Friday, November 30, 2018

30 Days of Perception: 21 - 30

Day 21: Reciprocal
"Hello little leaf, said I, you've found the perfect soft place to land! If I floated down from a tree, I would certainly look for a flowery landing!"
I just know that nature loves to be noticed and spoken too! An exchange takes place.

Day 21: Reciprocal
Whenever I walk along, especially on well-known paths, I connect with all the things I see. This rusting fence is a great favourite throughout all seasons when the scene changes accordingly. I say hello and run my hand along the rungs as I take in the changing scene. 
I feel that whenever I take notice of something, or someone, a silent exchange takes place. There is always a feeling of give and take.

Day 22: Silence and Stillness
I feel silence and stillness the best when I'm in nature, preferably in the presence of trees. they emanate serenity.

Day 23: Contrast
I love textures and colours and this capture expresses the contrast between them both. Even the soft netting plays a role in texture. 

Day 23: Contrast
Back to the park and away from the city's streets to be in nature and to seek out contrasts.
 I liked the contrast of colours of the bright pink of the chrysanthemums and the golden yellow of the Ginkgo leaves.
The contrast between the softness of the flowers and the grey granite steps leading up to another part of the park. We can also see a grassy slope covered in leaves and beyond that, 
a small slice of the pathway above.
Contrasts are what give a scene impact and presence and very often harmony.
 I like them very much.

Day 24: Patterns
Pattern perception, inspired by the natural world around us. Patterns are everywhere both in nature, in our bodies and in our behaviour. There's something reassuring about patterns, they give a feeling of equilibrium and inner harmony which can be seen in this sea-shell.

Day 25: Depth
A single bird sits on the crane. Beyond the city, the clouds part to reveal blue skies and gorgeous fresh snow on the surrounding mountains!
I love being able to see clear views of the horizon. It makes me feel uncluttered inside and free and encourages deep, slow breathing which is very calming. Such a view takes clears all the little thought forms from twirling inside my head! I feel renewed from head to toe and I have touched on the essential of existence!

Day 26: Rhythm
There is definite rhythm in the way the tiny black seeds are place in the pods, but also in the random way the seed pods seem to have fallen. It makes me think of jazz music!
As someone said to me: "seed-pod jazz!"

Day 26: Rhythm
When I look at the curves in these tablecloths, I see rhythm in the repeated curved shapes
like a slow dance with a sway to it!

Day 27: Change
This is a difficult challenge since the weather is uniform grey. The best I could do was to show photos taken through my kitchen window at different times of the day:
 Morning, noon and at night with the lights on in the building opposite mine.
These are the changes of lighting throughout the day.

Day 28: Wonder
I always wonder how leaves arrange themselves so gracefully when they fall from a tree. This particular one landed between two different patterns as if to draw attention to itself. It did! Wondrous!
I don't need a stunning sunset to feel a sense of wonder. The simplest of scenes all around me fill my heart with joy!

Day 28: Wonder
Seeing the eternal, infinite nature of everything around me.
When we truly see, we experience the spark of wonder that makes us connect.
I took this photo of the waxing moon early in the morning before it was really daylight.

Day 29: Interdependence
Whenever I prepare a meal or eat a fruit. I think about which country grows that food, how it grows and in which season. 
How dependent we are on the elements necessary to produce our food like: the quality of the soil, the rain and the sunshine. Then there are the people who harvest our food and the markets that sell the fresh produce. I am certainly grateful for all these different stages and feel a connection to each step and to the countries and the people
 which enables me to cook a delicious, healthy and tasty meal.
Just on one plate, I have pasta and Parmesan cheese from Italy, Chickpeas from Africa or Asia, Greek olives and vegetables from Switzerland and Spain. The basil topping comes from my own homegrown plant.
We are all interconnected and interdependent on each other.

