Schaich's Nature Journal

2012-01-11T21:30:00.001-05:00

Great Horned Owl visits meadow....Was looking out the window several days ago and saw this large bird fly into the top of my White Cedar tree. Thought it was a hawk ,but when I viewed it through the video camera, saw the ear -tufts. Have seen it once before this year,in early morning. Many years ago,the land adjacent to where we live was a large turkey farm. I worked for the owners ,as a kid, once a year a great horned would come thru the area and destroy a large amount of birds,sometimes 50 or so.Black & white was used to eliminate the red fringes in the color video capture.

2011-11-07T21:02:00.001-05:00

Tired Buck lies down at edge of meadow..... this buck was herding two does. Have not seen a buck lie down during the rut, but this guy simply flopped down for 2-3min. for a quick rest. He was approx. 50 ft. from the house,being gun season starts in 5 days , and his carelessness, I don't expect to see him again!!!!

2011-11-05T16:42:00.001-04:00

Size Between Buck and Doe....Photographed this buck and doe in the meadow, and realized the size difference between the two. The doe is approx. 1.5 yrs old, an not of breeding size, in fact the buck ran her off and went the other way. For several years now,I have noticed these yearling ? seem to be highly intrested in the big bucks.

2011-11-03T10:55:00.000-04:00

Wild Turkey..Bugging & Seeding.......Had a flock of turkeys in the meadow this morning. They were mostly eating bugs, but I noticed this one stripping grass seed from a thin stalk. Somewhere, I read, that during this process, they create a vacuum ,so they don't drop any seeds. Video from approx. 100 yards

2011-10-28T15:09:00.003-04:00

The Rut has Started.....Only see the big bucks, like this one , one time a year. This am the temp was about 38 degrees, a smaller buck was driving 6 does thru the meadow, when this guy showed up. Was in my studio when I saw him,opened the window quietly but he still heard me, came to investigate. Note the buck keeps the grasses between him and the camera.

2011-10-13T20:37:00.000-04:00

Great Blue Heron eyes it's lunch...... was at Shark Valley, Everglades National Park and this guy was catching toads and frogs. Near the visitors center ,but he didn't mind all the people, just hungry.

2011-10-12T11:07:00.004-04:00

A Crowd at the Mineral block....... Usually each whitetail takes its turn at the block, a status order, however today the doe and fawns are all in the pit together. Doe is licking nose with tongue, after licking block, also look at the spots along the backbone of the nearest fawn, I guess the last spots to disappear.

2011-10-12T10:46:00.001-04:00

Classic Whitetail in the Fall....The does are looking good this time of year, eating a lot of acorns, high in fats and protein . The herd size seems to be increasing in number, I assume because of the onset of winter and the rut.

2011-09-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

Fungus in Deep Woods.......

Now that the winter wood is cut and split, I have time to look for photo opts. There is something about the deep woods in the morning or evening when the suns rays are highly angled,and uses an opening in the foliage as an aperture. Such is the Fungus photo, high key subject and almost completely dark edges with a few splashes of green.

2011-09-16T20:53:00.000-04:00

Fall -Yellow Color is a favorite of mine..... found this Fungus growing on a tree about 12 feet off the ground, at first, thought it was a wild canary hanging on the bark ( remember my eyes have been used hard for 76 yrs.) Don't know much about fungus, except most are brightly colored. Moss Rose (bottom photo) is what I call a happy flower, just pleasant to look at.

2011-09-15T19:54:00.000-04:00

VELVET SHEDDING AT LAST....
About 2 days ago this buck just began to shed velvet , usually that occurs 3 rd. week of August. Time and date on camera incorrect. Bodies are filling out nicely, good acorn crop.

2011-08-02T14:42:00.003-04:00

Whitetail antler growth (GOOD) It seems the bucks, at least, in my area will have good racks this year. I would like to think it is from the new mineral block, however the heavy rains in the spring, made for lush foliage ( IE. A super food supply). About the 15 to 25 of August the velvet will be shed. Antlers will be polished for about a month to 6 weeks,they start putting on fat for winter and the rut( acorns & other nuts) Rut usually starts around November 8-12. I think all the photos are of 4 different bucks

2011-07-18T21:28:00.002-04:00

Whitetail ( angle- rack) just started to photograph around the clock because have had very few visual sightings recently. I like to find some visual identity to follow each deer up into the rutting season. This one has angular growth pattern of the antlers. I will now start to plot the frequency at the block to the estimated distant of travel. ie, if he is at the block two times a day I will assume the travel is an estimated range of only several miles. If I see him only once a week the range would be considerable more.

