Southwest Adventure 2012 - Slideshow

Southwest Adventure 2012 - Slideshow

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Southwest Adventure 2012 - Part 2

Awake at 4 AM, showered and soon after out the door.  I grabbed 2 cups of black coffee and some apples and bananas in the lobby as breakfast.  The temperature was 24 degrees and I finally appreciated the luxury of my Regal with it's heated seats and satellite radio.

Everything is much farther apart in the west compared to my usual NJ metrics.  I had to drive 170 miles west for the sunrise at Monument Valley expected at 7:16.  The glow of twilight illuminated my rear view mirror as I flew across the high desert in search of a foreground for the colored skies.  Baby Rocks Mesa was my first stop where I photographed the colorful pink and yellow clouds behind the silhouetted formations.

Turning north at Kayenta the morning light-show continued as I shot continuously along Monument Valley Road.  The twilight glow illuminated the red formations as the waning gibbous moon was setting behind them.  Sunrise in Monument Valley was very special with many great images captured.


I returned to Kayenta where I filled-up the Regal and stopped at McDonald's where I checked email and posted my first pix of the morning— I was pleasantly surprised to find oatmeal and fruit on the menu!  The balance of the morning I drove west on 160 through Tonalea and Tuba City en route to the Grand Canyon and arrived at the West Gate around 1 PM.


The air was crisp and clear and the classic north views of the canyon looked fabulous through my lenses.  I attempted to hike down into the canyon on Grandview Trail, but quickly turned around because of icy conditions and my lack of spikes.

Wildlife sightings seemed rare on this trip, although my favorite resident of most national parks—the Common (Western) Raven, Corvus corax sinuatus—was present almost everywhere in my AZ travels.  I enjoy photographing ravens and looked forward to finding them again at Grand Canyon.  I took a great shot of a soaring raven—black against black—as he flew in the shadow of the cliffs with the mid-day sun illuminating only the iridescent highlights on his wings.


In the park I also spotted two coyotes that crossed the road ahead of my car and foraged in the brush.  I pulled over and mounted my 400 mm to capture a few shots out the window.  Both animals seemed unaware of my presence.  I finally had to resort to very audible 'howling' to get their attention and photograph their nonplussed look of bewilderment.


Late afternoon I departed GCNP and drove south on 64 to Williams, 40 east to Flagstaff, then 17 south to Camp Verde where I stopped to see the cliff dwellings at Montezuma's Castle N.M., featuring a 20 room high-rise apartment building built 1000 years ago.


My 48-hour adventure came to an end with a 2-hour drive back to Phoenix where I stayed at an airport hotel to upload images and pack for the first flight home in the morning.


Southwest Adventure 2012 - Slideshow

Southwest Adventure 2012 - Part 1

I was fortunate to return to Arizona for an annual corporate project. I again chose to take a few extra days for photo adventure.

After taking the 5AM shuttle from the resort to the airport, I rented a car for my 48-hour, 1100-mile journey across northern AZ.  ALAMO didn't have any inventory of the car I reserved so I was upgraded to so-called "Luxury."  I wasn't really happy about the larger car upgrade considering the current cost of fuel, so I chose the smallest of the available vehicles—a Buick Regal.

Under starlit skies, I drove east on 202 to 87 north towards Payson.  The sun broke as I crested the Matzatzal Mountains where I pulled over for my first shots of the day.  

The temperature dropped from the balmy 60s in Phoenix to the low 30s as elevation climbed to over over 5000 ft. along the Mogollon Rim.  I drove eastward along snowy Rt 260 toward Heber then turned north on 377 to Holbrook where I filled up my thirsty Regal for the first time.  The vehicles techie electronics informed that I was getting only 24 MPG—not what I was expecting.

Holbrook is a Route 66 town with unique rock shops selling petrified wood and geodes and life-sized concrete dinosaurs reminiscent of the those seen in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.  At the gas station I asked a toothless local for directions to the south entrance of park as I wanted to take advantage of the light on a northerly crossing.

Petrified Forest National Park celebrates the state fossil of AZ—petrified wood.  The 28 mile S-to-N drive spans over 20 million years from the mid to late Triassic—from the Blue Mesa Badlands to the colorful Chinle Formation of the Painted Desert.

The angle of the late morning sunlight was perfect and complemented by artistic clusters of wispy cirrus clouds.  Shooting from the roadside and designated parking areas was fruitful, but I was disappointed by the limited access to explore the landscape.

