Monday in Nature Weekly Photo Sept. 7, 2015

[Laura Weishaupt]

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<p>Monday Morning Greetings,<br>

Today is a big unnatural holiday in North America. Labor Day is celebrated here in the U. S. and in Canada. Many of us have the day off and will make the most of it by loading the back pack with a pile of munchies and camera gear. While we're working hard at not working at all, nature never takes a day off.</p>

<p>There's no lolligagging for a kettle of Broad-winged Hawks starting the long journey to South America. The local Bluebirds are working hard to show the young ones where the food is so they'll make it through the cold that's coming. The ragweed seems like it's clocking overtime, to the dismay of so many. Goldenrod is blooming and bees are working hard with this major food source. Can bees ever stop working? It doesn't seem so. Vultures are always overhead, working hard as nature's clean up crew. What if they took a vacation?</p>

<p>Sure, there's some rest and relaxation in nature, but never time off. Trees grow and support life that eat, sleep , and live in their heights. The river may look lazy downstream, but here come the fish heading upstream. All those salmon, swimming hard only to jump into the jaws of a waiting bear. Yum. Erosive forces work hard to grind nature to dust, then Pele punches her time card and the lava starts to flow.</p>

<p>This female Mallard was one of a trio working hard for the morning meal. They ate off rocks in the swift moving water, slowly moving upstream. Whether you're working hard or hardly working, get with some nature today.......Monday in Nature, that is.</p><div></div>

[gordonjb]

<p>Despite the unseasonably hot weather the fungi are flushing on schedule. These chanterelles have been coming up in the same spot for at least the 20 years that I've been checking. Some years there are only a few and other years, such as this year, they are plentiful.</p><div></div>

[gduffy]

<p>Day of the Raptor.</p><div></div>

[johnfarrar]

<p>Gordon - lovely. A clump of <em>Armillaria</em> - Laura correct me if this is wrong!</p><div></div>

[vrankin]

<p>A volunteer corn plant from the last season matures in a bean field. The sky's eerie glow is from western U.S. wildfires still raging.</p><div></div>

[Rick Bortnick]

<p>Gordon - John's right, nice rendering.<br>

I went with strong afternoon sun on yellow.</p><div></div>

[Laura Weishaupt]

<p>John, <em>Armillaria</em> looks good from what I can see.<br>

Gordon, I always enjoy your way with mushrooms.</p>

[Bill J Boyd]

<p>Blue Dragonfly...</p><div></div>

[stemked]

<p>This is the time of year when Crotalus horridus, better known as the Timber Rattlesnake go looking for love. It is listed as an endangered species here in Indiana and its a real treat to come across a particularly health one. Based on the rattle count (11) I suspect it is close to four years old.<br>

<br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18081393-lg.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="598" /><br /> Timber Rattlesnake, Indiana. Pentax K3 100mm f2.8 DAW macro.</p>

[colin carron]

<p>Great stuff from everyone! I am fascinated by dragonfly eyes at the moment. The numbers of light-sensitive proteins in their eyes seems to be at least 11 and mybe as many as 30. We have 3 - red, green and blue. It also looks like they see into the ultraviolet and may see light polarisation as well. <br>

I posted a similar shot a couple of weeks ago but have been trying to get more dragonfly eye detail, particularly the compound eye structure. Anyway here is a shot which you would not want to see if you were a fly. </p>

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[User_2019667]

<p>Milkweed bugs are starting to cover the milkweed pods. </p><div></div>

[biomed]

<p>I believe this is an Assassin Bug (Pselliopus barberi).</p>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18082122-md.jpg" alt="assassin_bug" width="680" height="453" border="0" /></center>

[cegeiss]

<p>Early morning on the Housatonic River</p><div></div>

[RickDB]

<p>Edwin B's bioluminescent mushrooms last week made me check out my yard at night. Before I went I took note of the location of the giant Golden Silk Orb Weaver spiders that hang out in the woods, often at face height. Unfortunately I didn't run into any glowing fungi... and fortunately no spiders either!</p><div></div>

[sallymack]

<p>Since pickleweed usually grows nearer water, it was shocking to see it striving to get established in dry sand. --Sally</p><div></div>

[Mary Doo]

<p>Laura, love your insightful writing as usual.</p>

<p>This is the first time I have attempted to raise butterflies, partially in response to the Monarch crisis situation. It was wonderful to personally witness the amazing metamorphosis cycle. Here is a Monarch that has just hatched, hanging on to its now-empty "womb". Its swollen body contains fluid that would help to enlarge and straighten the wings, on its way to soon become a majestic beauty.</p><div></div>

[Gup]

<p>My usual afternoon stroll...</p><div></div>

[Robin Smith]

<p>From the aquarium...</p><div></div>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>The opposite side of the compound eyes' POV to Colin's dragonfly portrait</p><div></div>

[Edwin Barkdoll]

<p>Gordon, the black trumpets are my favorite edible wild mushroom, bar none. It has been a poor year for them here in Maine. Last year my wife picked nearly 15 pounds; and that was leaving a lot behind. I hope you enjoy them as well.</p>

<p>Rick, great spider shot. I am always running into them, literally, in the woods. Of course I usually don't see the spider, rather, I just feel its broken web on my face and know that there is a large spider probably crawling on me somewhere...</p>

[Edwin Barkdoll]

<p>Seaweed on Grand Manan, Canada.</p><div></div>

[gordonjb]

<p>Edwin, Yes they are also one of my favourite wild mushrooms. We had them in a mushroom risotto last night and again this morning in an omelet. Wow 15 lbs is a lot of trumpets! I picked maybe 2 lbs, however we usually will get several flushes over the course of the fall.</p>

<p>Love you photo, those smooth stones look like a giant inverted '?' mark.</p>

[Edwin Barkdoll]

Ha! We also had black trumpets last night. Rain has been scant this year so no flushes to speak of and they often wither

by the time we find them. A dehydrator is a savior, though. We were still eating the dried ones from last years bonanza

when they came in this season.

[Doug Obert]

<p>From the ashes, sprouts renewed life.<br /> Lightning started many fires in my state early last month and they are still burning out of control. The largest in state history, the Okanogan Complex fire took my younger brothers' home and everything he had two weeks ago on top of a mountain where he was enjoying retirement "off grid". When we were allowed to go back in, we did. The fire burned so hot in places, even metal melted. I took numerous photos to document things and was shocked to discover this one and only squash plant, where his garden once was.</p><div></div>

[anthea50]

<p>Speaking of bees - I saw this one being busy on our Marigolds the other day.</p><div></div>