Nature | Mike Powell | Page 8

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Archive for the ‘Nature’ Category

More wild horses in North Dakota

Posted in animals, Autumn, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Medora North Dakota, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, wild horses on November 23, 2024| 11 Comments »

Although I returned from my road trip out West several weeks ago, I am still going through some of the images that I captured. One of the real highlights of the trip was staying for a few nights in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Unlike some other national parks in that part of the USA, like Yosemite and Glacier National Parks, this park is uncrowded and I was able to drive slowly on its roads and observe a variety of wildlife species.

One of my favorites was the bands of wild horses that live in the national park. It’s estimated that there are about 200 wild horses in the park, though it is hard to know for sure. Most of the time I spotted some of the horses at a distance, out of the range of my telephoto lens, but I did have a few closer encounters and was able to capture some decent images of them.

It was interesting to note that the horse in the final photo is wearing what looks to be some kind of tracking collar. I am not sure if this is a normal practice at the national park or if the horse is part of some special study.

I grew up watching lots of Western show on television, like The Rifleman, Bonanza, and Gunsmoke. As a result, I have a special fondness for cowboys and find it really cool to see wild horses and bison herds.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Prancing pronghorns

Posted in animals, Autumn, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged Antilocapra americana, Canon 7D, Medora North Dakota, pronghorn, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 22, 2024| 1 Comment »

When I was a child, I recall hearing and singing an old American folk song called “Home on the Range.” Its lyrics speak of a home where buffalo roam and “the deer and the antelope play.” Those words kept coming back to me earlier this month during my brief stay at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

Over the years I have learned that the song is technically inaccurate, because there are no antelopes in North America. However, the Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) closely resembles the antelopes of the Old World and are known colloquially as “American antelope.” The closest living relatives of pronghorn, though, are the giraffe and the okapi, an animal often referred to as the “forest giraffe” found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Of note, the pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the Americas, capable or reaching speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (88 km/h).

When I first spotted these pronghorns, they were coming down the side of a hill and preparing to cross the road on which I was traveling. There were two young pronghorns and one an adult, that I presumed was their mother. I focused primarily on the young ones, as you can see in the first two photos, and finally got a shot of the adult as the the pronghorns were climbing a hill on the other side of the road. If I remember correctly, I took the first two photos through the windshield of my car.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Still around…

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Autumn Meadowhawk, Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, Canon 7D, male Autumn Meadowhawk, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sympetrum vicinum, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 21, 2024| 3 Comments »

I was delighted on Monday to spot multiple Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. During the past couple of weeks I saw a few female Autumn Meadowhawks, but until this week I had not photographed a single male—I think that all of the dragonflies that I spotted that day were males. Females are mostly brown with touches of red, while the bodies of males are mostly red, as you can see in the photo below.

Autumn Meadowhawks are only about 1.2 inches (30 mm) in length, so they are difficult to spot, despite their bright coloration. At this time of the year when fallen leaves litter the ground, they tend to blend in pretty well with their surroundings.

I was using my Tamron 150-600mm lens with a monopod, my preferred combination for photographing birds, so it was a challenge to focus on such tiny subjects as dragonflies. I was persistent, however, and was successful in capturing some pretty detailed shots of them.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Carolina Wren in November

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Carolina Wren, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Thryothorus ludovicianus, Woodbridge VA on November 20, 2024| 7 Comments »

Monday was a wonderfully sunny autumn day, so I headed out with my camera to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Suspecting that the insects were almost completely gone, I decided that I would primarily be searching for birds and switched to my longest telephoto lens, my Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens. This is a really versatile lens, but it has a minimum focusing distance of almost 9 feet (2700 mm), which makes focusing on small subjects problematic.

There were ducks on the bay, but they were too far away to photograph. I also spotted a few Bald Eagles as they flew away from me. Fortunately I had better luck with a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) that I initially heard singing. I located the small bird and waited until it turned its head to the side and captured this wonderful little shot of the wren with its mouth wide open and its tail lifted up.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

A few more mule deer shots

Posted in animals, Autumn, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Medora North Dakota, mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 19, 2024| 3 Comments »

Early in the morning on 5 November, I encountered some mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. Initially the deer were lapping up water that had accumulated alongside the road after a rainstorm.

