Sunday Stills (02-05-12 liquids)

Today's photo challenge was to take pictures of liquids and no archives. I went to the zoo and here are my offerings:

The ducks were in a frenzy because of the food being thrown to them. Can you count them all??

Water truly distorts images as seen here.

Seals and sea lions are fun to watch. This one was cruising the surface causing a double image.

I loved this little guy. He kept popping his head up out of the water.

As if to say, "Please, come play with me."

 Snoozing giants should not be disturbed.

"Leave me alone, little one."

"But, won't you come in? The water is lovely."

"No, thanks, I need my beauty sleep."

"How about you? Won't you join me?"

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Sunday (the letter C 10-18-09)

For the Sunday Stills Challenge I chose to do my C post from past zoo and biological park visits.

Caboose Cactus Capybara Camel Carnivore

Carrion eater

Children

Chimpanzee

Clouded LeopardCougarCow
I'm sure you're getting tired of this so I'll close now.

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Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen

To watch this creature fair

I have a free pass to the zoo from volunteering at the biopark this past spring. If anyone remembers, I used to take a little hike with the school children every Friday down in the bosque (woods) by the river. So, yesterday, I decided to go visit the animals. I know these little guys don't seem very exotic but we have a walk-in free flight cage at the zoo that I always enjoy visiting, especially since it's on the way to the koalas.

These look more like love birds than budgies. ;) Although, aren't they the same sex?? Ibelieve the band on the nose distinguishes the sex, blue for boys and pink/tan for girls.

Doesn't he have a pretty eye?

It was feeding time for many of the animals. I laughed at this koala. They placed a big bunch of eucaliptus right in front of the sleeping koala's nose. Talking about waking up to breakfast in bed!

The big cats were fed too. This tiger is really enjoying his bone, isn't he?

Just like Fido, huh?

I was amazed how the mountain lions were right up against the glass window with their bone. I think they need another bone because they don't seem to be sharing very well.

The clouded leopard is one of the hardest for me to ever see at the zoo because he's always so hot and hidden. Not so, yesterday.

He even smiled for me. Well, sort of.
These guys must be on a different feeding schedule because the bobcat was snoozing.

So was the Lion King.
It was a really hot day! They turned on the sprinklers and a lot of the children took advantage of the cooling, wet showers.

Alas, some could only watch. :(
I noticed Mr. peacock was sighing with relief as he scurried away past the running children. He wasn't going to be chased today.The sea lions were anticipating being fed too.

This is getting to be a rather long post so I will close for now and continue another day.

To watch this creature fair - song: Lady Stardust, artist: David Bowie, album: Aladdin Sane

Der Zoo

Yes, Lisa was right. Pinnipeds do bark. Pinniped means "winged foot" as in flippers. They are the fin footed mammals such as the seals and sea lions.

I think he was saying, "More, more, arf, arf." Then, it was on to the Peacocks. One was ruling the rooftop over another smaller male until he jumped down and graced us with a dance. He must have liked my green shirt.

By way of colors, I'm partial to black and white, at the zoo, at least. Here is a mare and foal. Is that right?

Isn't this an interesting photo. The baby was standing under me getting a drink of water. I never noticed that he had brown stripes. Look how furry he is.

Speaking of brown, there are the Giraffes. Doesn't the giraffe's shadow look like a shadow puppet made with one's fingers?Charles Darwin commented on giraffe evolution in the sixth edition (1872) of his seminal book, Origin of Species:
The giraffe, by its lofty stature, much elongated neck, fore-legs, head and tongue, has its whole frame beautifully adapted for browsing on the higher branches of trees. It can thus obtain food beyond the reach of the other Ungulata or hoofed animals inhabiting the same country; and this must be a great advantage to it during dearths.... So under nature with the nascent giraffe the individuals which were the highest browsers, and were able during dearth to reach even an inch or two above the others, will often have been preserved; for they will have roamed over the whole country in search of food.... Those individuals which had some one part or several parts of their bodies rather more elongated than usual, would generally have survived. These will have intercrossed and left offspring, either inheriting the same bodily peculiarities, or with a tendency to vary again in the same manner; whilst the individuals, less favoured in the same respects will have been the most liable to perish.... By this process long-continued, which exactly corresponds with what I have called unconscious selection by man, combined no doubt in a most important manner with the inherited effects of the increased use of parts, it seems to me almost certain that an ordinary hoofed quadruped might be converted into a giraffe. (Darwin 1872, pp. 177ff.)

To be continued...