Monday in Nature Weekly Photo March 31, 2014

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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. 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 ><em >In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include hand of man elements. Try to minimize man made features, keep the focus on nature, and let common sense be your guide. <strong >Let's make this a true Photo of the Week and only post 1 image per week.</strong></em></p>

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<p>Monday Morning Greetings,<br>

Animals are on the move with the changing season. Snow Geese arrived by the thousands in my general area, filling the sky with excitement. Most moved on with the Tundra Swans. For a short time it seemed that everywhere I looked there were big white birds. Now, the skies and fields are quiet, but I feel the absence of one bird in particular.</p>

<p>The Snowy Owl irruption brought unusually high numbers of these birds into North America. We've talked about them here and on other threads. We've seen incredible images of these beautiful raptors. Birding websites buzzed about their locations leading birders and photographers in hot pursuit. I shared the good fortune of seeing one trapped and banded. It's been an amazing time. While on my way home from work in early March I could scarcely believe it when a Snowy Owl flew across my line of sight and up onto a telephone pole. Whoa! I reported the owl's location to a couple of folks and my owl watch began. I went to the location nightly for almost 3 weeks and spent hours each evening recording the owls movements and trying to get the necessary documentary photographs for Project SNOWstorm. Oddly I never saw birders or photographers. There was the occasional lucky lookyloo who took a cell phone snap, but otherwise I seemed to be alone with this bird. It was nice. On March 26 this owl had a date with the banders. But then, on the 21st I did not see those white wings. No bird the next night, or the next. The other Pennsylvania snowys tagged for SNOWstorm were well into New York. MyBird, as we called him at home (think My Girl by the Temptations), was most likely heading north also. The last time I saw him he was successfully hunting and flew so close to the car that I could see the tail of a rodent dangling from his talons. My opening image was taken on my favorite evening. Maybe he'll return next year and fly across my field of view. That would be nice.</p>

<p>I hope this passing winter has brought special memories to all. We can never know when a gift from nature is around the next bend in the road. Spring is right around the corner on this Monday in Nature. Keep your eyes open.</p><div></div>

<p>"Next year" keeps appearing beside the Snowy Owl on my list, Laura. Time for some Spring flowers.</p>

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<p>This fella landed at our feeders while I just happened to be testing my 100-300 lens with the 1.4 tc on. Took several shots, but liked this one the best.</p><div></div>

<p>Watched this little deer grow from the time it has its spots. Usually hung out in the same area for the past 10 months. I think this is the last photo I shot of this deer. Don't know whether the coyotes finally got it or it may have joined up with the larger herd of deer that frequent the county park here in Ashland County, Ohio. I hope it was the latter.</p><div></div>

<p>They say it is spring (despite the new white stuff on the ground), time for spring cleaning, at least in the hard drive sense. I've has this image for a while, I like it. Its subject matter ... demonstrates the fun/peril of living with another nature photographer.<br>

Late fall/early winter we had a butternut squash on the counter to cook up. It took a while to get to it. in the mean time a soft rot developed and the squash started seeping brownish ichor. Most people probably would have chucked it, we didn't. Thought it looked kinda cool. Would make a good pict for Monday we said, great photo op we said. Needless to say we didn't.<br>

Instead it sat there, seeping & weeping. Looks cool we kept saying. Months later ... the squash has stopped seeping. Actually the squash looks very un-squash like. On the other hand, the ichor has solidified & is looking picture worthy. I got to it before my wife did.</p><div></div>

<p>Rick that's amazing; is ichor a technical term or do I have to say it with am American accent to mean ugh?<br>

A very simple sign of spring - larch bud. </p><div></div>

<p>Still warm down here. In fact it's going to be 36C tomorrow - a last gasp of summer (I hope :-))</p>

<p>This is a Snow peppermint <em>Eucalyptus coccifera</em> growing amongst Buttongrass <em>Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus</em> and Coralfern <em>Gleichenia alpina</em> on the high plains of central Tasmania.</p><div></div>

<p>John - ichor is the blood of the gods. Has a rather different meaning pathologically speaking. But it's still early morning here so lets leave it with the first definition. As to the American accent ... what accent :)</p>

<p>Fish dinner.</p><div></div>

<p>Found a <em><strong>White-Crowned Sparrow</strong></em> leaving his perch at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. </p><div></div>

<p>Magnificent shots! Spring is well under way here in the UK and here is a shot of a dead leaf in a forest pool. The dark lines around the leaf are, I think, reflections in the curved meniscus of the water round the leaf.</p><div></div>

<p>Laura, glad you were able to get some shot's of the snowy's......never did see any of the ones that were hanging around here</p>

<p>hopefully Saturday's snowstorm was the last we'll see here in Ohio til November, though it did make for a beautiful Sunday morning </p><div></div>

<p>One last patch of snow remains near a white pine on the western shore of Lake Michigan near Sheboygan, Wisconsin.</p><div></div>