The Italian pasta dish is called 'Cinque Pi' (Five Ps)
That means that the pasta sauce is made up of five elements beginning with the letter P:
Pomodoro (tomato)
Panna (cream)
Parmigiano (Parmesan cheese)
Pepe (pepper)
Pressemolo (parsley)

Day 30: Wholeness
When I think of the word 'Wholeness', I think of everything that surrounds me and that is part of my world: 
the sky, the clouds, the sunrise and sunset, the trees and the flowers, the buildings and everything I see that is part of me.
I am aware of all that and how I feel connected to all I see and experience.

Photography develops my awareness. It allows me to see things beyond simply looking.

***
This is the last part of the online course with Kim Manley Ort

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Northern Shrike

New Brunswick's Butcher Bird

Northern Shrike
The Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is sometimes known as our 'Butcher Bird'.  It is a winter resident and gets its name by feeding on insects, birds and small mammals.  It makes its kill by delivering a heavy blow to the head of the prey with its strong beak.  It has no talons so is forced to kill with the beak.  It then either eats the prey or hangs it on a thorn or other barb, often barbed wire.  This behaviour is for convenience for a future meal or also to mark territory.

The Northern Shrike is 25 cm (10 in) long and appears large-headed.  It is gray on the back and white on the underparts.  The black wings, black mask and long black white-edged tail are prominent.  The base of the primary wing feathers shows a white patch which is very obvious in flight.  The hooked beak identifies this bird as a shrike.  The adult shows very faint horizontal stripes on the breast.  The juvenile bird is much browner with more prominent horizontal breast stripes.  Since this species is a hunter, it often sits on an exposed perch, but not as upright as most hawks.  Its frequent tail wagging is characteristic.

The Northern Shrike breeds in the Canadian far north; Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec, Labrador; and Alaska.  It winters in southern Canada and into the northern US, a bit more southerly in the mid-western US.  We have had reports of sightings of this species here in NB now since early November.  

Northern Shrike
The Northern Shrike is not usually mistaken for another species.  It possibly could be mistaken for a Northern Mockingbird which is similarly coloured.  The white wing patch on the shrike in flight is much smaller than that of the mockingbird.  Nor does the mockingbird have a hooked bill.  Very rarely we get a Loggerhead Shrike here, a vagrant from the south which might appear in summer.  It is smaller, darker on the back and its mask extends over its forehead.  This species would require close scrutiny to differentiate.

The Northern Shrike builds its nest in a tree 3 to 6 metres off the ground.  Its nest is built of sticks and lined with feathers, hair and fine plant fibres.  Four to nine gray or green eggs are laid.  The nest is built so deep that when the female is incubating the eggs, all one can see is the tip of her tail.  The vocals of this species are low-pitched, shrill cries and rattles.  They also make other nasal and harsh sounds.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Ruca: Animal Friends Home to Home Adoption Program

Ruca is a beautiful pooch who is about 3 1/2 years old. She has gorgeous eyes that will melt your heart and is a happy, friendly, well-behaved and extremely intelligent girl. Ruca was adopted from a shelter when she was about 4 months old and spent the past 3 years in a loving home until her owner passed away.
 
Ruca is spayed, microchipped and knows all of her basic commands. She is a Labrador Retriever/American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a gorgeous yellow coat who weighs just shy of 60 pounds. Ruca is also housebroken and has never demonstrated any destructive behavior (she certainly knows the difference between toys and furniture!).
 
 
This sweet girl is very curious and alert and is always eager to explore. She gets along nicely with other dogs, is very gentle with children and is not protective of her food or toys.
 
Although she has been given special permission to be cared for in her temporary caregiver's retirement complex, Ruca is in need of a permanent living arrangement and a new family to give her all the love she deserves.
 
If you would like to meet Ruca, please contact rebeccasohn@comcast.net. She would love to meet you and show you how incredibly beautiful, intelligent, loyal and special she truly is.
 
 

Sunday, November 25, 2018

A photographic amble through a prairie marsh

Battelle Darby Metro Park, as seen from Google Earth. This is just a snippet of the sprawling 7,000 acre park, but this patch is my favorite spot. It is a recently restored wet prairie, and the transformation from barren croplands to vibrant prairie has been remarkable to watch.