I remained in my car as I captured a few shots of the deer, who looked at me with what appeared to be curiosity rather than fear. I was happy to be able to capture views of the tails and the ears of the mule deer, two of their most distinctive features, before they slowly moved into the underbrush.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Variegated Fritillary butterfly

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Euptoieta claudia, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Variegated Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary butterfly, Woodbridge VA on November 18, 2024| 2 Comments »

The number of butterflies continues to dwindle, so I was thrilled to spot this pretty little Variegated Fritillary butterfly (Euptoieta claudia) last Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The weather has gotten cooler and it won’t be long before below freezing temperatures arrive, so I will be out chasing these last summer survivors until none remain.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Coyote at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Posted in animals, Autumn, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged Black-billed Magpie, Black-tailed Prairie DOgs, Canis latrans, Canon 7D, Coyote, Medora North Dakota, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 16, 2024| 5 Comments »

Earlier this month I spotted a coyote (Canis latrans) at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The coyote was hanging around a prairie dog town (you can see a prairie dog in the background) and magpies accompanied it, hoping to scavenge some tasty remnants.

I took these photos from inside my car with the windows open, hoping that no other cars would come by and disturb the coyote. Fortunately it was early in the morning and I was able to watch the coyote without interruptions. The coyote was unsuccessful in its hunt while I was there and eventually moved on.

Although we have coyotes at the wildlife refuge where I do a lot of my photography in Northern Virginia, this was my first time seeing and photographing one.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

November birds

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Carolina Chickadee, Catharus guttatus, Downy Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Picoides pubescens, Poecile carolinensis, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on November 14, 2024| 5 Comments »

As the weather cools off and the insects disappear, my attention has gradually been shifting to birds. This was a real challenge for me a month ago when the leaves were still covering the trees and hid the birds from my view. Now, however, most of the leaves have fallen and I feel like I have a fighting chance of spotting a bird when I see or hear one.

On Tuesday I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and managed to capture shots of some of the resident birds. The bird in the first photo is a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), the smallest woodpecker in our area. You can see a touch of red on the back of his head, indicating that he is a male.

Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), like the one in the second photo, are quite common, but they are small and elusive and therefore difficult to photograph. During most of the time that I was observing this bird, its head was hidden by branches, but I watched and waited and finally was able to get an unobstructed shot of it.

I am not certain of the identification of the bird in the final photo. On the basis of its markings and color, I think that it may be a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), but that is really not much more than an educated guess. I would welcome a confirmation or correction from a more experienced birder.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Common Buckeye in November

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Common Buckeye, Common Buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on November 13, 2024| 3 Comments »

By mid-November most butterflies have disappeared in my area as the weather has cooled off. One notable exception, however, has been the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia). I was delighted to spot numerous Common Buckeyes last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The markings on these little butterflies are incredibly beautiful and I was happy to be able to capture some of that beauty in the photo below.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Fish or no fish?

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on November 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I can usually count on spotting at least one Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) during my visits to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes, when the tides are right, I will see them in the waters of the bay, but most often they are in the small ponds throughout the refuge.

Last Friday I caught sight of this heron in the shallow waters of one such pond. The heron was intently focused on the water and eventually plunged its head into the water. When the water is deep, the heron will thrust violently into the water, but in this case the movement was much smaller.

I watched and waited as the heron slowly lifted its head to see if it had been successful in catching a fish. As you can see in the final photo, the results were not clear. Obviously the “catch” included a lot of vegetation, but I can’t tell for sure if there was also a small fish. A few seconds later the heron seemed to swallow, dipped its bill into the water to rinse it, and resumed its fishing.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Dragonflies in November

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Autumn Meadowhawk, Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sympetrum vicinum, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on November 11, 2024| 6 Comments »

After a month away on a car road trip, I finally returned home last week. On Friday I ventured out to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to see if I could find any dragonflies. It is pretty late in the season for most dragonfly species, but I was optimistic that I might be able to find some Autumn Meadowhawks (Sympetrum vicinum) that are almost always the final dragonflies to disappear in late autumn.

