November 18, 2014
November 17, 2014
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November 15, 2014
Look At Me!
It would be hard not to notice the big personality that male red-winged blackbirds have, with their flashy shoulders and loud, constant calls.
They crave standing out in the crowd, and love perching on elevated vantage points where they can SEE, and BE SEEN.
Not much slips past them as the take commanding positions overlooking their domains, and letting everyone else in the vicinity know that it IS their domain.
They are unaware of how little they are, compared to most other creatures on the earth. They simply feel that everything is theirs and they will tell you all about it, especially if you get too close.
These photos were taken in the spring, when the males are rounding up females to mate with.
They are clearly saying, "NOTICE MEEE!"
Their scientific name is Agelaius phoeniceus. The first part indicates belonging to a flock of birds, and the second part means "red". There you have it!
They crave standing out in the crowd, and love perching on elevated vantage points where they can SEE, and BE SEEN.
Not much slips past them as the take commanding positions overlooking their domains, and letting everyone else in the vicinity know that it IS their domain.
They are unaware of how little they are, compared to most other creatures on the earth. They simply feel that everything is theirs and they will tell you all about it, especially if you get too close.
These photos were taken in the spring, when the males are rounding up females to mate with.
They are clearly saying, "NOTICE MEEE!"
Their scientific name is Agelaius phoeniceus. The first part indicates belonging to a flock of birds, and the second part means "red". There you have it!
November 5, 2014
White Heath Asters
These are white heath asters.
They grow in old pastures and abandoned fields, and bloom in the fall of the year.
They are also known as frost asters, due to their color, and as white prairie asters, and as the many-flowered aster.
They grow in old pastures and abandoned fields, and bloom in the fall of the year.
They are also known as frost asters, due to their color, and as white prairie asters, and as the many-flowered aster.
Domestic Roses
I had the pleasure of seeing these beautiful domestic roses out at our local scout camp.
They were pruned in August, and were blooming like crazy in late October.
I love the splash of color, and had to share! :)
They were pruned in August, and were blooming like crazy in late October.
I love the splash of color, and had to share! :)
November 4, 2014
Rage Against the Dying of the Light
I do not understand all of Dylan Thomas's poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night", but somehow the words of that poem came to mind as I walked the autumn woods and saw the season dying. Everything is folding up, shrinking, and blowing away.
It cheered me to see it, and reminded me that I, too, can rage against the dying light as we go into the darkest season of the year, where the minutes of daylight shrink at an alarming rate. I can get out and take walks and keep my thoughts elevated, and focus on the joys of life even as the world is slowly wrapped in the darkness of winter. It will be a long traverse, but I know that in February and March, life will spring anew and everything will bud and be beautiful again!
When I saw these weeds standing bright and tall in the woods, I thought how they blazed with glory in the afternoon light, arms stretched up in a show of defiance. They are not going gentle into the night of winter, but are standing fast against the wind and frost.
It cheered me to see it, and reminded me that I, too, can rage against the dying light as we go into the darkest season of the year, where the minutes of daylight shrink at an alarming rate. I can get out and take walks and keep my thoughts elevated, and focus on the joys of life even as the world is slowly wrapped in the darkness of winter. It will be a long traverse, but I know that in February and March, life will spring anew and everything will bud and be beautiful again!
November 3, 2014
Bull Frog
Bull Frogs are large frogs, with a call that gives them their name.
Their backs and upper sides are olive green in color. Females are bigger than males.
Their eardrums (tympani) are easy to see. They are the circular marks behind the eyes. On a female, the eardrums are about the same size as the eye, while on a male the tympani are bigger.
Their bellies are lighter in color with yellow spots.
Their upper lip is olive green while their lower lip is often lighter.
Bull Frogs can grow up to a pound or more, and are hunted for their back legs. They are most often a source of food in the southern United States.
Their backs and upper sides are olive green in color. Females are bigger than males.
Their eardrums (tympani) are easy to see. They are the circular marks behind the eyes. On a female, the eardrums are about the same size as the eye, while on a male the tympani are bigger.
Their bellies are lighter in color with yellow spots.
Their upper lip is olive green while their lower lip is often lighter.
Bull Frogs can grow up to a pound or more, and are hunted for their back legs. They are most often a source of food in the southern United States.
November 2, 2014
Belted Kingfisher
Belted Kingfishers have been on my bucket list for a long time. They are such fast birds, racing up and down the river banks, that I had never gotten one on film. I've had three confirmed sightings that I can recall, but they've but they all darted away before I could even raise my camera.
But now I have finally photographed one. All I have to share with you is this photo:
That is a kingfisher. You can tell from the silhouette. It has an over-large head with a crest, long pointed beak, and a kind of protruding, barrel chest. It has a wide band of white around its neck - hence the term "belted". It alighted on this channel buoy down from Lock & Dam 14, and was off again in a flash.
Interesting facts:
Their scientific name is Megaceryle alcyon. Remind you of any words you already know? Mega, of course, means huge. Here's the rest of the story.
"Ceryle" comes from Ceyx, a minor god in Greek mythology, He was married to Alcyon, who lends her name to this bird species as well. They angered Zeus by calling each other by the pet names of Zeus and Hera. Zeus blasted Ceyx's boat at sea. When Alcyon heard of her husband's death, she cast herself into the ocean. Other gods took pity on them and turned them into the mythological halcyon birds, who built floating nests on the sea during the two weeks period of calm at the winter solstices.
When you break halcyon down further, "hal" is related to the sea and salt, as in halite (rock salt), while "kyon" is related to the idea of conception.
But now I have finally photographed one. All I have to share with you is this photo:
 |
| Kingfishers view their pray from perches above the water |
That is a kingfisher. You can tell from the silhouette. It has an over-large head with a crest, long pointed beak, and a kind of protruding, barrel chest. It has a wide band of white around its neck - hence the term "belted". It alighted on this channel buoy down from Lock & Dam 14, and was off again in a flash.
Interesting facts:
- They burrow in the ground
- They regurgitate pellets, similar to owls
- Females are more brightly-colored than males
Their scientific name is Megaceryle alcyon. Remind you of any words you already know? Mega, of course, means huge. Here's the rest of the story.
"Ceryle" comes from Ceyx, a minor god in Greek mythology, He was married to Alcyon, who lends her name to this bird species as well. They angered Zeus by calling each other by the pet names of Zeus and Hera. Zeus blasted Ceyx's boat at sea. When Alcyon heard of her husband's death, she cast herself into the ocean. Other gods took pity on them and turned them into the mythological halcyon birds, who built floating nests on the sea during the two weeks period of calm at the winter solstices.
When you break halcyon down further, "hal" is related to the sea and salt, as in halite (rock salt), while "kyon" is related to the idea of conception.
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