JUANITA BAY #4

Morning sun back-lights a spent cattail:

We weren't expecting to see the painted turtles this early in the year, 

but there were several:

The weeping willow is dramatic in all its stages.

Here it is, just getting started on "greening up", just before the branches start drooping ever lower:

Barely discernible here is the ring of water indicating

a Bufflehead on its way to catch a fish.

I was going to pitch the photo because my shutter was not fast enough, 

but then I discovered the wonderful colors reflected from cottages and growth at

water's edge:

I love the song of the Red-wing Blackbird.

Even more do I love to see them.

Even more than that I love to be able to capture a photo of one, caught in singing!

A sp

JUANITA BAY #3

These Bufflehead are hard to catch.  

My impression has been that they are black and white, like Holstein ducks.

With the sun highlighting their black feathers, I saw  iridescent purples and greens: 

Last year's abode of a Bullock's Oriole: 

"The wearin' 'o the green!"  Such a brilliant shade, and this moss variety stays the same color all year 'round:

Last year's alder cones and this year's new willow catkin:

JAUNITA BAY #2

The fog was such a bonus!

Eagle rearranges himself while cormorant is barely visible in the distance:

Female Merganser:

Male Merganser:

RETURN TO JUANITA BAY

I was anxious to re-visit Juanita Bay, to show Pat the photo treasure opportunities there.

(see a post on my blog from Feb: "Of Piers and Fowl Play")

Last week we had a the perfect sunshine day, which started with heavy fog.

The drive is quite a distance from home,  so we hurried out early, and luckily we did have fog still hanging about for awhile.

Is there anything more welcoming?

A weeping willow begins the "greening" stage:

Where did the title, "Old Coot" come from?

I can't say anything derogatory about this trio of Coots: 

A glimpse of the Bay from the other end of a set of boardwalks:

Pat and I stopped in our tracks and looked at each other across a trail, reacting,

"Are these colors real?!"

In fact, we were certain that the fuchsia-red bush and the chartreuse shrub's colors

 would not show correctly in a photo.

Well, this is pretty true as we saw them, as if they are hollering, 

"We'll force it to be spring if we have to!" 

Quite the opposite is this same gnarly tree I saw last time:

Two eagles patiently survey their fishing opportunities through the fog:

MAUI - WOWIE # 1

SOME COLORS OF MAUI

We saw multiple rainbows every day:

After sunset:

Sunrise on a Pacific Golden Plover ("Kolea") 

highlights yellow feathers:

Sun reflects off of unique "black sand beach" 

near Pu'u Olai:

In the afterglow of a brilliant sunset, a surf is painted rose:

Red-crested Cardinal:

The unique Silver Sword near Haleakala Volcano:

"Typical" Hawaiian colors are never boring:

MAUI - WOWIE! # 2

Humpback Whales, up close!

When I learned that Dear Husband and Brother-in-law had reserved places on a whale-watch boat, I was, of course, extremely excited.

However, when we got to the pier and I saw that our "boat" was actually nothing more than a rubber raft, I was extremely nervous!

Were we going to end up like this?

I feel sorry for this incident, but it was picturesque to me:

 Not to worry!  Our Captain, Steve, was a master at maneuvering the craft up close:

And of course, the Zodiac allowed us to be right at surface level:

It was thrilling to hear the underwater "bark" noise the humpbacks

made before the familiar "spouting" sound.

We were close enough to hear this repeatedly.

We were taken to the action of no less than 15 different pods.

MAUI - WOWIE! #3

I thought to include here what might possibly be photos of things not

usually included in a picture story of Maui.

Here is an unusual "black sand beach", located at the end of a long dirt

road near Pu'u Olai:

I guess this is a pretty normal view after-all:

Misty hills near Kepaniwai:

Jungle-sized web:

Old church on the Kahakuloa Road:

"The Needle" in 'Iao Valley:

At an historic church on the Kuihelani Road,

many headstones were decorated this way:

I watched this determined egret going for his fast-food breakfast:

His "catch" actually played "possum" and became stiff as a stick.

(enlarge photo to see yummy entree):