After departing the Painted Desert I headed eastward on I-40 and passed two AZ Highway Patrol cars parked in the center island.  I didn’t think anything of it considering I was driving well within the posted speed limit 75 MPH.  One car pulled out and followed me for a few miles. He then pulled up right along side before dropping back with lights flashing to pull me over.   

Apparently my GPS unit was mounted too high on the window and the officer gave me a “Friendly Warning”  advising on AZ’s rules for legal positioning. I was soon on my way driving a few more hours drive up 191 towards Chinle, home of Canyon De Chelly (pronounced De SHAY) National Monument.  Chelly evolved as a misspelling of the Navajo word “Tseyi” meaning “canyon.”

Although I would have preferred to explore the Anasazi ruins in the valley below, time only allowed me to enjoy the South Rim Drive overlooks with great canyon views and the iconic, Spider Rock.  Along that road I saw a small flock of free range sheep under the watchful eye of an accompanying sheepdog.  

I departed Chinle and continued north on 191 where the  high desert landscape was beginning to change with new sandstone formations rising above its horizon. 

Unfortunately, I was more distracted by and extremely disheartened, from seeing the extreme poverty of the Navajo people living in this region.  It reopened scars of my own impoverished childhood.  There is something very wrong about this situation in America 2012.

I drove east on 64 and finally arrived in Farmington (NM) in the late afternoon setting sun, but the haunting Navajo poverty removed any desire to chase the sunset.  Instead, I checked into the Hampton Inn to begin uploading the day’s shoot.

P.S.- Please join me in making a donation to: NAVAJO MINISTRIES Thank you!

Southwest Adventure 2012 - Part 2

Southwest Adventure 2012 - Slideshow

Isn't it Grand!

“Besotted” is the word Roberta, my childhood friend since first grade and spelling bee arch-rival, used to describe me after seeing an online gallery of our Thanksgiving family photos.   Her e-mail sent me searching online dictionaries to determine exactly what she meant.  I delight in words and found her choice to a most appropriate description of what I have become since grandson, Stanley, has come into my life this spring.  

For so many years I’ve witnessed—but never fully understood, how people exhibited such an over-the-top ebullient pride when discussing their grandchildren.  As one who delights in all children, I could imaging being a grandparent would be wonderful; but I was convinced that there was something wrong these people.  Perhaps it was a sign of a personality disorder or even worse—just an annoying “act.” 

Now, I get it!   I fully appreciate their unbridled joy.  Now, it is I who should apologize to everyone I have encountered these last seven months and confess that I, too, have become a delirious sot called a "grandfather."   

With hindsight, I probably should have given credit to the other grandparents for how well they had restrained themselves.  I’m having trouble just containing uncontrolled smiles that explode across my face when I’m out in public or at business meetings—just from thinking about him.  

As a photographer, I annoy family and friends with biweekly online galleries each containing hundreds of loving images which record Stanley's time with us; hundreds from the thousands I actually shot.  I possibly wore out one of my camera shutters from all the actuations — it's currently in the shop for repairs.   

And, I’ll probably join "Grandparent Photographers Anonymous" to try to control the number of photos I take of him.  I promise to take fewer images of him in the new year.   

Yeah, right! ;-)

  

2012 CALENDARS

Calendar season is here again and for the fourth year, this seemingly endless recession is preventing us from going on press to print wall calendars.   For 2012, we are again offering "print-on-demand" calendars available through Zazzle.

Zazzle uses a formula of a high retail price but also offers special sales using discount codes. I would NOT advise paying full retail for these expensive POD calendars.  Currently,  Zazzle has a promotion for orders of 2 or more calendars. You can get a 50% discount with the code: GIFT4THEYEAR.   Also be alert for FREE SHIPPING discounts, often with minimum purchases, which can also be entered at checkout.
 
If you interested in ordering, please contact us directly to inquire if any other discounts that are currently available or if we have any copies for resale.

Thank you!!! for your support of all our publications over the last 31 years!

Ten Years After

After a Chinese buffet I enjoyed some ice cream for dessert—butter pecan and chocolate.  I looked into the dish and saw my spoon with an equal mixture or both flavors and was immediately awash with emotion —I missed my parents who have been gone from this world 28 years.   My mother's favorite flavor was butter pecan and my father's chocolate; somehow my brain translated the spoon into a memory that brought tears of sadness to my eyes.

