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Posts Tagged ‘Huntley Meadows Park’

First damselfly of spring

Posted in Dragonflies, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged , , , , , , on June 3, 2013| 7 Comments »

Walking through the woods today at my local marshland park, I managed to photograph my first damselfly of the spring, what appears to be some type of spreadwing damselfly, possibly a Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis).

My camera was already on my tripod, with my 135-400mm zoom lens attached, when the damselfly flew by and perched on a thorny vine right in front of me. I decided to try to get a shot and the first thing that I had to do was to back up, because the minimum focusing distance of the lens at full extension is 7.2 feet (2.2 meters). Secondly I had to switch to manual focus—the damselfly is so slender that my camera refused to autofocus on it. Finally, I had to adjust the aperture manually, when I realized that there was a lot of direct light falling on the vine and on the damselfly.

The two shots that I am posting may look like they were taken using flash, with an almost black background, but the damselfly was in a little pocket of light and the rest of the area was pretty heavily shaded.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Morning egret

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on June 3, 2013| 6 Comments »

Arriving at the marsh really early in the morning, I was finally able to get a relatively well-exposed shot of a Great Egret (Ardea alba) in breeding plumage, with wispy plumes on its back and a bright green color between its eye and bill (an area known as the “lore”).

Generally I have trouble photographing this beautiful bird, because its brilliant white color gets blown out pretty easily when there is a lot of light and using exposure compensation is often not sufficient. One obvious solution to the problem of too much light is to come at a time of reduced light. I switched to manual mode and, after a bit of experimentation, found a setting that seemed to work pretty well. I also had my camera on a tripod, which is a good practice any time I can manage to use it, which permitted me to use a slower shutter speed.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Blue Dashers at last

Posted in Bugs, Dragonflies, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 2, 2013| 6 Comments »

Last summer, my favorite photographic subject was the Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) and I was really excited on Friday to see that they are once again present at my local marshland park.

It continues to be a challenge to get close enough to capture the wonderful details of the dragonfly and to manage the background so that it is not too cluttered. I am happy to have gotten a few good images of male Blue Dashers to start the season, with the promise of more shots to come.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Unexpected spider

Posted in Arachnids, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 31, 2013| 9 Comments »

As I was reaching for my camera bag after taking a photo of a spider, I was surprised to see an unexpected visitor—a much larger spider with what looks like an egg sack.

I was in a wooded area and had placed my bag on the ground while I set up my tripod to take a photo of a small spider (shown in the second photo).  After getting the shots, I returned to my bag. I bent down to open the zipper of the bag and suddenly was eye-to-eye with the spider. The spider seemed really large at that moment, although retrospectively it does not seem that big when I compare it with the Adidas logo on the zipper pull. When I tried to adjust the bag’s position, the spider moved away, but fortunately I had the foresight to take some photos before attempting to improve the lighting situation.

I am not sure of the identification of either of these spiders, but find them both to be pretty cool in their own ways. I’d welcome some more information from more knowledgeable readers about the white ball and, in particular, if it is an egg sack.

UPDATE: I have done a little research and think that the spider in the first shot may be a Nursery Web Spider (Psaurina mira), a spider that is known for carrying its egg sack with its fangs. Some other spiders attach the egg sack to their spinnerets.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Heron in the cattails

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 31, 2013| 4 Comments »

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) seems to be a regular visitor to the beaver pond at my local marsh (and may have taken up residence nearby), but usually fishes in an area in which it is tough to get a clear shot.

One recent morning, however, I was happy to see him in a closer area and was able to get these shots. The first one has a less cluttered background, which helps to highlight the heron’s head.  Sometimes, though, I like the second one better, in which the heron is tucked into the midst of the growth and is partially camouflaged.

Do you have a preference for one of the two images?

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Upward mobility

Posted in Humor, Nature, Photography, Reptiles, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 29, 2013| 10 Comments »

It may be hard for this snapping turtle to climb the ladder of success, when he had such difficulties merely getting himself onto a floating log. It would be understatement to note that Eastern Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) are not exactly graceful when they pull themselves out of the water (and even in the water, they seem a bit clumsy).

