Lens Artists Photo Challenge #409 – Best Ever Images

We are happy to welcome Steve Hyde as our guest host for this week’s challenge. In honor of World Photography Week he is challenging us to share five pictures that show our love of photography – Our Best Ever Images.

Choosing five images from thousands of photos was not an easy task. I finally narrowed it down to the following images.

This is one of my favorite bird images of all time. There is a tree in our neighborhood next to a small pond where I often see birds hanging out. Several years ago I captured this Wood Stork and Egret perched on one of the limbs of the tree.

I have many Butterfly images that I have posted in the past. I dug through my archives and found this image of a Monarch Butterfly on a pink flower with a Black-Eyed Susans in the background.

Monarch Butterfly with Black Eyed Susans in the background

Up until a couple of years ago we always had a boat. We spent many happy hours with our children and grandchildren riding through the salt marsh in the saltwater rivers and creeks exploring the uninhabited islands and sandbars. One of of favorite places to go was through the narrow, winding creeks that the locals call the Mosquito Ditch.

The Mosquito Ditch

I love to take wildlife photos. This pod of Orcas in Alaska is one of my favorites because we almost didn’t see any Oracas on our trip. We had taken two other wildlife cruises in other parts of Alaska and saw many different kinds of wildlife but we still hadn’t seen any Orcas. Our last opportunity to take another wildlife cruise was in Valdez. The scenery and wildlife was spectacular. All of a sudden this pod of Orcas surfaced right beside the boat. I was ready with my camera and was able to capture a few photos before they went on their way. This is one of my all time favorites because it almost didn’t happen.

Pod of Orcas in Alaska

My final image is my favorite landscape. I chose it because it brings back happy memories of our trip to St. Lucia to celebrate our 30th anniversary many years ago. Seeing this view each day from our villa was magical.

Pitons, St. Lucia

I enjoyed seeing all of your wonderful Over the Top responses to Egidio’s challenge last week. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge.

Many thanks to guest hose Steve Hyde for this week’s fun challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to his post Lens-Artists #408: Best Ever Images.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, August 22 at noon eastern time when Ritva will be hosting the challenge.

You can keep up with all of our challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.

For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.

Sunday Stills – Feathers

Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge of Feathers inspired me to get out and take a few bird photos early yesterday morning. The featured image was taken in January on Jeklyll Island, Georgia. The rest were taken yesterday.

Great Egret in Coastal Georgia

Wood Stork in Coastal Georgia

Can anyone identify this little bird I spied on a high tree branch?

Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge Fine Feathered Friends

More than one Bird Species in a Photo

Our Bird Weekly challenge this week is to show more than one bird species in a photo. The photos at the top of the page and this next photo were taken in the spring near Goose Island State Park in Texas. The Whooping Cranes and Sand Hill Cranes were in a farmer’s field every morning along with ducks and other bird species.

Whooping Crane, Egret, Ducks

We wandered around Everglades National Park several times and enjoyed seeing the many bird species there.

Tri Colored Heron and Roseatte Spoonbill at Mrazek Pond 2012.
Spoonbill and Egret at Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012
At Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012

Closer to home, I often see Wood Storks sharing the same space with Egrets, Herons or Ibises. This image is one of my favorites of a Wood Stork with an Egret perched on the same tree branch.

Wood Stork and Egret

Thanks to Lisa for her Bird Weekly Challenge: More than one Bird Species in a photo

Bird Weekly Challenge #35: Birds I love

I’m not a birder and don’t have a life list but I love all birds and I love to watch them doing what birds do. It’s always interesting to see a bird or a pair of birds on their nest or building their nest. It’s even more fun if there are chicks!

Eagle on nest, Haines, Alaska
Pair of Ospreys on the nest at Gulf Islands National Seashore at Ft. Pickens
Pair of Wood storks building nest at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Great Egret with chicks at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Thank you Lisa. for this Bird Weekly Challenge: Birds I Love