These last few days I've been crying a lot as I listened to so many heart-wrenching stories in the media on this 10th anniversary of 9/11.  I didn't know anyone personally who died in the event, yet I grieve and cry for every one of those innocents who lost their life that day.  I also cry for our collective loss of innocence and normalcy that ALL Americans had enjoyed on September 10th and many years prior.  Ten years after, life is different, life is harder; things are not the same —nor will they ever be the same again.

Besides the tragic loss of 2996 American lives, I very much miss the visual presence of the World Trade Center towers which were so important to me in my early career in NYC.  The WTC was a favorite photo subject since the mid-1970s.  With a phalanx of cameras from 35mm to an 8x10 Deardorff, I fearlessly climbed stairways of lower Manhattan tenement buildings seeking unique rooftop views, I canvassed the East and Hudson River waterfronts for the best vantage points and I enjoyed numerous photo flights around the towers and nearby Statue of Liberty creating many images of these iconic structures.

My photos of the WTC were widely published, including a sale to Kodak for a wall mural in their new (1978) Dayton, NJ plant—my payment was a case of 8x10 Ektachrome film.  I was also part of a large group show of WTC photographs exhibited in the lobby of the World Trade Center.   In the mid 70s I worked at a photo agency in NYC and I recall entertaining clients at Windows on the World.  Later, in the 1980s I was excited to visit the WTC offices of the Port Authority of NY & NJ; the audio visual department was a customer of mine.

For a few days after 9/11 the skies were eerily quiet with the ban on all flights.  The next  week, I had a photo assignment in Atlanta. I recall walking down the isle of the plane towards my seat and noticing many passengers reading the bible or praying aloud before that flight. I looked out my window I had my first distant view of the changed skyline.

It wasn't until November of 2001 when I finally returned to the Jersey City waterfront for a surreal assignment for Moon Travel Guides to photograph lower Manhattan skyline without the WTC for the back cover of their NYC edition.

Ten years after 9/11, I have NOT visited Ground Zero.  I pay my respects to the fallen from afar.  In the coming years I look forward to visiting the new Freedom Tower upon its completion.

Hunterdon Medical Center Donor Display

Hunterdon Healthcare / Hunterdon Medical Center Foundation unveiled their new Donor Recognition Display in the lobby of their Flemington, NJ facility on Thursday, July 21st.  The project features a selection of my Hunterdon County photographs in 10 hanging panels and two full-length wall murals with a combined span of almost 50 linear feet.

HMCF approached me last October regarding this new project.  After our initial meeting where I saw preliminary drawings and model by the designer Mitchell Associates, I knew exactly what images would be perfect for this project. The next morning I photographed a series of farms along Rosemont-Ringoes road stopping every 50 ft to record the view.  I then combined numerous files to create a stitched panoramic mural of my favorite farmscapes of Hunterdon County.

Robert P Wise, President & CEO - Walter Choroszewski

Sally Cleary, Director of Development- Walter Choroszewski

Susan Choroszewski - Walter Choroszewski

Summer Sunday

There was nothing on our calendar this mid-July Sunday.  A very hectic few weeks had just expired and this was our first day to regroup.  I was up at dawn to tend to Tabby, my bird friends, and to water and weed the gardens before the summer sun was about to ignite the day.  The sky had a pale wash of Alizarin Crimson and the air was warm, dry and still. The peaceful silence of this Eden generated a deep feeling of appreciation for the morning.

Last evening, during my walk through the local fields, I found a patch of ripe blackberry bushes and picked a quart of sweet plump berries.  When Susan awoke we enjoyed them generously spread over our breakfast cereal.  The coffee also tasted better than usual—even though it was the same Chock-Full-Of-Nuts that made yesterday's brew.   

After breakfast we started the day with a visit to a local flea market and enjoyed finding a few baby items for our precious new grandson.  Unlike other trips to this market, I found myself lingering a little longer at tables and allowing memories from my childhood emerge from the various items on display—tools that my father owned, toys and baseball cards from the mid 80s when our son was a little one.  For a change, it was Susan who was eager to move on while I played catch-up.

We returned home for some housecleaning and yard maintenance.  I did an afternoon run to the local veggie market and Shoprite.  Prior to leaving, I Googled "blackberry dessert recipes" and set my sights on Very Berry Cheesecake and I printed the ingredient list to take with me to the store.

While Susan continued with housecleaning, I spent the afternoon baking that delicious berry dessert and cutting and preparing the fresh veggies for the grill—eggplant, zucchini, peppers, broccoli and portobello mushrooms, which I marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette with a few extra cloves of garlic.  I then shucked a few ears of Jersey corn, the first of the season, and placed them on the high rack of the grill.