I read somewhere on-line that snapping turtles—unlike most other turtles—generally do not bask in the sun out of the water. Therefore, I was a little surprised when this turtle swam up to the log and began his attempt to climb onto it. It was like watching a movie in slow motion as he struggled and strained to pull his body up out of the water.

The first image shows him taking a break after making it halfway to his goal. I love the details of his visible front leg and all of his wrinkles. In the second shot, he has achieved his objective and seems to be settling in for an afternoon nap in the sun.

I noted that the log is no longer floating out of the water as it was at the start.—apparently success weighs heavy on the victor.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Egret wings

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on May 28, 2013| 5 Comments »

Although I observed as many as eight Great Egrets (Ardea alba) foraging at the same time in my local marshland park this weekend, they were mostly in the distance, but I came up one that was closer and got these shots as it was taking off.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that these birds have “impressive wingspans,” and I was really treated to a display of those wings. The wings were spread so wide, in fact, that I couldn’t fit them entirely in the frame in the first photo. The impressive set of wings in the second photo remind me of those were associated with Pegasus, the mythological winged horse.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Staredown on the log

Posted in Humor, Nature, Photography, Reptiles, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 26, 2013| 10 Comments »

Yesterday, when an Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) crawled onto a floating log, where a much smaller Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) was already basking in the sun, it looked like there might be a showdown.

The two faced off, staring at each other. Despite the size difference, the small turtle did not appear to be intimidated and refused to back off at all. Eventually they both relaxed and decided that peaceful co-existence was the best option.

It turned out that both the log and the sun were big enough to share.

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Click on the photo to see a higher resolution view.

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Not a seagull

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , on May 25, 2013| 6 Comments »

Yesterday was cloudy and rainy and the wildlife seemed to have sought shelter, but I spotted one bird circling over the largest body of water at my marshland park. Judging from the way that it flew, I initially thought it might be some kind of seagull.

From different angles, though, it looked a little bit like some kind of a hawk. I managed to get some photos of the various wing positions while the bird was flying and find them to be fascinating. Eventually I got a somewhat blurred shot of the entire bird and have concluded that it probably is an osprey (Pandion haliaetus), a bird that I have never before encountered, but definitely one I hope to see again in the near future.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Bird cowlick

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 24, 2013| 13 Comments »

When I was a boy, I had hair that would stand up in a cowlick and refuse to lie flat, and that’s what I immediately thought of when I saw this Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) with frizzy feathers.

My Mom’s solution to my hair problem was a little saliva on her fingers that she would apply to my hair and smooth it down.

I thought of doing the same to this little bird, but I am not sure that it would appreciate my efforts.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Hollywood Frog

Posted in Amphibians, Humor, Nature, Photography, Portraits, tagged , , , , , , on May 21, 2013| 11 Comments »

Spotting the camera around my neck, an attractive young lady excitedly pointed out this frog to me, calling it a “Hollywood Frog,” because it reminded her of the ones in the movies.

I couldn’t resist asking her if she was going to kiss the frog to see if it would turn out to be a prince. She smiled a little, shook her head, and responded, “No, I’ve already kissed my fair share of frogs.”

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Gone fishing

Posted in Arachnids, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 21, 2013| 12 Comments »

Six-spotted Fishing Spiders (Dolomedes triton) are a particularly fascinating kind of spiders and I was really excited to see one yesterday at my local marsh.

Fishing spiders don’t build a web, but use the surface of the water in the same way that other spiders use a web. They extend some of their legs onto the surface of the water and when they feel the vibrations of a prey, they run across the surface of the water to snatch it. According to Wikipedia, the very sensitive hairs on their legs and feet help them to interpret the vibrations they sense and determine distance and direction. Their eyes play a secondary role in hunting, particularly because they do much of their hunting at night.

This spider was a couple of feet below the level of the boardwalk and several feet away and I was able to use my tripod to help steady the shot. In fact, the spider was cooperative enough that I made attempts with my 135-400mm zoom, my 55-250mm zoom, and my 100mm macro lens. Of the images that I am posting, the first image was shot with the longer zoom and the second with the macro lens. The macro lens let me hang over the edge of the boardwalk a little, which let me get a little closer, but made it tough to brace myself.

