A Shindagin Love Note

 What's a Shindagin?  Actually, it is a New York State Forest in the Finger Lakes.  I love it!

At 7:30 am today, it was alive with migrating birds, and the steep hillsides were rich with spring wildflowers.  Above is a gang of Trillium grandiflorum. Mixed with the glorious white trillium were also  purple Trillium erectum like these.

 

Let's have another look at a single purple example.  The deep veins on the petals appear to me to be slightly deeper in tone.

As I explored a rough trail that zig-zagged up the steep slope, my eyes came upon a trillium missing either the white or the deep purple of either trillium.  I had come upon a special "straw-colored" trillium.  The veins in the petals suggest to me it is a variant of T. erectum.  Surely, a beautiful surprise.

 

There were a few other surprises. Today is April 28, and Sharp-lobed Hepatica is generally past bloom.  Furthermore, Hepatica typically blooms before sending up this year's leaves.  Usually, it's flowers reside in a bed of withered leaves from the year before. These plants were different.

With both a flower and fresh leavcs, I will treasure this photo.

Shindagin is a very steep and sheltered valley. Perhaps the location is a factor in the late blooming?  Will have to see if this repeats next year.

The climb up the steep hill yielded a final surprise,  Trout Lily!

Photography is chancy for these because the flowers only open on bright sunny days and that usually coincides with wind.  Usually impossible to stop the flower stalk's waving in the slight breeze.  Today was different.  It was briefly calm in the morning.  Such luck.

 

All considered, it was worth rising at 5:10 am to meet the rising sun at 6:09 as I pulled out of the garage.

Feeling so fortunate to live in the Finger Lakes today.

Hope you find some joy in the photo adventure.

 Paul

Spring Highlights

For the nature photographer, spring is an onrushing torrent.  It has consumed me to where posting to a blog has become lost.  Time to make amends with my highlights (so far) of this season.

It has been a wet and sometimes cool spring, so the waterfalls have at times been roaring. Taughannock Falls has been emptying huge volumes into Cayuga Lake.  It is the tallest straight drop east of the Mississippi easily dwarfing the tiny observer at the base.

In March, some waterfowl return beginning with the diving ducks after the ice clears from streams were they can fish.  Here is a Common Merganser male that came streaking past me in the canal at Montour Falls.

As soon as there is duck weed or other aquatic plants to feed upon, the male Wood Ducks arrive.  They are so beautiful, and their chatter is a sure sign of spring.

 

Like the mergansers, the Great Blue Heron only needs open water and fish to appear. The adult scored a triple!.

Early spring also brings forth the wildflowers such as this Trout Lily, also commonly called Adder's Tongue.  It holds its petal tightly closed until a warm sun appears, so its pollen is only available when insect pollinators are active.

Mixed in with the early wildflowers are the first wave of warblers such as this colorful Palm Warbler.  It's a ground hugging insect eater that can frustrate the photographer seeking a clear view.

Another sure sign of spring are the Trillium.  Here is Trillium erectum, Purple Trillium.  It is also nicknamed Stinking Willy because it has a strong, foul odor helpful in attracting flying pollinators. 

The other Trillium is Trillium grandiflorum. Oddly, I find it typically more erect on the stalk than the one given the name T. erectum.  I love them both and have them in my flower beds for enjoyment.

A final favorite wildflower for me is the Wild Geranium.  This one caught my attention because of the alignment of the three blooms and the well-presented leaf. The challenge is often not finding the plant but locating a good setting and stature. This is actually portraiture.

A welcome migrant in spring is the Song Sparrow.  Wow, does it ever sing a lot.

The Pine Warbler has been my nemesis for years.  Why?  It seems to exclusively forage on the tiptop level of pine trees, tall ones. It is a major cause of "warbler neck" - which is a sore neck from looking nearly directly overhead for a long time trying to see a tiny bird.  Got smart this spring and found some short pine trees. Bingo!

Another brilliant warbler is the Yellow Warbler.  It, too, is a strong singer, and thankfully found closer to eye level.

In early May, marshes fill with male Red-winged Blackbirds.  They stake out territories with loud calls and aggressive behavior to the neighboring males. They can really get worked up into a frenzy.  Look at how the reddish-orange wing bars fluff up when he is excited.

As the weather warms, insects begin to appear and agile insect eaters follow naturally.  One with real character is the pugnacious Eastern Kingbird. They won't even yield to a Canada Goose.

A more colorful insect eater is the Yellow-throated Vireo. Like other vireos, it can be a steady voice in the woods.

A bird of the big woods is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Easily missed, it is usually quiet but does have a somewhat deep-throated song easily recognized to match its  name.  Isn't it distinctive?

Now, for my favorite image of the spring so far, here is an Indigo Bunting gracefully perched on a branch.

So, that is my spring to date.  I'm working on an Osprey nest, plus another pair of nesting birds with hopes that they yield distinctive images.   I would love to know which of these images is your favorite.

Best regards,

Paul Schmitt

The Joys of Spring

Yesterday was the end of May.  The month's been busy.  It is time for a recap of some highlights.

First was the joy of finding some favorites seen in a new way.  Always love the Trillium grandiflorum.  I came away with muddy knees.  It was worthwhile.

Another striking wildflower that I seem to have difficulty finding in full bloom is the Virginia Bluebells, also called Virginia Cowslip.  (Mertensia virginica)

Spring is a conflicted time with the natural world so active.  Emerging flowers and returning birds compete for my attention with spring green landscapes.  The Common Yellowthroat is a familiar friend that I found singing strongly his familiar song.

