Monday in Nature Weekly Photo Oct. 28, 2013

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<p ><strong >Basic Guidelines</strong>: Nature based subject matter. Please, declare captive subjects. Keep your image at/under 700 pixels on the long axis for in-line viewing and try to keep file size under 300kb. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site at Flicker, Photobucket, your own site, etc. <em >In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include hand of man elements. Let common sense be your guide.</em> Do you have a series of great shots to compliment your post? Please, tell us where they are so we can see them.</p>

<p ><strong ><em >Let's make this a true Photo of the Week and only post 1 image per week.</em></strong></p>

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<p>Good Morning Nature Lovers,<br>

There's a storm brewing. We hear about these events about a week in advance, and then watch as forecasters try to fine tune predictions. At some point it becomes apparent that nature's fury is coming to your doorstep. We hear and see a lot about damage to populated areas (a discussion for another forum), but what happens to the beach where Horseshoe Crabs and Red Knots play out their interdependence? Where are the inhabitants of marshy bays, swamps, and mountainous areas? What transpires in nature when nature takes its tempestuous course? When we secure our own situations, we take our cameras and find out. The scale of the "damage" is hard to comprehend. The consequences play themselves out for years as animals and plants adjust to a new landscape. We adapt also, with cameras in hand, following newly formed deer trails up slopes now covered with downed trees.</p>

<p>Tomorrow is October 29th. 2 years ago on this date a major snow storm came through the northeast U.S. "A few flakes" became a 6-8 inch forecast, resulting in about 15 inches of snow where we live. Last year Sandy roared onshore. Large typhoons have recently effected India and Japan. Not long ago heavy rains resulted in major flooding in Colorado. Chances are every photographer contributing here has been in the midst of big weather. We experience and photograph these events from our own unique perspectives. I'm dipping into the archives from last year. This was taken in a conifer grove after Sandy, about 150 miles from landfall.</p>

<p><em> Late last night I found out about the St Jude's Day storm bearing down on the U. K. To our Pnet friends there, be safe. </em></p>

<p>Here's hoping for fair weather, wherever you are, on this Monday in Nature.</p><div></div>

<p>Still, regardless of weather, there is work to be done.</p><div></div>

<p>Amazing how adaptive animals (including humans) are to changes in the environment. </p>

<p>Here is a Red-shouldered Hawk, perched on a limb. It didn't see me when it landed but kept looking in my direction. Slowly, I was able to raise the camera to my eye and compose a few shots before it flew off in search of a meal.</p><div></div>

<p>A gray squirrel going to stash an acorn in his larder. </p><div></div>

<p>I was out watching the colors in South central Indiana, Morgan Monroe State Forest with my daughter and came across this tiny jewel, an Eastern Hognose snake.<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17578923-lg.jpg" alt="" width="423" height="640" /><br>

Eastern Hognose, Pentax DA 100mm macro, K5iis </p>

<p><em><strong>American White Pelican</strong></em> at White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas. </p><div></div>

<p>Deep in a forest glade after sunset it was almost too dark for photography when I spotted this kookaburra. He was so intent on something on the ground that I was able to creep close enough for a shot. As I backed away again he dived to the ground. I couldn't see what it was he'd caught, but he gobbled it down with gusto!</p>

<p>60D, 100-400, 1/250 @ f/6.3, ISO 1600(!)</p><div></div>

<p>Bumblebee after some sweets while tiny ants wish it would just go away !<br />Canon FD 70-150mm/4.5 @ 150mm/4.5, ISO200, 1/1600 on a Sony NEX-7<br /><br /><br>

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/roundball/PHOTOGRAPHY/INSECTS/FD70-150mm4545CloseupBumblebeeonYellowFlower1273Crop_zps6cbba9ea.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p> Nice photos, love the hognose and the Kookaburra. <br />Mine is a Four-toed Salamander Hemidactylium scutatum<br>

First try did not upload I'll try again.</p><div></div>

<p>some really great shots so far this week......i like that bee patrol Rick</p>

<p>i just happened to have my gear bag on the front seat when i spotted this red tail on the telephone cable perusing a farmers field....was able to get right under it and shoot thru the passenger window before it took off</p>