A few times a year, I'll get here and always take the "Teal Trail", as outlined in red. It's about a mile and three-quarter hike, and passes by great habitat. I always find interesting animals along this path, and today was no exception.

Fog-enshrouded prairie just before sunrise. A distant pair of duetting great horned owls and a pack of singing coyotes provided the soundtrack. Lapland longspurs were passing overhead, giving their melodious whistles and dry rattles, and a pair of northern harriers was hunting the meadow.

While shooting animals was my main mission, the early morning light and fog was just too beautiful to not fully drink in, so I grabbed 16-35mm and 70-200mm lenses (Canon, of course), and set out to make some images of the landscape. It was still too dark for good animal photography work, anyway.

Last time I was in this spot - many months prior - cattails were starting to dominate this marsh. Not now. Muskrats have stepped up to the plate and opened the marsh back up. Their conical lodges were quite conspicuous, and so were the aquatic mammals as they swam about harvesting plant material and mud as they labored on their lodges.

After taking this shot, I returned to the vehicle for some heavy artillery: my tripod-mounted Canon 800mm lens linked to the Canon 5D IV, and attached to a Black Rapid strap around my neck was the Canon 5DSR and 500mm f/4 lens. The latter setup is so light it can easily be handheld for birds in flight, or that are within the 800's minimum focusing distance of 19 feet. The Black Rapid strap makes carrying a camera much easier, even a fairly heavy one. It distributes the weight in a balanced manner, and takes all the pressure off the toter's neck and shoulders. More about these straps HERE.

While gear like that isn't cheap, the big telephotos are worth their weight in gold when stalking wildlife. My main game when out on solo missions like this is to try and locate the quarry before they see me, or at least approach subjects in a way that doesn't overly disturb them and allows me to get fairly close. With big lenses one doesn't have to get too near, and thus the critters will often go about their business as they normally would. This always leads to better shots, and is better for the critters.

A muskrat melds glop from the marsh bottom into his lodge. When it dries, it will help anchor the cattail bulwark in place. The industrious little beast made about a trip every two minutes, returning with construction material.

Muskrats are much maligned (like chipmunks), and that's a shame. Much of the vitriol directed at them is due to problems they create with people's structures, such as dikes. Muskrat can be enthusiastic tunnelers and over time their burrows can undermine levees. But in the big picture these mammals are an important part of a mixed-emergent marsh community and a keystone species. Their handiwork creates diversity in a wetland's plant community, thus increasing habitat diversity. This in turn spawns a spike in the abundance and diversity of other animals, everything from dragonflies to ducks. And it's no mystery why mink abound here - the large weasels prey on muskrat.

A muskrat takes a well-earned break, chewing on a cattail tuber at the base of his gargantuan lodge.

I was hoping for waterfowl, but we haven't yet had a big push into this area. All I saw was a smattering of mallards, northern shovelers, gadwall, ring-necked ducks, and a few other species. This is a pair of trumpeter swans, and I must confess I wasn't overly thrilled to see them. Our Division of Wildlife began an ambitious introduction program in 1996, and the birds are clearly taking hold and expanding. There's no indisputable evidence that trumpeters ever bred in this region, and as we've all learned by the disastrous introduction of "giant" Canada geese to areas where they didn't historically nest, large fowl can run amok and quickly become semi-domesticated. We shall see how the swan saga plays out, but I will not be surprised in the least if problems eventually arise. All that aside, trumpeters are spectacular birds, and their throaty bugles provide interesting aural ambience to the marshscape.

Sparrows abounded in the marsh and prairie, including plenty of song sparrows like this one. Swamp sparrows were at least equally numerous, and small flocks of American tree sparrows harvested grain from the prairie grasses.

I had already heard the harsh chaks of two marsh wrens when I encountered this aggressive little fellow. He took umbrage to my presence and followed me along the trail for a good 100 feet, cursing me in wren-speak from the dense cattails. As is typical of these feathered busybodies, he mostly kept to the dense growth but did reveal himself a few times and I was ready.