Later in the afternoon we ate outside on the patio and enjoyed watching hummingbirds visit the flaming orange-red gladiolus that surrounded us.  Tabby slept in the shade of the Bradford pear tree as the catbirds and blue jays informed us of his whereabouts. 

We talked about how we should have been at the shore or some tourist town along the Delaware River, but decided that this Sunday home was the clearly the best place to be.

CA Adventure - Part IV

My photo assignment covered a variety locations throughout SoCal and eventually led to the High Desert region of San Bernadino County—the largest county in the continental USA covering over 20,000 square miles. 

After our shoot was finished, my host, Andy, treated me to a an unplanned side-trip to visit Joshua Tree N. P.  Visiting national parks is a regular part of my "List" agenda and having the surprise chance to visit this desert jewel was fantastic.  It was also interesting to contrast a desert environment with the coastal experience I just had at  Channel Islands N.P.

We arrived mid-afternoon with temps in the low 100s and the sun near its zenith—not the best time for photography, but anytime is fine be in a special location like Joshua Tree.  Mid-week and mid-afternoon the park was ours.


Joshua trees, Yucca brevifolia, were named by the Mormon pioneers that crossed the desert in the mid-19th century.  The tree's form reminded them of biblical Joshua reaching his hands up to the heavens in prayer.  


When my construction client encounters a Joshua tree on the job site, they must contact a specialist for transplanting this protected plant.  Although it's a hardy survivor of the harsh high desert and can withstand extremes of temperature and wind, it is not easily moved.  Special care is taken in measuring it's exact orientation to north and the azimuthal angle and inclination of its trunk and branches, all key to the plants survival in the move.


We entered the park at the West Entrance on Highway 62 where the Mojave Desert extends south into the park and is habitat to the park's namesake, Joshua trees. Unfortunately, due to climate change, Joshua trees may, one day, not survive within Joshua Tree National Park. However, they aren't the only special plants found in the park.  Interestingly, the original suggested name for the park in 1930s was Desert Plants National Park for the over 800 varieties of vascular plants found there.   

Driving towards the center of the park we found some other special residents in the Cholla Cactus Garden, including "Teddy Bear" Cholla, Cylindropuntia begelovii,  and "Jumping" Cholla, Cylindropuntia fulgida.  Very photogenic!


Besides the botanical features, I was equally drawn to the wide variety of geologic formations found within the park.  Volcanic extrusions of pillow basalt and monzogranite monoliths created a surreal landscape and fantastic shooting.

JOSHUA TREE NP Gallery

CA Adventure - Part III

After the Channel Islands tour, my plan for the balance of the afternoon was to take it slow drive down Pacific Coast Highway and visit some of California's famous surf spots, using the lyrics of a favorite Beach Boy's song, Surfin' USA as my guide.  

Second only to actually surfing, my next best thrill is photographing surfers— where I can vicariously experience the action through my lens. 

CALIFORNIA SURFIN' Gallery

On a future visit to CA, I'll continue with my "LIST"  
... I'll be plannin' out a route that I'll take real soon,
to visit and photograph surfing at these CA surf spots,
 and maybe even catch a wave or two myself.

Surfin' USA 

Brian Wilson / Chuck Berry
You'd catch 'em surfin' at Del Mar (San Diego County)

Ventura County Line (PCH - Tonga & Yerba Beuna Rd., Ventura County)

Santa Cruz (Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz County)

and Trestles (Pendelton, San Diego Co)

...

All over Manhattan (Manhattan Beach, LA County)

And down Doheny Way (Dana Point, Orange County)

...

Haggerty's (Torrance Beach, San Diego Co)

and Swami's (Sea Cliff County Park, Encinitas, San Diego County)

Pacific Palisades (Sunset Beach, Pacific Palisades, LA County)

San Onofre  (San Onofre State Beach, San Diego County)

and Sunset  (Huntington Beach, Orange County)

Redondo Beach L.A. (Redondo Beach, LA County)

...

All over La Jolla (La Jolla Shores Beach, San Diego Co)

Everybody's gone surfin' - Surfin U.S.A

CA Adventure - Part II

Channel Islands National Park is Marine Sanctuary that is only accessible by plane or boat.  I scheduled a North Shore Tour with Island Packers.  The tour departs from Oxnard Harbor and visits Anacapa Island where I hoped to photograph some coastal birds and cetaceans.