If you want to see a few more images of these interesting spiders, check out my previous postings Fishing spider waiting for prey and Fishing in the swamp.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Green frog

Posted in Amphibians, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 20, 2013| 7 Comments »

I love taking photos of frogs (I can blame the Muppets and Kermit the Frog) and captured this image of a Northern Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota) this morning at my local marshland park. I am not sure what was floating on the surface of the water, but it provides a nice contrast to the color of the frog.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Really close

Posted in Art, Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 20, 2013| 4 Comments »

I captured this close-up image of a Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) as it rested on a perch a short distance from the location of its nest, underneath a raised portion of the boardwalk at my local marshland park.

I have posted a number of close-up shots of Barn Swallows in the last few weeks (including one that I entitled Too Close), but this one is distinctive for a couple of reasons. The swallow is in the midst of working on its nest, and the mud and twigs in its bill show clearly its primary building materials. Most of my other photos have showed a swallow posing as it took a break from chasing insects.

The other notable feature of this image that I really like is its narrow depth of field. Although I included the sparrow’s entire body in the shot, only a small part of it is in sharp focus, essentially the forward half of its head, including the one visible eye. I think that the limited area of sharp focus really helps to draw attention to the eye and to the muddy bill.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Tree Swallow home

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 18, 2013| 9 Comments »

Although I never saw the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) enter the nesting box, she poked her head inside of it and was checking it out as a prospective home.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Red-spotted Purple butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged , , , , on May 18, 2013| 13 Comments »

I was thrilled yesterday when I spotted this Red-spotted Purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), which brought to mind the two things that bothered me about this butterfly last year when I first encountered it.

The first thing is that the name makes no sense at all—there is not purple at all in the Red-spotted Purple butterfly. Secondly, I recalled that it was almost impossible to get a photogenic background with this butterfly. Bugguide notes that adult butterflies of this type take moisture from mud puddles, rotten fruit and animal feces and last year I always found them in the latter situation. I guess I should be happy that the background for these photos was a concrete path!

I took these shots with my telephoto zoom at close to 400mm and realize the limitations of the lens for this type of shot. Most significantly, I couldn’t get close enough to be able to frame this better and the size of the lens limited my agility, the more so because I had it on a tripod. Still, I am happy to capture colors like this that always help to brighten my day.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Least Sandpiper

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 17, 2013| 7 Comments »

This tiny shorebird cooperated for me by posing on the boardwalk, allowing me to determine that it is a Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), the smallest shorebird in the world.

Shorebirds are notoriously hard to identify, because so many of them are similar in coloration and relative size is a tough measure when a bird is not in a group. For small sandpipers, the color of the  legs is one of the key distinguishing characteristics. In this case, the yellow legs help to identify it as a Least Sandpiper and not a Western or Semipalmated Sandpiper, which have black legs. I am definitely no expert on this subject (and have no clue what Semipalmated means), but the articles on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website are full of fascinating information about birds.

Eventually the sandpiper jumped into the water, but remained close to the shore, as if it knew that I wanted to get a few shots before it flew away. I can’t overemphasize how small this bird is at about 6 inches (15 cm), especially compared to something like a Greater Yellowlegs at 14 inches (36 cm), so I was glad it was not immediately spooked by my presence.

As someone who pays a lot of attention to grammar, I must confess that I find the name of this bird a little troubling. There seems to be be a missing adjective to go with the superlative “least.” However, I have given up trying to understand the reasoning behind the names of birds—the names are a hodgepodge of approaches, certainly not a scientific method.

The correctness of the name is the least of my worries when trying to photograph these small birds.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Angry eyes

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 16, 2013| 10 Comments »

Although it is usually best not to take head-on shots of birds, I can’t help but post this image of a Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) looking at me with angry eyes. I don’t know if the swallow qualifies as an Angry Bird, but there is no denying the intensity of the stare.

I grew up with the music of Loggins and Messina and one of their popular songs entitled “Angry Eyes”  opens with these words:

Time, time and again
I see you staring down at me
Now, then and again
I wonder what it is that you see

With those angry eyes
Well, I bet you wish you could cut me down
With those angry eyes

(Lyrics from www.elyrics.net)

What does go on in the minds of barn swallows when they encounter us?