2011-07-15T22:21:00.002-04:00

Daylily " A Rainbow of Color" Saw this lily fore lit by sun, behind it a lemon color lily, used a fill flash to
give some snap. Asa 100, f4.0,1/160 sec. 400 mm(35mm equiv.)
Leica DC Vario-Elmart lens.

2011-07-05T13:36:00.002-04:00

Colorful Happy Flowers......pinks, Dianthus,miniature Carnations, I guess people call them by many names , but when I look at them, they make me happy ( at least happier).

2011-07-05T13:19:00.002-04:00

Rose of Sharon-Bumble-Bee Relationship....... Rose of Sharon started to bloom this week, covered with bees looking for pollen. I followed this bee to 8 different blooms,before it found one that it liked (as least one that the camera could focus on). Photo shot against the cloudy sky using a fill flash, -1 stop, making for a high key background

2011-07-03T17:19:00.002-04:00

Whitetail talk it over at the block.......I like to observe body language of animals, have seen, stiff leg walks, head lowering,front leg striking and plain aggression , but this small buck seems to be chewing -out the big guy. The big guy turns his head to say," I'm not even going to look at you". Well, maybe I've been a Naturalist to long!!!!!!

2011-07-03T16:38:00.003-04:00

Whitetail buck is developing a nice set of antlers. Last year, the antlers were irregular but so far this year the growths seen very even. Have changed to a special mineral block and it may have helped. The bucks visit the block several times a day. Note the hole in the ground, deer have eaten the salt- rich soil over the past 25 years or so.

2011-07-03T16:16:00.003-04:00

Cecropia Moth ?........Found this moth drying out on side of a house. Photographed from many angles, this angle shows the wing marking to be a pair of fish- like looking markings. Most moths seem to have odd creature like marking for protection. Also, most have a bad taste to birds ,according to the experts. Moth was approx. 6 inches long.

2011-05-07T21:05:00.002-04:00

Southeastern Indiana deer antler growth.....Last year ,the deer I photographed had a lot of antler deformation, so I changed to a BIG 6 MINERAL BLOCK (North American Salt Co.) and the feeding pattern has increase 3 times, around the clock. Salt block is monitored by a remote camera. Block contains Salt,Manganese,Iron,Copper,Zinc,Iodine and Cobalt. It will be interesting to see how the antler growth progresses this year. Some articles indicates the antler are at least 70% minerals.

2011-05-07T20:18:00.002-04:00

GREY SQUIRREL Family.... Have a large White Ash tree outside my,second story, studio window and have watched and filmed a family of squirrels for several days. They play in the tree, chase each other but this day all ended up on a stub branch about 8 inches long ,18 feet high. A long way down, even for squirrels. Photo is a video capture.

2011-04-27T22:22:00.002-04:00

WHITETAIL Deer..Antlers starting to grow.....Photo taken 5 days ago. Antler starts seem to be somewhat early this year. Note the shaggy look to the coats, shedding the winter fur. The hole in the ground is the result of placing salt blocks on the ground,with rain, the salt leaches into the ground and deer eat the soil. this hole is 18 inches deep by 15 ft. long. A result of 20 years worth of providing salt. This time of year ,they visit the salt lick 3 to 4 times a day .

2011-04-26T20:53:00.002-04:00

Brown Pelican..taking off or

landing ....... I love to photograph Pelicans either landing, taking off, sailing and diving. There is a large water hole, formed by high tides along Ft. Myers Beach, Fl which has several pelicans and other water birds. This one came in to feed and I think was taking off,note the water splash behind the feet, they usually run across the water to gain speed to become airborne. Any way I like the shot. 400mm,1/400 sec. f6.3 ,-1 step bias,spot metering and a lot of luck

2011-04-19T20:59:00.006-04:00

Early Wildflowers in Southeastern Indiana.......My grandson took me to see recently purchased property , this Sunday. A nice tract of rugged land with a large creek, waterfalls, clay banks, big rocks, and a very steep hillside. After falling into the creek, stumbling over rocks and forcing my old legs to do things they didn't want to do, after about 2 hours ,it became the most enjoyable afternoon I've had in sometime. On the hillside , I found various wildflowers that I usually go to the Smoky Mountains to see . Photos are of PURPLE TRILLIUM ( top) and DUTCHMAN'S-BREECHES which seems to be rather rare, but this hillside had an abundance of them. What a find!!!!! also several Triullum,Squirrel corn,Spring Beauty, Ramp and wild Phlox.Creek has a find of good fossils. About 20 miles from where I live and 200 ft. lower but much earlier.

2011-04-14T19:43:00.002-04:00

Whitetail deer grazing in meadow....Unusual to see grazing deer, all with the heads down. One is always watching. Photo taken by the remote wildlife camera. The new green grass sprouts are very attractive.

