Thanks for the responses. I especially liked the pattern in the feathers. The cormorants is more typically a rather dull looking creature.

Posted this one a few days ago, but didn't get any comments or crituque.

Double-crested Cormorant

(Download)

Good work. I am attaching my portrait of the double-crested cormorant. I especially like the pattern of the feathers -- eye not so great.

Double-crested Cormorant

Florida Scrub Jay (endangered)

Florida Scrub Jay

The "hatred" of liberals on this site is really quite remarkable. I, for one, think free speech trumps political correctness, but Lone Ranger's comment was clearly a gratuitous insult, off-topic and almost certainly r****t. I think I'm done with this site. I am a liberal, but one who would willingly agree to disagree with conservatives as long as the discourse is not reduced to "Obummer" and "Obama and his ugly wife."

This is a beach scene I've been trying to capture for a long time. I don't know if I've succeeded. Minimal pp, just cropped out a buoy on the right edge of the frame. Does the boat add or detract from the composition I wanted to achieve? I'm of two minds about that. Let me know what you think. Haven't posted for a while.

Gulf Beach Scene 2

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I am adding one of my photos of the female Anhinga.

Female Anhinga

(Download)

I'm sure this topic has been explored before, but I would like to suggest cemetery markers. I visited our Lemon Bay Cemetery some time ago and took a few shots. The cemetery has been built up about 8-10 above the surrounding area since nowhere here (Englewood, FL) is more than a few feet above sea level. The first photo is a very early, primitively carved marker. It is hard to imagine what life must have been like here before any infrastructure or amenities, but this early settler managed to live to a ripe old age. The second photo is a bronze plaque attached to an above-ground crypt made of brick. The inscriptions read: Landinspektor Edv. Jensen 3-22, 1865 - 6-15-1919 and Knud H. Jensen 10-28-1905 - 3-30-1927. Early Danish immigrants? I can't tell if the plaque suggests the rising sun or something else.

Early Marker


Memorial Plaque

I had a similar opportunity. The Great Blue was perched atop the oldest house in town (Englewood, FL) at dusk.

GBH on Roof

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Great detail in the spider and web. My similar photo is not as sharp, but the stabilimentum (that's what the zig-zag web is called) is more elaborate. I call the photo "web designer."

Web designer

when somebody's doing it

Yes, you never know who is watching.

Somebody's watching

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Bachelors know more about women than married men; if they didn't, they'd be married too.

H.L. Mencken

I am a big fan. He is someone who knew how to use the English language. Can't say the same about most of the posters here.

I'm thinking that anyone who calls himself a patriot is someone who can't see things objectively, including his country. Take the health care debate, for example. Most "patriotic" Americans are convinced that we have the best health care in the world. No objectivity or researching the issue here. We do have the most expensive health care in the world, but in terms of outcomes we're not even near the top. Our health care system stresses treatment of diseases, not prevention. Look at the god-awful number of PRESCRIPTION drug commercials on television every day and night. War on drugs indeed. No, patriotism blocks objectivity on this and every other issue. And now we've even doubled down on our "patriotic" arrogance by introducing the term "American exceptionalism." By the way world, we're exceptional. Get used to it.

I agree with the poster -- overpopulation is a "root cause" of a big problem. The earth is no different than an Otis elevator in that each has a load limit. I don't claim to know what the earth's load limit is, but I'm pretty sure we have exceeded it.