 Another friend is the Tree Swallow.  They compete with Eastern Bluebirds for nest boxes.  Not quite as musical, they are a bit more approachable and are brilliant  when the sun plays on their feathers.

The Eastern Bluebirds will take up a defensive position on a favored nest box and scan the sky for their adversary, the Tree Swallow.

The flora keeps calling with some subjects beyond the common. The most notable are the Pink Lady's Slippers that are found infrequently.  They are simply glorious.

With luck or patience, one can see what pollinates them.  It is a race to get to a bloom before the Bumblebee races off to another distant target.  In the mix of sun and shadow, getting the bee on a sunny bloom is near to impossible.

But sometimes the sun does align with some flowers for a spectacular display.

The result justifies the pain of awaking at 5 am to arrive when the light is perfect.

It's been a good spring.

Paul Schmitt

Signs of Spring

Looking back at the arrival of spring in the Finger Lakes, it seems timely to recount some of my favorite images. It is a mix of birds and some hardy wildflowers.


Among the earliest arrivals are two antagonists for nesting boxes. The first are Tree Swallows.  They are nimble fliers that specialize in catching small insects on the wing. Their response time is so fast that we humans seem just hopelessly inadequate. When the sun catches their deep blue feathers, a brilliant color is seen.






The Eastern Bluebird has designs on the same nest boxes.  Their colors are certainly the equal of the Tree Swallows, though the female is notably more subtle.


Both of these birds are vocal, but the Eastern Bluebird certainly wins in terms of musicality.  I must admit that when the two species get to fighting over a nest box, I root for the bluebirds. It takes a lot of courage for a single pair of bluebirds to stand up to the repeated swoops of a number of swallows.






Another favorite of mine is the Wood Duck. Whereas the swallows and bluebirds are fairly calm around people, the Wood Duck is extremely wary.  It's probably because they are so tasty, not that I could eat one.  The sweet vocalizations of a Wood Duck just melt my heart. These two bachelors dropped over my head and wandered about the stream for over a half-hour. It was worth getting up at 5:00 a.m. just to see and hear them.

The other exciting moments this April centered on a Redtail Hawk nest perched on a rock face above a creek.  A few days after their eggs hatched, I was there when one adult flew in to relieve its mate on the nest.

The first adult wastes no time leaving to hunt.  In the interval, the small chicks are revealed. Look closely between the chicks and the adult.  They have caught a starling to feed the chicks.  Usually, I see rodents in this nest.
 

Later in April, the native wildflowers begin to show.  I always am excited when this begins, since they were my introduction to nature photography.  Each year, I see new ways to interpret them.  Round-lobed Hepatica were my first discovery this year.






Closely following hepatica was Blue Cohosh. It is an easily overlooked flower; I find it so hard to photograph that I can be found widely search for just the perfect form and freshness of bloom. Once found, the task is usually to catch it not in motion, when the breeze subsides.

Later the two local examples of wild Dicentra appear.  Seen at right, Squirrel Corn -Dicentra canadensis- has a heart shaped flower.  The roots are said to resemble grains of yellow corn (though I have never excavated one to see).  There is a blush of violet and yellow on the blooms that is difficult to capture.













The other Dicentra, Dutchman's Breeches -Dicentra cucullaria-  is seen at left.  The two exaggerated spurs atop the yellow tipped flower do, indeed, resemble upside-down pantaloons.

Both of these Dicentra are available from sources that grow them for wild harvested seeds.  They do well in a garden, and to date, I have seen no evidence that deer eat them (yet).  They bring early color to my garden.




This brings me to my big four for April wildflower photography.  It's a matter of personal interest, likely in each case driven by the rich colors.  The first is Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris. It has rich colors and a waxy finish that makes them almost glow.

 Next is Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica.  With these, it is the color.

Next is the Purple Trillium,  Trillium  erectum.  I am attracted by the red-green complementary colors between the  petals and the leaves.  I have these in my little garden by the back entrance to my home, so I can enjoy them with little effort.

It is good to save the best for last.  In this case, it is white Large-flowered Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum. Both trillium assume a personality to me and each year is new set of portraits.

So, this suggests why I am so busy in April.  In spite of changeable and often wet weather, the boredom of March is past and both birds and blooms start to reveal themselves.  May will bring  more of both plus longer hours of daylight.

Paul Schmitt

Blooming Highlights

The rush of migrating birds has ended, and it's time to catch up with the highlights of the spring wildflower blooms. I find myself pulled between the elusive birds and ephemeral blooms.  Here is the best of the spring blooms.

At the entrance to Cornell Plantation's Mundy Wildflower Garden, I found Celandine Poppies and Virginia Bluebells in wonderful colors.  I had to get very low on the ground to get this view.

Nearby was one of my favorites each year, May Apple. Another chance to lie on the ground.

The Trillium grandiflorum were a bit higher and less difficult to photograph.  They are always grand.

An easily overlooked wildflower is the Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum).  Oddly, the garden geraniums we plant in our gardens are not members of the Geranium genum.   The Wild Geraniums are so prolific that the deer must not be eating them.  Hope it stays that way!

Now, all of these are fairly common, and while beautiful, they do not excite the passions like a wild orchid. These Pink Lady's Slippers were in a cluster of 185 plants that I visited for the first time this spring.

That is an extraordinary cluster of blooms.  I also like to portray the charming arrangements that the blooms sometime present.  This one is, for me, a portrait, .....perhaps of two sisters?

 

So, those are my highlights of spring.  In only a week or maybe two, the later blooming orchids will appear, and I'll get excited once again.  The one difference is that I will have to endure the mosquitoes that frequent the bogs and fens in June.

You can understand how I am torn between choosing blooms or birds on any given day.

Kind regards,

Paul