Recent images from our adventures in South Dakota. Â We really fell in love with South Dakota. Â Such happy and friendly people, great and very varied scenery and lovely spacious, clean towns.
Click here to see Richard’s Photo Blog
While visiting Custer and Custer State Park we discovered the forthcoming 50th Annual Buffalo Round Up – a M U S T  if you are in the area.
This is a link to Richard’s Photo Blog about the round up
Image and videos of the Round Up
Why have we been so quiet for so long?
Well there are several reasons:
We spent a  l o n g  time at Alliance Coach, where we bought Tigger, waiting for warranty work to be successfully completed (another long story in itself about Thor!).
We then spent seven weeks on our European trip (yes much longer than usual – but it did give Alliance and Thor time to complete the warranty work). When in Europe we don’t pay for roaming fees, especially data! So no Blogging.
Our European trip comprised a visit with friends at their Agri-Tourisme in Umbria, another friend whom we took on holiday from Rome to Calabria and four weeks with Mum in England where we spent a week in Northumbria National Park and another week in The Yorkshire Moors National Park. Again more about each later, even though it may be considered off-topic for Full-time RVing!
On our return we rapidly checked out the work on Tigger so that we could escape the blistering heat and humidity of central Florida (note the new header image of the full Rig with Louise). We made a quick journey to New Jersey for a better climate, yes what were we thinking having lived there for 14 years? Â We should have known better! Yet another post we owe you.
Then on to several locations in Canada to visit with family and friends before our adventure takes us West for several years. Even more posts to come covering these fun visits. Again we resisted roaming fees while in Canada. So no Blogging.
Leaving Canada we went to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, knowing that we would be back in the USA and fully able to communicate! Not! Where we were, the campsite was using carrier pigeons to deliver emails, and AT&T had no coverage – phones and hot spot!
AT LAST! We are in a wonderful location with campground wi-fi and full AT&T coverage – Hoorah! So we are posting this to let you know that we are alive and well and will be bombarding you with blog posts over the next few weeks while we get into the habit of doing it regularly.
Best Wishes to you all from Louise and Richard
So, we are back at Alliance Coach in Wildwood, FL where we bought Tigger last November. We are here to get Tigger’s “snagging list” done – as usual with any new “house”. Â When the coach is in the repair shop during the day what do we do?
Early in our stay one of the Managers told us that there was an “interesting pair of ducks on the new pond we cleared out last week”. So I immediately assembled my camera, tripod and gimbal head, Louise grabbed her spotter’s bins and we walked round.
Well, a pair of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) not too exciting, but wait, there are several Killdeer (Caradrius vociferus) on the grass, flying around with their loud calls – not bad! Click Click.
Then wait! Â Those don’t really look like Yellowlegs – they are Solitary Sandpipers (Tringa solitaria). Â A rare sighting of a bird that is usually by itself and we have FOUR! Rapid Fire On!
Every day more species visit. Â But three days ago we spotted the little Killdeer chicks racing around. As Killdeer are ground nesting birds the chicks are running around but they don’t have their wings developed yet.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferos) chicks out of the nest
So when danger arrives, in this case in the shape of a three legged beast with a D4s and 600mm lens attached, the adult calls the chicks and one by one they sneak in under the adult who then lowers herself onto the chicks on Security Detail.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferos) chicks and adult
Adult Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) sheltering four chicks underneath her.
When the threat is no more then the adult moves away from the chicks and the chicks resume their running about – and can they move!
Four Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) chicks
Four Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) chicks
See how they bob and run!
Gear: Nikon D4S, Nikkor 600mm f/4 VRII, Nikkor TC-17 EII, TC-20 EIII,RRS Tripod and Gimbal Head, Lexar professional Film, Sony XQD professional film for the video.
Another update from Richard’s Photo Blog
http://richardkingphoto.com/blog/wildlife/things-to-do-on-the-beach-03#sthash.ZDINneko.dpb