The spot where I shot this marsh wren was a goldmine. A late common yellowthroat popped up, and sparrows were everywhere. A quick movement down the trail materialized into a mink, which briefly bounded down the path in its slinky-like gait. Longspurs whistled overhead and as a finale, a merlin rocketed low over the marsh, spotted me and juked slightly off to the west, depriving me of possible photos. No worries, I was mostly interested in my diminutive but sassy stub-tailed wren.

By now, temperatures were in the low 40's, sluggish western chorus frogs and spring peepers slowly creaked out their songs, and, amazingly, a few fall field crickets and striped ground crickets were attempting to sing. Four hours had already passed by, and it was time to head for home.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Hocking Hills: Photo ops galore!

The gorgeous upper falls at Old Man's Cave in the picturesque Hocking Hills of Hocking County, Ohio. This image was created on February 20, 2018. I shot it with my landscape workhorse, the tripod-mounted Canon 5DSR, at f/16 and ISO 100. The image is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) blend of five image, with only the shutter speed varying between shots. HDR tactics are a great way to even out radical shifts from light to dark in the same scene, and is a fabulous way to up your landscape photography game.

I made this image during one of Debbie DiCarlo's and my field-based photo workshops, and we hit the lucky jackpot on this weekend. The reasonable expectation was for snow, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Instead, we got a warmish drizzly weekend. The upside of that was high water, pleasing flow in all the streams and over every falls (of which there are many). Our group was able to create scores of nice images without freezing, and as an added bonus, it scarcely rained when we were in the field, but at about all other times.

Debbie and I are repeating this workshop, this time during the weekend of January 16-18, 2019. Odds are high it will be a snowy, wintry photographer's dreamscape, but as we see with the image above, one can't really go wrong, rain or snow, warmth or cold. It'll be a good time, and a great opportunity to learn about HDR techniques, composition, lighting, and all manner of other stuff photographic. Also, there will be plenty of interesting smaller subjects, such as evergreen ferns, lichens, a great diversity of mosses, cool tree bark patterns and much more. All great macrophotography practice.

For complete workshop details, GO HERE. We are also offering a Black Friday savings of 10% between November 23-26 on this and all other multi-day workshops. Details on all of the 2019 photo workshops can be found RIGHT HERE.

30 Days of Perception: 11 - 20

Day 11 : Ditch the story
Enjoying the shapes, colour, textures and patterns
before I try to work out and analyse what I'm looking at.

Day 11: Ditch the story
Something so small, yet still worthy of my attention as I passed this rusty fence.
I paused in my walk to see what was there
and just looked and appreciated the simplicity of it all before my mind kicked in
to invent a story.

Day 12: Overlooked
From above I could see tiny raindrops glistening on one of the fir tree branches,
I bent down to see them better and was glad that I took the trouble to do this.
There are many things we may overlook when we do not take the time.

Day 12: Overlooked
Walking up the hill to go shopping.
I slowed my step to see how the fallen leaves were giving my shadow
an autumn design.

Day 13: Ground
I often look down when out walking as there is much to be seen.
I was particularly joyful to see the beautiful leaves catching the afternoon sunshine.

Day 13: Ground
After the sun disappeared, I returned home after my walk and saw what beautiful 
patterns had been created by the paving stones and the randomly fallen leaves.

Day 14: Space
This was a very unusual type of photo for me to take.
To give a feeling of space, it was suggested that we put our camera on manual settings
to create an intentional blur with a feeling of space.
This represents a stretch of grass in front of the building below mine.
We can just see a vague outline of the entrance.

Day 15: Periphery
We often focus on a subject which is very near to us
and yet out of the corner of our eye we take in the scene further afield.
I loved taking this photo of the beautiful autumn plantations down at the park
and could see the winding path to one side, inviting me to walk further.

Day 15: Periphery
When I go down to the park, I love to take photos of this fountain.
I particularly noticed the surrounding area in autumn colours.

Day 16: In-between
I pass the boxwood hedge every time I walk downtown
and on this particular day, a very luminous yellow leaf, caught between the branches,
popped out to say hello!