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Shorebird Ballet

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 16, 2013| 4 Comments »

Swans have Swan Lake, so why shouldn’t shorebirds have Shorebird Ballet?

It looked like these Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) were practicing their dance moves in the water one day recently. As you can see, it requires great balance and, as the second photo shows, attention to the foot position—you have to keep the toes pointed. (One or more of these might be Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), but my identification skills are not honed enough to be able to distinguish between the two with any great certainty.)

You can’t turn on the television these days without seeing commercials for dance competition programs like Dancing With the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance.  These birds could be at the leading edge of a new dance craze, Dancing With the Birds.

They already have a leg up on their competition.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Alone

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 15, 2013| 10 Comments »

All alone, this Hooded Merganser duckling sought refuge on a floating log, separated from his family. I don’t know for sure what happened to the rest of the ducklings and the mother, but I had heard some reports of dwindling numbers of ducklings.

The duckling seemed to feel safe on the log and appeared to relax a little, but kept looking forlornly out into the distance. Eventually he was joined by a turtle on the log. For a brief moment, perhaps, he felt a little less alone. Deep inside, though, he felt a desire to grow stronger, so he stretched out his wings, fervently believing that someday he would be able to fly.

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Where are the others?

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Feeling a little more comfortable

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Someday I’ll be able to fly

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Eagle versus blackbirds—part 2

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 15, 2013| 4 Comments »

After doing an initial posting earlier this week on an encounter between a young Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and group of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), I reviewed my photos and came up with a few more to share.

These shots show various moments in the assault of the blackbirds, which seemed determined to harass the much larger eagle. I naturally paid the most attention to the juvenile eagle and tried to capture his attitude of alertness and wariness. After a few minutes of the off-an-on attacks, the eagle finally took off, seemingly in pursuit of the blackbirds.

It was amazing to watch this action and I am glad I managed to get some photos to document the encounter.

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Buzzing the eagle (click on photo for higher resolution view)

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Circling around for the next attack

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Ever vigilant

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Alert for the next attack

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Relaxed but wary

Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Too close

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 14, 2013| 17 Comments »

I hadn’t intended to do a head-and-shoulders portrait of this Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), but my telephoto zoom was near the far end when I carefully placed my tripod on the boardwalk and focused on the swallow.

Sensing that the bird was not going to remain perched for very long, I quickly snapped off a few exposures. My left hand was adjusting the ballhead of my tripod and my right hand was pressing the shutter, so zooming out was not really an option at that moment. The image that you see is as much of the bird as I was able to capture.

I did manage to get some good detail in the eye (and I recommend clicking on the photo for a higher resolution view) and I am happy with the background, which once again looks like a studio setting—it may not be very exciting, but it sure is uncluttered.

I suppose that the lesson for me is to have my camera fully adjusted as I am sneaking up on birds, but sometimes “mistakes” turn out pretty well too.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Juvenile eagle and blackbird

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 13, 2013| 6 Comments »

I was checking out a location this morning where I had previously seen an eagle, when suddenly a juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) landed on the tree at which I was staring. He seemed a little flustered and I soon found out why—he was being harassed by a group of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). They may have been crows, but one of my shots seems to show a flash of red on one of the black birds.

I have a few more shots that I am working on, but thought I’d give you an idea of the scene that I witnessed. I am pretty sure that this is a juvenile Bald Eagle, but would welcome a correction if I am wrong. In any case, it was pretty exciting for me.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Eastern Box Turtle

Posted in Nature, Photography, Reptiles, wildlife, tagged , , , , on May 13, 2013| 2 Comments »

Previously I have seen turtles only in the water or sunning themselves on logs, but this weekend I encountered this cool-looking turtle, which I have identified as an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), while I was walking through the woods.

As I was searching to identify the turtle, I came across all kind of interesting factoids, like the box turtle’s ability to close itself up entirely in its shell and its normal lifespan of 25-30 years. The Eastern Box Turtle is so popular that, according to Wikipedia, it is is the official state reptile of North Carolina and Tennessee.

