins to show evidence of changing from "fluff" to actual wings. It also begins to stretch and exercise.

 

 

When the Sandhill displays its wings it's reminiscent of the wings of angels.

 

 

 

 

                   
                    The Sandhill in flight resembles the Great Blue Heron and is an awesome sight.

At one point, the Sandhill family crossed the road into a more vegetated area and I thought I had seen the last of them, but the next day they were back at their clearing.

Moab, Utah

Moab, Utah, located in the southeastern quadrant of the state, is the perfect place to explore three of the most beautiful parks in the United States---Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park.

We recently spent eight unbelievable days doing just that, staying at the Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab and taking early morning and late afternoon trips to the parks in order to take advantage of the optimum light conditions.

The above photo was taken one early morning at Dead Horse Point State Park. This scenic view is one of the most photographed in the world.

We were hesitant to drive to the park during a light rainfall at sunrise but were rewarded by this spectacular sight.

 

 

The following shots reflect the changing landscape at Dead Horse Point. (Use Google to find out the origin of the name.)

Take a guess how Arches National Park got its name. There are over 2,000 natural arches within the park. Here are a few:

Balanced Rock in Arches Park is fascinating in the daytime and at night.  We were there during a full moon and it only took me about 100 tries before I got this "just okay" shot:

This is what it looks like at sunset: 

Other pics at Arches:

Canyonlands National Park is located near Dead Horse Point and also has wonderful scenic viewpoint as well as hiking trails. Mesa Arch is located there:

 

                                                                     (Above) Another Canyonlands viewpoint.                        

The Priest and the Nun formation (left) is not in any parks---just along one of the many highways near our resort, as is Fisher Tower (below), site of many a western movie location.

Final word:

I took over 1,000 photos during this trip. Unless you leave $10.00 in a duct-taped mayonnaise jar at my doorstep, I will send all of the photos for you to watch.