Day 16: In-between
I captured this in-between two pillars
as I watched the lights being put on the Christmas tree by a man on a special lift!

Day 17: Perspective
 The close-up of the train and the window reflections and then being pulled forward into the image by the leading line of the white foot barrier and then by the train itself. The strip of blue of the sky forms an arrow shape with the line on the platform.

Day 18: Subtle
The metallic road cover with a modern design had been decorated
delicately and subtly by fallen leaves in the late afternoon sun.

Day 18: Subtle.
The soft reflections on the window pane of the vegetation made
me slow down and stop on my walk.

Day 19:  Curious and Compassionate
When I follow the life cycle of a leaf from bud to decomposition after they fall from the trees onto the earth, or into water, where they slowly disintegrate. I feel compassion for the beautiful leaf at all stages of its life and growth and death which is a simple reminder of our own life seasons as we journey through life from the time of our own birth. There is beauty in all the stages of life, both in nature and in all of us.
This images tells me to embrace the change and all seasons!

Day 20: The field
My field of vision at this particular moment is my window in the evening.
It's getting dark outside and I have lit many small candles
to give a warm cosy atmosphere.
By focusing on the crocheted snowflake, I have created a soft blur with the candle flames.

Snowy Owl

Snowy Owl Makes Quick Visit to Fredericton

Snowy Owl
On Saturday, November 17, a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) was seen perched on the roof structure of the Brunswick Baptist Church in Fredericton.  When it was discovered by the local crows they began to harass it.  A video was taken and showed them annoying it mercilessly.  We tried to see it a short time after it was reported but it was gone.  We searched other Fredericton rooftops but unsuccessfully.  I assume the bird flew further up or down river where it could rest and feed in peace.  

Snowy Owl
Above is the Snowy Owl that appeared in the late fall in Jemseg a number of years ago.  These are quite likely young birds leaving the north in search of food.  We have had an influx of northern birds in the last 2 weeks, so it probably means that the food supplies in the north are dwindling.  I have seen reports of Evening and Pine Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Northern Shrikes, and Snowy Owls.  That is exciting for us because it means we will have more birds around our feeders and possibly an exciting Xmas Bird Count.  

For a long time we believed the heavily spotted Snowy Owls were young birds.  That is only partly true.  Older birds can also be heavily spotted.  Some sources state that females and young birds are more heavily marked.  

Snowy Owls normally inhabit the tundra areas of North America.  They prefer lakeshores, marine habitats, and marshes.  When in town they often perch on rooftops.  They feed on lemmings and voles but here in the 'south' they will feed on whatever they can catch, usually rodents but sometimes ducks which they snatch off the surface of the water.  

Snowy Owl [Internet Photo]
Snowy Owls are well built to withstand the cold.  Note the feathers around the face in the photo above.  Their ears are similarly covered.  Their feet are heavily feathered, too.  Their thick covering of feathers holds in a thick layer of warm air, insulating them from extreme cold.  They are often perched near the ground out of the wind where they can watch for prey.  They are diurnal owls so they can hunt during the day or at night.  This gives them an advantage in the long summers of the far north. 

It is quite likely that more Snowy Owls will appear in the province.  Watch for them in your area.  Be sure to admire them from a respectful distance (at least 50 to 100 metres).  When they arrive they are often exhausted and starving.  Being harassed by humans is very stressing to them.  Stay well back and give them a chance to rest and feed normally.  

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving from Animal Friends


With the holiday season quickly approaching, the dogs, cats and rabbits at Animal Friends are getting excited for Thanksgiving! We encourage you to include your pets at home to join in the festivities, but what's most important is keeping them safe and healthy. Here are some helpful tips from the experts at the ASPCA to help your pets enjoy a safe Thanksgiving!

Talkin’ Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer them raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage Advice
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delicous, but just like many other herbs, it can contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal problems and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

Bread Dough-n't
Don't spoil your pet's holiday by giving them raw bread dough. According to the ASPCA, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in their stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become life-threatening and require surgery.

