Blue Lion Birds: The Exhibit (Part 3)

This is Part 3 of my series of bird images related to the exhibit mentioned below. Click HERE to see the images from Part 1 or HERE to see images from Part2. 

In conjunction with a local reading group called ALLen Reads, an exhibit of my bird images will be on display at the Allen Public Library for the entire month of February. In addition to the exhibit, I am honored to be a part of a panel discussion on February 7 at 7:30 pm with two wonderful local conservationists from the Connemara Conservancy and the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. If you are in the Dallas area and wish to attend, the discussion titled, “It’s for the Birds”, – Here’s the press release for more information.  My photographs will be featured in the gallery case in the lobby as you enter the library. 

All prints at the exhibit as well as sets of exhibit greeting cards (10 per set) will be available for purchase at the Allen library’s circulation desk or by contacting me by email. (john @bluelionphotos(dot)com) You can also purchase prints by clicking on the image in these posts and then clicking the “buy” button in the upper right hand portion of your screen.

Since many of you do not live close enough to visit – I am taking this opportunity to share images from the exhibit here on the Blue Lion Blog. If you DO live close by, I hope you stop by the exhibit to take a look and support the both the Allen Library and ALLen Reads! 

(If you’d like a larger view of any image, just click it to enlarge it to better suit your screen size. )

Ever Watchful 

Resplendent Roller

HOWDY!



Stay tuned for the next installment in a couple days! 

Blue Lion Birds: The Exhibit (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of my series of bird images related to the exhibit mentioned below. Click HERE to see the images from Part 1. 

In conjunction with a local reading group called ALLen Reads, an exhibit of my bird images will be on display at the Allen Public Library for the entire month of February. In addition to the exhibit, I am honored to be a part of a panel discussion on February 7 at 7:30 pm with two wonderful local conservationists from the Connemara Conservancy and the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. If you are in the Dallas area and wish to attend, the discussion titled, “It’s for the Birds”, – Here’s the press release for more information.  My photographs will be featured in the gallery case in the lobby as you enter the library. 

All prints at the exhibit as well as sets of exhibit greeting cards (10 per set) will be available for purchase at the Allen library’s circulation desk or by contacting me by email. (john @bluelionphotos(dot)com) You can also purchase prints by clicking on the image in these posts and then clicking the “buy” button in the upper right hand portion of your screen.

Since many of you do not live close enough to visit – I am taking this opportunity to share images from the exhibit here on the Blue Lion Blog. If you DO live close by, I hope you stop by the exhibit to take a look and support the both the Allen Library and ALLen Reads! 

(If you’d like a larger view of any image, just click it to enlarge it to better suit your screen size. )

Touchdown! 

Golden Eagle Stare Down

Spectacled Owl


Stay tuned for the next installment in a couple days! 

Blue Lion Birds: The Exhibit (Part 1)

In conjunction with a local reading group called ALLen Reads, an exhibit of my bird images will be on display at the Allen Public Library for the entire month of February. In addition to the exhibit, I am honored to be a part of a panel discussion on February 7 at 7:30 pm with two wonderful local conservationists from the Connemara Conservancy and the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. If you are in the Dallas area and wish to attend, the discussion titled, “It’s for the Birds”, – Here’s the press release for more information.  My photographs will be featured in the gallery case in the lobby as you enter the library. 

All prints at the exhibit as well as sets of exhibit greeting cards (10 per set) will be available for purchase at the Allen library’s circulation desk or by contacting me by email. (john @bluelionphotos(dot)com) You can also purchase prints by clicking on the image in these posts and then clicking the “buy” button in the upper right hand portion of your screen.

Since many of you do not live close enough to visit – I am taking this opportunity to share images from the exhibit here on the Blue Lion Blog. If you DO live close by, I hope you stop by the exhibit to take a look and support the both the Allen Library and ALLen Reads! 

(If you’d like a larger view of any image, just click it to enlarge it to better suit your screen size. )

Steely Eyed Glare

Drying Darter

Night Watchman


Stay tuned for the next installment in a couple days! 
PART 2 is now posted! 
PART 3 is now Posted!

BPRC - Red Tailed Hawks

Last weekend I had the great pleasure to visit the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center on the shores of Lake Lavon just east of Plano, Texas. I had the privilege of meeting 11 birds of prey which I will  share here on the Blue Lion Blog over time. Each of the BPRC's educations birds are unable to survive in the wild due to either physical or behavioral issues that would prevent their adaptation to a wild state.The first installment features the Red Tailed Hawk. These are the largest hawks we have in North Texas and are a common sight in our skies. Because of their wide distribution in North America, you (assuming you're in North America!) you are probably familiar with them.  To learn more about these great birds, I strongly recommend Cornell University's Ornithology Lab as a fundamental resource regarding birds.

I hope you enjoyed these great raptors.... also feel free to visit Camera Critters for a wealth of other animals!

Thoughts on an Eagle's Eye.....

After having a great morning at the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center (BPRC) here in North Texas, I thought I'd share an image that I talked about with fellow photographers at the BPRC today.

In particular, we were discussing the fact that owls have small feathers on their eyelids and the discussion got around to the additional fact that many birds also posses a nictitating membrane which serves as a "middle" eyelid that allows the bird to blink without having to move the larger outer eyelid. The nictitating membrane allows most birds to blink but lets them to retain their vision as the membrane is usually semi-transparent. This membrane also moves differently from the usual eyelid as it closes horizontally over the eye rather than vertically. Occasionally when photographing birds, you may capture this nictitating membrane in mid blink and it creates a most interesting view as you see here. In this image I think the eagle looks like it could be a character out of the X - Men comics and movies.

Tawny eagle with nictitating membrane in place.

Here's an image of the same Tawny Eagle moments later....

By the way, you do not posses a nictitating membrane, but the corner of your eye next to your nose does have the remnants of an vestigial nictitating membrane called the plica semilunaris. To see other interesting animal postings, visit Camera Critters!