April 20, 2024 by Mike Powell
An Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) raised a wing as it flew by me on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, displaying the fish that it had just caught. There are quite a few osprey at the refuge at this time of the year and it is not uncommon for me to see one clutching an osprey in its talons. However, it is rare that I am able to get a good look at the prey, because it is often hidden by the osprey’s wing movements.
Normally I attempt to capture shots of birds in flight with my longest lens, a Tamron 150-600mm. At this time of the year, though, I am just as likely to want to photograph butterflies and dragonflies as birds, so most of the time I keep my Tamron 18-400mm lens on my camera that lets me focus on a much closer subject. I sacrifice a bit of reach by using this lens, but, as you can see in the image of the osprey captured with this lens, it can produce good results even when fully extended. I encourage you to click on the image to see the feather details of the osprey and the details of the hapless fish too.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged birds in flight, Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, osprey fishing, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA | 4 Comments »
April 20, 2024 by Mike Powell
On Monday I spotted this cool little butterfly at Occoquan Regional Park in nearby Lorton, Virginia. I was a little surprised to learn that it is a Falcate Orangetip butterfly ( (Anthocharis midea), given that the butterfly has not a single visible spot of orange. Apparently only the males have the orange tips for which the species is named and this one is a female.
When I first spotted this tiny butterfly flying about, I assumed that it was a Cabbage White. However, I quickly noticed the colored pattern on the outside of the wings and realized that my initial impression were wrong—Cabbage Whites are all white except for some black spots. When I looked even closer I noticed the butterfly’s gray eyes and scallop-edged wings, unlike the Cabbage Whites that have green eyes and more even-edged wings.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Anthocharis midea, Canon 7D, Falcate Orangetip, Falcate Orangetip butterfly, female Falcate Orangetip, Lorton VA, Occoquan Regional Park, Tamron 18-400mm | 5 Comments »
April 19, 2024 by Mike Powell
One of the earliest dragonflies to appear in the spring in my area is the Blue Corporal (Ladona deplanata). Blue Corporals are relatively easy to identify because they have two stripes of their shoulders—two stripes is the traditional marking for the rank of corporal in the armed forces. When they first emerge, males and females have similar colorations, but the males turn blue as they mature.
The dragonfly in the first photo is an immature male Blue Corporal and was the first member of this species that I photographed on 10 April at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The shiny wings and pale markings suggest that this dragonfly was newly emerged. I believe that the dragonfly in the second photo is a female Blue Corporal, judging from her terminal appendages.
I usually try to get close-up shots of dragonflies, but when I can’t get near them, I am content to capture more “artsy” shots, like the final image below that shows a male Blue Corporal perched on some vegetation poking out of the shallow water of a pond.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Blue Corporal, Blue Corporal dragonfly, Canon 7D, Ladona deplanata, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA | 3 Comments »
April 18, 2024 by Mike Powell
As many of you know, I keep an eye on several eagle nests at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge at this time of the year, waiting with hopeful expectation for the birth of new eaglets. In one nest that is relatively small, the adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is now sitting upright, rather than hunkering down over the eggs to keep them warm. I suspect that there is at least one eagle baby, but I have not yet seen any tiny eagle heads pop up over the edge of the nest.
I am not sure what’s happening with the much larger eagle nest. I had assumed that the eagles were sitting on eggs. However, on Tuesday I watched as an osprey perched on one of the trees supporting the nest and buzzed a nearby perched eagle. Several other photographers have reported seeing osprey actually sitting in the eagle nest.
As I observed the nesting area on Tuesday afternoon, two eagles in a tree overlooking the nest briefly engaged in what looked like mating behavior. Was an earlier nesting attempt unsuccessful? Are the eagles going to make another attempt to have babies this season?
It is a bit late in the year for the eagles to begin nesting, but I think there is still time for them to do so. Normally this process begins earlier in the year before the ospreys have returned, so there is no competition for the nest. Although there appears to be competition now, I would put my money on the eagles, which I believe are larger and stronger than the osprey.
