Desert Toad

@deserted1

Husband of a great wife, father of wonderful kids, proud grandfather, Amateur photographer, AI afficionado, love desert four-wheeling, metal detecting, drones, computers, meteorite collecting, Falconry. Commercial use of my content is not permitted.

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Bluesky

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Desert Toad@deserted1· 23d

A new service for the dipshits.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jul 19

#photography The Road Less Traveled

An exciting desert road, on top of hills, in the Sonoran Desert, with Saguaros and a mountain backdrop. We drove for a couple of hours without seeing another car or even another human.

Desert Toad@deserted1· May 2

#photography Thats Amoré...

A pic of the full moon fron 2 nights ago.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jan 7

#Photography Arizona Sunset versus Sunrise the following morning... Tough choice

Sunset near Lake Pleasant with a little foreground macrophotography...

The morning Sun rises upon a saguaro cactus. They are very important to the indigenous people in the area, they are majestic watchers of the land.

To the Tohono O'Odham tribe (pronounced "sah-wah-roh"), saguaros (Ha:sañ) are considered sacred relatives, kin with human heritage, integral to their culture, providing food (fruit for wine/jams), building materials (ribs for homes/fences/tools), and symbolizing resilience and a spiritual connection, marked by a traditional summer fruit harvest that begins their new year and involves rain ceremonies.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jan 3

Another Spacex launch from Vandenberg Base, 550 miles away...

Desert Toad@deserted1· Nov 23

#video #photography #birds #Hawks Bird of Prey in action... Description in ALT

Desert Toad@deserted1· Nov 19

#photography #Kinsale #Ireland #Panorama Pic taken from high ground in Kinsale, 360⁰ view. Kinsale served as the busiest Harbor in Ireland in the 16th, and much of the 17th century. Being built in the 13th century, it's easy to see why parking is not easy in town. Description in ALT

A beautiful 360⁰ pic of Kinsale, Ireland, at Noon, you can see 2 forts, Charles Fort and James Fort, as well as
Archdeacon Duggan Bridge, built in the mid 1970s. In addition you can see the marina, and much of the town, albeit at a distance.

From Wikipedia:
Charles Fort (Irish: Dún Chathail) is a trace italienne fortification, a bastion fort with one section of the outer wall built in star fashion. It is located at the southern end of the village of Summer Cove, on Kinsale harbour, County Cork, Ireland. First completed in 1682, Charles Fort was sometimes historically referred to as the "new fort", to contrast with James' Fort (the "old fort") which had been built on the other side of Kinsale harbour before 1607.

From WordPress:
James Fort was contstructed shortly after the British defeated the Ulster forces of O’Donnell and O’Neill when they tried to combine with the Spanish at the Battle of Kinsale in 1602.

Kinsale was the death knell for the Irish forces and resulted in the Flight of the Earls. The port at Kinsale became a British Stronghold.

Naval base: Kinsale served as an important naval base for centuries, and an underwater chain could be strung between the two forts to scuttle enemy ships during wartime.

RMS Lusitania: The harbor is also notable as the closest land to where the RMS Lusitania was sunk in 1915.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Nov 3

#photography Spin cycle...

Pic taken while Phone was spun 180⁰ in a 2 second night exposure, when it indicated "hold the phone steady"...

Desert Toad@deserted1· Nov 2

#Photography #Maui #Sunset

Mottled Orange Pink clouds loitering to deliver another gorgeous Maui sunset...

Desert Toad@deserted1· Oct 29

#photography #Maui #Sunset Polo Beach... Wailea Makena, Maui

The Sun sets over Polo Beach...

Wailea Makena, Maui

Desert Toad@deserted1· Oct 29

#photography #Maui Walking in the clouds... Haupa'akea Peak Haleakalā National Park

An 80 mile slightly anxiety inducing drive brought us to the crater of the Haupa'akea Peak, at Noon. The clouds roll over the lip of the cauldron, at 10,000 feet above sea level, and make it hard to judge whether you are looking at the sky or the ocean. The mist over the lower elevations sometimes made it hard to tell how high up the mountain we were.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Oct 9

#photography #ArizonaSunset Another gorgeous sunset here, these pics taken from Talking Stick Resort golf course...

