Monday in Nature Weekly Photo Nov. 9, 2015

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<p>Greetings,<br>

I hope you've had a great week out in nature. Time to grab the coffee to go and get out there in the tall weeds. Let's get the week off to a good start with great nature photography from around the world for Monday in Nature.</p><div></div>

<p>Composite</p><div></div>

<p>Funny that we are talking weeds this week. I spent the first half of my work week on a rather steep slope in the Iowa Loess Hills. The weeds were waist-high and my favorite was a thorny vine that caught your feet and pierced through two layers of heavy cotton canvas with ease. Worst of all: it's native, so the local management crew accepts its growth (though they sure have their own endearing, absolutely non-scientific, name for it :-). Needless to say, after eight hours in the sun I was not in the necessary state of mind to take a graceful picture of it. Here's a shot of some backlit trees (taken from the same site) instead. I hope you all have a great week.</p><div></div>

<p>American White Pelican landing at White Rock Lake in Dallas.</p><div></div>

<p>Panatomic-X in a Nikon F2, 35mm f2.0 Nikkor.</p>

<p><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5765/22900010151_f5bd5e9b58_c.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="534" /></p>

<p>For me, it was back to the Cullinan Ranch (northern California) wetlands to check on the <em>Archaea</em> bacteria that's been out there since June. It's disintegrating with the recent rain (and it was raining off-and-on while I was out there), both dissolving the salt "spikes" where there was standing water or mud and making the mat crated by the bacteria move noticeable. Still plenty of salt. Plenty slippery, too. --Sally</p><div></div>

<p>I was doing some microbial collections in caves in central Indiana. Found a few other neat critters as well, including a lovely Cave Salamander. The image is actually reversed (it was on a ledge upside down, but I figured that would drive everyone crazy)<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18124490-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="451" /><br>

Cave Salamander, K3 100mm f2.8 DA macro Diffused popup flash, f22 ASA 200 (I think)</p>

<p>An attempt to combine the fungus, <em>?Clitocybe</em> (Laura, Laura, wherefore art thou, Laura?), with its habitat - a limestone woodland dominated by mature yew trees, a rare and rather wonderful habitat in the UK. The yews create such deep shade that there is almost no understory. Tripod? A rucksack on its back.</p><div></div>

Douglas, so of course I had to rotate your lovely salamander. . . --Sally

<p>This is a very small portion of the murder of crows that has been gracing our area over the past couple of weeks. Each morning just after dawn, a constant stream of crows some 30-40 abreast heads northward. This parade lasts about 10-15minutes so I estimate the size of the murder to be in the thousands. Then, just before dusk, they head back south to roost for the night. Occasionally, they will land on the tall ash trees in the back yard. Our corgis, Harry and Hattie, hate crows and they bark and leap at them even if the crows are 20m above in the trees. Seems to work, though, because the crows quickly move on. Soon, the daily streaming will come to an abrupt end when the crows migrate south.<br>

I could only fit 14 crows in this frame. I would like to capture more of the murder; but, I haven't figure out how. Maybe I should ask a detective ;-}.</p><div></div>

<p><a title="Big Buck Flehmen" href=" data-flickr-embed="true"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/594/22829662116_cfd5c99777_c.jpg" alt="Big Buck Flehmen" width="800" height="640" /></a></p>

<p>In this pose (flehmen) he's using the Jacob's gland in the roof of his mouth to determine the "status" of a nearby doe. Just before this, he smelled her urine on the ground.</p>

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

<p>As promised last week, snow geese at Bosque del Apache NWR</p>

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<p>John, I like your "mushroom environment" shot. I find it a challenge to get enough emphasis on the shroom without losing the background or, conversely, capturing the background and losing the shroom but you've done it well.</p>

<p>David, that is a very impressive buck!</p>

<p>Doug, great cave salamander shot. As a former caver, I appreciate the technical challenges that might have involved. Haven't crawled through the mud or slithered through crevices in caves since the mid 80s. Great fun and adrenaline rushes at times.</p>

<p>Lobster shell</p><div></div>

<p>Taken on a walk this morning, some dessicated leaves, probably hornbeam, as they are common in this particular woodland.</p><div></div>

<p>Red-billed tropicbird (<em >Phaethon aethereus</em>) at Genovena Island, Galapagos Islands. Nikon D750 with 80-400mm AF-S lens.<br /></p><div></div>

John,

 

 

"....By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make,

Whereof the ewe not bites; and you whose pastime

Is to make midnight mushrooms, that rejoice

To hear the solemn curfew........

