Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
The constant bubbling of mineral infused, hot water leaves colorful, thin layers of sediment throughout the geothermal areas of Yellowstone National Park. The hot spring in the foreground of this photo reminds me of a lunar crater while the colorful cliff and distant steam behind it add to the other-worldliness of the scene.
While hiking in Yellowstone National Park I noticed flashes of yellow in the pine branches overhanging the trail. I stopped to check it out and saw a small group of Western Tanagers flying through the pines. They didn’t remain in sight for very long so this was the only worthwhile photo I was able to capture.
The last two slices of watermelon, bathed in the light of the kitchen window.
I don’t know what type of flower this is but it is big and very bright red. It was growing on a vine in the Conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden when I photographed it in May.
I’ve been experimenting with photographing hummingbirds as they fly to our feeder. It’s quite an exercise in patience. This little female comes regularly but sometimes it’s 15-20 minutes between her visits. I captured this image recently after waiting for about 45 minutes. It was her third visit but the only one with sharp enough focus and good enough lighting to share.
In past years I’ve noticed the hummingbirds come more frequently later in the summer. Perhaps there are simply more of them after they’ve raised a brood or two? Or maybe there are just fewer feeding options for them? Whatever the cause, I’m hoping to get more images before they migrate south for the winter.
This painted turtle was sunning itself on a cool spring day which probably allowed me to get closer than I otherwise might have. There were a few other turtles nearby but I like the coloration of this one.
I spotted this Horned Grebe swimming in one of the canals at The Great Dismal Swamp. It didn’t seem to mind me watching it at all. It just swam around, in and out of the shadows and would occasionally dive under water. I was able to get quite a few photos of it but this is one of my favorites.
The late afternoon sun coming through my kitchen window provided an opportunity for a different perspective on a popular, refreshing soft drink. You might even say this brand is a piece of Americana. The marketing behind this beverage is so incredible, you’re sure to recognize it despite the fact the label is obscured and the bottle cap is completely out of focus.
Five of the eight legs of this spider were on the surface of a small pool of water. The other three were resting on a leaf floating on the surface. At first I thought this spider had been stranded on the leaf but I later realized it was probably waiting there for lunch to come along.
Like all the photos on my blog, you can click on the image above to see a larger, high resolution image of this photo.
The American Coot is a rather funny looking bird. They break the old rule that says “if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it must be a duck”. They are actually more closely related to rails and cranes. When you get a good look at their feet, which are not webbed, you realize they must not be ducks.