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<p>Laura, very appropriate words about nature's power. The UK storm you mentioned passed over last night. Lots of trees and branches down. I went for a walk in my local bit of forest this morning and here is one branch pruned by nature.</p><div></div>

<p>American Coot</p><div></div>

<p>Great images again this week, I really like that shot of the bees. Mine is a Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomotula superciliosa) who just caught a large caterpillar (looks like some kind of hornworm).<br>

<a href="/photo/17579323"><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17579323-md.jpg" alt="" width="475" height="680" /></a><br>

Click on the image to see it larger.</p>

<p>Looks like another animal week. Some good images so far. My contribution this week is a 8 point buck taken in the great smoky mountains last week.</p><div></div>

<p>Rick-love your bee image. I'm thinking it would go great while playing "Rise of the Valkyries".</p>

<p>Nice Red Shouldered Hawk Mark</p>

<p>Geoff-you are really wetting my appetite for my trip down-under next year!</p>

<p>Gordon-Four Toed salamanders are a tough find, I've only ever found one, and that was pure luck. They are especially pretty on their undersides (I don't bother to count toes myself!)</p>

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<p>In my corner of SoCal there's talk of a "storm" anytime we get a little sprinkle of rain - the exaggeration seems funny until you've seen the effects of such seemingly gentle weather causing a flash flood that cuts through road tarmac out in the desert, or a mud slide that chews up someone's prime real estate along the coastline.</p>

<p>On the photography side, a rainy day is almost always followed by a morning with better-than-average opportunities to catch sight of hungry predators looking for breakfast. There's rain expected here today, so tomorrow morning I'll go photo hunting :)</p>

<p>Here's a peregrine plucking its brunch last Thursday - rain or no rain there's no peace for the migrating waders and stilts. It took its leisurely time so I had time to switch between multiple long lenses in my arsenal for comparison purposes. This particular shot was taken with Minolta's one-of-a-kind autofocusing 500mm mirror lens. </p>

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<p>In honor of Halloween, thought I'd present my bid for "Exploding Pumpkin Fungus." My fungus book says it's Laetiporus sulfureus. Found it on a dead fir log in Butano State Park on the central California coast. </p><div></div>

<p>This is from the October 29th storm of two years ago on its way to dumping about 17" where I live in CT.</p><div></div>

<p>We scarcely noticed last night's storm in our bit of Wiltshire - not quite the tempest the UK media had told us to expect. It seems to have been worse further east. So no interesting pictures of ravaged woodland.<br>

This is a Yellow Dung Fly (<em>Scathophaga stercoraria</em>) - I don't suppose they're too bothered by weather events. I've noticed several on Ivy plants over the past few days, rather than their usual unsavoury hang-outs.</p><div></div>

<p>Wonderful shots everyone. Having gone through Katrina, certainly can relate to nature's wrath .<br>

Amazing how the flora and fauna readjust and carry on.<br>

Spent a few days on Dauphin Island, AL last week. While the weather was not unkind, it was very windy. Here is a Great Blue Heron a bit wind blown.</p>

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<p>Wonderful photos. The image of bees in flight is simply amazing. No stormy weather here, but fall migration is well underway. This Tufted Titmouse was stuffing himself at the feeder yesterday.</p><div></div>

<p>Good Morn all. Couldn't resist another bee. Most of my images (80%) were taken within few blocks from my house. My neighbor planted some flowers in the strip near the street so the opportunities were endless. This was taken on a walk around the nearby hill. The lens that I used is...well, how do you spell crapola ? Unless you set this thing into F5.6....it hardly performs any longer....and it's tired @32yrs of age. However, in macro, it can be as good as my Tammy 90/2.8.</p><div></div>

<p>Love the photo of the bees and the red tail. Mine is of a baboon mother carrying her baby while she forages. Tsitsikamma national park.</p>

<p>Autumn's palette.</p>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17579570-md.jpg" alt="_MG_7863" width="680" height="453" border="0" /></center>

<p>Love the bees and the red tail. Mine is of a baboon carrying her baby while foraging. Tsitsikamma National Park.</p>