Overlooked Photos of 2020 #11: Little Critters!

Photo taken in Penticton, BC — April 19, 2020

You think you slept in today? The Yellow-Bellied Marmot hibernates for eight months every year. How’s that for sleep?

These little marmots had just emerged from their long winter nap…and lucky them, one of the first things they saw was a photographer with a big zoom lens. Better than emerging to find a coyote or eagle!

* Why I didn’t post it: Marmot overload? Cuteness overload? Not sure…but I’ve posted them now!

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.

Overlooked Photos of 2020 #10: Red Breast is Best

Photo taken in Penticton, BC — April 16, 2020

That’s Mr. Red Breast to you!

The American Robin is a frequent visitor to our backyard…though this one is really a Canadian American Robin. Did you know robins can live as long as 14 years? And that they most often eat earthworms in the morning but fruit in the afternoon? Fascinating creatures.

* Why I didn’t post it: Well, it’s a photo of an American Robin. They’re not exactly scarce. But I like his proud, fierce stance and the gleam in his eye. Perhaps musing about tomorrow’s crop of earthworms the way some of us look forward to tomorrow’s morning coffee?

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.

Overlooked Photos of 2020 #3: Black Sand Beach Basker

Photo taken at Punalu’u Beach, Hawaii — February 24, 2020

Sometimes tourists can be really annoying. Case in point: In Hawaii early this year we visited Punalu’u Beach Park on the Big Island’s south shore. The beach is famed for its black “sand” (really bits of lava) and for the sea turtles that bask on the black shore.

When we arrived this Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle had just pulled itself onto the shore to bask and rest. It did so in an area clearly marked with signs warning visitors to stay at least 10 feet away from the turtles, which are endangered and protected by law. That didn’t stop several tourists from running up to take photos with their phones. Some got so close they were almost touching the turtle.

I’m not one to anthropomorphize, but if this turtle were human I’d say it looks pretty unimpressed. Or if this turtle were Rodney Dangerfield it would saying it gets no respect. Anyway.

* Why I didn’t post it: I take a lot of photos of turtles and share some of them here. But those are generally Western Painted Turtles, not sea turtles. So I’m not sure why I didn’t post this, except for the usual reasons I didn’t post any photos from our trip to Hawaii. And because the weather was pretty dull and there’s not a lot of colour. Still, it’s a beautiful creature and worth sharing — do you agree?

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.