Weekly Photo Challenge:Up
Friends, look up in Crex Meadows early in the spring or late in the fall and you will see Greater Sandhill Cranes gathering in flocks. In the sunset sky they land on their roost, and in the spring they land and dance on the brown reeds and sedges. In the early summer they pair off and go to their nesting site to raise their young. This time of year, they soar down to land in groups, and when landing, the dancing begins. They pop up and down like popcorn, trying to find the right place to land without disturbing the residents who are already in the spot. til Tomorrow MJ
A Spot of Yellow
Friends, snow again today, I think that spring is sleeping it off somewhere :), I went to my archives and found this image of summer yellow, a macro that shows the proboscis looping into the flower, sipping soda thru a straw on a summer day, is that a song title? it should be a song title, i think this is a sulfur butterfly with the white eyespot on the hind wing, til Tomorrow MJ
Lion Eyes
Friends, another cat from Como, this male lion was lying in the shade waiting for his food, his mate was up and moving toward the building, was she hungrier than he??, that wrinkled brow makes him look very severe with intense yellow eyes, his mane looks like someone combed it, no mats in his hair, good grooming, til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Change
Friends, change is in the air, the Sandhill Cranes are returning to the northland, the sky is not very blue yet, but the ice and snow are slowly leaving the meadows of Crex. I am more than ready for the warmth of spring, cause over the weekend we got another 2-3 inches of heavy wet snow. Today it is dripping off the eaves, so maybe we won’t have to snowblow this stuff off the driveway. We both have vehicles designed for maximum traction, so driving is not a problem, but walking is big problem. til Tomorrow MJ
Tiger Eyes
Friends, at Como Park there is a zoo, the cat yard is my favorite place because no fences between you and the cats, you are on a walkway above them and this allows some great photo ops, it was raining slightly so this tiger was wet and looking for her food, they were getting ready to feed the big cats, she went inside while the keeper straightened up the yard and put away the tiger toys, then they threw a piece of meat up on a very large rock, it started to rain more heavily so I left before the drama was completed, til Tomorrow MJ
Exotic Fiddlehead
Friends, this huge fern is gently unfolding within the tropical environment of Como Conservatory, Ferns are a world of green, and this pinkish head will soon turn green. If you look closely you can see structure that looks like feather structure, below is a macro of this substructure. I am always amazed by the intricate macro structures, probably why I was an electron microscopist (cell biology and structures) in an earlier life, til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Color
Friends, the word color means blooming flowers to me, I had to travel 90 miles and go to a giant greenhouse to photograph these Asiatic Lilies, I used a softer effect to show the flower within a flower, one of my favorite subjects, don’t really like the rusty hue against the pink petals, but nature made it that way so I share with you, til Tomorrow MJ
Como-Large Greenhouse
Friends, this very large greenhouse holds lots of flower power, It has some side wings and is a free refuge open to the public, in the winter many flock here especially on Saturdays to bask in the tropical warmth and humidity, and to view the tropical gardens, fern room, and large exhibits of seasonal flowers, This week the large room is filled with Asiatic Lilies, hydrangea, and other colorful blooms, My favorite is the dark blue of the crocus, see image below, my new camera seems to be focusing behind the point that i choose,, will i be able to fix that, hmmmm, til Tomorrow MJ
Dancing Sharptails
Friends, this time of year, the sharptailed grouse males are dancing on the meadows, in this image he is getting ready to dance, his yellow eyebrows are raised, his purple air sac is exposed, his tail is raised and his wings have dropped down, in the image below is his dancing pose, His feet do a fast stutter step as he whirls in circles and chases any other male birds. The females sit by silently watching, and after selecting the winner, they both fly away. This ritual happens at dawn, so one has to be in a blind before dawn. Finding a strange blind in the dark can be quite an adventure. so enjoy my sharpies in the warmth of indoors, til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 