A Burst of Spring Flowers

The woodland bloom is getting exciting.  I went out yesterday to search for a warbler at Cornell's Arnot Forest and did not get 200 yards into the woods before the wildflowers changed the plan.  Right along the main forest road was this stately Purple Trillium- Trillium erectum- in perfect condition.

 

While the species name would imply the flower is erect, it is always nodding down.  The trick to a good image of it is to get very low - that is best done by finding plants on a steep hillside.  Seen at right is the usual approach.  In this case, I had to straddle a fallen log on a somewhat slippery slope.  It is a slow process with much care to avoid damaging other blooming plants.

At such a close distance, the lens has a shallow of depth of focus. So, I made six images stepped from closest leaf tip the to the most distant leaf. This, of course, included the purple flower's detail.  The resulting "portrait" came from aligning all six images and selecting the sharper parts of each image.  This is a revolutionary change in how to overcome the inherent limits of optics. See the result below.

I became rather driven to find Purple Trillium clinging to increasingly steep slopes.

 

Inevitably, I found the most marginal of all possibilities.

This was about 50 feet above the valley floor.  It convinced me to find other subjects.  

The beautiful Trout Lily - Erythronium americanum - were also in bloom.  They are only open when the sky is clear so, this was the opportunity I wanted.

Like the Purple Trillium, they are looking downward.  I put my camera down in the leaves and propped it up to get the image.  They are a true ephemera and will totally disappear by mid-summer.

There are other blooms to find that were easier to photograph.  Consider the Virginia Bluebells- Mertensia virginica.  It is a plant of the river woods.  Here's one of my favorite images.

It had been a full morning. As I exited the forest road, I saw an exceptional cluster of White Trillium - Trillium grandiflorum - and had to stop.  Too lazy to unload my camera again, I depended upon my iPhone. 

 

Ten blooms!   The steep bank must be rich and well watered.  

No wonder that spring is my favorite season.

Paul

A Potpourri of Spring Offerings

This late arriving spring still staggers along.  Some of my field effort has been exploring new places.  Up near Cayuta Lake, I visited the newly discovered Allen Preserve of the Cornell Botanic Gardens.  I cannot recall a greater number of Skunk Cabbage anywhere.

It only required a cell phone for this image.  Honestly, I was ranging wide without a camera pack, had to stand in running water and the phone was what I had.  I held the phone about 2 inches above the water and wished for the best.   

Back in Cornell's Mundy Wildflower Garden, I did a stack of seven images to create create this companion image with the spadix clearly visible within the spathe.

 

Why one shot for the first image, and seven for this one?  The wide angle lens in the phone has huge depth of focus.  The lens used on the latter one only has sharp focus for about 1/2 inch.   Each has its place.  I like them both.  (No more Skunk Cabbage this year.  I promise.)

 

Let's look at some itty-bitty birds.  This male Song Sparrow was a bit angry at another intruding male.  I captured him leaping off to make a challenge.

  I discovered a different sparrow while waiting for a Bald Eagle at a beaver pond.  The Swamp Sparrow has a rich rusty-red crest, and is just as vocal as the other sparrow.

No Bald Eagle came within distance that morning, but some days later I did get a little closer when the male returned to the nest.  (I am still working on this for a closer result.)

Spring is also about wildflowers, and a few early ones are coming out now.  This is Sharp-lobed Hepatica.

Finally, the Great Blue Herons are back (and nesting already).  They can be supremely elegant in flight, or truly awkward depending on the moment.  I love the patterning displayed as they set wings for a landing.

It is getting more spring like, and some warblers are arriving.  Hope I can offer a greater variety of images soon.

Paul

Signs of Spring

 Here in New York State a late spring followed a hard winter.  The signs of a warmer season have been late and mixed.  The Canada Geese are back.

And they are starting to nest.

But appropriately, on April 1 some wintery weather dropped in to play a joke on us.

There is one spring flowering plant that cares not if it is snowy or cold.  The Skunk Cabbage creates a catalytic warming that melts the ground so it can bloom.  

First, it does not smell like a skunk. but the spathe does seem to have an odor that attracts flies and gnats.  I rather welcome its hardiness along with the daffodils.

Waterfowl also make an early spring arrival.  One favorite bird that always excites me is the Wood Duck.  Here are two gorgeous males that I found on a small pond lined with woodlands.

 It seems like there is always a greater number of males and on this morning there were six males vying for two females.  This female has made her choice and a rejected male is facing a determined stare from the female.

Another set of visitors to the pond on this chilly morning was a gang of Common Mergansers. They often sweep across a pond or river in a line suggesting a coordinated fishing strategy.

These early spring days are often a frustrating time where we are ready before the seasons are willing to make a clean switch to warmth. I am surely not alone in being ready for better days.

Paul Schmitt