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

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

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