Canada Lilies- A Woodland Treat

I have an admiration for flowers that achieve unique beauty without selective human breeding.  So, along with the the truly wild orchids, one other will lead me to awake at 5:30 am. (The time is driven by capturing extremely sharp images when the air is dead still.)

The Canada Lily, Lilium canadense, is in a struggle to survive the overpopulation of Whitetail Deer.  Since the Mundy Wildflower Garden was partly fenced, the few plants inside have begun to show their full potential. Earlier this week I was amazed to find a single lily standing about seven feet tall with eleven blooms.  Plans were made based on a prediction of favorable conditions for Saturday, and I was joined by spouse Pam and good friend David Dunneau. 

This is an amazing plant.  Previously I had only seen single or double blooms that I now characterize as juvenile plants. 

The smaller plants are still  quite beautiful and definitely easier to compose into a photo.

A closer look at the flower shows an inviting target for the pollinator.

While most blooms were very regular in form, I found one plant with twin blooms that had a very seductive form.

I thought when I saw this bloom several days ago that it was in the process of opening and would be fully open this morning, but it retains the earlier form.

An unexpected bonus of the early morning outing was spotted by my friend David.  Two very tiny flies in the mating couplet. They are only about 6 millimeters long (1/4 inch).

Pretty neat to see them in detail.  Again, the calm air helped greatly.

Finished by 9 am, we retired to the Ithaca Bakery for bagels and coffee.  We had earned the treat.

Paul Schmitt

Summertime- This and that...

My biggest challenge in summer is maintaining balance between chores and play, also choosing between the wide variety of photo subjects. Right now, it's windy and beautiful too.  So, the blog and house chores win. Too dangerous in the woods. Safe to wash the car.

Last week, I was enrolled in a landscape photo workshop at a nearby waterfall, but it poured from the sky.  Even though I was ready, the instructor (from Texas) had little inclination to work in the rain.  So, I returned to Havana Glen a few days ago under ideal conditions with nice results.

As you enter the glen, a small two-step waterfall is first seen.  It's nice.

I've found that there are two critical tools needed for waterfalls - a tripod and $5 sneakers. The first so you can use long exposures for creamy white water, and the other so I can get right down in the water for the best views. That was best displayed when I went further up the gorge to the large waterfall.

I had to lie sideways on the rocks to see through the viewfinder for this.  The view was worth the effort.  The sopping wet sneakers were no concern; it's only $5.

Contrasting with the grand view of waterfalls, June also brings out the Coreopsis in brilliant yellows next to our driveway.  They are a magnet for all sort of pollinators. Some are bees.

Others are flies that imitate bees.

The Coreopsis will continue blooming through the summer, if I include in my chores the task of snapping off the seed heads regularly to promote new flowers. It's one of those chores.

My photo group in Ithaca has an assignment for the next meeting - to view the world from an ant's perspective.  I take this to mean getting low and close to their world. It is a challenge since the camera is so large compared to them.  Then, I discovered that the ant's were very active on our Digitalis.

Sometimes it appeared that they were feeding on the long hairs in the tubes, but maybe it was like wading through talk grasses?  They would disappear into the deepest part of the flower for long periods.   And, there was competition from much larger insects.

I never figured out if the Bumblebees were interacting with the ants inside the bloom. That is just completely out of sight.

In addition to all of this, I am preparing to teach a workshop about smart phone photography on July 14 at Cornell Plantations. So, I've been doubling up on some subjects to show what can be done with the simple camera in my iPhone.  Before I took out my digital SLR yesterday, I took this with my iPhone.

These are the rather rare Canada Lilies, Lilius canadense.  I've also posted a blog on these at my Cayuga Nature Photographers site. See:  Cayuga Nature Photographers

I've also updated my gallery iPhoneography on my website. See:  Gallery of iPhoneography   It is pretty amazing what can be done with a smart phone camera.

When you compare the images by the iPhone with my larger DSLR camera, you'll see that the one if pretty good results some of the time and the other produces terrific results most of the time.  But, I always have the iPhone with me.

Now, time to get to the next item on my chores, wash the car.

Hope you are keeping a balance in your life too.

Best regards,

Paul Schmitt

Simply Irresistible!

A student in my workshop for the summer interns at Cornell Plantations asked just this Monday what my favorite flower is.  It caught me by surprise as I've never thought of wildflowers in terms of favorites.  After a little thought, I could only answer Showy Lady's Slippers.  Why?  They are wildly sensuous in appearance and are special in that they only survive in the wild and never  have succumbed to human propagation.  They are, indeed, a rare and special treat.

So, when I got the email that they were in bloom, all plans were changed. Off I went with spouse and a friend, on short notice, to an isolated fen in the Finger Lakes.  All I will add is that I was thankful for having a friend who trusted to share the location with me, and for my LaCrosse rubber boots. 

