Category Archives: Nature
Dancing Lessons
Friends, did your mother teach you to dance, probably not. I learned from a friend, but in the crane world, the adults teach the dancing skills. The youngster on the left is learning from the two dancing in the middle how to celebrate life and rejoice. So for today, dance and teach your children. til Tomorrow MJ
Another Karner
Friends, could not resist showing you one more Karner Butterfly, and endangered specie here in Crex Meadows. This is a better image in that he is perched on a lead plant flower instead of the usual scat perch and the blue spots on his hind wing are showing their iridescent glow. The light needs to be right for those spots to glow and look like abalone. The bokeh is also better than the previous image. til Tomorrow MJ
Morning Dove Call
Friends, this morning dove is calling to its mate with an inflated neck and a yellow sheen on the side of the neck. I had never seen this behavior before this photo, nature never seems to disappoint or cease to be amazing in the discoveries to be made. til Tomorrow MJ
Orange on orange
Friends, this is one of the many fritillary butterflies in Crex. I think this is Atlantis but can’t be sure. To me they all look alike and i have difficulty differentiating them, but don’t need a name to appreciate their beauty. This one is perched on butterfly weed, an orange milkweed. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Foreshadow
Friends, these leaves of the Solomon Seal plant are curly and have longitudinal veining. I like the pattern Foreshadowing the blooms. til Tomorrow MJ
Another Flutterby
Friends, The last few days I have been chasing butterflies in Crex Meadows, and stumbled upon this beauty. I think it is a Wood Nymph and i love the eyespots on its wing. Now the disgusting part, he is sitting on animal scat of some kind and this is the most reliable place to find butterflies this time of year. Wish it had been perched on a pretty flower but alas, I have blackened that part of the image. Forgive me for photoshoping, but it really was disgusting . til Tomorrow MJ
The Search for the Blue Karner
Friends, the Blue Karner butterfly is rare even in Crex Meadows. This tiny blue butterfly is about the size of a nickel, and has distinctive markings on the back side of the wings. My friend and I have searched many places for this lovely blue and never found them until I retired up north. Now every year I go in search of them partially to renew old times and to reassure myself that they are still there. This one is for Cheri til Tomorrow MJ
Young Cormorant
Friends, while shooting the tall ship parade, we were entertained by some cormorants that were feeding nearby. This juvenile has a beautiful turquoise eye, never noticed their eye color before. til Tomorrow MJ
Pink and White
Friends, not a spectacular image but a softer feel to this pink and white. I think these are dogbane, what an awful name for a sweet little bloom, these are about 1/2 inch and this branchful were about 2 inches across. Some of the blooms are out of the focus range but i like the softness. Not sure i like all the stems near the bottom, what do you think? til Tomorrow MJ
His Kingdom
Friends, this male goldfinch is announcing to the world his joys and surveying his kingdom. He studied me for about ten minutes and let me shoot his portrait. The goldfinch are late nesters, so his female has probably laid the eggs or hatched some young ones, either way he was out shopping for groceries. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 