Monday in Nature Weekly Photo April 20, 2015

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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. Feel free to link your image to a larger version.<br>

<strong><em>In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include hand of man elements. Please refrain from images with obvious buildings or large man made structures like roads, fences, walls. Try to minimize man made features, keep the focus on nature, and let common sense be your guide. Let's post one image per week. </em></strong><em>More details please <a href="/nature-photography-forum/00cgtY">check here</a>.</em></p>

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<p>Good Morning,<br>

Ours is an international community. You live around the world in diverse environments. When the Sun and Moon set for one photographer, they rise for another. We travel and are enriched by the experience of seeing nature in its infinite variety. Some folks only make it to the next county and some make it to all corners of the globe. No matter how near or far we go our cameras are in hand.</p>

<p>This week we celebrate Earth Day. No place exists in isolation. Water flows downstream and wind blows volcanic ash and desert sand. Ocean currents drive weather systems and carry nutrients that fuel the food chain in the sea. Every place is connected to every other in some way. We have an impact on our world, both good and bad from our own yards to larger places beyond.</p>

<p>Earth Day is on Wednesday, but here on Monday in Nature we can share the sights of the only home we know.</p><div></div>

<p>Regardless of man, another cycle in the life of the planet heralded by spring ephemerals - Squill (<em>Scilla</em>).</p><div></div>

<p>Bottlebrush (<em>Callistemon</em>) flower.</p><div></div>

<p>The OWLETS....A Great Horned Owl has made a nest for 5 consecutive years at the entrance to Lady Bird Wildflower Center in Austin. I have been watching the nest since early February and finally got a shot of all 3 babies. They should fledge by the end of this week. They hatched on different days and look like stair steps.</p><div></div>

<p>Our Warblers here in Central Indiana are just starting to come in.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18007046-lg.jpg" alt="" width="676" height="900" /><br>

Northern Parula Warbler, Indianapolis, IN Pentax K3, 600mm f5.6 A</p>

<p>One good sign of spring is the return of the spiders - or in this case, at least their webs. Of course spiders are vital in most ecosystems, helping to recycle live but small insects.</p><div></div>

<p>I don't know what this little plant is but it's budding, now.<br>

John, in northern California fall is spider-time. --Sally</p><div></div>

<p>Happy Earth Day</p><div></div>

<p>Sally,</p>

<p>Not sure but it looks like a lupine to me.</p>

<p>Appreciating not only what I encounter far from home, but also much closer. Here is a Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus), pausing before continuing his chase of his intended beau across the pink granite of Enchanted Rock. </p><div></div>

<p>mourning dove pair.....the one on the left has a cyst or some other kind of growth on its head</p><div></div>

<p>It is such a pleasure to see the vibrant color of new life returning</p><div></div>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18003870-md.jpg" alt="50D_macro 244" width="680" height="453" border="0" /></center>

<p>Here is a Banded Peacock, Anartia fatima, on a leaf in the rainforest of Costa Rica.</p><div></div>

<p><img src="/photo/18006831" alt="" />Mine is some sponge taken in Key West Florida in February 2015. D300.</p><div></div>

<p>Barred owl having a stretch before heading out to hunt. EOS 7D2 + 300mm f/2.8 IS; 1/200s at f/2.8 ISO 1600, flash with better beamer.</p><div></div>

<p>Missed couple of pink sunsets, but I did get this one last night. Olympic Mt's in the background.</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Mother and Baby</strong></p>

<p><a title="Mother and Baby by David Stephens, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7710/16583965484_8c9ba294d0_c.jpg" alt="Mother and Baby" width="800" height="800" /></a></p>

<p>A B&W study of reeds and water this week. I was fascinated by the distorted reflection of the reeds in the moving water and B&W seems to suit the subject.</p><div></div>

<p>With temperature in the 70's along the Central Coast, the butterflies are plentiful</p><div></div>

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

<p>Enjoying the Spring weather. A young button buck survived this nasty winter weather unscathed. He is inside of a fenced in former land fill and all alone since birth. His mother came and fed him until he was weaned. </p><div></div>

<p>In keeping with Laura's observations of people having an impact on and connecting distant places, here is an octopus stinkhorn, brought to California from Australia or Tasmania along with imported bamboo. This shot is a focus stack of 11 images.</p><div></div>

<p>I should indicate that the stacked image of the octopus stinkhorn was achieved through the use of CombineZ.</p>

<p>A swan taking care of its feathers</p><div></div>