Tiny Snail

While composing photos of the lilies I was pleasantly surprised to find this tiny snail attached to the underside of one of the blossoms.

A macro shot reveals the beautiful intricate patterns that make up its shell.

For more Camera Critters and to join in on all the fun, visit our good friend and host Misty

With Trumpets Lifted Up

When viewed from slightly below the Lilies remind me of a band of trumpeters with horns raised.

Large patches of these hardy wild lilies are blooming abundantly along our rural roadsides.

Their early shoots are one of the first signs of spring to appear promising an end to the seemingly long winter. Now in early summer they are providing a welcome burst of vibrant color along our travel routes.

Summer Flowers, instead of Birds

Birds, birds, and more birds; Today, for a change of pace,

I share with you a flower

Beginning with my late February trip to Florida, most of my post and the majority of images I have captured have been of wildlife. 2008 was my first spring shooting a DSLR. Combining the Canon 30D with the excellent Canon 100-400mm lens made bird photography possible. Following my return from Florida I began pursuing the waterfowl migrations by boat as they passed through my area. As summer approached and the waterfowl migrations dwindled, my attention was drawn to the many songbirds that frequent the area around my home.

I photographed this flower while stalking along a local creek in search of wood ducks. Unfortunately the ducks discovered me before I them. The ducklings ran up the overgrown stream bank while the mother played the “crippled duck” attempting to lead me away from her brood. As she reached a bend in the creek I saw her become airborne. A few minutes later she flew past and dropped into the bushes where her brood had disappeared.

The action broke rapidly and I never had a chance to deploy the camera. The flower saved the day.

Hummingbird Clear-Wing Moth, A Sharper View

Earlier I posted a shot of the Hummingbird Moth showing its long proboscis curled up in the flight position. I chose that shot to show the proboscis even though the shot lacked the crisp sharpness that I would have preferred.

Today I share with you the very best shot I obtained in this session. I am particularly fond of this shot because of both excellent subject sharpness & detail along with the beautiful background provided by the lilac bush.

Nothing says Spring Time any better than..........

Lilacs and Butterflies!

I cannot take credit for having expended a great deal of effort hunting the very illusive rare Yellow Swallowtail and finally in the nick of time capturing an image that will be remembered for all time :)

Actually I was doing some chores around the house when I noticed the butterfly visiting the lilac bush beside our driveway. I popped in the house and grabbed my Canon with the 100-400 L lens still attached from my morning shoot and pressed it into close-up duty.

This lens is capable of focusing at 1.8 meters while zoomed to 400mm. The posted image has not been cropped. I can see that with this level of performance I will be using this lens extensively for butterfly hunting once the little critters become more numerous.

Summer Flowers

The Fulton County Courthouse and a red petunia combine to create a colorful reminder of the beauty of the summer season.

In the middle of winter I find myself anticipating the more pleasant days ahead.

A Splash of Color

Kerri’s recent post about finding color in the winter got me to thinking. Our winter world does seem to display nothing but shades of gray at first glance. If we allow ourselves the time to look closer we will find those grays made up of many colors and textures.

This morning I awoke to find my area blanketed in two inches of fresh snow. As today was a holiday away from work I ventured to a nearby overlook to photograph the sunrise followed by a hike around the Meadow Grounds Lake. It was a fruitful morning providing me with many snow shots including my new header.

During this trip I noticed the orange color of the sunrise, the pink/orange of it reflected on the new snow, the browns of the tree trunks and of the dead plants, the blues of the water and sky, the reds of small berries and of Cardinals flitting about, along with the deep greens of the evergreen trees highlighted by the snow laying upon their bows. I realized that I was surrounded by color, beautiful color. No, it isn’t the same as lush greens of spring or the vibrant flowers of summer or the lovely splashes of foliage in autumn but it is winter; beautiful and colorful in its own right.

Upon returning home, while tending to a few chores outside, I was very much surprised to find this lone dandelion blooming.

A Splash of Color on a Winter Day!

Nature's Snowcone

A spent Queen Ann’s Lace flower and a little snow
Created a Natural Snowcone

A perfect Country Capture

Yellow Swallowtail

Butterflies will soon be gone for another year so I will risk boring you with this Yellow Swallowtail. This old butterfly, although tattered, was flying vigorously among the blossoms.

Late this summer I have found most of my butterflies visiting thistle flowers. Thistles are considered a noxious weed by farmers and most landowners but in the scheme of nature thistle nectar and pollen is an important source of food for many insects while the seeds are hungrily sought after by birds.

The true value of nature is often not appreciated. Many folks spend their lives chasing the unholy dollar while ignoring the natural treasures we are blessed with. Mankind strives to control nature when instead we should be more concerned with learning to live in harmony with it.

Seeing the Unexpected

Macro Photography frequently reveals details that would otherwise be overlooked

I failed to notice this tiny spider until I was focusing for the shot

The Monarch: Exquisite, Delicate Beauty

The Monarch captures my imagination with its beauty and grace. I love watching them flit from flower to flower in search of their favorite energy drink. As I observe the delicate insect I am amazed that this fragile creature has the ability to survive the long migration to Mexico let alone being able to return next year to begin their life cycle anew.

