Larry at Larry's Images.com: 8/28/11

Saturday, September 3, 2011

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch Male

My interest in this bird began back when I was still using film. I remember sitting in the backseat of my car parked along a country roadside. By the roadside was a pasture with Bull Thistles. The birds were eating the seeds. I believe that I was using Kodak EPH 1600 pushed one stop. It was 2003.

Fast forward to 2011. I am shooting at ISO 1600 on a monopod at Gorman Nature Center. The birds are eating seeds from the Prairie Dock.

American Goldfinch Female

American Goldfinch Male

American Goldfinch Female

Part of the learning experience for me is learning the behaviors and comfort of the animals I photograph. For a long time I felt that these birds were very elusive. I just could not get close enough to get the shot. They seemed very alert to my presence. These shots are in the midst of a prairie like environment. There are tall grasses and plants everywhere. I have noticed that this is a workable environment if I can be aware of the bird's eye and body not being blocked by anything. It does not seem to matter for other parts of the frame. I move around until I can achieve this type of clear shot. The birds seem to remain comfortable and go about their business of eating. The tall grasses and plants act as a blind. The bird and I are both happy.

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Friday, September 2, 2011

Black and Yellow Garden Spider

This is a spider which is visible at this time of year. It is fairly common. It's appearance might scare some people. It even scares me a little.

I was photographing a spider the other day which I thought that I did not know.

Black and Yellow Garden Spider Male

I thought that the image was usable but I was unsure of what it might be. I discovered that it was the male. The one I had seen all my life was the female. The male is smaller and this view is of the underside. The factor which helped me with the ID was the way they hold their eight legs in groups of two.

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Interesting Photo Element

I was walking around the pond the other morning after a substantial rain. I had images that were back/side lit on my mind. I noticed how the rain drops on the lily pads were interesting. I don't know whether to call this a rhythm or a pattern. I started looking for a way to use it in an image. As I stood there going though possibilities, I noticed the frog sitting on a pad and decided to try using him/her. I also noticed while going through the possibilities, that there was a specific angle at which the effect was pronounced. The one, on which the frog was sitting, stands out because of the lack of the water droplets.

American Bullfrog Female

A closer look reveled her to be an American Bullfrog.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Dogday Harvestfly

We used to call them the Cicada or Locust. They are quite vociferous this time of year. I have noticed that if I arrive early on a cool morning, they are quiet. As the morning warms they begin their sound. The Farmer's Almanac used to say that you would have frost six weeks after you first hear them. I heard my first one on July 10th this year. Let's see, that would mean that we are due for a frost almost immediately if the old farmers know anything.

As to photographing them, they are quite aware of you as you walk by. If you stop walking close to one it will immediately fly away. I was able to catch this one on a cool morning. It was sitting in the sun warming itself and was a little more hesitant to fly.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Where's Waldo?

Remember the children's books where you had to find Waldo in a very busy, lots of details with very little or no organization, picture? I thought of it the other day as I sat by the vernal pool.

Can you find the two frogs in this one? I have noticed that I will look at the pool and see no or very few frogs. If I stay and relax, enjoying the view, I will begin to see frogs. Finding frogs can not be hurried!

American Bullfrog

I thought that you might want some help. This one is in the shade on the right.

American Bullfrog

This one is almost behind the cattail leaf on the left.

Green Frog

This one was very close to me, again in the shade. I sat there for 15 minutes before I saw him.


Northern Leopard Frog

I saw this one at a different pool on a different day. I happened to notice her immediately. I was struck by the posture.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Caterpillars or Not

Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar

I have shown this caterpillar before. I had a doubt when I viewed this scene. It looked to me like the large ones had babies. I did some reading about this caterpillar. I learned that they have only one family a year. The caterpillar goes through instars. An instar is the period between molts. A molt it when they crawl out of their skin and form a new one. They go through three instars and then form a cocoon in which they overwinter. These are maybe first instar and second or third instar caterpillars.

Macremphytus Sawfly

According to Caterpillars of Eastern North America, this is Macremphytus Sawfly. It is not a true caterpillar. I have been noticing these for about three seasons. There is a dogwood plant in the pine forest on which they appear every year. I had started to think that they would not come this year. I was watching the plant each day as I passed it. One day they appeared. In a day, they had stripped the plant of all foliage just as they have every year. On the second day, there were still a few left. I stopped to photograph them as my friend Sam and his wife came up the trail. Sam said that the plant is Red Osier Dogwood. Thanks, Sam. It is the only site of which I am aware that this happens. There are many other dogwoods but I don't see these "caterpillars" them. It is an interesting mystery.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Fast Reflexes

Common Buckeye Butterfly

I seldom have the opportunity I had when I made this image. These butterflies usually land on the ground in the sun on the cooler mornings. This one was up where I can shoot without stooping. I was not more that six feet from it. It would hear the mirror on my DSLR slap up and close its wings. The flash did not seem to bother it but it would close its wings (see below) before the shutter opened.

Butterfly with wings closed

Interestingly, some the smaller butterflies, e.g. the skippers, can actually take off and leave me just the leaf in the photograph. They, also, seem to have very fast reflexes. I suppose they must have them for self preservation.