I will continue to monitor the nesting situation. There may be more drama there this spring than in previous years.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle couple, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, mating bald eagles, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA | Leave a Comment »
April 17, 2024 by Mike Powell
When this little butterfly flew by me last week at Prince William Forest Park, it looked a bit like a nondescript brown moth. However, when it landed on the ground and I was able to zoom in on it, I was amazed by its variety of colors, textures, and markings. I was pretty sure that I had never seen one like this. When I returned home, I did some searching on the internet and concluded that this is a Henry’s Elfin butterfly (Callophrys henrici).
Every time I use the butterfly’s name, I smile, because there is just something whimsical about the word “elfin.” I love the idea of magical woodland creatures that blend in so well with their surroundings that you have to look carefully to spot them.
I encourage you to click on the image to see all of this creature’s wonderful markings, including the little white stripes on its antennae and legs and the beautiful scalloped edges of its wings.
Keep your eyes open today and you too may spot some magically whimsical creatures.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Callophrys henrici, Canon 7D, Henry's Elfin, Henry's Elfin butterfly, Prince William Forest Park, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA | 4 Comments »
April 17, 2024 by Mike Powell
A small group of Common Green Darner dragonflies (Anax junius) was active on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park, including a couple that, after mating, was depositing eggs in the floating vegetation. The male (the one with the blue abdomen) holds onto the female while she does the actual work and then they fly off together still attached in the “tandem” position to another patch of vegetation.
Common Green Darners are a migratory species and I suspect that these particular dragonflies were part of that migration. Most people are aware of the migratory pattern of Monarch butterflies, but are unaware of the fact that Common Green Darners follow a similar pattern. The Science News website provides a good overview of that migration.
“At least three generations make up the annual migration of common green darner dragonflies. The first generation emerges in the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean starting around February and flies north. There, those insects lay eggs and die, giving rise to a second generation that migrates south until late October. (Some in that second generation don’t fly south until the next year, after overwintering as nymphs.) A third generation, hatched in the south, overwinters there before laying eggs that will start the entire process over again.”
I was quite fortunate that the patches of vegetation where the dragonflies were depositing the eggs were relatively close to the edge of the pond, so I was able to capture the shots of the dragonflies in action. The second shot was one that I snapped as the couple zoomed by—long-time readers of my blog know that I love to try to capture images of dragonflies while they are flying.
The final image shows one a male Common Green Darner that was flying all around the small pond, searching for food or a mate (or maybe both). It is a fun challenge to try to track and photograph a dragonfly in flight and I felt a little rusty after spending the winter photographing birds. I was therefore quite thrilled when this shot turned out so well. Some newer mirrorless cameras have tracking systems that lock focus on moving subjects, but my trusty Canon 7D DSLR has 2009 technology, so it is a little trickier for me to get shots in—it is definitely a “hands-on” process.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Anax junius, Canon 7D, Common Green Darner, Common Green Darner dragonfly, common green darner ovipositing, dragonflies in flight, Lorton VA, Occoquan Regional Park, Tamron 18-400mm | 6 Comments »
April 16, 2024 by Mike Powell
Each spring a lot of colorful warblers pass through our area on their northward migration. Most of them stay for only a short time, so it is a hit-or-miss proposition for me to find them. This is also the time of the year when the trees are budding, flowering and pushing out new leaves. All of this new growth is beautiful, but it makes it even harder for me to spot the little birds as they flit about, often at the tops of the trees.
Yesterday I was thrilled to spot this Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) high in a distant tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Initially my view of the colorful little bird was blocked by the vegetation, but I bent, twisted, stretched, and leaned in all directions and was eventually was able to get a clear view of the warbler.
My eyes are really active during the spring as I look up to try to find birds and look down to search for dragonflies. I manage to observe lots of cool things, but suspect that there is so much more going on that I do not see or notice.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, warbler, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Setophaga dominica, Tamron 18-400mm, warbler, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-throated Warbler | 8 Comments »
April 15, 2024 by Mike Powell
Last week I spotted this bird hopping about in a small creek in Prince William Forest Park. The bird was in constant motion and I could not get close to it, so I was was not able to get a really good shot of it. I vaguely remembered seeing a similar bird a few years ago in the same location, so I checked my old blog entries and determined that it might be a Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla). Several more experienced birders confirmed my tentative identification in a Facebook group for birding forum.
