Tag: Hummingbirds

Degenerate AI

Timothy Price50 Comments

Sunset no AI

The beta version of Adobe Photoshop has Generative AI, which I tested. For those of you who are familiar with my music videos using images generated by AI image generators based on my lyrics, the AI-compiled images were more degenerate, on the edge of profligate, than engendered. The results are not much better in Photoshop (beta).

This image is the best result by asking PS Beta to add a UFO.

I asked for a horse, a white horse, and a black horse. The black ram was the best of the three choices that PS Beta offered for a white horse.

PS Beta produced the unbearable likenesses of planets — Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars from left to right. It did okay on the Milkyway.

PS Beta produced fairly bearable likenesses of hummingbirds.

Bird Jokes

Timothy Price52 Comments

Between rains

“Did you hear about the Cormorant who was picking at beak boogers with a claw on his foot? He ‘clawboogered’ himself!”

“Bahahahahaha!”

“Wait a minute. That’s not funny!”

“Okay already! Quit looking at me like that. It was just a stupid joke!”

See no fishies. Hear no fishies. Eat no fishies.

Walk With Life

Timothy Price45 Comments

Vultures on their break
Skeptics no concern
Spirits dissolved in daylight
The dead can wait their turn
Nighthawks played in streaming sunlight
Teasing out blue moon
Thunder sounded unseen strikes
Branches broken fell asunder
Fractured limbs will never heal
Distant sirens temptress sighs
Coyotes mournful cries
Hummers feed on orange blossoms
Hairstreaks purple feed on yellow
Rubbing flanges one up one down
Attached to shades of blue
A Predator took the bait

My New Lens Is A Phone

Timothy Price62 Comments
Click on the galleries to see the photos enlarged in slide shows.

I was going to buy a ultra-wide-angle lens for my Fuji XE-1 that I used to use as a carry camera. But the 10-24mm zoom lens is quite large, which makes it not as desirable to carry when I’m also carrying the Bazooka on a 7D Mark II body, and the 70-200mm zoom lens a 5Ds body. I have been using my iPhone XE for all street photography and wide-angle photos, stitching together panoramas for ultra-wide-angle shots. I finally decided that since an iPhone 12 Mini was the same price as a Fuji 10-24mm lens, I might as well upgrade my iPhone to the iPhone 12 Mini. The 12 Mini is the same form factor as the old iPhone 5, which is my favorite style of iPhone case, and the camera has wide-angle and super-wide-angle. The iPhone 12 Pro has telephoto, also, but I have the Bazooka and the iPhone 12 is bigger than I like.

What’s really nice with the iPhone 12 Mini is the “Portrait” setting works for any abject or critter as you can see in the photos of the kitties and the America Rose above. The “Portrait” setting on my iPhone SE only worked on human faces. When I tried using it on the cats, or anything else, it said “No faces recognized” and would not take a photo. I’m really happy with the camera on the iPhone 12 Mini.

Not a cloud in the sky at sunset. The ultra-wide-angle setting is 120º field of view.

Tangle Heart Tree under a clear blue sky in the early morning light. Sandias and Rio Grande in the early morning light (iPhone SE). The moon at sunset shot with the Bazooka 400mm lens.

All photos below were shot with the Bazooka 400mm lens on a Canon 7D Mark II body.

For the birds.

Snowy Egret in the clear water ditch.

Cormorant flyby

Tiny butterfly.
Mama Owl, Sleepy, Mona Lisa and Major Tom Peepers. Mama, Mona Lisa and Major Tom were in a tree between the irrigation ditch and the clear water ditch. Sleepy was still in the tree with the nest. I think he will probably fly over to the tree with the other owls tonight.

The Sacrifice

Timothy Price59 Comments

I buried a raccoon pup at dawn
Found him by the steps
Heartless and emptied
Secretly sacrificed
Under half-moon? Rose at two
Such a mystery

With last rites fitting any innocent soul
Tucked in under spadefuls of sandy soil
Laid to rest, secured for eternity
A spark of life lit
Snuffed, sacrificed
So much misery

The poem above was inspired by a poor baby raccoon, gutted and left near our doorstep. I don’t know what killed it, but it seemed very sacrificial. I’m packing several day’s worths of photos into this post because of the possibility that other things will come up, and many of the photos not get posted.

Click on the galleries below to see a slideshow of the photos in their correct aspect ratios.

Grosbeaks, Hummer, and Towhee the Line

I am Wood Duck hear me roar!

Got Your Goose and Goslings with Cormorant

Cooper’s Hawks’ Hanky Panky

Fuzzette, Major Tom Peppers out of the nest with Mona Lisa and Sleeping still in the nest, Mama Owl, Daddy Owl, Daddy Owl, Mama Owl, Daddy Owl

Fuzzette

Timothy Price47 Comments

Under crystal clear, blue skies I made a very interesting discovery.

Fuzzette, Fuzzy, and Nora Owl

Fuzzy has a big sister, Fuzzette, who Nora Owl finally allowed to come out into the world so we can admire her beauty and cuteness.

Ducks in a row.

Fuzzette

Sucker

Fuzzy

Fish

Osric Owl napping in his outpost about 200 feet from Fuzzette, Fuzzy, and Nora Owl.

Bucky Bullfrog

Fuzzette

Marina’s Incognito Pear Tree looking rather pear-shaped.

Nora Owl napping with her ear tufts blowing in the wind.

And you thought Unicorns were equestrians!

Fuzzette is rather intense.

Tulip tortured by the heat and sun.

Fuzzy wide-eyed and presumably bushy tailed.

Lady Banks

Fuzzette has expressive eyes.

Tulip with a slight blush of pink.

Osric Owl doing ear tuft semaphore.

A sunny bunny.

¡Adios muchachos, muchachas!