Our Backyard Birds

We've got a wonderful flock of birds in our yard who provide endless hours of entertainment for us.  We watch them every day and get to know them as individuals.  We post regularly to our bird book and have counted 30 different types so far.  They're always in the good company of several chipmunks and many squirrels as well.  Here are a few recent images, all shot with my Nikon D300S and my 70-200mm VR II lens .. Click on any photo to enlarge.

 This Grackle took a refreshing bath and sat there for the longest time, cooling his tail in the water.

 Ah, that awkward teenage transition from juvenile to adult as they get their full feathers in.

 One of our bird feeders, this one outside the kitchen window.  The three little guys on the window sill are in what we call "the waiting room."  The Sparrows figured out that only 2-3 birds can be on the feeder at the same time.  They are patient, but territorial.

 A drowsy baby Sparrow in the sunshine on our backyard bench.

 Abstract Sparrow on umbrella.

 Male Goldfinch in flight.

 Nuthatch looking for something good in there.

Very young Chickadee still going through transitions with his feathers.  Adorable!

For more photos, please visit my soon-to-be re-vamped website ..Click here.

Ramapo Rally - BTCNJ - Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey 2012

Every year for the past five years, Eric and I have worked a rest stop for the riders who participate in our Club's annual Ramapo Rally, held each August in the hills of Northern New Jersey.  This year, we chose the Denville Rest Stop which takes care of hungry and thirsty riders doing either 100 or 125 miles.  We had perfect weather and a great team.  Here are some of the photos from the day.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

Our theme again this year was "Tropical Paradise" .. The riders enjoyed our hula girl and the upbeat Summer music as they took a breather before going back on the road.

The gorgeous weather brought out 1,100 pre-registered riders for the Rally and we estimate another 300 or so showed up that morning to ride. 

 This guy just couldn't resist a little dance to loosen up his legs.

 Felipe, our on-site bike mechanic from Bicycle II Shop on Route 17, helped riders with flats and other mechanical issues.

We spent the day making PB&J sandwiches and making sure that the fruit was freshly cut and the water and Gatorade jugs were full and cold.

 One of the many pelotons which rolled into the site for a brief rest and some refreshments.

To learn more about our club, please visit http://www.btcnj.com/
For more photos of events of all kinds, please visit my soon-to-be re-vamped website ..Click here.

Natonal Night Out in Teaneck

Tuesday marked National Night Out Against Crime .. National Night Out promotes neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships for safer neighborhoods.I photographed the well-attended event for Teaneck Patch.  Here are some of the images.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).

Two young girls showing off their Teaneck Police Department wrist bands and tattoos.

These little guys were given firemen hats from a fireman who gladly answered all their questions.

It was a relaxing night out for the Police Force, too.

High school friends having a laugh together on the inflatable slide.

Motorcycle police chatting with a young resident.

Votee Park was full of laughter and activity all evening.

A highlight of National Night Out was the arrival of an Army Jet Ranger helicopter on the field adjacent to the festivities.

See all the photos, click here for Teaneck Patch.com.

Shuttle Pavilion Opening Ceremony and SpaceFest aboard Intrepid

Yesterday marked the official welcome of the Space Shuttle Enterprise and the opening of its new temporary home in the dome aboard the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum's flight deck.  Gathered to welcome her were 3 of the 4 original Enterprise astronauts as well as representatives of the week-long SpaceFest, from Samsung and Time Warner Cable.  Here are some of the images of the day:

A very proud and happy Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of Intrepid, officially announcing the opening of the Space Shuttle Pavilion.

Panorama of the stage and audience.  Center right is the Aircraft Restoration tent.  Shuttle Pavilion is whiter dome next to it, on the aft flight deck.

Surprise guest of one of the astronauts, Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

Joyful ribbon cutting ceremony followed by the opening to the media, and then the public.

Day one, hour one, of the new Space Shuttle Pavilion.

My husband, Eric Boehm, Curator of Aviation and Aircraft Restoration, with Astronaut Mike Massimino, a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, both of which serviced the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), including the historic final repair mission.  Mike also appeared (as himself) on two episodes of Eric's favorite TV show, The Big Bang Theory.

Astronauts Mario Runco, Jr. and Jeffrey A. Hoffman conducted a Q&A session in the Lutnick Theater aboard Intrepid.

SpaceFest booths were set up on the Pier and in the Exploreum, where parents and students alike were introduced to science experiments and space information, much of it offered by NASA employees.

Young science students learning about space at one of NASA's many booths on the Pier.

Members of the Mount Olive Robotics team using one of their many robots to remotely pick up and transport inflated objects, to the delight of the crowd on the Pier.

Science teacher amazing these young boys with his demonstration of how to create a tornado inside a pair of soda bottles.

Two young girls wearing colorful sneakers walked by just as I was about to photograph this graphic on the pier.  Nice touch!

One of the many NASA booths which were well attended by eager-to-learn visitors to Intrepid.

The Pier was lined with SpaceFest booths.  The Concorde can be seen at the end of the Pier.

This family had fun with the astronaut photo-op display.

Young girl asking questions of a representative from the James Webb Space Telescope Company.

Presentation inside "The Future of Human Space Exploration" geodesic dome.

 For more Intrepid events, please see my website .. http://www.proofpositivephoto.com/ .. Under "Gallery" and then "Events at Intrepid".  Thanks!

Chipmunk with Cherry

We've got at least a couple of chipmunk families living on our property.  This little guy loves to sit on top of the fencepost and survey the grounds.  I tossed him a cherry this afternoon, and as you can see, he thoroughly enjoyed it!  Shot with Nikon D300s, 70-200mm VRII lens, ISO 320, F/5.6, 1/125s.

Visit more Proof Positive Photography events, on my website here.  Or visit my FaceBook page .. Thanks!

Glen Rock's Fourth of July Parade

This morning, I was out photographing the Glen Rock 4th of July Parade for Patch.com.  Here are a few of the images ..

Each of these costumes were hand sewn!

Glen Rock is such a family-friendly town!

Four little cuties sitting on the curb as the parade goes by.

Glitter the Clown greeted all the kids along the route.

The scene on Rock Road Wednesday morning.  It seems as if the whole town turned out to see the parade.

For more photos and captions, please visit Patch.com .. Click here.

Early summer birds in our yard

With our two bird feeders, four bird houses and bird bath, we support a large avian community, as well as many squirrels and chipmunks and the occasional raccoon and skunk.  Here are a few photos taken this morning.

This little house wren was busy adding sticks to his "Hippie House" to impress his mate.

Here he is, looking up at his newly adopted bird house.

This Titmouse and his/her mate were busy at the eaves of our garage, possibly nest-building.

Visit more Proof Positive Photography events, on my website here.  Or visit my FaceBook page .. Thanks!