Happily I was able to spot a half-dozen or so Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies, although I was able to capture images of only a few of them. The female in the first photo was quite cooperative and landed on a colorful fallen leaf. The dragonfly in the second photo is also a female and I am pretty sure that it too is an Autumn Meadowhawk—there is a slight chance that it could be a Blue-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum ambiguum), though it would be unusual to see that species so late in the season.

The final image is a long distance shot of another female Autumn Meadowhawk that is almost perfectly camouflaged. You will need to look very carefully at the upper edge of the leaf in order to spot the little dragonfly. I watched it land at that spot, but actually could not see the dragonfly when I took this shot. I will probably be out again with my camera later this week diligently searching for more dragonflies, the final survivors of the 2024 dragonfly season.

Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served or are continuing to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. As someone who served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, this day is a special one for me. It seems a bit trite to say “Thank you for your service,” but those words reflect my heartfelt thanks to those men and women who voluntarily defend our freedoms.

In other parts of the world this day is celebrated as Armistice Day (or Remembrance Day) and I remember well being in Paris, France on this day several times and observing the impressive ceremonies on the Champs-Élysées to commemorate the armistice that ended World War I. Some thought at the time that it would be the “war to end all wars,” but, alas, those hopes proved to be unfounded.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Bison shadow

Posted in animals, Autumn, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged American Bison, Bison bison, buffalo, iPhone 11, Medora North Dakota, shadow, sunrise, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 10, 2024| 4 Comments »

It is always a challenge to shoot directly into the sun. You never quite know what kind of sun flares will make their way into you photo or how much your subject will become a silhouette. Still I can’t help but attempt to capture a photo whenever the opportunity presents itself.

My gamble paid off last week when I captured this cool image of an American Bison (Bison bison) last week at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. It was just after sunrise and the sun was still quite low on the horizon, creating a distorted, elongated shadow of the bison. You can see only a few details of this magnificent animal, but the shape of the profile of the bison makes it easy to identify the primary subject.

Luck plays often plays a significant role when it comes to wildlife photography, but I can’t help but think of the old adage, usually attributed to Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100 % of the shots that you don’t take.” While I am not a fan of the “spray and pray” approach to photography, I do think it is worthwhile to take a shot whenever something catches your eye—sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Early morning in North Dakota

Posted in Autumn, Landscape, Nature, Photography, Travel, tagged buttes, iPhone 11, Medora North Dakota, North Dakota, sunrise, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 9, 2024| 5 Comments »

After a frigid night camping at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, I awoke early Tuesday morning to catch the sunrise. It was not super spectacular, but I was able to capture some of the color as the sun rose over the mountains.

When the sun was a little higher in the sky, I was able to get a better view of the spectacular landscape with incredible rock formations, as you can see in the final photo. I encourage you to click on that photo to get an enlarged view of the details of the landscape. In this part of the country, these terrain features are referred to as “buttes,” though it is not always clear exactly what make a “butte” a “butte,” rather than a “hill” or “mountain.” No matter what you call them, these terrain features are breath-taking.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Wild horses in North Dakota

Posted in animals, Autumn, Nature, Photography, Travel, wild horses, tagged Canon 7D, horses, Medora North Dakota, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, wild horses on November 3, 2024| 2 Comments »

Two years ago I had the awesome opportunity to view some of the wild horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota at relatively close range. During my recent visit to the same national park, I was not quite as lucky and spotted wild horses only in the distance.

The horses were grazing on an elevated spot, so I was forced to shoot at an upward angle. Consequently my shots of them all had only the sky in the background. Still, I was really happy to be able to spot some wild horses during the somewhat limited time that I spent at the park.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Little Missouri River

Posted in Autumn, Landscape, Nature, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 7D, Little Missouri River, Medora North Dakota, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Little Missouri River runs through Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and I was delighted to capture these shots of it during a recent visit there. There were some indications of autumn colors in the foliage and vegetation and especially in the reflections in the water, as you can see in the second photo below.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Prairie dogs in North Dakota

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Cynomys ludovicianus, Medora North Dakota, Prairie Dog, Prairie Dogs, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 2, 2024| 6 Comments »

During my recent visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota I encountered several colonies of Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). It was a lot of fun observing these active little creatures scurrying in and out of their interconnected holes.

