The bark is beginning to shed in large pieces from our local ash trees. Nearly every mature ash tree is dead or dying from the damage of emerald ash borer. The larva live between the bark and the wood, carving tunnels as they feed. The tunnels girdle the tree, cutting of precious circulation. It’s hard […]
It’s been a good year for yellow and orange this autumn. Even the spiders are getting into the fall color groove! Meet Araneus marmoreus, commonly called the marbled orb-weaver spider. I found this female (based on the large size) creeping across the forest floor. She was hard to miss. Taken with Nikkor 18-55mm AF-S VR Nikon lens on […]
Cycle of the seasons reaches the leaves of the dogwood. I captured dogwood buds last winter as a cast about for something to photograph. Hints of red in the buds and twigs were present even then. Now we see the fiery conclusion.
Cut-leaf Grape Fern, a not-so-cut variety (Botrychium dissectum var. obliquum). I post this for the documentary value rather than the aesthetic. I have been on the lookout for this species at the reserve for several years. A couple of years ago I found a single individual in another part of the reserve not all that far […]
I don’t know the species of grass here. I’ll just describe it as a “bushy-tail.” I’m most excited about the clarity from the sharpness and the backlight. Note that this was taken with a Nikon 18-55mm AF-S VR, a lowly kit lens. Tack sharp. I have no complaints about the optics of my copy. Others […]
I discovered this Eastern Red Bat, Lasiurus borealis, roosting at eye-level in a pin oak on a late October day. I though it was a ball of leaves or a large gall at first. The red bat is migratory. It hibernates as well; not in caves, but rather in hollow trees or even in leaf litter. It […]
Light from the full moon has turned the misty waters of the pond into a pool of liquid metal. Taken with a Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF on a Nikon D90, propped on a bench, focus on infinity, awesomeness on 11.
Fall colors continue. Most of the colored leaves, both red and yellow, appear to be sassafras. Taken with Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF on Nikon D90.
Fall colors continue. It’s only a crabapple, but does it ever look delicious hanging on the tree, dripping in moisture from this morning’s early fog. I suppose with enough sugar it would be fine; but that applies to most things. Taken with a Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF on a Nikon D90.
The leaves are turning quickly! From Red Maple, Acer rubrum; I believe it is a cultivar selected for its deep color. Taken with a Micr0-Nikkor 60mm AF, a high-quality but affordable macro lens. The great optics make it a nice lens for walking around, too.