2011-04-12T20:58:00.002-04:00

Back-lit Night Blooming Cereus....Had this plant for 40 + years, about 5 ft. tall and I trim about 4 ft. off per year. A native of the Sonoran desert in North America. The bud starts to open about dusk, the photo taken at 10:45 pm,by 9:00am the next morning its wilted. Bloom is approx. 10 inches in dia. Note the moth attracted by the sweet smell. Smell is produced in bursts,very sweet.

2011-04-10T14:05:00.003-04:00

Sandhill Cranes near Tavares,Florida. These sandhills were feeding in the pasture of a large cattle ranch. This the 3rd year I have photographed them, after doing some research, it seems they might not be migrating bird but a sub-species called Florida Sandhills. The article indicates the population is around 5000 and threatened by "habitat destruction" thus listed as ESA Endangered (protected by State & Federal laws). Florida Sandhills do not migrate.

2011-04-09T15:08:00.003-04:00

Whitetail Deer winter well......

Usually the deer in our area are very thin in the spring,however this year they look good. Even though we live in a developed area ,there are large pockets of natural terrain.

2011-04-05T20:58:00.002-04:00

Wild Turkeys in the Meadow ....... Photographed these 12 hens and 3 gobblers this morning,have not seen this many at one time ,this mating season. Weather was cool (37 F) with a 15 mph wind.

2011-04-05T20:42:00.002-04:00

Common Morpho (left ) and Owl Butterfly (right) eating on fermented fruit. Both native of central and south america. Photographed these at Butterfly World in South-Eastern Florida

2011-04-04T20:55:00.003-04:00

Snowy Egret watches Gator........Visited Shark Valley, Everglades, was photographing the gator and the egret was working the waterway searching for food, had to move between me and the gator,about a 10 feet passage. Egret did take the chance of becoming food and flew.

2011-03-31T19:59:00.002-04:00

Micrograph of Florida sea shell.......Took sand samples from Fort Myers beach, washed and sieved them to obtain small shells . This one looked like a spiral , but under the digital microscope look different. Photomicrograph approx. 15x

2009-12-12T21:22:00.002-05:00

CRANE MIGRATION:
Was outside this afternoon, catching up on late winter chores and I heard a sound like a raspy woodpecker. Looked up and saw a long thin line of migrating birds. they were cranes, estimated about 100 to 150 of them, ran inside and found my camera, got one picture as they fly fast. Assume them to be Sandhills heading for their winter home in Texas. they were flying south-west. Some research indicates , they have an anatomical peculiarity, the windpipe is long (about 5 ft.) and is coiled within the hollowed keel of the breast bone somewhat like a french horn. Thus allowing for the loud long distant calls. Note the broad view and the closeup view, cranes fly with neck outstretched.

2009-09-02T19:56:00.003-04:00

T.C.Steele State Historic Site (Indiana).......Took a day trip to Nashville ,IN yesterday and visited this historic site. A true pleasure!!!. Steele bought this 211 acres in 1907, to be used as his homesite as well as his artist studio. Steele a leading Indiana painter ,both portait and Impressionist ,made many visits to the Indiana University campus. Photos .... View of yard in front of home .. Autumn Wisteria bloom on an arbor

2009-08-29T20:44:00.001-04:00

COPPERHEAD CREEK GEODE -KY....Found this geode on a friends property near Berea Kentucky. This one has a reddish cast, which may contain Ferrous compounds. Geodes are voids in sedimentary rock,that are filled with mineral laden ground water,after many years, form either crystal or solid interiors. i.e A small cave.

2009-08-29T13:03:00.001-04:00

CECROPIA MOTH LARVA......The larva feeds on a variety of trees and shrubs but mainly on cherry,plum,elderberry,apple,box elder and willow. Found this one near my flowering cherry. The legs or feet reminds me of miniature elephants hoofs.

2009-08-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

TRANSFORMATION PROCESS...... Found this larva attached to a sign post in my yard. Thought it was a branch from the walnut tree,but upon closer examination it was a worm doing transformation. Amazing !!!!!

2009-07-25T13:08:00.001-04:00

ODD COUPLE........It's unusual to see a buck and doe together this time of year. They are at the salt area every day and seem to be traveling together. Are they last years twin fawns ? Sometimes I see spike bucks and small does together,but this guy has quite a nice rack. Again doe is thinner than usual ,buck seems to be in better shape.

2009-07-25T13:02:00.000-04:00

FIRST FAWN of season..... This the first fawn of the season that has visited my salt area.By now the remote camera should have picked up many young. The mother is in very poor shape. Don't understand with the lush foliage why some deer are so thin. Not much corn or soybeans in the immediate area. Note the extreme long face of mother and fawn.

