"Sati’s (8 years old) face is blacked with carbon dust from recycled batteries. Often she looks so black, that children in her neighborhood call her ghost. She works in battery recycling factory at Korar Ghat on the outskirts of Dhaka. She earns less than Taka 200 ($3.50 approx) per month." (Taken from http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/comments/4_tips_on_using_photos_online on 5.18.10)

Amy’s Ponds and Hundred Acre Wood

I drove Liane to the airport for a 5:55am flight to Florida this morning, and since I was wide awake I decided to hop on a birding adventure with the Genesee Land Trust and Rochester Birding Association for 7:30am.

We spent over three hours observing fields, forests and wetlands. Here is a list of our sightings:

• roughneck swallow
• tree swallow
• cat bird
• eastern king bird
• scarlet tanager
  
• wood-thrush
  
• boat-tail grego
• red breasted grosbeak
• young bald eagle
• king fisher

Some people saw a green heroin, and we heard a downy woodpecker as well.

It's funny though, most of my pictures are not of birds at all! It was just so nice to get outside for a bit.

The birders

Rich colors in the moss and leaves

Unidentified feather

These stumps reminded me of the Albert Paley sculpture at RIT, the Sentinel

Scarlet tanager, far then close up.

Mendon

Our chickadee trip soon turned into a deer watching/squirrel feeding adventure!

As the last few seeds began creeping between my fingers, I couldn't help but wonder "how do I end this snack break?" Surprisingly he was ok with me just backing off, thank God!

Highland Park Lilacs

In full bloom...

I love the few floating purple ones here

The sectional

Timmy really knows how to kick back and relax.

ET Freak Out

It looks like Celia forgot she fell asleep on ET and woke up a bit startled!

Squirrel

Louis watches his new friend each morning.

Saturday

Enjoying a Saturday afternoon.

Grass

Enjoying the wheat grass.

What a beautiful day today was...

It started off with a visit from the (Park Ave) Easter Bunny,
beneath the bird feeder out front.

In the afternoon, we decided to sit outside...

Before this good old couch was picked up
by his next family at sundown.

Then off to Highland Park
to watch gophers, bird baths and bugs.

Feeding Birds at Mendon

Valerie, Shaun and Shane were in town, so we all met up at Mendon Ponds Park to feed the birds this morning. Liane fed chickadees...

and I fed the puffin.

Below is a photo from October, when I first discovered Mendon's chickadees.

concealment and complicity

Yesterday, a friend sent me the link to National Geographic’s Annual International Photography Contest:

www.noupe.com/photography/40-breathtaking-photos-from-national-geographic-contest.html

My response:

Wow! Interesting how the first two photos taken from this collection show and discuss a connection between human and nonhuman animal behavior, while another selection from this very collection contrasts any such connection through “concealment and complicity” and “horror of captivity.”

I can imagine myself in the peacefulness and joy first two photos, but hate to imagine myself as those pictured in the third one. How sad.

By Silvia Martinez Dominguez, Spain
Under a beautiful light, a monkey rests on the stones of the Angkor temples, in Cambodia. The image shows animal behavior and suggests the close connection between humans and our nearest relatives in nature.


By Xen Riggs, United States
A newly born silver-leaf langur gets some early discipline and love from his doting parents. This baby monkey was just about 12 hours old, born at the Columbus, Ohio, Zoo in August of 2009.


By Li Feng, China
Caged monkeys await their fate at a medical laboratory in Hubei Province, China. The judges liked that this image subverts the usual romanticized approach to wildlife photography and more accurately reflects the fate of many of the world’s animals. The sneaker at the top provides scale and injects a human being into the scene; the anonymity of the wearer suggests concealment and complicity. The structure of the cages, the horror of the captivity, the crowded composition, and the claustrophobic tension all add up to a sad and compelling photo.

Root Canal: Home from work

So I suppose having a root canal this morning was worth the time I got to spend at home with these three fine kids...

Timmy

Louis

Celia

Timmy and Louis