Some of them seemed to be foraging for food, but many of them seemed to be playing and/or interacting with each other. I had the impression that some of them were youngsters, but they never stood still long enough for me to get an impression of their relative sizes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Bison in North Dakota

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged American Bison, bison, Bison bison, buffalo, Canon 7D, Medora North Dakota, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on November 1, 2024| 3 Comments »

One of the highlights of my recent visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota was having the chance to see quite a few American Bison (Bison bison). Unlike during a previous visit there two years ago, the bison were not blocking the road, but some of them were alongside the edges of the road.

These mammoth creatures seemed to be almost as large as my KIA Soul, so I often stayed inside my car when taking photographs of them. I ventured outside of the relatively friendly confines of my little car only when the bison were a good distance away from me.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

A closer view of Mount Rainier

Posted in Landscape, Nature, Photography, Travel, tagged Graham WA, iPhone 11, Mount Rainier, Mt Rainier, Rainier View Christian Church on October 31, 2024| 5 Comments »

On a recent somewhat sunny day, I was delighted to capture this image of Mount Rainier towering in the distance. This view of the mountain was taken from the parking lot of the appropriately named Rainier View Christian Church in Graham, Washington, not far from where I am staying during my visit here.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Deer and fawns

Posted in Arachnids, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, fawn, Medora North Dakota, mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on October 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

On several of my drives through Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota I spotted Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with fawns. I was always struck by the proportionally large ears on the youngsters—apparently they grow into them as they age.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Mule deer at dawn

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 7D, Medora North Dakota, mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, Tamron 18-400mm, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on October 27, 2024| 5 Comments »

I captured this shot of a mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) early in the morning during my recent visit to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota. I woke up before dawn and crawled out of my warm sleeping bag on a frigid morning to drive slowly through the park.

I spotted several small groups of mule deer grazing alongside the park roads and this was my favorite shot of one of them.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Mt. Rainier from a distance

Posted in Landscape, Nature, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 7D, landscape, Mount Rainier, Tamron 18-400mm, Washington state on October 25, 2024| 8 Comments »

After making my way last week through Montana and the panhandle of Idaho, it felt good to finally reach the state of Washington. There were still a few hours of driving to go, including the mountain pass at Snoqualmie Pass at 3022 feet (921 meters), but I felt like I was on the home stretch of my cross-country drive.

The views were breathtaking as I made my way through the mountains and occasionally I would catch a glimpse of the glacier-capped peak of Mount Rainier. Even through there was a lot of haze, I was able to get a decent shot of the mountain from one of the rest areas along the highway.

With an officially recognized summit elevation of 14,410 ft (4392 meters), Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma, is the highest mountain in the state of Washington. When conditions are good, the mountain is visible from almost the entire the Seattle/Tacoma area.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Visiting family

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Melanerpes carolinus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA, woodpecker on October 9, 2024| 8 Comments »

For the next few weeks my postings will be sporadic as I spend time visiting family members. I know that some viewers are used to seeing almost daily posts and I wanted to reassure in advance them that nothing is wrong. I am hoping to be able to give a few updates during this period, if possible, and plan to resume my “normal” schedule in early November.

I spotted this Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week when the skies were completely cloudy and overcast. The light was limited, so the subject is nor illuminated very well, but I was happy that I was able to capture the texture of the snap on which the woodpecker was perched. If you look closely you can see some small holes in the tree where the woodpecker has been pecking away.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Common Yellowthroat (female)

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Common Yellowthroat, female Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 8, 2024| 2 Comments »

I was looking for warblers last week when I visited Occoquan Bay National wildlife and this little bird with bright yellow coloration under its tail was one fo the very few that I was fortunate to spot. I don’t know my warblers very well, so my identification of warbler species is often incorrect. Nonetheless I pored over the images in my bird guide and on line and concluded that this might be a female Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas).