Beautiful hues dominate the sky near sunset. Pic 1

Beautiful hues dominate the sky near sunset. Pic 2

Desert Toad@deserted1· Sep 12

#photography Sunset

Sun streaks through the branches at sunset in Arizona

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 17

The vapor whale slowly and silently traverses the sky above the treetops. The creature is enormous...

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 17

#Photography SpaceX Launch tonight... 500+ miles away. Description in ALT

10x zoom of the vapor cone from the SpaceX rocket launch.

Shortly after this pic, the angle slightly changed, and the rocket disappeared, leaving the twilight phenomenon behind.

2x zoom of the vapor cone from the SpaceX rocket launch with the vapor trailer of the twilight phenomenon behind.

Remnants of the vapor cone from the SpaceX rocket launch with the vapor trailer of the twilight phenomenon behind. Waves of the vapor trains form unusual formations

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 16

#photography Golden Hour, 'Zona... Description in ALT

As the sun drops behind the cacti covered mountains, the clouds light up from rays of light to add dimension and contrast for another phenomenal sunset near Lake Pleasant

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 15

#photography Black Swans dot a lake near a sheep farm an hour outside of Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, early March. A common sight in the area, apparently. I had no idea. Description in ALT

Hundreds of black swans lazily float on a lake, just outside the entrance to the sheep farm.

Black swans are a common sight in the Christchurch area, as they were introduced to New Zealand from Australia in the 1860s and have established populations in both the North and South Islands. While the Australian black swan (Cygnus atratus) is now widespread, New Zealand also had its own unique, now-extinct species of black swan called the Poūwa (Cygnus sumnerensis).

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Australian Black Swans:
These are the black swans you'll typically see in and around Christchurch today. They are native to Australia and were introduced to New Zealand in the 1860s.

New Zealand's Extinct Black Swan (Poūwa):
New Zealand once had its own species of black swan, the Poūwa, which was distinct from the Australian species.

Poūwa Characteristics:
The Poūwa was larger and heavier than the Australian black swan, with proportionally shorter wings and longer legs.

Extinction:
The Poūwa is believed to have been hunted to extinction by humans shortly after their arrival in New Zealand.

Current Swan Population:
Today, the Australian black swan is a common sight in New Zealand, including the Christchurch area, with populations found on larger coastal or inland lakes.

Lake Ellesmere:
A prominent location for black swans in the Canterbury region (where Christchurch is located) is Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora), though a severe storm in 1968 significantly impacted the swan population there.

Hunting:
Black swans are considered game birds in New Zealand and can be hunted during the appropriate seasons.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 14

#photography Early morning Island watching at the beginning of March, on the way to Tauranga Description in ALT

A distant island, cloaked by lingering clouds, the sky, ok, to me, amber and almost a greenish blue...

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 13

#photography Bin Chickens, in the land down under... Description in ALT

4 Australian White Ibis, known as "bin chickens" roam around the park in Sydney Harbor, looking for a snack

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 13

#photography A beach in Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, in mid afternoon, early April Description in ALT

Islands dot the beach view from Rotorua in early April on a beauty of a warm day. A sailboarder tries to navigate the waves

Desert Toad@deserted1· Jun 4

Hey, Racket, in case you were unaware, we have pictures of modern phones now, and you can upgrade your phone pic now, for a low, low monthly payment...

A pic of the brick, one of the 1st wireless phones

Desert Toad@deserted1· Apr 13

#photography Kinsale, Ireland Description in Alt

Fog rolls back on the river Brandon, just behind the Archdeacon Duggan Bridge, Kinsale. A beautiful sunny, cool morning at 8:30, temperature 51⁰, and low wind. This was taken down the road ( Castlepark ) from Kinsale Beach, where folks MUCH heartiest than I were swimming daily in 40⁰ waters.

