RickDB

<p>The day the local public swimming pool is closed for maintenance, it is open to pet dogs - they seem to have as much fun socializing as they do jumping into the water. After a long hot summer this long haired dog couldn't get enough of the cool water. 5D2 + EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye in AquaTech housing; 1/3200s at f/11 ISO 1600.</p><div></div>

<p>Not sure if it's a sign of fall, but suddenly I've noticed lots of American Redstarts in my garden. These pretty birds are quite difficult to photograph as they don't seem to stop for more than a fraction of a second as they flit about catching insects. They are quite different from the redstarts found in Europe.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Laura, with that photo I was lucky to have been in the right place at the right time - the barque Europa, built in 1909, was just off Cuverville Is. when I was there; a B&W version could easily be from a turn of the century expedition.<br>

One of Hurley's photographer friends was the amazing Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins. They met through their interest in photography and adventure. Together in 1917 they documented in photographs the horrors of WW1 in France - they wandered the battlefield and by all accounts it is quite incredible that they both survived. I recommend you add "The Last Explorer" by Simon Nasht to your reading list - there is a chapter entitled "The Mad Photographers" detailing their adventures together.</p>

<p>It was the amazing tale of Shackleton and his crew on the Endurance that inspired me to visit Antarctica back in 2005. Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition was dependent on supplies being cached by the other team, the so called Ross Sea party. Their ship, the Aurora, broke free of her moorings and was swept out to sea stranding the men with only the clothes on their backs and a few supplies. It was an incredible feat of bravery and ingenuity that they managed to lay provisions for Shackleton by sledging 1,700 miles with improvised gear scavenged from the remnants of Scott's base; they were unaware that Shackleton had not set foot on Antarctica! For a full account read "The Lost Men" by Kelly Tyler-Lewis, published in 2006, ISBN 0-670-03412-6.<br /> I bought my first digital SLR, a canon 20D, to record my comfortable adventure to Antarctica, and this is a shot of a small Gentoo penguin colony taken in Neko Harbour, 64.5 degrees south. In December I make my second trip to Antarctica, this time on a trip dedicated to photography.</p><div></div>

<p>A colorful spiny orb weaver - Micrathena sagittata I think.</p><div></div>

<p>Here's my unknown. It appears to be a moldy mushroom - shown before and after a rain storm. It seems odd that the mold would be washed off so easily, so maybe this is some mechanism for dispersing spores?</p><div></div>

<p>One thing to be aware of is that when the lens is shifted or tilted the metering may not be accurate. So, meter the shot without T/S adjustments and then use the settings manually.</p>

<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>

<p>These popped up in my yard over night; their unusual structure gave me doubts they were fungi but it seems they are Earth stars (Geastrum triplex) if I am not mistaken. The central ball is the spore sac; when struck by drops of rain the spores are puffed out through the pore (ostiole) at the top of the sac.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Laura - I can certainly see it's resemblance to any one of those species. RickDB</p>

<p>Another new agaric mushroom from me - this one with a pale green color. EOS 5D2 + EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye; 1/15s at f/16 ISO 800.</p><div></div>

<p>Old and new together; the magic of nature's cycle of life. A colorful old Russula emetica fading away whilst a tiny yellow Leucocoprinus birnbaumii sprouts forth from a decaying fallen branch.</p><div></div>

<p>Some yellow fungi from me too. Once you have taken notice of fungi, there seems to ne no end of varieties popping up everywhere. Time to get a field guide and figure out if any are edible! A cluster of tiny yellow mushrooms growing on the end of a twig. Focus stack of 8 shots.</p><div></div>

<p>My camera has been pointing down to capture more of the amazing variety of "mushrooms" that keep springing up in my yard. I don't know what this one is, but it is remarkably tall (6") compared to the diameter of the cap.</p><div></div>

<p>Great nature pics, as usual! Edwin, the beauty of some (Laura would say all) slime molds can take you by surprise.<br>

Swallow-tailed kites regularly skim the surface of the lake for a drink on the fly - it's almost like having pets as I can count on them being there in the late afternoon.</p><div></div>

<p>A remarkably yellow mushroom - it completely vanished overnight, so I hope whatever consumed it hasn't been poisoned. 7D2 + Tamron 150-600mm at 500mm; 1/6s at f/11 ISO 200 (tripod).</p><div></div>

<p>This shot was taken back in the late 70's with a Fujica ST601 + Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f/2.8 lens on Agfa slide film. When the film arrived back from the processors there was a magenta streak from each sprocket hole on one side to half way across the slide - the film was ruined. However, digital technology came to the rescue - after scanning the slide I was able to edit out the coloured streaks with Photoshop.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Laura for the ID - I never thought I would be lured by the beauty of a slime mold!</p>

<p>Tidying up my little bit of the World usually turns up something new that sends me back inside for my camera. Yesterday I found this interesting fungal bloom (or may be it's a lichen?) on a fallen tree limb. 5D2 + EF 100mm f/2.8 macro.</p><div></div>

<p>Gordon B that's a beautifully composed shot of a barred owl! Here's a shot of a baby armadillo that has taken the less travelled road of is siblings - that is, he is out in the daylight and totally unafraid of human presence.</p><div></div>

<p>Some great shots from everyone this week; a last minute entry from me. Six (or may be more) spotted sandpipers dropped in for a couple of days. Presumably resting on their migration north from South/Central America. There was a lot of bobbing and nodding going on - their body movements seemed to mimic and be synchronized with the wavelets on the lake.</p><div></div>

<p>Common Loon shows a serendipitous splash of colour from the reflected falling drops of water.</p><div></div>

<p>try again...</p><div></div>

<p>Peter, nice shots in St. Paul's - I shot my first roll of colour slide film there in 1965 with my then new Halina Paulette. This week three newcomers in my yard - #1 Limpkin who had a feast on paper pondshell mussels; #2 Juvenile little blue heron; #3 Spotted sandpiper - six stopped overnight on their migration north. EOS 7D2 + EF 500mm f/4 IS II + 2x II (#1) and Tamron 150-600mm (#2 #3)</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>