2009-07-18T21:22:00.000-04:00

Lunch for Squirrel....Never thought of grey squirrels eating anything but nuts and my bird seed, but this one likes mushrooms. I shoot a lot of what I call common wildlife pics, but this one rates near the top!!!!!!!. Cute little guy or girl ? Data...f3.3 at 1/125 sec. ISO 160 ,Exposure bias +0.3 step , 648 mm (35mm focal length)

2009-07-15T20:51:00.001-04:00

WHITETAIL BUCK & DOE......Have not seen any large bucks this year,however this am.saw this big boy at the salt block. Got my camera and started out on the upper deck , just as I opened the sliding door,he was gone like a shot. This is about 125 yards. Pic shows the size difference between avg. doe and the buck,keep in mind that he was standing about 10 inches deep into the salt pit. O'yes the remote camera recorded him.

2009-06-17T20:10:00.002-04:00

SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY.......

FOUND THIS ONE on my Daisy patch. Seemed to be drying out. Coloration on the wings appears to be bluish- green rather than white. Lucky timing. Did not stay long...

2009-06-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

Moth or Butterfly ? Was walking through my meadow and noticed this insect extracting nectar from this small white flower. Have observed a lot of butterflies, but this one was different, looked like a large colored fly. About 3/4 to 1 inch in size. If anyone knows what this is ,let me know. Thanks

2009-06-03T15:37:00.001-04:00

Second year buck...We seem to have more bucks visiting ,our salt block ,this year than before . Also they are very thin for this time of year.The natural habitat is being rapidly reduced by housing and less crop production ,that limits food supply. We still have several hundred acres , natural hill-valley areas available, but a hundred acres have disappeared in the last 5-7years. It appears to me that the more bucks born, is natures way of ,over time, limit deer population. Since I use a game camera to monitor my salt block, it will be interesting to see how the population unfolds,over the next few years. My game camera yields approx. 50 to 70 photos/day

2009-06-03T11:11:00.001-04:00

Brown Thrashers....Have had a pair around our meadow for several years,but I have not seen them as close together as this photo. Family Minidae....often called "mimic thrushes", excellent singers,strong legs and longer tails. Sexes look alike, member of the Mockingbird family. Notice the tail positions, guess you could draw a lot of conclusions from the attitude. Gorgeous birds !!!!!

2009-06-03T10:05:00.001-04:00

Blue jays at tree feeder...Even though these appear to be a pair, their is still feeding status. Both tried to eat at the same time, but Mr. Mean Guy had to eat first, or is it the other way around? Waited about 1.5 hours to get this shot. Data:f/3.3 at 1/160 sec, ISO 160, shutter priority, 35mm focal length..648

2009-06-03T09:26:00.002-04:00

Macro of Wild Turkey wing feather......Thinking about the little turkey poults, that are about the size of half a tennis ball and just as fuzzy,within one growing season, produce a structure that is able to lift them off the ground, is amazing!!!!! Sometimes during the summer, I find feathers in our meadow and stick them in the brim of my straw hat. In the fall I will have 8 to 10 various species of bird feathers in my hat, the old timers used to say," Another feather in my hat". Don't know orgin of this saying. Anyway, nature is most interesting!!!!! Approx. 5X macro

2009-05-14T12:11:00.001-04:00

Blue jay at feeder.....This time of year the blue jays are crazy feeding their young, going from daylight to dark. It appears we have 3 pair nesting close to my feeder area. During this time of the year , they tend to very quiet,also somewhat slimmer. Having kids is tough work.

2009-05-13T19:00:00.001-04:00

Ordovician fossils from Little Jamison creek. In the spring , after the winter freezing and thawing, I like to spend time, in the creeks on our property,looking for fresh fossils, that has just been washed out, by spring rains. Several million years ago,this area was covered with shallow seas,which contained forms of life. This life ,through normal process, at least ,the more solid parts , was buried in the sea floor,after they died,an was preserved and became fossilized. REF....Geology/ A survey of earth science by E.W. Spencer

2009-04-16T18:07:00.001-04:00

MACRO..... Sycamore Seeds..... Interesting to look inside the round spiked fruit clusters of dried sycamore. Hair seem to be spring loaded to eject seeds from the fruit balls. Hairs are then used for the distribution of seeds ,on air currents. At least, those are my thoughts!!!! . These seeds are approx. 10 mm. in length.

2009-04-16T18:02:00.001-04:00

Macro....Small blooming plant.... Was walking around my yard today, noticed this very small plant. I got down on my knees to observe it,an for some reason was amazed at how delicate it was. Most of the time ,I like most people, would have just walked over it or on it. Noticed several in this area, so I gently lifted it and the roots can out of the ground all in one piece. Flower is less than 1/8 inch in diameter, note several bud balls to the right. Don't know what the plant is,but I guess that doesn't really matter, it's NATURE at its best.