To me, Showy Lady's Slippers ( Cypripedium reginae )  have a personality that is regal and the name in latin reflects that as  reginae, a Queen .  So, I first explored that aspect in a composition.

There is also, as I said, a sensuous nature to the Queen.  So, I shaded the blooms for a softer image.

 

I can easily spend hours exploring the nature of this wild orchid. In soft diffuse light they are tender and in brilliant light they are noble.

But I am also aware that my companions only find mild amusement at my lying on the wet ground, as they drift away to explore a bit and await me.  Next spring I will again anticipate another visit with the Queen.

Paul Schmitt

Pileated Woodpecker Nest

Had the pleasure to observe a Pileated Woodpecker nest cavity today. I am always amazed when they appear.   The  color and patterns, the size and the raucous vocalization.  This nest was reported to have two chicks, but all observations indicate one chick had already left the nest.  The remaining chick was very active at the cavity, seeming to be  hungry and frustrated that the adults would not come to him.

I did not expect the chick to be capable of adult calls, but it was pretty loud at times. The adults came in a few times, seeming to tempt the chick to come to them.  I've seen this in House Wrens when it is time to fledge.  The chicks have been conditioned to the adults singing before entering the nest box.  At fledging time, the adults repeat the song but from a nearby tree until the young come to them. 

This calling from nearly continued, and finally an adult flew to the nest.

What a beautiful plumage. The chick got some food, not as much as had been normally observed and the adult retreated to a side of the tree.

The adult soon left the chick to consider the options and the vocalization continued from a distance.

I had planned to return to this nest in two days, but I think the nest will be empty tomorrow.

All images used Nikon D800, 400 mm f/2.8 lens with 1.4 multiplier. ISO 2000 to 6400.

Paul Schmitt

Birds and Blooms

True to my blog's name, today was birds and blooms, just in reverse order. Began the day at Cornell Plantation's Mundy Wildflower garden with another skilled photographer.  It's always enlightening to see how two photographers can stand next to one another and end up with widely different and equally interesting photos. It is an excellent way to increase your creativity.

The Wild Geraniums instantly got my interest.  Just love their color and simple form.

While the garden is devoted to native plants, it is virtually impossible to keep non-native plants out.  Think of how impossible it is to banish dandelions for your garden or lawn. 

So, the garden also has masses of lovely pink and purple Dame's Rocket. Now, this plant is widely called Phlox, but it is not.  Phlox has the same colors, but it has five petals.  This has four. I am sure the small bee on the flower doesn't care what the name is. End of botany lesson.

I have Dame's Rocket around my yard, and while I do pull it, I've accepted that it will not be defeated.  I accept it in small numbers because the colors are appreciated and it would be too much work to do otherwise. It is a truce.

And, as I continued in the garden, the Dame's Rocket provided a nice framing to some Cow Parsnip that just began to bloom. Cow Parsnip is a sort of coarse and ungainly plant. The bees love it.

Usually, Cow Parsnip grows in large, ungainly masses that make it difficult to photograph in such a way that a single plant's form is clearly seen. So, I liked this combination of Cow Parsnip and Dame's Rocket.

As I continued, I found another plant just beginning to bloom, and it is one of my favorites, Blue Flag.

By this time, I was growing hungry, my companion had to go, and the wind was making it nearly impossible to photograph flowers and get sharp images. Time to grab a Subway and eat while I observed a nearby  Redtail Hawk nest.  Arrived to find one adult perched nearby.  At first, it flew from a perch behind where I stand on the bridge and went to a perch directly above the nest, and then into the nest. The two chicks were dozing. It soon left the nest.

It returned to the perch behind me where I could see it was watching something in the wooded area.  It flew into the woods, but returned to the perch with no prey. It was likely a squirrel or chipmunk.

What happened next was pretty exciting as the bird launched from the tree and flew nearly directly overhead on its way to the nest.

After some time, one chick must have rung the dinner bell and the adult hawk responded.  She pulled a grey squirrel up from inside the nest and began to deliver bits of food.  The other chick in the back watched but did not join in, eventually going off to sleep.

I figured the action was over for awhile since sleep usually follows food. Time to head home and start the long process of downloading and editing. 

All in all, a pretty good day of birds and blooms.

Paul
 

It's all about the birds and the bees.

Ask yourself what comes to mind when you hear  "the birds and the bees".  My Friday outing was all about the birds and the bees.  Really!  Read on.

There are now multiple websites that have a live stream of an active nest - Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons and Redtail Hawks, to name a few. One of the very popular ones shows a pair of Redtails nesting on a very high light tower on the campus of Cornell University.
See:  Cornell Redtail Hawk Nest

I've heard many people admit to watching this on their computer for long periods of time. Some are doing so when they should be working. Such is the magnetic interest that the cycle of new life has on us.