A thin veil of morning fog was burning off as we boarded the VANGUARD for a 9:30 departure.  Hats, sunscreen and warm clothing were suggested at the time of making reservations, but no one warned of the very choppy seas that began almost immediately as the VANGUARD entered the Santa Barbara Channel.  The jovial mood quickly vanished as many found it difficult to cope with the wild ride.


About fifteen minutes into the channel the motors went silent as we approached a passing pod of dolphins.  Although I was ready with cameras out and long lenses mounted, my first attempt to shoot was a total failure.  Getting a shot of dolphin was like trying to photograph lightning while riding a roller coaster.  The speeding mammals quickly passed us by and we were soon on our way with the promise of calmer waters just ahead.

After an hour of bumping across 12 miles of open sea, Anacapa Island was finally in sight, and NO—calmer waters never were delivered.  Nor were there any more wildlife sightings after the first dolphin encounter, except for an occasional trailing gull.


Near the Anacampa Lighthouse some travelers disembarked to ride kayaks, others climbed the multi-leveled stairway leading up the cliff side.  Brown Pelicans flew above and nested on the nearby cliffs.  


The VANGUARD then departed for a shoreline tour of the island.  Circling around the landmark Arched Rock, we went to the south ocean-facing side of the island where it seemed much warmer with still waters.  On the rocky south shores, we could see California Sea Lions resting in the late morning sun.

Brandt's Cormorant, California Gulls and Brown Pelicans were the dominant resident breeders on the island, but I also was fortunate to see and photograph a rare Bald Eagle and a few Pigeon Guillemots.

The second hour of a "3-hour Tour" passed by far too quickly as I scanned the horizon and volcanic shoreline in search of any wildlife.  Other than the resident seabirds and few Sea Lions, I was disappointed not to see the touted walruses, whales or any of the other 30 species of sea mammals that pass through the Channel Islands.


Everyone dreaded the return crossing back to the mainland, but we were pleasantly surprised that the seas were much improved. Sitting on the upper deck I passed the time shooting some passing Pelicans, Gulls and Cormorants and an occasional Sea Lion that surfaced near our boat.

Mid-crossing the motors slowed the boat to a crawl.  We were informed of a small satellite pod of dolphins sighted just ahead of the boat. Everyone rushed to the port side to see them; I didn't expect much and chose to sit it out on my bench.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a few dolphins also cruising alongside the starboard side where I was in perfect position to grab a few frames of this wonderful encounter.

Others seemed to enjoy the tour, but issued complaints about not being warned of the rough waters.  My expectations were set too high and I felt the tour did not live up to its description.  In reality, it was less than a 1-hour tour sandwiched between two long Channel crossings.  However, those final dolphin shots salvaged the day!  
CHANNEL ISLANDS TOUR Gallery

CA Adventure - Part 1

A photo assignment in Southern California gave me the opportunity to leave a day early and enjoy some personal time along the coast. Friday evening the alarm was set for 3:30 AM for my early flight to LAX. Susan was motivated to program the coffee maker for the first time so I could wake-up to fresh brew before my trip.

Some of my “List” items were calling out to me and SoCal was a great place to make them happen. It was time to visit another national park or two, and also time to surf again.

It was 4 years ago during a previous CA trip that I took my first surfing lesson at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. I’ve mentally relived that first-time thrill countless times and shared my excitement of the experience with everyone and anyone who would listen.

Since 2007, I dropped 30 lbs. and I'm in much better physical condition, thanks to a regular routine of morning exercises including weights, leg lifts and squat thrusts—motivated to prepare for my next surfing safari.  Now, I was amped-up and ready to hit the waves!

The flight and the car rental process when smoothly. I chose a white Chevy Malibu and headed up Pacific Coast Highway passing through Mailbu, en route to Oxnard where I had a private surfing lesson scheduled at noon.

After booking my Channel Islands N.P. boat tour  from Oxnard, I did an online search for surfing lessons in Ventura County and found Silver Strand Surf School. Proprietor, Chris Shoemaker, greeted me at the parking lot under fog-laden skies. We quickly suited-up right on the beach—somewhat embarrassing when I tried to put my second leg into the arm sleeve and succeeded in getting my ankle stuck. Some laughs for the onlookers.