There's Not Always Room for Cake 
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs – they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

Too Much of a Good Thing
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with an upset stomach, diarrhea or even worse – pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best to keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.

A Feast Fit for a Kong
While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer them Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner – perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy – inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for a while, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.


We hope you and your pets have a very happy Thanksgiving! Take it easy on the turkey and please, be tasteful with the pilgrim costumes.
 

Monday, November 19, 2018

Nature: Well-managed Ohio Caverns strike awe in visitors

Visitors to Ohio Caverns will find stalactites, stalagmites and calcium tubes among the many natural underground wonders/Jim McCormac

November 18, 2018

NATURE
Jim McCormac

In 1896, prospectors struck gold in the remote Yukon Territory of Canada. Word slowly trickled out and, by the following year, fortune-seekers were pouring west. July 17, 1897 marks the beginning of the Klondike Gold Rush.

One month later,a boy named Robert Noffsinger struck a different kind of gold in Logan County, Ohio. He worked as a farmhand for a landowner named Abraham Reams, and they had been perplexed by the rapid disappearance of floodwaters from a low-lying depression.

Noffsinger dug into the drying pit, and encountered a large fissure in the underlying limestone. Boldly squeezing into the crevice, he popped into a labyrinth of subterranean passages. He became a spelunker into what would become known as Ohio Caverns, Ohio’s gold standard for caverns.

The landowner recognized an opportunity and, within a few weeks, began charging admission to tour the subterranean spectacle. For the next 25 years, numerous gawkers crawled through the passable corridors.

A watershed moment in cavern conservation occurred in 1922, when the cavern was sold to Allen and Ira Smith of Dayton. Prior to their ownership, irreversible damage had been done to the small part of the cave that was accessible. Souvenir-seekers plundered priceless stalactites and stalagmites, and defaced cavern walls with graffiti.

Possessed of an uncommon awareness of speleological preservation, especially for the times, the Smiths launched a plan to conserve the cavern and safely conduct visitors through its wonders.

A crew spent three years digging gravel and muck from previously inaccessible passages, taking pains to avoid damaging various formations. When all was done, more than 3 miles of tunnels were unearthed. In 1925, the Smith brothers rebranded the cavern as Ohio Caverns, and opened the area to the public.

Ohio Caverns remains in the Smith Family to this day, and their dedication to its conservation is admirable. Because of the family’s efforts, visitors can see a breathtaking subsurface —Shangri-La — that must be seen to be believed.

I recently traveled to the rolling hills near West Liberty to visit the caverns for the first time in many years. Led by an extremely knowledgeable guide, Karen, we entered the cave through a thick steel door, hustled down a flight of sixty steps, and entered the cave.

My senses were soon overwhelmed. Fields of ivory stalactites hung, tusklike, from expansive chambers. Delicate hollow tubes of calcite known as “Soda Straws” are interspersed among the stalactites, providing artistic punctuation. Thick stalagmites grew from the floors, as if opalescent spears had been shot up from below.

A tagline for Ohio Caverns — “America’s Most Colorful Caverns” — is very fitting. It’s as if a troglodytic artist daubed the rocks from a palette of ocher, sienna, rust and gold, creating cave art on an epic scale.

Before long, we came to the fabled “Crystal King”, a monstrous stalactite measuring 5 feet long and weighing an estimated 400 pounds. Its formation began about 200,000 years ago, and the King is near the cave’s deepest point, about 100 feet below the surface.

On we went, marveling at Fantasy Land, Crystal Sea, Palace of the Gods, and the Jewel Room. Understated LED lighting effectively illuminates the cavern and its geological oddities, and ample footpaths make traversing the cave easy enough. There is also a loop accessible to visitors with limited mobility.

For more information about Ohio Caverns, visit www.ohiocaverns.com or call 937-465-4017.

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at www.jimmccormac.blogspot.com.
The 5-foot long Crystal King is one of many natural wonders at Ohio Caverns/Jim McCormac