All: Today was my first chance to get out to Tunkwa Lake with my new LeiCanon 30D. So, there I was, minding my own business, sitting peacefully on the shore and trying to get a decent shot of some Red Winged Black Birds (no luck); when suddenly there was a huge splash, just behind me! I turned around to see a huge Osprey, struggling to get airborne after missing a shot at his lunch. Because I was facing the wrong way, there was no hope of getting him in/near the water, but he made a couple of circles, and then landed on a nearby Pine tree, to rest and fluff/dry his feathers. You'll notice the tree is turning red.. an abnormal colour for an evergreen. The red is because the tree is dying, after an invasion of the Mountain Pine Beetles ... the first visible evidence of Global Warming (or so they tell us). Normally, these beetles are kept in check by the cold winters... but we haven't had any really cold winters for many years now, and the beetles are thriving. It is estimated that by 2011, some 80% of all the pine trees in BC will be dead. Germany may have the "Black Forest", but we will have the "Red Forest"! To see him, point your browser at http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/ and then click on "Featured Photo". Sorry his image is not a bit bigger, but he was a LONG way away, and this is about 50% of the frame. Still, it looks great as an 8x12" print! Comments, flames, what-have-you, welcomed, as always. Thanks for looking. Cheers! --- David Young, Logan Lake, CANADA Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/ Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt Stock Photography at: http://tinyurl.com/2amll4 ------ Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm Archives are at: //www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/