Chris began the lesson with some basic fundamentals about the surfboard —nose, stringer, rails, fins.  He showed me a few ways to stand up and was not a fan of the “swing leg” method that I learned in my first lesson. Chris preferred a “Ninja” style pop-up stance, however suggested that I learn a more traditional Hawaiian method of standing by pulling both knees up under the chest, then standing by planting the lead foot in the center of the board and rising to lean back on the other foot.  

We only did a few practice drills on the beach before quickly heading into the water. I carried the 10’ long board and paddled out through the early breaking waves. Chris taught me to “push-up” and let the waves pass through the space between my body and the board. For bigger waves I was taught to “duck-dive” and let the wave crash over me. One of them turned into an unintentional roll, which I later learned is “turtling”—using the board as cover.

The waves seemed bigger with more powerful than I expected, yet I was undeterred. When the calm eventually followed these first powerful sets, Chris turned my board around and asked if I was ready to go. He stood nearby studying the waves and directed my moves.   

“Get ready. Paddle, Paddle, Paddle ...1,2,3  GO!

My first attempts were a failure, apparently there was no carryover from my last lesson nor the practice on the beach. I was often knocked off the board either at the point of pulling up my knees or attempting to stand. After persistent attempts, progress was slowly becoming apparent and I succeeded with brief standing runs lasting a few seconds. These later falls were the result of either not centering my front foot on the stringer, or planting my back foot too close to my front. Chris was able to observe the mistakes and offer corrections.

We took a break and went to the beach for a refresher course; I needed to firm the standing sequence in my mind. Chris and I both agreed that I had to get to the stance quicker than before. Perhaps the “Ninja” style pop-up would be better? We decided to stick with the basics and after a few more “knees-up” traditional rehearsals on the beach, I was more determined than ever to get back in the water.

This time Chris suggested we move closer to the jetty where the waves were calmer. My first attempt in this new location was a winner with a decent standing ride that curved to the left. Subsequent runs showed continuous improvement with more short run rides—I stopped counting.

My stamina was strong and I was not fatigued from the first hour’s battle with the sea, clearly my training had paid off.   Everything was going great until I started to develop a leg cramp in my left calf —apparently from pushing off the sea floor to jump onto the board.  It continued to worsen until I had a full-blown charley horse that had me hobbling back to the beach for recovery.

The muscle spasm eventually calmed and we returned to the water.  I then began to use my right foot for push-off in mounting the board.  For this third return to the water, we carried out a waterproof video camera to record a successful ride.  Unfortunately, the pressure of being camera conscious led to a few quick wipeouts.  We regrouped and then ventured out a little farther through some “hard duck” breakers to await the perfect wave. Chris studied the sets and as I lay on the board awaiting his commands.

“And this is the one  ...let's go with it  
...paddle, paddle, paddle —a little quicker! 
... and you're gonna feel it on 3  ...1,2 ...AND 3  
...KNEES   ...FRONT FOOT  ...BACK FOOT  
... and HE'S UP!"

My concentration on the sequence was highly focused and everything felt right for this last wave. I quickly rose to my best stance of the day and comfortably rode it all the way to the beach, until all the wave’s energy had been depleted.

I turned around with both fists pumped high in the air to see Chris with video camera in hand capturing the moment and celebrating my success.   NO, you won't see it on YouTube, but you may catch a glimpse of that wave in my upcoming presentation: 
it's on my List!

Bird Week Journal 2011- Part 2

Thursday May 12

Some of my bird boxes are occupied by Bluebirds, others by Barn Swallows. This morning as I walked past the boxes into the field I was immediately intercepted by some F-22 swallows flying low at 2 o'clock.  They didn't break away until close—scary close—eye-to-eye contact establishing I wasn't a "Bandit."  There was no time to raise the camera and my auto-focus would have been no match for their acrobatic moves as they circled away.  Soon a pair of Mockingbirds spiraled overhead with similar stealth maneuvers.

Retracing yesterday's steps Red-winged Blackbirds rose from the field as I approached the large corner maple tree—this morning no sign of orioles. The fields were quiet and drier than yesterday. 

  

I eventually made it to a favorite spot, an intersection of hedgerows where I heard a welcome greeting Sweet Sweet Sweet than Sweet and a beautiful Yellow Warbler perched on a branch for a few minutes of posing for pictures.

Along that hedgerow I saw the same small cluster of Bobolinks flying to and from the field.  The field grasses are not fully seeded—perhaps a reason for delay of the larger flock.  

On my walk back home I visited my Gray Catbird friend and enjoyed photographing some morning preening.