Skippers and Wildflowers

Posted in Flowers, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature on July 1, 2009 by riversongs

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Wild Rivers Whitetails

Posted in Nature, Photography, Wildlife on May 30, 2009 by riversongs

I had the opportunity today to go inside a couple of the deer pens to see the newborn fawns.  We found two fawns who had not been vaccinated and tagged yet.  One was very calm and laid very still but the cream colored one walked around and it kept following me around.  I kept trying to move away from it long enough to take a good picture, but I couldn’t.   It stayed only a step or two away.

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A Day at the Lake

Posted in Clouds, Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Random Pathways, Sky on May 26, 2009 by riversongs

This past weekend I went kayaking on Forest Lake.  I paddled around to the other side of the lake where there is a stream that feeds the lake.  As I began paddling up the stream I noticed these small flowers growing very abundantly along both sides.   I only had my small camera that doesn’t do macro near as well as my Rebel, so I broke my #1 rule and took some of the flowers home.  I put them in a vase and photographed them out on my deck.  I know, I cheated….but I couldn’t help it, these flowers are so beautiful, and I just had to share them.  The flowers of both species here are only 1/4 inch long.  They look huge in the pics, but are really quite small.IMG_0464

Bog Rosemary

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Leatherleaf

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Short-Winged Blister Beetle

Posted in Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Random Pathways on May 25, 2009 by riversongs

A couple weeks ago I found one of these beetles in the woods and took pics of it, then came home and identified it in my reference book.  It says that when disturbed,  it will fall over and play dead.  I then went back out to see if I could find it again and pester it, but it was gone.  Yesterday, I found another one munching on a leaf.  I poked at it till it fell off the leaf and, sure enough, it played dead.  It just laid there, not moving, even when I put it in my hand.  I put it down on a leaf to watch and see what it would do, but it wouldn’t move.  I walked a few feet away to take a picture of a flower and within a few minutes it was gone.  I didn’t see if it walked or flew away.  It’s wings are so small that it doesn’t look like it could fly very good.

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Eating lunch.

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Playing dead.

The Works Of The Creator, Part 2

Posted in Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature on May 24, 2009 by riversongs

This is a continuation of yesterday’s series.

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Apple Blossoms

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Canada Mayflower, aka False Lily of the Valley.

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Starflower

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Fern

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Maidenhair Fern

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Smooth Soloman’s Seal

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Blue Cohosh

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????

The Works Of The Creator

Posted in Flowers, It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, Macro Photography, Nature on May 23, 2009 by riversongs

The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the works of the Creator.

~Louis Pasteur~

This quote so aptly expresses how I feel about the beauty surrounding me.  The woods are so filled with wildflowers right now that it simply breath-taking.   I’ll say no more and let the pictures speak for themselves.

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Trillium

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A spider, an ant and a Starflower.

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Sessile Bellwort

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Violet

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Trout Lily

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Wintercress

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Starflower

To be continued….

Sunday’s Treasures

Posted in Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature on May 17, 2009 by riversongs

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Jack In The Pulpit

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Bishop’s Cap, aka Miterwort

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Wild Sasparilla

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False Lily of the Valley

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Maple Leaf

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Metallic Jack (just for fun)

Dutchman’s Breeches And Wood Anemone

Posted in Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature on May 16, 2009 by riversongs

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Dutchman’s Breeches

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Wood Anemone

May 14th Sunset

Posted in Clouds, Nature, Photography, Sky, Sunrise/Sunset on May 15, 2009 by riversongs

I took these pics last night while out taking a walk on my lunch break.

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Short-Winged Blister Beetle

Posted in Flowers, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Random Pathways on May 13, 2009 by riversongs

Yesterday when I took my morning walk in the woods, I found this interesting beetle, so I took some shots of it from different angles.  When I got back to the house I looked it up in my bug book and I found that it is a Short-Winged Blister Beetle.  The book also said that when this beetle is disturbed, it will fall over on it’s side and feign death.  How cool is that?  A bug that plays dead!  I went back out to see if I could find it again so I could pester it and see if it would play dead for me, but it was already gone.  I’ll keep looking for another one like it so I can try it and see if the book is right.

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Here’s a few of the new wildflowers that are coming up out in the woods now too.

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Wood Anemone

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Downy Yellow Violet

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Merrybells

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Spring Beauties

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Bluebead Lily

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False Lily Of The Valley