2009-03-25T21:03:00.001-04:00

Digital Camera Preset Modes.....Never even looked at presets on any camera; they were for amateurs. Well, I could be wrong!!!!! Was having some trouble ,stopping motion at ISO 800,even with the shake control on. So as a last resort get out the manual. Found a HIGH SENS. preset, ISO 3200 ,good for 4x6 pic size. This deer was looking in the window at me,so I took a couple of shots. Whereas the image lacks sharpness and shows pixelation, I found it interesting (kind of art-like) especially, inside the ears. Picked up veins above the eyes and the buttons on the head. f8.0 at 1/1600 sec, 432mm (35mm focal length) . READ those Manuals !!!!!!!

2009-03-25T20:01:00.001-04:00

WHITETAIL DEER in freshly mowed meadow.....Every year I try to mow off my meadow in very early spring. Last year I cut a portion of it in October, leaving a small circle of it standing over the winter. Last week I mowed the small circle patch. The natural grasses had caught a lot of leaves, that created warmth, thus new green tender shots started to grow. The deer don't miss much.

2009-02-23T22:28:00.003-05:00

Photo-Study of Wild (hen) Turkey head/neck . Are they a handsome bird? More on this subject latter,
NEW THOUGHTS.....See turkeys every day, sometimes when alarmed they fly immediately,sometimes they run. What triggers the thought pattern or is it instincts? They seem to be very good at running and seem to resemble the dinosaur-birds, neck extended and very good balance , for an out of balanced body. What about the non-feathered heads,like the VULTURES, rather small head to control such a large body, Why??? . Appears to be a very smart,at times ,has excellent memory at least to remember where to find food, had a feeding stump,for the turkeys, dug out the stump and they returned to that precise spot for 3 years. On Nov. 6, 2008 blog,I was feeding turkeys by hand, these guys disappeared,until last week , when I saw one standing in my meadow, went outside to throw away some table scraps,with a similar feeding hand motion,and the tom came running. Went up on the upper deck,so he could see me better and made similar hand motions ( no food ) he also came running. Assume he recognized hand motion with food,processing information or just instincts ? I don't have any idea!!!!!
still doing research.

2009-02-23T22:12:00.002-05:00

LOOKING EYE TO EYE with a WILD TURKEY. Beginning to use my blind again ,to get some close-up photos , of these guys.

2009-02-23T22:04:00.002-05:00

RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE waits it's turn at the feeders this icy cold day. Have several breeding pair.

2009-01-13T21:30:00.001-05:00

Southeastern Indiana Coyote....The middle of April 2007 ,photographed this good looking coyote going through my meadow. Don't see them very often, usually they are very ragged and skinny. Coyotes range through-out the US,Canada and Mexico,and have accumulated to human civilization much better than it's grey wolf cousin. Typical packs consist of 6 closely related adults, yearlings and young. Coyotes reach their full growth in one year, whereas wolves reach full growth in the second year. Coyotes can dig their own burrows ,but usually take the burrows of groundhogs,at least in our area. Territorial ranges can be up to 10 miles around the den. Reports indicate 50 to 70% of pups do not attain adulthood. Reference.......Wikipedia

2009-01-11T21:16:00.003-05:00

Male turkey position in a " gobble". In the spring ,during the mating season ,male wild turkeys respond to a quick,loud noise with a gobble. Some times when a thunder storm is approaching,I hear turkeys responding to the sound of thunder. My great granddaughter's voice , also receives a response. Photographed this guy in the middle of a gobble. Spring of 2008.

2008-12-31T12:45:00.002-05:00

MOURNING DOVES bring back memories. Was born and raised on a hilly farm in southern Indiana, life was good, but harsh. Remember setting on the front porch with my Grandmother , after supper, she said "Listen to the Rain crows" will rain soon !!. Our heritage is German, don't know if this a German name for doves. Back then, some 70 years ago, it was a rarity to see doves. As I write this blog ,there is 10 feeding outside my window. Thought for the day....Have a good 2009 and may all people find peace.

2008-12-30T12:20:00.003-05:00

Red Fox on early morning hunt....Once or twice a year I see a quick glimpse of what I think is a fox. The remote camera caught this one several times in the last 2 weeks. Usually at the edge of the pic or out of flash range, resulting in very low quality. So ,why not bait in the right area, whatever it takes to get the pic.

2008-12-29T22:49:00.002-05:00

BLUE JAYS in an ice storm. Interesting to look at the feather structure under unusually conditions. Note the head-on shot of the 1st. pic exhibits a different feather pattern than usual. Maybe to retain warmth.

2008-12-29T22:28:00.002-05:00

Images from remote camera in shade garden. Wild turkeys scratch for food after a dusting of snow. Deer forages for food during an early morning morning snowstorm. Flash highlites the snow flakes.

2008-12-29T15:56:00.002-05:00

SHADE GARDENS attracts a lot of wildlife. Started to clean out about 3/4 acre, of a southern exposure hillside,several years ago to create a shade garden. My idea was to plant shade-loving flowering plants, however the deer started to use it for a food plot. So I just planted it in grasses and mow it every month. I left 3- 50 foot circles of original brush as animal and bird habitat. Recently the wild turkeys seem to like this area . Have mounted the wild game camera in this area for the winter. The area contains a lot of small trees, white ash, white oak, red oak popular ,elm ,black walnut,red cedar ,red bud ,native flowering dogwood ,persimmon ,catalpa and black cherry. This blend give a lot texture and color thru the spring and fall. Note the black camera on the foreground tree.

2008-11-10T20:11:00.001-05:00

White-breasted Nuthatch is a small song bird of the nuthatch/creeper family. It is a stocky bird, with a large head, short tail, powerful bill and strong feet. Seeds form a substantial part of its winter diet, thus it is a frequent visitor to my feeder. Nuthatches talk a lot,a sort of grunting chatter. I photograph from a blind about 7 feet away ,and even with my bad hearing I can still hear the chatter. Has a tendency to go down a tree head first.

2008-11-08T20:32:00.001-05:00

Red-bellied Woodpecker ready to leave it's perch. A medium sized woodpecker of the Picidae family. We have a nesting pair,has raised an offspring this year. Its name is somewhat misleading, as the most prominent red part of its plumage is on its head, with a tinge of red on its belly. This a male (with red from beak to the nape) , they are very noisy and have a tendency to take feed from the feeder and store it in the bark crevices of near by trees. Many hours can be spent watch ing this bird.

2008-11-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

Coyote working 3rd shift....Have not seen a coyote in our meadow for 2 yrs. Just purchased a wild game camera ,as an extension to my wildlife photography. The game cameras are usually strapped to a tree in a remote area to monitor animal or wildlife behavior.The IR beam senses motion and /or body temperature that triggers the shutter,thus 7/24 observation. This photo was taken at 3:53 am; 10 minutes before, a raccoon was recorded in the same place. 10-06-2008

2008-11-06T09:46:00.002-05:00

Feeding Wild Tom Turkeys .... Several months ago ,I noticed 5 male turkeys were hanging around my meadow area. One day I had some stale bread, so I took it out side for wildlife feed, the 5 turkeys were hanging around ,so I sailed the bread toward them,they came running to eat it. Next I put shelled corn in a plastic bucket, shook it around to make noise, an they came running.Recently I saw a flock of turkeys in the same area ,got my corn and plastic bucket ,shook it and they flew away,WRONG TURKEYS. Pics show how close they get and size of them,note the beards.( feathers protruding from the middle of chest)

2008-10-29T20:26:00.001-04:00

NORTHERN CARDINAL with bad hair day. Was photographing song birds today, when this cardinal came by to have a snack, the wind was gusting to 18-20mph,turning his head ,the wind caught his top-knot ,standing it straight up. For the next hour,I did not see this happen again,thus it must be uncomfortable to them. Anyway, I find this interesting.

2008-10-25T10:16:00.001-04:00

Canada Geese on Byrd's Lake,Tenn. Photographing Canada Geese is an easy and common subject. They are quite tame in most areas and are looking for easy food supply. When I was a kid (a long time ago) the only Canada geese we saw was the migration "V" and the honking going over head in the fall and spring. While at Bryd's lake the foliage was showing a lot oranges and reds,I noticed the reflections in the water,so I tried to call the geese into the reflected area,and it worked.However, the secondary gooses head was hid behind the foregound goose,at the last moment the secondary goose turned it's head and this composition occured. Maybe a combination of luck and talent

2008-10-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

Bridge /Dam at Cumberland Mountain State Park.

A project of the Company 3464 of the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) built from 1935 to 1938. The dam created Byrd's Lake as the parks central focus. The 347-foot long dam proved to be the largest masonry structure constructed by the CCC in the entire nation. Near Crossville,Tenn

2008-10-24T21:31:00.001-04:00

Annual visit to FAIRFIELD GLADE ,Tenn.

Photo of one of many lakes on the property. We go down every year in the fall, just to get away. The GLADE is on a large plateau in the Cumberland Mountains , a place were every thing slows down.Nobody is in a hurry; near Crossville,Tenn.

2008-10-22T20:51:00.001-04:00

TRUMPETER SWAN at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary .Similar to the Whistling Swan, America's common native swan. Wing spread 6 to 7 feet. Photo shows the gracefulness of these large birds. This bird kept putting its bill in the water ,scooping up something,aquatic material or maybe it was thirsty. Note the drops of water coming off the bill.

2008-10-22T20:06:00.001-04:00

RED -TAILED Hawk photographed at Kellogg. Red tail colour show when the hawk is soaring. Range: Alaska,Canada,to Panama . Habitat:Open country, woodlands, paririe groves, mountains, plains. This bird was caged,the wire was digitally removed.

2008-10-22T19:53:00.002-04:00

GREAT HORNED OWLS at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. A large owl with ear tufts or horns. I assume this pair to be parent and offspring. Several forms of this owl ,this is typical, also a subarctic (lighter colored) form. Note the yellow eyes.

2008-10-22T19:39:00.002-04:00

BARRED OWL photographed at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary . Only owl to have brown eyes except for the Barn Owl. Range ;Canada to Honduras Habitat ; Woodlands,wooded river bottoms, wooded swamps.

2008-10-02T17:56:00.005-04:00

Mature BLACK SWANS at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Black swans are mostly black feathered with a line of white flight feathers . Cobs (males) are larger than pens( females) with a longer and straighter bill. The bill is bright red, with a pale bar and tip.The neck is long and curves in an "S". Wingspan ; 5 to 6.5 ft. ;Weight 8 to 20 lbs.;Length 40 to 55 inches. Native of Australia. First photo ; swan on land really looks awkward but a beautiful bird. Second photo, swan on water in an aggressive position. This bird charged us, standing on a small walkway bridge for about 20 minutes. It would bite our shoe toes, time after time,swimming away then returning at full swimming speed. Note the neck feathers standing on end.

2008-10-02T17:05:00.002-04:00

BLACK SWAN CYGNETS at Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Generally, black swans nest in the wetter winter months(Feb. to Sept.) native to Australia and adjacent coastal islands. A clutch contains 4to8 greenish-white eggs ,incubated for about 35 to40 days. After hatching, the cygnets are tended to by the parents for about 6 months ,until fledging.....REF..Wikipedia..Black Swan

2008-10-01T20:24:00.001-04:00

Tundra Swan (Bewick's race) photographed at Kellogg Sanctuary in Michigan. Found it interesting as to the structure of the bill. Must be a very interesting reason for all the contours and ridges.

2008-09-22T22:10:00.001-04:00

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary a part of the Kellogg Biological Station (given to Michigan State University 1951) is one of my favorite places to observe and photograph birds. Photo shows Wintergreen Lake (40 acres and 20 feet deep) and some of its residents,most waterfowl is free to come and go. Check it out at birdsanctury@kbs.msu.edu

2008-09-09T11:23:00.002-04:00

Miniature Wood Duck carving by the author. Many years ago,I did a lot of wood carving ,last year I planned to do a set of 12 duck species carvings in miniature. (3 to 5 inches long ). Somehow I lost interest ,but since the winter months are approaching ,hopefully the interest will return. Posting of this practice piece should be encouragement,well,at least the colours all seem to match.

Quote for the day.....All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered ; the point is to discover them .-- Galileo Galilei

2008-09-05T17:24:00.001-04:00

Blue mist bluebeard shrub is a breath of fresh air when the mid-summer garden starts to look tired. This lightly fragrant plant, produces flowers to frost. Very hot summers and very cold winters are not good for longevity,however these plants are easily started from cuttings. The photo is my first year planting. Quote for the day.....Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind,it doesn't matter----- Mark Twain

2008-08-28T09:37:00.001-04:00

Red-crowned Crane...Cincinnati Zoo. The red-crowned crane symbolizes good luck and long life in Asian culture, yet it is the second rarest crane in the world .It's critical habitat is threaten by industrialization and population increases.( IUCN -Endangered ). Life span ....25+ yrs....Habitat...wetlands...Wingspan..7 to 8 ft....Height..5 ft...Weight... !5 to 22 lbs. Diet.. aquatic animals and plants...Mate for life. Quote for Day...A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.--Cicero,from De Amicitia

2008-08-22T16:58:00.002-04:00

Macro-photograph of grass seed with insect eggs attached. Also find small insect down from the eggs.

2008-08-22T16:47:00.001-04:00

Rose of Sharon petal,showing structure and texture. Quote for the day......Minds, like parachutes, only function when they are open--Anonymous

2008-08-20T11:40:00.001-04:00

Update on Nightbooming Cereus....Just aborted it's bud.....Bummmer!!!!! Quote for the day.....You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus--Mark Twain

2008-08-16T16:07:00.001-04:00

Nightblooming cereus bud is starting to develop. Had this plant for about 30 years, bloomed several times,last time 7 years ago. Cereus is a genius of plants of Cactus family,Southwestern U.S ,Mexico and South America .Leaves are thick and rubbery,heavy veined. The veins, at edge of leaf, produces new growth,sometimes it produces a flower bud.

2008-08-13T20:49:00.001-04:00

Cloud Formation coming from North to South, cold front moving in,good sun bounce at sunset. August 07, 2008 at 8:39pm. f4.0 at 1/160sec., Iso 100 ;35mm Focal length 144. Love to watch clouds!!!!

2008-08-13T13:26:00.002-04:00

GOLDENRAIN TREE is a species of KOEREUTENIA native to eastern Asia,in China and Korea. My tree has survived cicadas, whitetail fawns and its last tragedy was a high wind that split it in half.(taped it back together with duct tape) and it bloomed for the first time this year. The photo shows the fruits that form after the yellow flowers. P.S. 73 years ago today,in a thunder storm,in an old farm house, the author came into this world. Life is good.

2008-08-05T11:57:00.001-04:00

Cockatoos have a much more restricted range than parrots,occurring naturally only in Australia and nearby islands. Have characteristic curved beak and a zygodactyl foot (two toes forward and two toes backward). This one, at the CINCINNATI Zoo, moved around on his tree perch like a clown, first ,using it's beak then it's feet. Like the way its looking at the camera. What's it thinking?????

2008-08-02T17:30:00.001-04:00

Steller's Sea Eagle...breeding range:Northeast Russia, winter range Korea,Japan and Alaska. It's favorite prey,the salmon has an extremely tough skin for which the eagle is equipped with a specialized hatchet-like beak. Weighing up to 20 lbs.;length 3.5 to 4.0 feet; wingspan 7.5 to 8.0 feet. Cincinnati Zoo,Cincinnati,Ohio

2008-07-31T17:58:00.001-04:00

Styan's Red Pandas is the first in a series of animal exchanges between the People's Republic of China and the Cincinnati Zoo. Red Pandas are classified as endangered. Red Pandas eats mostly bamboo, they are excellent climbers and forage largely in trees. Red Pandas are hunted illegally in Asia for their fur. ( Ref.....Wikipeda)

2008-07-31T13:27:00.002-04:00

Sumatran Rhinoceros feeding calf (born April 2007) at the Cincinnati Zoo, both covered with mud.The world's most endangered rhino,it suffers from deforestation and poaching for its horn. In 2001,the Cincinnati Zoo breed and had born a Sumatran Rhino calf in captivity,the first in 100 years. Calf is said to weigh over 400 lbs.

2008-07-28T20:14:00.003-04:00

This time of year , bucks seem to pair off and hang out together. Later they will compete for breeding status. Since I see bucks from year to year, have noticed that some of the 2nd and 3rd year buck have similar rack shapes. Also since we are in a limited hunting area,I saw these two, last year ,doing similar things, however the racks have more points this year. 7-23-2008

2008-07-27T15:08:00.003-04:00

Zebra Swallowtail.....an eastern species more common in the South, varies in marking and size. Spring forms are smallest; later broods larger and longer tails. Larva feeds on pawpaw.( Ref..Butterflies and Moths..Golden nature series 1964) Saw this one drying under a Eastern Red Cedar.

2008-07-26T21:41:00.002-04:00

When you see a flash of color, as a hummingbird zooms past it seems to be a color flash from the human eyes. As I looked at this photo,some dark colors but some very vivid,I had forgotten the reason for this, so I did some research.Most birds attribute their color to pigmentation,but the hummingbird is said to have special cells within the top layer of the feathers. These cells diffract the light into different wavelengths(i.e. producing different colors),depending on the viewing angle, only specific colors,at that angle, are seen by the human eye.Guess I have a lot more questions as to why this specie of bird was made this way? Nature is fascinating!!!!!!

2008-07-20T21:35:00.002-04:00

It has been said "A picture is worth a thousand words", this is just summertime beauty.

2008-07-20T21:21:00.002-04:00

Like to photograph a variety of subjects,the Bullfrog was well hidden and hard to see in the water. The light colored butterfly in geranium flower also is partial hidden. Don't know specie of butterfly,we used to call them Cabbage butterflies ,back on the farm.

2008-07-20T21:08:00.002-04:00

Went to Oliver Winery, Bloomington, In. not only do they have excellant wine but the grounds and landscaping is wonderful. Hugh waterfalls and flowering plants.

2008-07-09T21:28:00.002-04:00

Portrait of a Whitetail fawn....don't need to say much more.

2008-07-06T22:31:00.003-04:00

A bee finds lunch on this beautiful flower I bought this year.( Prairie Sun Rudbeckia)