Monday in Nature POTW Sept. 9, 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 and we'll work out the details as we go forward.</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 POTW and only post 1 image per week.</em></strong></p>

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<p>Good Monday Morning,</p>

<p>To those who are looking, autumn comes in glimpses of color and notable movements. The first kettle of Broad-winged Hawks flies overhead, one leaf on the Virginia Creeper turns red, New England Asters and New York Ironweed bloom in fields. The first meaningful cold front brings a crisp chill to the air and apples appear at road side stands, the perfect snack for early morning photographers. In the Southern Hemisphere, spring begins with a palette all its own. We all experience seasonal changes differently, and our opportunities for photography change as well. Maybe you've always wanted to photograph a river in fall color. Perhaps this year you'll schlep your gear up to that high vista you've always heard about.</p>

<p>The forest here has taken that first turn with Dogwoods in pinks and reds and woodland Asters blooming. Winterberry (<em>Ilex</em> <em>verticillata</em>) are laden with fruit that will turn deep red and provide an important winter food source for wildlife. They will also look pretty good in the snow. And so it begins. One of nature's many spectacular displays of color is under way.</p>

<p>On this fine Monday what's your favorite hue in nature?</p><div></div>

<p>I like green, Laura, and all the other colors, too! I'm thankful our winters here are mild enough that we have some green throughout the season. Green is a perfect camouflage for this tiny arachnid. He's only the size of a pencil eraser and perfectly blends in with the leaves. </p><div></div>

<p>I like the whites against the deepening woods as the leaves turn color. This is the White Wood Aster - <em>Eurybia </em><em>divaricata</em></p><div></div>

<p>Some more autumn berries again here. I think these are on a Yew bush (Taxus baccata) but I'm happy to be corrected if anyone knows better:-). I liked the dusky pinks of the berries and the varied greens of the leaves.</p><div></div>

<p>Dragonfly in Austin, Texas. </p><div></div>

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<p >Love all sorts of colors in nature and this scene brings a nice variety<br />Bright sunny day, this beautiful butterfly was flitting around a Goldenrod about 25’ away<br />Sony NEX-7 mirrorless body<br />Canon FD 300mm/4.0 L manual lens<br />ISO400<br />NEX-7 set to Aperture priority (legacy lenses have to be used manually which suits me fine)<br />Max F4.0 to get shallow DOF / isolate the butterfly, and get highest shutter speed<br />NEX-7 senses amount of light based on aperture I set<br />NEX-7 then sets the shutter speed.....in this situation a very fast 1/2500<br />Hand held, leaning my shoulder against my car to help steady myself</p>

<p ><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/roundball/PHOTOGRAPHY/INSECTS/b3a73007-901f-4268-bcec-371b9dba7a3f_zps5469a532.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><a href="/nature-photography-forum/photo?photo_id=17522712&size=lg"><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17522712-md.jpg" alt="salamander_durban" width="680" height="408" border="0" /></a><br>

Canon S100</p>

<p>Beautiful dragonfly, Bill. <br>

It's still quite warm in eastern NC, but already the first signs of fall are creeping in. I'll soon be able to take more tramps by the rivers, streams and swamps without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Here is a shot taken along a boardwalk through a swamp near the Scuppernong River, showing what falls into - and grows on - the water. From a distance this duckweed may look like scum, but it's a rather pretty little plant up close.<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17522716-md.jpg" alt="" width="544" height="680" /></p>

<p>Maybe not an autumn color, but despite the fairly monochrome tan of the crab and his home, I was drawn to the pattern he was making as he cleaned out the hole. This was taken last month, but I haven't had much time to process images since then.</p><div></div>

<p>Good Day everyone ! What a wonderful set of pictures. <br>

Even thought many of the insects and other critters will have ended their life cycle or migrated or simply settled in for the winter, I am most looking forward to cooler days.<br>

Hard to pick a favorite color in nature as each offers it own beauty .However, I do love the many and varied shades of green in both the flora and fauna.<br>

I was out for a walk in the marsh with my macro lens and found these mating damsels. Their lifecycle will soon be over, but the eggs she laid in the waters, will live as larva for one to three years . <br>

For those that are curious about this beautiful little creature here are a few facts<br>

When at rest, the Damselflies hold its wings at its side. Dragonflies do not.<br>

Damselflies are tiny, about 1 to 2 inches in length.<br>

Damselflies can fly up to 30mph.</p>

 

<p>For reproduction, the male will grab and attach to the female by her thorax. They may fly in this tandem position for a short while. When the female is ready to accept his sperm, she will bend her abdomen up. In this shot, the male is at the top, female at the bottom.</p>

<p>The next time you see a small flash of color speed by you, it just might be a Damselfly.<br>

I hope you enjoy,<br>

Birdie</p>

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<p>Blue Herron</p>

<p>Roadrunner.</p><div></div>

<p>Blue Herron</p><div></div>

<p><strong>I Caught Two, Now What?</strong></p>

<p><a title="Untitled by dcstep, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/9654327157_3d484ce9a7_z.jpg" alt="Untitled" width="640" height="427" /></a></p>

<p>Enjoy seeing all the colorful, inspiring images. Long-billed Dowitcher</p><div></div>

<p >Hello! These photos are incredible! I didn't have time to take many pictures at all this past week with my real camera, so I'll have to contribute an iPhone photo - this one of a Tomatillo plant (I'm a first time tomatillo mama). It rides the line between nature and man-made since I planted it in an established garden, but when you consider it's urban location, it feels like nature to me. I love harvest time! </p>

<p ><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17522926-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="680" /></p>

<p><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/renegade54/renegade54008/_WDS4611_zps31930802.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="539" /></p>

<p>Looks like animal week... </p><div></div>

<p>Another from the butterfly-house in the Blijdorp Zoo;</p><div></div>

<p>Just checked back in to the thread...some terrific shots here folks !</p>

<p>Seen in the Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve in San Mateo County. Coast live oaks are heavily grazed on by California oak moth larvae. Here are the remains of a leaf caught on a bit of Spanish moss, also associated with the coast live oak.</p><div></div>

<p>Always impressed with the images posted here every week. Inspirational!</p><div></div>

<p>Wonderful shots everyone! This shot was taken in my yard, and it was not so much colour, but the interesting shapes that attracted me to this tiny bunch of dying weeds. So tiny in fact, I couldn't see the little beetle hiding in there until I checked the shot on my monitor!</p><div></div>

<p>Deer at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. They walked by within about 15 feet.</p><div></div>

<p>Colin - It is a Yew, but those are not berries. They are fleshy cones :)</p>