I put on a fleece at the mere sight.

A wonderful place to visit, should you get to Eire... it's a great food town.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Mar 28

#photography "Not all who wander are lost..." Description in ALT

A picture of the Sonoran Desert while on a search for a missing man that thankfully turned up after a few days.

While folks searched for him, eventually, he showed back up on his own.

Frustrating as it may have been for those that knew him, or were helping to find him, this WAS absolutely the best case scenario. No question.

Very quickly, it doesn't really matter WHY someone is gone, because if they come back alive, your prayers HAVE been answered.

I have been on other searches...

Desert Toad@deserted1· Mar 26

#photography "They're comfortable around humans, but are not pets..." Is a good reminder for fools like me. Highland Bull Bois... Description in ALT

He wanted to be pet. I wanted to pet him... but the last second warning makes you look at those sharp, pointy horns makes you wonder how fast he can swing that big old head around , or close the 3 foot distance he was away.

He looked friendly, but you gotta respect a Highland bull.

Two big boys get curious about the crowd, and want to see who risks walking in the paddock with them.

Only the farmer that they're already familiar with, reminding us that they're not big puppies, that's who.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Mar 26

#photography A hidden island, in the morning myst. Description in ALT. Sorry folks, I have been traveling a bit. Lots to show, but don't want to spam y'all.

An island hides in the clouds, at sunrise, in the Tasman Sea, blurring the distinction between the clouds and land.

The lonely island looked uninhabited by anything but birds and maybe some seals, or turtles, but I'm speculating; it did look devoid of humans though, so it was probably doing fine.

In order to find the speck of land on the sea, you had to zoom in on the horizon, in a direction you thought you'd seen it before. It disappeared and reappeared in the myst until the Sun came up and burned off the clouds.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Mar 21

This isn't the 1st time I've shown this guy, but it IS world frog day, and I usually hang with toads, so he'll have to do...

A White Lipped Green Tree frog, chillin' on a branch.

The Daintree rainforest, in the Daintree River, near Port Douglas, QLD, Australia

A White Lipped Green Tree frog, chillin' on a branch, zoomed out view.

The Daintree rainforest, in the Daintree River, near Port Douglas, QLD, Australia

Desert Toad@deserted1· Mar 11

#photography A large geyser erupts, in the Maori Village, leaving visitors in awe. Description in ALT

Viewers watch the geyser erupt from a safe distance, on a bridge.

Pōhutu Geyser in New Zealand's Rotorua is the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. It can erupt up to 20 times a day, shooting steam as high as 30 meters (98 ft) into the air.

Located in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley in Rotorua, New Zealand's North Island

Part of the Te Puia attraction

It also has a strong Sulphur smell

Desert Toad@deserted1· Feb 26

#photography Baby Wombat folks... Description in ALT

This two foot long baby is less than half the size of an adult... I had no idea they got that big... the adults can be fast and mean, or just protective of their territory.

Folks, should you be chased by one of these in the wild ( a totally real possibility, I know), the trick to remember is "Serpentine", zig-zag to escape, as they apparently can't do that well.

Serpentine!

Desert Toad@deserted1· Feb 25

#photography Sunset along the coast of Tasmania... What is truth? Which do you like better, Pic 1 or 2? Which is easier on the eyes? It gets to the question of what is art... even the RAW picture didn't appear to be what I saw with my lyin' eyes... Description in ALT

A RAW photo of the coast of Tasmania at sunset.

The exact same raw photo edited by altering the light balance, brightness, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation, tint, temperature, sharpness, and definition values modified to get the edited photo, of the coast of Tasmania at sunset.

Desert Toad@deserted1· Feb 23

#photography Sydney Harbour sail off as the cruise ship sets course for Melbourne . Description in ALT.