 

 

 

Couldn't help myself. ;-) Honestly, I'd need to see them closer, but they could be<em> Clitocybe</em>. That genus has a smell that is rather unique, but difficult to articulate. They are saprobes. <em>Clitocybe ditopa</em> is found in UK in association with Yew litter, but I'm not familiar enough with it, so I hesitate to render an opinion. There are other leaves in the litter and the mushrooms may be associated with them. From what I can see, <em>Clitocybe</em> is a direction to look. It looks like an inviting forest.

 

 

<a href="http://eol.org/pages/1033691/details">Here</a> is an interesting page with fungi associated with <em>Taxus baccata. </em>

 

(For some reason the paragraphs won't separate)

<p>Paul,<br>

Are those Ross's? Their bills look a bit stubby. Personally, I couldn't pick a Ross's out of the crowd, so I'm curious. With the warm temps here I'm hoping that snowies will be around here for awhile. They usually get here in December. </p>

<p>There's still a little bit of Autumn color left here in Connecticut. Taken early yesterday morning just after sunrise.</p>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18124685-md.jpg" alt="_E6A7228" width="680" height="453" border="0" /></center>

<p>Thanks, Edwin.</p>

<p>We've enjoyed some of the most beautiful November weather here that I can remember in the past week. Temperatures soaring toward 20C... and beyond! <br>

This is my favourite season for other reasons though; beautiful colour changes, crystal clear nightscapes, no insects of the pest variety, more comfortable for strenuous hiking, no pleasure boats or jet skis breaking the peace and very few humans at all, actually. The summer weekend flow has stopped. <br>

This is just a respite though, before the onslaught of winter in all its fury. Last year on November 14th, after 25 years here, I was forced to finally buy my first snowblower as we had 4' of freshly fallen joy in our driveway. That's only 5 days hence! <br>

This shot was taken on Wednesday at Killbear Provincial Park on Georgian Bay of The Great Lakes. I have the privilege of exploring this mostly preserved natural environment at my leisure as I live close by. At this time of year the gates are closed to motor traffic so encountering other people is rare and chances of sighting wildlife increase. On this hike we saw 5 deer at various times, a lone cormorant, some fresh bear scat and a large fisher. The fisher was just as surprised as we were. He wasn't shy and continued to hunt within our proximity for about 5 minutes affording us a unique opportunity to observe him at work. Fishers are quite graceful and swift in the forest as well as formidable in battle. There are literally no lap dogs or cats straying our township... Our dog was also watching with acute curiosity, ready to spring into protection mode at any sign of aggression from this guy but he is obedient and remained at my side as we watched. I was only carrying a P&S so didn't bother to try for a shot this time, choosing instead to just enjoy the moment.<br>

Here is a typical view of the Canadian shield shoreline as it disappears into the clear waters of eastern Georgian Bay.</p><div></div>

<p><img src="/photo/18110829" alt="" />Mine was taken in Laprairie Quebec close to the ST. Lawrence river. The clouds attracted my attention immediately and then to have these gulls appear was a pleasant and welcome surprise. Great shots as usual. </p><div></div>

<p>This very young buck has a way to go to join the ranks of that big rutting buck in David Stephen's <br>

photo. But one day, if he stays off the highway he will get his chance. </p><div></div>

<p>A walk through the park. Really, this took place in Bangkok. I was excited and cautious at the same time, tho these animals tend to avoid people. It was highly surprising to see a monitor lizard (actually that turned out to be plural) and an indication that someone was feeding them. </p>

<p>This one slipped into the water, the light was rather low, I tried to follow parallel on the land....while anticipating the tongue action. This was the only dynamic shot that I could muster.</p>

<p>Les<br>

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