On the way down to St Marks, I happened to see a bunch of birds flying overhead and several of them were Bald Eagles. We quickly backtracked and found a good place to park while we attempted to take some photos. We got a few pictures of the Eagles, but even with “stalker cam” zoomed out, I was not able to get any real close up shots. I could get zoomed in close, but they were flying around and I couldn’t quite get them. This is about the best I could get. They were just flying too fast to catch them if I zoomed any closer.
After we got to St Marks we went into the Gift shop and bought a few gifts for a favorite aunt.
We spent some time at the refuge and took some photos.
This is a shot of the marsh area. There are a lot of birds out here, and a few gators as well.
This is a huge flock of birds. I think they are some variation of a Morehen
The next is a beautiful Egret.
A scruffy looking Great Blue Heron
A bunch of Pelicans resting.
A few fishermen enjoying the lovely day.
The birthday boy.
We left after a short visit because Al wanted to go to Best Buy to check out a few e-Readers. He liked the “Nook”. It has the correct format (ePub and PDF) to be able to download eBooks directly from the library. The Kindle doesn’t, so that’s out. We much prefer free books from the library to paying $10-$15 for a book. What he liked was that it had a wifi connection. He thought when he was in Tampa for business, he could catch up on his sports stories. It did allow you internet access and emails with the wifi connection. The salesman said the other Nook (more money) had a 3G wifi connection. I’m not exactly understanding for this purpose of the difference between wifi and 3G. Yes, I know I have 3G on my Droid and it’s supposed to be faster. But when you’re just trying to catch a free wifi signal how does your eBook know it can only catch the regular wifi? Rick, I know you can weigh in on that. Is it worth the extra $50 for 3G? How do you connect to 3G verses the regular wifi unless you’re paying for the service through your internet provider?
After we left Best Buy, we headed over to Sams. My brand new camera was $20 less than it was a few weeks ago when I bought it! If anyone wants the Canon IS 30, it’s selling for $349.
We sampled the free food they gave away and bought some good looking steaks and a nice pork loin roast. We may skip the turkey for Thanksgiving this year since we’ve had it 3 times lately.
Next stop was Outback, for Al’s birthday dinner. He got the steak and lobster and I ordered their Wala-hala chicken and pasta dinner. It was delicious and Al really enjoyed his steak and lobster!
I found the missing piece to my tripod, but still haven’t set it up to get a full moon picture. These were taken by just trying to hold the camera steady. The closer you zoom, the harder it is.
I thought this one was interesting.
Love the pictures! The moon shot with the tree branches is fabulous. I've been meaning to try some moon shots with my canon too, so maybe I can get some tonight since it's a full moon. Happy birthday to "The Birthday Boy"!
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the extreme zoom. It helps to take a deep breath then gently exhale when you take the pic. When the birds are in motion, you can forget the "stalker" zoom.
ReplyDeleteSyl
On your 'Nook' question, the wifi model will only allow you to connect anywhere you can get a free 'wifi' hotspot. The 3G version connects to the AT&T cellular network and allows you to connect anywhere you can get an AT&T cellular signal. As for how it connects, I imagine it works the same as other wifi devices by showing a 'list of available networks' and allowing you to choose the 'best' one available(most bars). I don't believe there is any charge for this 3G service either. I guess it just depends on how badly you might want to download any given book at any time.
ReplyDeletelove the moon with the trees. It could be a nice card.
ReplyDeleteoh gee, your photos of St Mark's look really fabulous right now with sub zero temperatures heading my way! Beautiful. I do so love the water birds, one of the reasons I love where I live in the Klamath Basin and why I love Florida as well.
ReplyDeleteHowdee..
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by my blog..We loe St Marks NWR a wonderful place to bird. Your husband must be just a bit younger than mine..Jeff picked up his pass this summer for 10 dollars. He was so excited.
I havent read all your blog..I noticed you are selling your home.and you have family in florida...are you moving there?
Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog. It is great to hear from 'lurking' readers. I have been wondering who was reading my little two-cents!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures really are lovely, I am glad I stopped by, and will again, often.
I didn't know about the Nook, and being half Scots, I would rather get them free at a library, too. "A penny saved is a penny earned."
Some people have had an auction or estate sale company come in and sell everything.
Hoping you can head south soon.
Happy Trails, Penny, TX