As is often the case, the male of the species is a lot easier to identify with his distinctive black mask, and females tend to me more nondescript. I’d welcome the views of more experienced birders if my identification is wrong. From my perspective, I am happy enough that I managed to capture this shot of the beautiful little bird.

UPDATE: One of my friends on Facebook identified the bird as a Palm Warbler. I really need to work on my identification skills.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Wild Turkey in October

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Thanksgiving, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Meleagris gallopavo, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey, Wild Turkey, Woodbridge VA on October 7, 2024| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year holiday preparations become intertwined at retail stores. I have already seen lots of displays for Halloween and suspect that I will see Christmas decorations for sale as well if I look a little harder. Indigenous Peoples Day and Thanksgiving Day are also part of this autumn blitz.

So I guess that it is not that surprising that I immediately thought of Thanksgiving Day when I spotted this Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Turkeys are part of the lore of Thanksgiving and play a central role in the traditional feast, though commercial turkeys no longer bear much resemblance to their wild counterparts.

There are several flocks of wild turkeys at this wildlife refuge and I often encounter them foraging along the trails. When they see me, they usually move slowly into the undergrowth—I suspect that they have grown accustomed to the presence of humans, but do not want to interact with them most of the time. Strangely enough, that’s the same attitude that I display when I am out in the wild with my camera.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Blue-faced Meadowhawks in October

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Blue-faced Meadowhawk, Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly, Canon 7D, male Blue-faced Meadowhawk, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sympetrum ambiguum, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 6, 2024| 5 Comments »

I was delighted on Thursday to encounter my first Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum) of the season at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. A few minutes later I got a peek at a pair of mating Blue-faced Meadowhawks—spring is not the only season for love.

Blue-faced Meadowhawks are one of the prettiest dragonfly species that I have ever encountered. I love the contrast between their turquoise faces and their bright red bodies. Generally I spot them in the early autumn, just as most of the other dragonfly species are starting to disappear.

Blue-faced Meadowhawks will be around for a bit longer and then their “cousins,” the Autumn Meadowhawks will end up as the last remaining dragonflies of the season. In some years I have seen Autumn Meadowhawks as late as mid-December and a fellow photographer spotted one in early January one year. Autumn Meadowhawks also have red bodies, but have brown eyes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

White-eyed Vireo in autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, vireo, Vireo griseus, White-eyed Vireo, Woodbridge VA on October 5, 2024| 6 Comments »

The weather forecast yesterday showed that there would be some sunshine, a welcome respite after a lengthy period of rainy and/or overcast weather, so I ventured out to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Some other photographers have recently posted photos of warblers there and I thought that I would try my luck, knowing that the still abundant foliage would hamper my efforts to spot them.

As I was walking along on one of the trails, I saw some flashes of yellow, a good indication of a possible warbler. I watched and waited and eventually managed to get a few shots of the bird. I vaguely recalled having seen this species before, but I couldn’t remember what it was. A short time later, I encountered a couple of birders with binoculars. I am usually reluctant to ask for help out in the field, but somehow I managed to overcome my inhibitions and showed them a photo. One of them suggested that it was probably a White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus), not a warbler.

When I returned home, I checked my blog and found that I had previously seen White-headed Vireos in the spring of both 2022 and 2o24. In those cases, the eyes of the vireo were much whiter than those of this bird, which somehow made those prior identifications a little easier.

This is a transitional time of the year for me, a time when I try to search for both birds and dragonflies. My head is moving almost continuously as I alternate between scanning the nearby ground area for insects and the more distant trees for birds.

Summer stragglers and migratory birds mean that I never know what I might encounter when I go walking with my camera, so I try to stay alert and ready at all times.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

First dragonfly of October

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, tagged Blue Dasher, Blue Dasher dragonfly, Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Pachydiplax longipennis, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 4, 2024| 5 Comments »

I know that there should be more dragonflies still around, but this past Wednesday, this Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) was the only dragonfly that I spotted during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The day was cool and gloomy with intermittent drizzle, which almost certainly contributed to the relative scarcity of dragonflies. This month the number of dragonflies will continue to drop, but there still should be some Autumn Meadowhawks and Blue-faced Meadowhawks flying into November.