Despite its name, a Louisiana Waterthrush is actually a warbler, not a thrush. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website provides the following overall description of the species:
“The ringing song of the Louisiana Waterthrush, in cadence so like the rushing streams that are its home, is one of the first signs of spring in eastern North America. Its brown plumage and bold streaking help explain why this member of the warbler family has the word “thrush” in its name. At all seasons, this species stays close to moving water—especially forested streams and creeks—and bobs its rear end almost constantly. In both spring and fall, Louisiana Waterthrushes are among the earliest migrant warblers.”
Several local photographers have started posting photos of more colorful warblers, so I will be keeping my eyes open for them. Leaves are starting to cover the trees, so I will probably have my usual problem of not being able to spot the little birds even when I can hear them singing.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, warbler, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla, Prince William Forest Park, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA, warbler | 1 Comment »
April 13, 2024 by Mike Powell
Most of the insects that I have observed feeding on Virginia Spring Beauty wildflowers (Claytonia virginica) have been equally small in size. I was a bit shocked, therefore, earlier this week to spot a large Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) gathering nectar and/or pollen from a small patch of Spring Beauties at Prince William Forest Park. The bee looked to be at least twice as large as each tiny flower. Wow!
The lighting was quite good and the bee was a bit distracted, so I was able to zoom in close and capture a lot of the details of the bee. I particularly like the speckled green eyes that look like they were carved out of a semiprecious stone. You can also see the bee’s tiny feet as it grasped the edges of the flower. I encourage you to click on the photos, especially the first one, to get a better look at the bee.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bees, Flowers, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, carpenter bee, Claytonia virginica, Eastern Carpenter Bee, green-eyed bee, Prince William Forest Park, Spring Beauty, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA, Virginia Spring Beauty, Xylocopa virginica | 5 Comments »
April 12, 2024 by Mike Powell
I almost fell into the pond on Wednesday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge when I leaned over the edge of a steep bank after detecting some movement. Fortunately I did not lose my balance and managed to get a shot of this male Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita), my first damselfly of this season.
Fragile Forktails are almost always the first damselflies in my area to emerge and are surprisingly easy to identify—they have broken shoulder stripes that look like exclamation points. Although they are easy to identify, you have to find them first and their diminutive size (0.83 to 1.14 inches (21 to 29mm) in length) makes them quite difficult to spot.
Damselflies and dragonflies belong to the Odonata order of flying insects. Damselflies generally are more slender, have eyes placed apart, and perch with their wings folded together along their bodies when at rest. Dragonflies tend to be bulkier, have large compound eyes that touch each other, and usually perch with their wings extended when at rest.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in damselfly, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Fort Belvoir VA, Fragile Forktail, Fragile Forktail damselfly, Ischnura posita, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm | 2 Comments »
April 11, 2024 by Mike Powell
I was excited yesterday to spot this cool-looking Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) in breeding plumage in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to the golden tufts that sometimes look like horns, this grebe has striking red eyes.
There were not very many birds on the water yesterday, only a few geese, cormorants, and scaups, so I was quite shocked when I saw the head of this Horned Grebe emerge from the water after a short dive. I hoped that the grebe would come a bit closer with each dive, but instead it seemed to get farther and farther away from me.
I suspect that the Horned Grebe was stopping over on a migration flight northward. Although I read that migrating grebes usually form small flocks when migrating, this one appeared to be by itself. I too like to travel alone.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged breeding plumage, Canon 7D, Horned Grebe, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Podiceps auritus, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA | 3 Comments »
April 10, 2024 by Mike Powell
Many beetles are dark-colored and go about their business in the underbrush, unseen by human eyes. Six-spotted Tiger Beetles (Cicindela sexguttata), on the other hand, are hard to miss—their metallic-green bodies sparkle as they perch in the open, like this one that I spotted on Monday in the middle of a sun-lit forest trail in Prince William Forest Park.