As for me, I am particularly attracted to its eyes, which somehow remind me of those of Yoda, the Star Wars character.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Iris in the marsh

Posted in Art, Flowers, Gardening, Nature, Photography, tagged , , , , on May 12, 2013| 8 Comments »

I was pleasantly surprised to come across a group of irises in one of the marshy areas of Huntley Meadows Park, the nature center where I do a lot of my shooting.

It probably reveals my ignorance about flowers, but I had no idea that irises could grow in such moist conditions. Although the irises were smaller and less showy than many of the cultivated ones that I see, they were no less beautiful.

It had been raining intermittently the morning that I took this photo and you can see drops of water on some of the petals. I tried very carefully to frame this image and am pretty happy with the way that it turned out, with the blurry image of a second iris in the background repeating the shape and color of the iris in the foreground.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Common Yellowthroat

Posted in Art, Birds, Music, Nature, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 11, 2013| 9 Comments »

I have been hearing the calls of this little warbler for several weeks, but today was the first day that I got some clear shots of the male Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas).

I was fortunate that the foliage was not too dense when I initially spotted the bird and even when he moved to a second spot in the same tree, I had a relatively unobstructed view. Birders at my local marshland tell me that the male comes north before the female and that soon the females, which are not so brightly colored, will arrive.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Perched dragonfly

Posted in Bugs, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, tagged , , , , , on May 11, 2013| 8 Comments »

Yesterday was warm and humid, which felt almost like summer here and brought out more dragonflies.

The sun was a little harsh just before noon, but I couldn’t help chasing after the dragonflies and got this shot of a male Common Whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia).

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Thirsty gosling

Posted in Art, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 10, 2013| 9 Comments »

The last few weeks I have been following the adventures of a family of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) at my local marshland and encountered them this morning as they were foraging in the muddy grass.

There are currently four goslings (there may have been six initially if this is the same family I saw previously) and it was fun to watch them as they would wander off a little from their parents and then scurry back quickly.

It was hard to get clear shots of the youngsters, but I did manage to get this shot that I like when one of the goslings walked to the water’s edge to get a drink.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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From the highest tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 10, 2013| 4 Comments »

On a heavily overcast day with intermittent rain, most birds seemed to be in hiding, but this male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) took the opposite approach by flying to the highest tree and loudly announcing his presence to the world with his distinctive call.

I like the way that the limited lighting caused this profile shot to turn into almost a silhouette, but somehow the colorful shoulder markings managed to show through.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Focused Green Heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 8, 2013| 13 Comments »

I stopped dead in my tracks on Monday when I spotted this Green Heron (Butorides virescens) as I was walking along the boardwalk at my local marshland park.

Only rarely have I had such an unobstructed view of this beautiful bird. My camera was already affixed to my tripod and I slowly opened its legs and set it down, all the while keeping my eyes on the Green Heron. I didn’t dare to make any sudden movements and felt like I was moving in slow motion as I inched my way forward to the edge of the boardwalk.

I don’t know if the heron was actively hunting for prey, but he seemed really focused and unaware of my presence (or was willing to ignore me). Initially upright, the heron gradually leaned more and more forward and appeared to be focusing even more intently.

My breathing seemed loud in my ears and my shutter sounded like a machine gun to me, but the heron hung around long enough for me to get some pretty good photos. Eventually, though, he got spooked and flew away, but I think I have an idea of the general area in which he hangs out, so I hope to encounter him again.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Morning reflections

Posted in Art, commentary, Inspiration, Landscape, Nature, Photography, tagged , , , , , , on May 6, 2013| 3 Comments »

There is a spot in a back corner of my marshland park that I love to visit in the early morning, when the light produces beautiful reflections in the still waters of a small pond.

It’s accessible only by an informal muddy trail, so I don’t have to share the moments of tranquility with the baby strollers and power walkers that interrupt my conversations with nature when I am on the boardwalk. Sometimes I will see ducks and geese here and I have even spotted a bald eagle perching in a tall tree, but the main draw for me is not the wildlife—it’s the sense of peace that envelopes me when I am here.

Sometimes I like reflections in which you can easily identify the objects being reflected, like the two trees in the first image. Other times, I get lost in the reflections themselves, which can result in a Monet-like abstract image like the second image below.

All of us are looking for an inner peace—this is one place in which I am able to experience a few moments of that peace.

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Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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