Welcome!

[urbpan]

I'd like to welcome the sudden burst of new friends who have added this journal. I hope you like reading about pigeons and rats and poison ivy and such. I also write about my life, complain about my job, review movies and music (usually obsolete) and ask for advice. Just thought I'd warn you. Nature abhors a text-only post, so please enjoy this catbird on knotweed picture I took today.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I look forwards to seeing this species first hand.

What camera do you use? I am trying to persuade myself that I am a decent photographer with a bad camera, rather than a bad photographer with an average camera

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I use a Canon PowerShot A400. It's great for snapshots, adequate for macro shots, and pretty terrible for far away things, like birds. This catbird wasn't the slightest bit bothered by me, or the two dogs attached to me, so I got pretty close, and had the zoom out as far as possible (2.2x whatever that means).

Whenever you see a good photograph on my site, it's a good bet that cottonmanifesto took it with her Canon PowerShot...uh...S2? Something like that. She's a much better photographer, and her camera is much much better than mine.

I think it's all about how much money you spend: My camera was about 150, and cotton's was more like 3 times that (and some change).

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Thanks honey. :)

[fairy.livejournal.com]

Yours is one of the most interesting journals :)

I saw a Catbird yesterday but your photos are always so much nicer.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm definitely not the photographer in my family.

Knotweed!

[(Anonymous)]

Urbpan, you are awesome. I was out walking today and noticed that dale park in Roslidale will soon dissapear beneath a tide of knotweed, but I couldn't remeber what it was called. one visit to U.P. and all my questions are answered!

--G

[cowpewter.livejournal.com]

Hi, I wound up here from ursulav's journal. You have gorgeous photographs, hope you don't mind if I add you :)

[cowpewter.livejournal.com]

Bah, please also excuse my suckitude in regards to LJ tags, I can never keep straight which use hyphens and which don't.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad to meet you--I friended you back.

Re: Knotweed!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

You write the best fan letters, G.

I really enjoyed the...thing you wrote about what the new president has to be informed of. I love your sense of humor. I should forward your things to my brother, or better yet, you should. He's brush_rat.

[punkydolly.livejournal.com]

I love reading this journal, its one of my faves! I've learned a lot about urban wildlife in the USA and enjoy comparing your stuff and ours. (...and feel vaguely embarrased at the amount of invasive species us Europeans left you with, of course :)

[klandaghicat.livejournal.com]

Hi! I also tracked you through ursulav and saw the rats and skunks in common. Had to join up! Love the pics and info. I thought the raccoon skull photo poetic. Very nicely done. My yard, creek and woods are in a pretty raw state, considering how developed our area is. You may inspire me to photograph it(Sony Cyber-shot T7). I've heard mating skunks, argueing raccoons, and browsing deer just outside my window.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

It was mostly my ancestors (Anglo-Americans) that brought the invasives to North America! Then there's gray squirrels, poison ivy, and so on, that made the return trip!

I wish there were more stuff in my journal from other countries--a good excuse to travel more, I suppose.

Thanks for the kind words!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Hello! Thanks for the compliments. I've friended you back, and I can't wait to see the wildlife of your yard!

[krchicken.livejournal.com]

i should introduce myself as well. i grew up in the state parks of Pa, with a biologist mother, and a park ranger father. state parks aren't known for their large populations, so i spent a large chunk of my formative years following the naturalist around and learning pa nature trivia..

i'm living in CA now, and i find myself bewildered by all the new plants and animals, as i hadn't realised how much i recognized on the east coast. so in a way, your journal is one big fuzzy blanket to my poor lost senses. plus, you take pictures of birds, which is way more my cup of tea than the xmas bird count. brrr.

[krchicken.livejournal.com]

oh, and i stumbled in with the rest of the people who read the lovely ursulav's journal