Monday in Nature Weekly Photo May 4, 2015

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<p>Greetings,<br>

So, you're walking through the woods on a nice day. The birds are chirpin', froggies are croakin', bees are buzzin'. You're having a great day. The sky is blue, not just any blue, but that deep cerulean blue and there's an occasional, yet refreshing breeze. The trail is in good condition, and when it ends, the underbrush is manageable. A long desired destination is out ahead and today you're going to finally get there. All along the way nature has provided eyefuls of beauty. You and your camera are on fire. You've shot 30 frames and 25 are keepers.</p>

<p>Then you step in it. You're glad that the car is 5 miles away because it will take that much walking to get it all off your new boots. Oh yeah, that's a fresh one. Watch where you set the camera bag. Unbeknownst to you, a small flock of vultures roosted in a tree above your parked car and the paint job may never be the same again. Ooooooohhhhhh sssssscat.</p>

<p>Any scatologists out there? How often do you really look closely at one of the most abundant substances in nature? There's a lot to learn from a pile in the woods, or anywhere else. What animals are around? What do they eat? Look down and all around. There's a lot to see if you're willing to stick your face and camera in a pile of manure. Coprophilous (now there's a new word for the day) organisms from bacteria to fungi and insects thrive in this environment, using nutrients and making them available for other lifeforms. It's a challenge for macro photographers, that's for sure! But the rewards are there. This is most likely<em> Lasiobolus</em> <em>papillatus</em> at 5X. The yellow orange color is visible to naked eye and details can be seen with a hand lens. Another, as yet unidentified, pretty species of fungi was also growing here. Lot's to see, up close.</p>

<p>Sometimes on Monday in Nature it's easy to wonder, who dung it? Better check your boots.</p><div></div>

<p>My image is from a slightly higher level. <em>Betula</em> <em>papyrifera</em> flower.</p><div></div>

<p>Found a busy little <strong>BEE</strong> yesterday and used my macro lens to get this shot. </p><div></div>

<p>Backyard Birds</p><div></div>

<p>Had to negotiate around some leftover winter dog poop for this one</p><div></div>

<p>Dead plant along the roadside. --Sally</p><div></div>

<p>Laura...talk about making the best of a bad situation! A good photo to boot... </p>

<p>Another newcomer to our small lake, this 6' male looking for a lady 'gator. To supplement his mating call grunts he has taken to sporting a pair of eastern amberwings, the accoutrements du jour for any young 'gator trying to improve his sex appeal!</p><div></div>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18017120-md.jpg" alt="50D 217" width="680" height="453" border="0" /></center>

<p>My wife and I observed this little bird for quite a while at different times yesterday. It maybe a juvenile common loon (<i>Gavia immer</I>)?<br>

He was making a lot of action in the water late yesterday evening, at Moss Landing, California (along the California coast, in the Monterey Bay)</p><div></div>

<p><img src="/photo/18015710" alt="" />I was searching for something to photograph on rue Quai in Laprairie, Quebec and found this. I used my 70-300mm nikkor almost wide-open and close to the maximum zoom to capture new growth and the setting sun. Picture control on the camera was set to vivid. Very limited post processing _ cloned out some wayward branches on the right side.</p><div></div>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18016708-lg.jpg" alt="" width="598" height="900" /><br>

Wood Poppy, Indianapolis Pentax K3, 100mm DA macto.</p>

 

<p>looking down on the Rocky River this past Saturday morning</p><div></div>

<p>The Annas hummingbird I posted a photo of recently, hatched two eggs. This shot from yesterday shows the last chick to fledge. <br>

Leaves of the pear tree have filled in so this photo is from the other side with 70-300 Tamaron @ 300mm on D800E (cropped).<br>

It looks like the round white object on the side of the nest may be a fragment of egg shell. Do hummers ever reuse nests the following season? I'll have to be careful with next years pruning if that's the case.</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Coyote Hunting</strong></p>

<p><a title="Got it! by David Stephens, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7773/17319819326_1592d3c14a_c.jpg" alt="Got it!" width="800" height="534" /></a></p>

<p>Laura this week's theme is perfectly timed. Found this corprophage congregation yesterday along the Amargosa riverbed. When out in nature, the bottom line of nature's food webs is overlooked at one's peril... literally!</p><div></div>

<p>Tony - stellar image this week</p>

<p>Bears at the beach...</p><div></div>

<p>Hopefully this is the last we'll see of the ice until perhaps next December. Goodbye and good riddance, ice</p><div></div>

<p>Ice is ok as long as it comes from inside my refrigerator. :-) We are in May now, and I am sure those who had a long winter in the northern hemisphere are happy to see spring.</p>

<p>Glenn, nice hummingbird nest image. A few years ago, someone found an Anna's hummingbird nest in our area. We were standing in front of it from maybe 10 feet away. While that gentleman was pointing that out to me, it still look me a couple of minutes to locate it. Hummingbird nests are tiny and they are well camouflaged with the environment.</p>

<p>Lots of peacock butterflies here in the UK at the moment. Here is one on some cherry plum blossom.</p><div></div>

<p>Well, she was giving me the eye....reacting to many of us stopping (in Denali). This female was chased by the bull moose...so any sort of posing was coincidental. Don't get me started on mooskie droppings in chocolate :>).</p><div></div>

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<p>Weathered wolf scat on lichen covered granite. Deer hair and bone shards being all that remained.</p>

<p>one more time</p><div></div>