To my good fortune,  I have been directed to a cliff side nest of Redtail Hawks in the Fall Creek Gorge near the Cornell campus, and the location is perfect for photography.  Even better, it is not a man made structure but "au natural" with no voyeuristic component.  Join me in a series of photos from about a two hour session and how it ended with the bees.

This is, I believe, the female shown high above the nest on a warm day, keeping watch on the nest below.

I think she sees me. Actually, I am on the sidewalk of a well-traveled street with regular pedestrian traffic and I am sure she sees me and lots more.

When I arrived, the chicks were active in the nest below.

The chick in the foreground is the older of the two. Note that it has more dark feathers emerging to replace the down.  The younger chick is attempting to do something with the tough-skinned chipmunk left earlier by a parent. They are not very graceful at this stage.  Awkward, really.

Eventually, the adult overhead flew to a roost on the opposite side of the gorge, still watchful.

After some time had passed,  the male returned with a fresh chipmunk.

For a few moments, both adults were on the nest.  I think the male left quickly to resume hunting and the female remained to feed the chicks.  Chipmunks are pretty tough skinned, and the one chick's attempt to take one apart was futile. The female put all of her strengths into the task.

She was pretty equitable in dividing the food among the two chicks.

What I expected next was the onset of a food coma for the chicks.  I could see them become calmer.

As the nest came out of the shadows and they became drowsy, I expected the adult to shield them with outstretched wings, as I had seen three days before. It had been two hours on the bridge. It was time to move to something new.  The time passed quickly.  I'd met numerous walkers.  Most had never seen such a thing close up, but some stopped every day on their way to and from work. 

So, I went to Sapsucker Woods for a break and to walk a woodland trail looking for small birds. Found a few such as Phoebes and Orioles, but was most taken by the wild azaleas blooming with hot pink flowers.  

So, you see that my day was really all about the birds and the bees.

I am sure that there are others who will enjoy reading about this. Please share it with someone.

Thanks,

Paul Schmitt

Warbler Heaven

The spring migration of warblers and similar perching birds was at a peak across the Great Lakes the week of May 9.  Fortunately, I was able to visit a hotspot where large hatches of midges provide abundant food for the migrant birds. I'm posting just a sampling of what I found with a link to more images.

Perhaps the most exciting bird was the Prothonotary Warbler.  They were abundant. 

Prothonotary Warbler

Since many of  the midges stay low in these marsh areas, the birds are often at your eye level.  That is not often the situation in most areas where  they are in the tops of the tallest trees.  Since midges do not bite, unlike mosquitoes, it is also easy to concentrate on the birds.

Blackburnian Warbler

A second beautiful little bird was the Black- burnian Warbler.  Once you see one of these, the bird's appearance is burned into your memory.  I think this is also true for the Protho- notary, which is named for its resemblance to the official robes of the European court recorder of earlier times.

The Blackburnians were prevalent in the tree blossoms, likely hunting for insects in the blossoms. As often as not,they were hanging upside down probing through the flowers.

In reviewing my photos at the edit step, I noted another image of a Blackburnian surrounded by midges, so their diet is both insects in the blossoms and the newly hatched midges.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were the third bird that captured my interest. This slender little bird is only about 4 inches long.  I felt lucky to get a clear photo since they seem to move constantly, and are very quick.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 

Another nice warbler made a brief visit, and I felt fortunate to get a photo.  The Palm Warbler is a new bird for me.

If you look closely at the Palm Warbler above, you can see that there is a midge in its beak.  It must have grabbed it as I tracked it in flight. -- I am laughing right now because the computer spell check changed the sentence to say "..  you can see that there is a midget in its beak."  I am sure someone would have called me on that very quickly.--  The Palm Warbler is about 5-1/2 inches long, so a little larger than the gnatcatcher.  

There were other birds to be seen including flycatchers, vireos and orioles. The orioles seem to prefer the cottonwood trees.

I saw this female Redwing Blackbird repeatedly foraging on this willow tree.  Must have been something good there. The  males were not observed feeding, but rather protecting their adjacent nesting territory and presumably singing their virtues to the ladies who were intent on building strength to lay a clutch of eggs. 

I so often see the males with their bright red and yellow wing bands that I overlook the beautiful striping on the females. 

The variety of birds was at times overwhelming to the point that  it was difficult to concentrate on any one bird.  On two occasions, a Prothonotary landed a mere 5 feet from me. Too close to focus on.  

I've come to value the ability to recognize the bird calls by species.  The sound of the different warblers was a key to knowing what to look for.  

A larger set of images are posted on my Flickr pages at:

Paul's Flickr pages

I'll close with a few technical notes for photographers.  Used a 400 mm f/2.8 lens with 1.4x multiplier; always on a tripod.  Fill flash was used at minus 1ev to minus 2ev depending on sky conditions.  Aperture was f/8 with the ISO ranging from 400 to 800 most often.  Early in the morning I boosted ISO to 1200 or so.

I would like to hear what your favorite image is, and why.

Best regards,

Paul Schmitt