The beetle’s common name refers to the six small white spots on the beetle’s metallic-green elytra (the beetle’s hardened wing cases), although the number of spots is somewhat variable. I think that I can see six spots on this beetle, but have sometimes seen as many as eight spots in the past.
As I was doing a bit of research a few years ago, I recall stumbling upon the fact that elytra is the plural form of elytron, following the the same pattern as “criterion” and its plural form “criteria.” For what it is worth, spell-check highlights elytron as an unknown word. English is a strange language.
Yesterday I came across this fun fact about tiger beetles at the University of Minnesota Department of Entomology website. “Tiger beetles’ long legs allow them to dart across the ground at high speeds. In fact, they can run so fast that their eyes can’t keep up, rendering them momentarily blind. This is why they only run short distances at a time.” Wow!
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Cicindela sexguttata, Prince William Forest Park, Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, Tamron 18-400mm, Tiger Beetle, Triangle VA | 4 Comments »
April 9, 2024 by Mike Powell
Many people in the United States were excited to view yesterday’s solar eclipse. I too paused for a few moments in the afternoon to view the eclipse through solar glasses that I had obtained last week during a visit to the Air and Space Museum in the Washington D.C. area.
However, I must confess that I was more excited earlier in the day when I had multiple encounters with Uhler’s Sundragons (Helocordulia uhleri), the first dragonflies that I have been able to photograph in 2024. (Some of you may recall that I searched for dragonflies last week and think that I saw one flying over a stream. However, I did not get a photo of the dragonfly, so for me that first sighting does not really “count.)
I spent several hours yesterday looking carefully at the vegetation along a creek in Prince William County, Virginia where I had spotted Uhler’s Sundragons in previous years. This species appears in limited locations in the early spring and is usually gone by early May. Unlike many of the dragonflies that I will see during the summer that are habitat generalists, Uhler’s Sundragons require a specific kind of habitat, usually a mountain stream. According to the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, “Uhler’s need clean, small to medium, rocky forest streams with gravelly and/or sandy substrate, and a decent flow.”
I was fortunate to be able to photograph both female and male Uhler’s Sundragons. I have alternated genders in the photos below, with the females in the odd-numbered images and the males in the even ones. One of the ways to tell the genders apart is to look at the tips of the abdomens (the “tails”) and you can see that the terminal appendages are different. The lower portion of the abdomens of the males is also somewhat enlarged, as you can see in some of the photos.
Dragonflies perch in many different ways. Some species perch horizontally and some hang vertically. Uhler’s Sundragons most often perch at an angle, as shown in the first and last photos, though sometimes they may hang vertically from the vegetation.
The dragonfly season has now opened and I look forward to many more encounters with these amazingly beautiful aerial acrobatic insects that have a magical appeal for me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, female Uhler's Sundragon, Helocordulia uhleri, male Uhler's Sundragon, Prince William County VA, Tamron 18-400mm, Uhler's Sundragon, Uhler's Sundragon dragonfly | 6 Comments »
April 6, 2024 by Mike Powell
Now that we have moved into April, I have begun to really search for dragonflies. On Thursday, I explored a creek in Prince William County, Virginia where I have found early-season dragonflies in past years, but, alas, I was not able to photograph any. However, I am pretty sure that I spotted a dragonfly flying low over the waters of the creek, so I am somewhat optimistic that the dragonfly season for me will soon start. The lighting was not good and the dragonfly was pretty far away, so I am not sure what kind it was, but there are so few insects flying this early in the year that the few that are in the air readily catch my eye.
While I was searching along the edges of the creek, I spotted a hawk soaring overhead and was able to get a few shots of it. I am pretty confident that this is a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), judging from the coloration of the tail and the prominent “belly band” of darker feathers.