I work in a world of machines, large machines designed to lift heavy loads. As I look at this butterfly I am struck by the fact that man, with all of his engineering knowledge has never created anything as marvelous as this butterfly nor is he likely to anytime soon.

On one of my many evening strolls I noticed both Monarchs and Yellow Swallowtails passing both ways through a screen of pines. I followed their route and found a stand of thistle with a number of butterflies checking and double checking the blossoms in hopes of one last meal before nightfall.

Bee for Breakfast

A hungry little bee flew in to feed while I was photographing this pretty yellow meadow flower. The bee changed this photo from just another pretty flower shot into something special.

As so often happens in life the unexpected becomes the most memorable

Canna Seedpods

The evening sun illuminates a simple Canna Seedpod

A macro photograph taken using a large aperture translates this

ordinary scene into an object of brilliant beauty

Nature’s Lace

As those of you who frequent this blog already know early morning is my favorite time of day. Beautiful sights not present at any other time reward those who rise early.

Today as I browsed through an overgrown meadow before the sunrise I found these tiny wild flowers which are about the size of a pencil eraser. As I looked closely at them I was awed by the delicate lace formed about them by the dew.

In my search for beauty I have learned to slow down and look closely. Beauty is everywhere!

Country Captures

Having completed my first year of blogging on Northern Lights I felt it was time to find a name which more accurately reflected the theme of my Blog. I spent considerable time reviewing and reflecting upon my previous post.

Having lived my entire life in rural Pennsylvania, my blog naturally is “Country” based. Both the images and commentary “Capture” a moment in time either past or present, thus the new name “Country Captures”.

I captured this beautiful wildflower in the light of the early morning sunrise. Nature provides us with awesome beauty; we need only to take the time to “See”.

Mayapple

I remember my Grandfather teaching me to look for mushrooms among the Mayapples. Each spring Granddad would make numerous trips on his old Ford Ferguson tractor to the southwestern end of his creek bottom to search among the Mayapples for white morel mushrooms.

Frequently he would be rewarded with a number of the delicious delicacies. Grandma would slice them in half and soak them in a pan of salt water overnight. The following day would find her rolling them in flour and browning them in her cast iron skillet. Granddad may have found them but the entire family loved to eat them. The tasty plate of mushrooms would disappear all too quickly!

I assume the mushrooms still grow there but they are camouflaged so well that I never was good at finding them. Today I was content to photograph the delicate blossom of the Mayapple

Butterflies & Lilac

Each spring I look forward to the blooming of the Lilac. I love to walk by the bush and savor the sweet aroma and gaze at its beautiful flowers.

As I photographed the lilac I noticed this butterfly was as interested in the flowers as I.

Cannas, Memories of Mother

My Mother always grew a large vegetable garden. She grew and preserved huge quantities of food for the family. Mom loved to plant the little seeds and watch her garden grow. She grew green beans, sweet corn, beets, cabbage, broccoli sweet potatoes, squash, strawberries, lima beans, peas, tomatoes, and potatoes. She enjoyed shopping from the seed catalogues and was always trying new varieties. Even though she grew a large veggie garden she always found room to have flowers in it. She tended these with the same loving care that she gave her food bearing vegetable plants. Looking back I am sure that her flowers were food as well, food for her soul.



I learned my love of gardening from her. As a child I spent many hours with her in the garden and in helping her with the canning and freezing. During the summer it seemed she always had baskets of food from her garden sitting in the kitchen awaiting processing.



One of the flowers Mom planted in her garden was Cannas. She admired the large plants with their beautiful foliage.



Cancer took Mom from us nearly seven years ago. Mom was many things to me, my mother, my teacher, my mentor, my friend. She is gone but her memories and her Cannas remain.



Each spring I plant her Canna bulbs across the north end of my garden. As I plant them the memories of her come flooding back. Each time I look at the garden the sight of the Cannas reminds me of a most wonderful loving caring person.

Carpenter Bees, Beautiful & Destructive

A Male Carpenter Bee feeding on a Dandelion

Carpenter bees are considered a pest. In regions they inhabit exposed lumber, particularly softwood are at risk of damage. For nesting sites the females will drill perfectly round 7/16” holes in the underside of any board or timber. They are particularly damaging to decks, both treated and untreated. Carpenter bees can be discouraged with a coat of paint or stain but even that is not guaranteed to stop them completely. The nesting hole will make a 90 deg. Turn once inside and continue on for perhaps over a foot. Into this cavity they will deposit pollen and eggs. The carpenter bees will also winter over here.


However destructive they are, they are a beautiful little creature. At this time of year the males are commonly found hovering near buildings, staking out the breeding rights to a particular piece of territory. They will vigorously attack any insect daring to invade. When a female comes near the airborne mating ritual will ensue



I’m sure that by now you are wondering how I can identify the sex of these bees. Well it is quite simple. The males, also known as drones have a small yellowish patch on their face just below their compound eyes. The “white” face can be seen in this photograph just above the bee’s black mouth parts. The females face is completely black. The male does not have a stinger and may be caught and handled with no risk. Do not try this with the female! Although normally very docile they can inflict a painful sting.

Daffodils, before the Freeze

Our daffodils began blooming before the sub freezing Easter temperatures arrived.

Thank God for Global Warming for without it
I cannot imagine how Cold it would be!!!