<p>Here in California, with spring officially here, we have had a couple of nice rounds of precipitation with more on the way. We are up to 45% of normal. In the break between storms, a couple of colleagues and I went for a little snowshoe jaunt. I was able to capture this view of Hope Valley below Freel Peak, the high point of El Dorado county.</p><div></div>

<p>Just got back from a trip visiting my parents in Europe. Weather was erratic but even on sunny days honeybees were all but absent. Bumble and solitary bees seem to have taken over some pollinator real estate, including this particular one chilling out (literally) on a rainy afternoon and thus easier to get really close to with my 30mm macro:</p>

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<p>Hummingbird dance</p><div></div>

Last fall there were two reds hanging around this portion of the vineyard property. I saw one of them get picked

off by a Great Horned Owl in late November or early December, so the other one spent most of the winter

alone, then it disappeared about a month ago and I thought it had been picked off too.

 

But he/she (?) returned a couple of weeks ago with a friend, and Sunday I noticed there are at least three, so I

guess maybe “it” just went somewhere and bragged about the massive quantity of Maple seeds there are

kicking around on the ground here and invited them to join the feast (and maybe check out the nesting

opportunities).

 

Sunday morning 03-30-2014 T3i, Cr2, Tv, Tamron SP70-300 at full reach, manual focus<div></div>

<p>Wonderful shots this morning .<br>

Mine is from a foggy morning on the Mississippi River.</p>

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<p>Every so often a photographer will miss a shot that will haunt her/him. I have two memories that are relentless. Yesterday I missed one that doesn't rank quite as high but will bother me a bit for awhile. <br>

I was hiking about a kilometre from here with my constant companion, Elwood. He was three in December, weighs 65lb. and is a black standard poodle. At this time of year he more resembles a bear cub than a dog. He and I work together and for this purpose his training never stops. I need him to respond to hand signals, whistles and voice commands. Often we are together in a canoe with 30 -40 lbs of photo equipment and I must be in control. This past winter he has been learning it's not acceptable to chase the deer off. It's all he can do to tolerate these creatures within his realm and I have watched him struggle with it. Together we sit on the front porch steps and watch them prune the lower tree limbs and exposed sumacs as they also get used to his presence. <br>

We were walking a deer trail in a forested valley along a frozen creek bed and Elwood was some distance ahead of me running with his nose to the ground. Eventually his nose led him back toward me but higher up the hillside. It's a deciduous forest at that point so I had good visibility. I saw him slow to a cautious walk as a 3 or 4 year old buck stood up slowly in front of him. Elwood got to within 6' and it appeared the two would rub noses, as curious as each other. I was stunned. I stood motionless watching, with my camera in hand, literally (it's too heavy for my neck). It was then I got scared for Elwood's safety and whistled his return note. He turned immediately and ran about 20' back the way he'd come, but then being a 3 year old he couldn't contain his excitement and turned again and ran back to the buck. This time his head was higher and his tail was wagging but again I whistled and this time he ran back to me and the deer bounded off. I couldn't believe what I'd seen. The deer always flee at the sight of a dog. Many times I've seen two bucks fight violently over a doe and it isn't pretty so that's why I was concerned for Elwood's safety. This was more like a Disney moment but I didn't want to risk him being injured to find out what would happen next.<br>

It was after all this that I realized I was standing with my camera at the ready and not even aware of it. Taking a shot hadn't even crossed my mind. So, now it'll bother me but each time I remember the scene I will get to experience it again. Just like those two Orcas years ago at Cape Spear playing in the foggy dawn completely unaware that Gup had forgotten to load his F5.<br>

So, thanks for listening. It helps a bit. I did shoot this running brook for you. It's one of my first spring indicators. The temperatures have been above freezing for three afternoons here so the snow is becoming very heavy and melting quickly. It's still 4' deep off the trail, though.</p><div></div>

<p>Beautiful weather here this weekend, finally. Walking along the river we saw a tree full of roosting herons and egrets. It was on the other side of the river, so a bit of zoom and crop and not the sharpest image, but interesting to watch them all together in the trees. Apparently the Great Egret commonly roosts with other Herons. </p><div></div>

<p>A wood dove on my balcony, looking at me and my cat looking at him.</p><div></div>

<p>Roberta, I really like the pelican, the softness of color and contrast, and the simplicity of the composition. Very well done.<br>

Yesterday we got a couple inches of snow/rain that resulted in a pulse of flow in the local stream. </p><div></div>

<p>Birds at a beach.... <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17640093-lg.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Wonderful images, showing the thaw and the movements of Spring. Here is an animal whose movements may not be as visible, from a few weeks back. It is a trash line orbweaver, Conica cyclosa, packaging a food item to initiate a trash line. </p><div></div>

<p>Laura, the Snowy shot is lovely! I don't have any flight shots, hopefully next year. Gup, we all have images that haunt us, even though we can't share them, they're etched in our mind. I am longing for Spring, especially after a surprise snow storm this morning! I like the conversation among these fern, talking about the warm sun I'll bet.</p><div></div>