I was using my versatile Tamron 18-400mm lens, so I did not have the reach of the “normal” lens that I use for birds, i.e. the Tamron 150-600mm telephoto zoom lens. I have to say, though, that I am quite happy with the images that I was able to capture of this beautiful soaring hawk.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Buteo jamaicensis, Canon 7D, Prince William County VA, Red-tailed Hawk, soaring hawk, Tamron 18-400mm | 7 Comments »
April 3, 2024 by Mike Powell
Real estate is at a premium in Northern Virginia, and new houses are jammed into the tiniest of spaces. Unfortunately, this channel marker did not appear to be quite big enough to support the nest of an osprey couple. During a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I watched the ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) carry a number of sticks to the marker as they unsuccessfully attempted to construct a nest—most of the sticks simply fell off the sides of the marker.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, osprey nest, osprey nest building, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 6 Comments »
April 2, 2024 by Mike Powell
As I was preparing to go out to lunch yesterday with my dear friend and photography mentor Cindy Dyer, she glanced down at her garden and noticed that an iris was already in bloom, the first one of the spring. I suspect that this is some kind of dwarf iris, because it was nestled low in the vegetation and was only about six inches (15 cm) tall.
I thought about cropping the photo a little tighter, but wanted to retain the bug that is in the upper left corner of the image. As you might guess, I did not notice the little insect when I captured the photo with my iPhone. Cindy likes to call these “bonus bugs”—it is amazing how often I discover these “bonus bugs” in my photos when reviewing them on my computer.
Cindy has planted a wide variety of irises in her garden, so this is a sneak preview of the amazing beauty that is yet to come. I don’t know the name of this iris variety, but love the lavender color of its “beard.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Alexandria VA, Cindy Dyer, Cindy's garden, dwarf iris, first iris of spring, iPhone 11, iris, Runnymeade | 3 Comments »
April 1, 2024 by Mike Powell
This Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was partially hidden by tree branches when I first spotted during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I tried to move as stealthily as I could to try to get a clearer view of the eagle, but the eagle detected my presence. I captured this image as the eagle was preparing to take off. The eagle flew downwards from its perch and my view was completely obstructed, so I was not able to capture any in-flight shots of the eagle.
As you can see, many of the trees in my area have buds now. I think this tree might be a Sweet Gum tree, because I can see some of its distinctive spiky seed balls still hanging from the tree.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle takeoff, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sweetgum Tree, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | Leave a Comment »
March 30, 2024 by Mike Powell
I’ve been really busy preparing for multiple church services this Holy Week—I help to lead singing during the worship services—so I have not been able to go out as often this week as I would have liked. So today, I am featuring another tiny forest wildflower that I spotted on Monday at Prince William Forest Park.
I think that this one is a Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), though there is a similar-looking wildflower called a Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) and I am not sure how to tell the two of them apart. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website, “Since Anemones are usually slender-stalked and tremble in the breeze, they have been called “Wind Flowers.””
I used to think that all of the white spring wildflowers looked the same but gradually I am beginning to see the differences in the number and shape of the petals and in the different types of stamens. However, I am far from being an expert in plant identification, so you should take all of them with a grain of salt.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Anemone quinquefolia, Canon 7D, Prince William Forest Park, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA, Wood Anemone | Leave a Comment »
March 29, 2024 by Mike Powell
Each time I venture out into the forested trails of Prince William Forest Park at this time of the year I encounter different wildflowers, most of which are present for only a short period of time. This past Monday, for example, I spotted some Bloodroot plants (Sanguinaria canadensis) in bloom, my first of the season. These white flowers are a bit bigger than many of the other wildflowers that I see.
According to the Missouri Botanical Garden website, “Each [bloodroot] flower stalk produces a solitary, 2″ (50 mm) wide, 8-10 petaled, 1.5″ (38 mm) diameter, white flower with numerous yellow center stamens. Flowers open up in sun but close at night, and are very short-lived (1-2 days). Leaves continue to grow in size after bloom (sometimes to as much as 9″ (228 mm) across) and remain attractive until mid to late summer when the plant goes dormant.”
The forest floor was quite cluttered, so I decided to take this photo from directly above the bloodroot flower. I like the way that the shot emphasizes the geometric shape of the petals in an almost abstract way.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Bloodroot, Canon 7D, Prince William County VA, Sanguinaria canadensis, spring wildflower, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA | 3 Comments »
March 28, 2024 by Mike Powell
Early spring wildflowers, like the Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica), are an important source of food for a host of small bees and other insects. Many insects gather pollen from these flowers and in doing so help to pollinate the plants. One species, the Spring Beauty Miner Bee (Andrena erigeniae), is so specialized that it reportedly feeds only on this ephemeral flower.
According to the Bug of the Week website that featured this species in an article, “Using jaws and legs the female bees excavates a gallery in the soil, leaving a small pile of dirt near the entrance hole. This gallery can be as long as 15 centimeters and contain numerous lateral brood chambers. During the daytime she forages for pollen on flowers of spring beauties, which apparently are the sole source of food for her brood. Pollen from these blossoms is formed into balls and placed into brood chambers…As brood chambers are built and provisioned with pollen, the bee deposits a single egg on a pollen cake. During spring and early summer developing larvae consume the pollen, and later in summer they will form pupa. By late autumn development of the adult is complete and winter is spent in the adult stage within the brood chambers. Newly minted adults emerge each spring coincident with the appearance of spring beauty’s’ blossoms.” Wow!
On Monday I was fortunate to capture a shot of a Spring Beauty Miner Bee in action gathering pollen. If you look closely at the image, you will see how the tiny bee has collected pollen on its back legs.
Last year I posted an image of a Cuckoo Bee on the same kind of flower. That bee does not collect pollen. Instead it enters the nests of a host and lay eggs there, stealing resources that the host has already collected. From what I understand the cuckoo bee waits for the miner bee to leave its burrow and then lays its egg there. The offspring of the cuckoo bee eats the pollen in the burrow and then eats the larva of the miner bee. Yikes!
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Bees, Flowers, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Andrena erigeniae, Canon 7D, miner bee, Prince William Forest Park, Spring Beauty, Spring Beauty Miner Bee, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA, Virginia Spring Beauty | Leave a Comment »
March 27, 2024 by Mike Powell
As I was walking along a creek on Monday at Prince William Forest Park, several tiny frogs unexpectedly jumped out of my way. I was able to visually track one of those frogs and saw where it landed. After a single leap, the frog froze in place and I was able to slowly maneuver myself into position to capture this image.
I am pretty sure that this is a Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans). A bit later in the season, I will be able to hear the cricket frog’s distinctive call, which sounds to me like two marbles being clicked together, but the frogs that I encountered that day were silent.
According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the Northern Cricket Frog is one of the smallest frogs in Virginia, ranging from .87 inches to 1.14 inches (22-29 mm) in length. Their typical life span is four to twelve months, though sometimes they can live as long as three years. Cricket frogs hatch from their eggs in 29-90 days between July and August and metamorphosize into adults in late summer. In early autumn, the frogs burrow into the soil to hibernate until spring comes.
I was quite pleased with the amount of detail that I was able to capture in this image, from the bumpy warts of the frog’s back to the stripes on its tiny toes. My Tamron 18-400mm lens is quite versatile and is capable of providing macro-like capability in certain circumstances. I encourage you to click on this image to get a better look at the tiny cricket frog.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Amphibians, frog, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Acris crepitans, acris crepitans crepitans, Canon 7D, cricket frog, Eastern Cricket Frog, Northern Cricket frog, Prince William Forest Park, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA | 1 Comment »
March 26, 2024 by Mike Powell
I went on a pretty long hike yesterday in Prince William Forest Park—just over 18,000 steps (7.1 miles or 11 km) according to my iPhone—and was delighted to spot this beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus), my first of the season.
When I first spotted the butterfly, it appeared to be sucking moisture and minerals from the wet soil, as you can see in the first photo. The butterfly flew to a nearby location and resumed its efforts and I was able to maneuver around to get the second image that shows the markings of the butterfly a bit better.
Personally I prefer the first photo that is more dynamic and gives a better sense of the activity of the butterfly. From a purely scientific perspective, the second one might be preferable because it shows more of the butterfly’s identification features. I am more of an artist than a scientist, though, so capturing all of the details with clinical precision is not as important to me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus, Prince William Forest Park, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA | 3 Comments »
March 25, 2024 by Mike Powell
It was cool, cloudy, and windy when I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last Friday. I did not see any activity at the two eagle nests that I checked, but suspect that there was an eagle in each of them, hunkered down keeping the eggs warm.
I did encounter solitary adult eagles several times as I walked along the trails. Perhaps these Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were the mates of the eagles sitting in the nests. Whatever the case, these eagles looked to be hypervigilant and serious, keeping a close watch over the entire area. This eagle kept its head moving a lot, so I was happy when I managed to capture this profile shot as it perched in what I believe is a Tulip tree.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 1 Comment »
March 24, 2024 by Mike Powell
I spent several hours yesterday morning helping to prepare palms and flowers for today’s Palm Sunday services at St. Martin de Porres Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia, my home church. We made a lot of crosses from the palms (and I braided some too), but there are plenty left to wave this morning. We will begin our services outdoors with the Liturgy of the Palms and then the congregation will process into the church singing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” as they wave their palm fronds.
I made this little arrangement when I returned home yesterday with a cross that I had folded, two braided lengths of palms, and a leftover camellia.
Happy Palm Sunday to all those who are celebrating today as we begin Holy Week.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Art, Inspiration, Palm Sunday, Photography | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 60mm, Canon 7D, Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday 2024, St Martin de Porres, St Martin de Porres Episcopal Church | 15 Comments »
March 24, 2024 by Mike Powell
I was delighted on Friday to see that Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) have returned to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Each autumn we bid farewell to the ospreys, which are also known as fish hawks or sea hawks, and each spring we greet their return.
Unlike eagles, which use large, well-constructed nests year after year, ospreys seem content to throw a bundle of sticks together and call it a nest. Many of these makeshift homes are blown down or fall apart during the winter, so a first priority for the returning ospreys is to construct nests.
During this visit I managed to capture several photos of ospreys overhead in flight with branch in their talons. As both photos show, ospreys often grab branches at one end, rather than in the middle where the weight would be better balanced. I am amazed by the ability of the ospreys to fly so well with those long trailing branches, though I suspect that the branches weigh a whole lot less that the fish that I hope to see them catch later in the season.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, osprey in flight, osprey nest building, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 6 Comments »
March 23, 2024 by Mike Powell
Raindrops on tulips are one of my favorite things. I photographed these different varieties of colorful tulips today in the garden of my dear friend and fellow photographer Cindy Dyer during a break in the rain.
I love spring flowers.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 60mm, Canon 7D, Cindy Dyer, Cindy's garden, raindrops on tulips, Runnymeade, spring flowers, tulips | 8 Comments »
March 21, 2024 by Mike Powell
I love the shape of Grape Hyacinths (g. Muscari), one of the early-appearing flowers that I look forward to each spring. The names of species sometimes do not match their appearances, but in this case the name fits perfectly—the little flowers do indeed look like a bunch of grapes.
Our recent weather has been windy, which makes it challenging to go out hunting for wildlife to photograph, because most of my potential subjects use common sense and seek shelter from the wind. As a result, I have resorted to visiting the garden of my dear friend Cindy Dyer and photographing her flowers, like this Grape Hyacinth that I spotted earlier this week.
I used a macro lens to get really close to the tiny flower to capture details, but the wind made it tough to get a sharp shot—as you get closer to a subject, the effect of any movement of the camera or the subject is magnified. On the whole, though, I like this modest portrait of one of my favorite spring flower.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 60mm, Canon 7D, Cindy Dyer, Cindy's garden, g. Muscari, Grape hyacinth, Muscari, Runnymeade | 7 Comments »
March 20, 2024 by Mike Powell
As many of you know, I do not have a garden of my own. My dear friend and photography mentor Cindy Dyer, however, lives close to me and loves to plant photogenic flowers. At this time of the year I really enjoy passing by her garden to see what has popped up.
I was delighted yesterday to see a beautiful red tulip in bloom in the middle of the garden in front of her townhouse. There was only a single tulip blooming in the midst of some hellebore plants, but it was not hard to spot. I don’t know much about tulip varieties, but think that this might be a Lady Jane tulip (Tulipa clusiana var. ‘Lady Jane‘)—I recall Cindy mentioning this variety in previous years.
I thought I would be photographing flowers close up, so I had a 60mm macro lens on my camera. This tulip, alas, was farther away than I would have liked and I did not want to step on any vegetation to get closer or to get a better angle.
I contented myself with a few shots to record this beautiful flower, my first tulip of this spring (with many more to come).
UPDATE: My memory failed me. Cindy let me know that the Lady Jane tulip is pink and white and not red like this one. I should probably have checked with her before I posted the images.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, spring | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 60mm, Canon 7D, Cindy Dyer, Cindy's garden, first tulip of 2024, Lady Jane tulip, Runnymeade, tulip, Tulipa clusiana var. 'Lady Jane' | 1 Comment »
March 19, 2024 by Mike Powell
Most of the time when I go out with my camera, I am focused on taking pictures. I have a general idea of which subjects I want to photograph and choose locations where I am likely to encounter them.
Sometimes, though, I am much less goal-oriented and I will visit a place primarily to experience nature. Oh, I will have my camera with me, but I am likely to take significantly fewer photos and to log a lot more steps in between photos. Usually I will have my Tamron 18-400mm lens on my camera that provides me with the greatest flexibility in capturing both wide-angle and telephoto shots.
That was certainly the case last week when I visited Prince William Forest Park, a wildlife area administered by the National Park Service. I did not see a lot of wildlife and the images that I capture tended to focus on the landscape. The first photo shows you one of the larger trails in the park that is wide enough for a vehicle and is used as an emergency route. Most of the other trails in the park are narrow and winding and accessible only on foot.
The second photos shows one of the dams along Quantico Creek. I really like the step-like shape of this dam. As you can see, some logs have accumulated along the top of the dam. They do not interfere much with the flow of the water, however, so I am not sure if the park authorities will eventually remove them.
My iPhone records my steps and I noticed recently that I tend to log the most steps each year in April, when spring is in full bloom. Last year, for example, I averaged over 6500 steps a day over the entire month of April versus an average step count of about 4000 steps for the whole year. I feel a kind of resurgence in energy in the spring, a sense of new life after the long gray days of winter.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Landscape, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged Canon 7D, dam, Prince William Forest Park, Quantico Creek, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA | 6 Comments »
March 18, 2024 by Mike Powell
Our recent warm weather has brought out a whole lot of little creatures. As I was hiking about in Prince William Forest Park last week, I notice a spot of bright red moving about on a rock at the edge of a small creek. When I looked at it more closely, it had a shape that made it look like a tiny red spider.
I did some initial searches when I returned home to see if I could identify the spider. I could not find an exact match, but I think this might be a spider mite (or some kind of mite) rather than an actual spider. If I understand it right, mites and spiders belong to the same family of arachnids, though I might have this wrong.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Arachnids, Insects, Nature, Photography, spiders, spring, wildlife | Tagged Canon 7D, Prince William Forest Park, spider, spider mite, Tamron 18-400mm, tiny red spider | 11 Comments »
March 16, 2024 by Mike Powell
When the weather is sunny, turtles at local ponds often bask in the sun in large groups. Sometimes the turtles are packed in so tightly that it looks like a mall parking lot at Christmas time. The turtles seem to have no concept of “personal space and often are leaning against each other.
I spotted a few turtles on Wednesday at Prince William Forest Park and was struck by the fact that all seemed to have chosen solitude over solidarity—they were perched by themselves.
The first one, a small Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) was perched on a small log in the shallow part of a marshy area. I really like the limited color palette of this image, made up of mostly earth tone. If you look carefully, though, you can spot a few red markings on the turtle’s neck.
The second turtle, a much larger Painted Turtle, had crawled entirely out of the water and appeared to be napping on dry land. The greenery in this image gives it a much more lively feel than the first image and the bright red markings on the turtle’s neck are much easier to see.
Like these two turtles, I tend to avoid crowds and like to be myself when I am pursuing my photography. Go with the crowd? No, I will leave that to others.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Posted in Nature, Photography, Reptiles, spring, turtle, wildlife | Tagged basking turtle, Canon 7D, Chrysemys picta, Eastern Painted Turtle, painted turtle, Prince William Forest Park, sunning turtle, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA | 2 Comments »
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Mike Powell 