Blue Dashers are one of our most common dragonfly species and are usually among the first species to emerge in the spring and to disappear in the fall. The dragonfly in this photo was perched at the edge of a small pond. I was happy to capture this shot, considering that I had switched to my longer Tamron 150-600mm lens, which sometimes is a bit soft when extended to 600mm. I had changed lens in anticipation of seeing more birds, which largely was not the case that day.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

American Robin in October

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged American robin, Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, robin, Tamron 150-600mm, Turdus migratorius, Woodbridge VA on October 3, 2024| 6 Comments »

It was cool and gray yesterday with intermittent periods of drizzle and I considered staying indoors. However, I had been cooped up inside for almost a week by teh daily rain showers, so I decided to venture out anyways. I did not see very many insects, only one dragonfly and one damselfly, but I did see a good number of birds. Actually, it is probably more accurate to say that I heard a lot of birds—most of them stayed hidden in the still abundant foliage or were visible from a long ways off.

During my time at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I encountered several flocks of American Robins (Turdus migratorius). Growing up in Massachusetts, I tended to think of American Robins as harbingers of spring, but here in Virginia they seem to be present throughout most of the year. I used to refer to thesr birds as simply “robin,” but ever since I started to photograph birds, I have been more careful in identifying them as “American Robins,” in order to distinguish them from European Robins that are somewhat similar in coloration, but quite different in overall appearance.

The American Robin in this photo was busily foraging in the debris on the trail alongside the water. Fortunately the tides had receded a lot since my previous visit to the refuge, so the trail was no longer under water. I love the way that all of the leaves and branches in the image are an almost perfect match for the colors of the bird, giving the shot a nice sense of harmony.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Big Spider

Posted in Arachnids, Autumn, Nature, Photography, spiders, wildlife, tagged anon 7D, Argiope aurantia, Black and Yellow Garden Orbweaver spider, Black and yellow garden spider, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on October 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

At this time of the year, a lot of Black and Yellow Garden Spiders (Argiope aurantia) show up, like this one that I spotted recently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. One of the features of this species is the distinctive zigzag pattern in the center of their webs.

When a prey lands on the web, the spider moves forward quickly to wrap up its victim in webbing material, as you can see in the second photo. Spiders will often wrap up several victims and leave them on the web for a later snack.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Mockingbird in late September

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Mimus polyglottos, mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on October 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The weather has been uncooperative this past month and I’ve spent more time indoors than usual, so I have not been able to take as many bird photos as I have in some other months. Now that the leaves are starting to fall off of the trees, I am hoping that I will have the chance to spot and photograph more birds. As the weather gets cooler, there will also be fewer and fewer insects around, I will inevitably have to switch my focus.

Last week I spotted this Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) perched in a nearby tree while I was wading my way through Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It was a gray and overcast day and many birds seemed to be sheltering in the trees, hidden by the foliage. This mockingbird was hopping about in the tree and I was happy to capture this shot before it flew away.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

More Monarchs

Posted in Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Danaus plexippus, Monarch, monarch butterfly, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on September 30, 2024| 2 Comments »

Last Wednesday I was thrilled to spot multiple Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the most Monarchs that I have seen at one time this entire season. I do not know if these are local Monarchs that are preparing to migrate southward or if they are migrating Monarchs that are stopping by to refuel their bodies as they continue on their journey.

In either case, the butterflies were really active, in almost constant motion as they moved about the the open thistle flowers. I was hoping to get multiple butterflies in a single shot, but was never able to capture more than two of them in any photo, as you can see in the first image below.

The final photo shows the kind of photo that I was trying to take, a sidewards view of the Monarch in action. If you look closely, you can even see the butterfly’s extended proboscis. I also love the wonderful contrast between the orange of the butterfly and the pink of the thistle flower.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »