Wren-Wreath. A Carolina Wren perches on a holiday wreath made of bird seed.
A couple of Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) stopped by one January afternoon to enjoy a treat from our holiday wreath; here’s one of them.
Away! A crow takes flight from a field of snow.
DUST OF SNOW
by Robert Frost
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
Accidental Abstract
Messing with my little Canon M3, I accidentally pressed the shutter release whilst turning the camera over to remove its memory card. I was quite surprised when I viewed the image that resulted and actually pleased with what I had done! The image looked nice as retrieved from the camera but what you see here has been “played with” a bit.
Lakeview Park Beach, Lorain, Ohio, in January 2018
Late in January we had a bit of a break in the weather. Yes, it was still cold but the sun was shining and the temperature was in the double-digits. We paid a visit to the Lake Erie coastline.
At Lakeview Park, Lorain, lake ice, pushed onshore by winds and waves, lay in piles dirtied by flotsam also thrown up by Erie.
Gulls sat on nearly every ice floe in Lake Erie, off Lorain, Ohio, as the old lighthouse stood watch.
Gulls rode ice floes in the open waters of Lake Erie off Lorain, Ohio, as the lighthouse stood watch. One ring-billed gull, on a chunk of ice of its own, seemed pretty relaxed; it yawned widely as we watched.
A Ring-Billed Gull yawns as it stands on an ice floe just offshore of Lorain, Ohio.
Wow! I haven’t posted anything since October?! Things have been happening, not all of them happy, but I did get out today on a little solo hike in the snow and fresh air. I also brought home a nice collection of new photographs and here are a few of them…
Memories of Times Past, Hope for the Future.
I spied a little bird’s nest in the branches of a small tree, the branches bare and the nest full of snow. I wrote this to accompany the photo:
A bird’s tiny nest,
Carefully woven in springtime,
Young fledged and gone away,
Nest now filled with snow.
Memories of times past,
Hope for the future.
The day was breezy and cold — 20° F– and as I was paused, photographing something at trailside, a gentleman passed, trudging through the fresh snow. “It’s refreshing today!” I answered, “That’s a word.” Perhaps not a witty exchange, but it was accurate.
Female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Though it won’t officially be winter for another several days, the weather, woods, and wildlife tell a different tale. Birds, especially, were scarce and mostly silent. In fact, during the first portion of my hike near the frozen wetland of Buckeye Woods Park, Medina, I saw no birds at all. Finally, in a small area along a branch trail, could be heard chirps of feathered ones. In the distance, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and a woodpecker flitted from tree to tree. A Chickadee eyed me warily, half in fear, half in hope of my bringing lunch. Only a lone female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) lingered long enough and close enough for me to grab an image. The bird glowed in muted colors, lit from beneath by white snow. She soon joined her kind in trees far from me.
I ended my foray by venturing to the end of the trailhead parking lot. Across the road and a field was a derelict barn surrounded by bare trees, white snow below, white sky above. I think it might make a nice holiday card.
Old Barn – Last Legs
I must get out more often.
October Sky 7155.
A thick bank of cloud was approaching from the west while rain showers passed to the northeast over the flat farmlands of Northwestern Ohio. I watched as intense spots of sunlight swept across the landscape — a dramatic contest between light and shadow.
Sunset: Vickery, Ohio. October 29.
Lately, when I travel to visit relatives, I’ve been taking the slow road — state highways instead of Interstates — as a sort of “road trip.” The slower pace and varied scenery of a road trip removes the sameness from regular travels. On the return leg of this weekend’s drive, I made a stop along the way for dinner and was rewarded with a pretty nice view of sunset-lit clouds over open fields in Northwestern Ohio.
Into the Light. A Northern Water Snake seeks sunlight from its woodland perch.
Photo hikes in nature can present one with surprises. We visited the Lorain County MetroParks’ Sandy Ridge Reservation hoping and expecting to see an assortment of birds native to that wetland. What we did not expect to see along the way is, well, what you see here: a couple of small snakes literally hanging from and on trees! The first was a Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) stretched out along the skimpy branch of a tree along the trail. When we first saw the dark-colored reptile, a spot of sun was shining on it from between the trees; perhaps it was catching some rays to warm its cold blood. The snake allowed fairly close approach and did not move at all during the “photo session.” On the way back from enjoying the birds — there’s a long hike through a heavily-wooded area between parking lot and wetland — we spied another little snake. Snake number two had hung itself vertically on the trunk of a tree, head curved out parallel to the ground. The tree-hanging Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri), like the water snake, held perfectly still during our entire time watching and photographing it. Snakes alive, what a surprise!
Hanging out (literally) on a tree is this Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri).
I don’t think she shares her man’s interest in astronomy. Credit: “It Came from Outer Space” Universal-International, 1953
Lightning over Medina County, Ohio, September 4, 2017
A train of strong thunderstorms rumbled through Ohio late Monday night. In some areas the storms were declared severe, even dropping a tornado or two, damaging trees and homes. Here, we were treated to needed rain and a brilliant light show.
Clouds, Rain, Lightning over Medina County, Ohio, September 4, 2017
Most of the lightning discharged somewhere in the clouds, the bolts unseen but lighting up the sky in brilliant repeated flashes. The sparks themselves could occasionally be seen and a few were spectacular.
Final Shot of the Night: Lightning over Medina County, Ohio, September 4, 2017
Over the course of an hour or so, I managed to capture several cloud-to-cloud strikes, most of which were fairly ordinary for such an active storm. I did see work from another photographer, who has a perch overlooking Lake Erie, in which twisted arcs fill the sky and reflect from the lake waters. I do miss Lake Erie.
Radar Image of Line of Storms. September 4, 2017
For all of us not asleep, the storms brought a lightning-brightened night and an opportunity to witness and record something of Nature’s power.
PhotonStopper 