Dragonfly swarms, of epic scope and scale!

 An admittedly poor shot, but it shows seven or so of the thousands (probably) of common green darners, Anax junius, in a massive feeding swarm just before sunset tonight. Via Facebook and other sources, I saw reports coming in from all over Ohio of big dragonfly swarms, so I ran over to a nearby farm in Columbus, Franklin County, that has lots of meadows and open space. Sure enough, as soon as I entered through the gates, dragonflies appeared.

There's just no way to make any sort of semi-exact estimate of rapidly flying and darting insects on this epic a scale, but as dragonflies were everywhere I went on this property, and I saw hundreds and maybe a thousand+ in my very limited coverage, there were certainly thousands of dragonflies across the whole property, I'd say.

Every dragonfly I could clap eyes on well enough to identify was a common green darner (this shot of a male in flight from several years ago). From other reports of today, this seems to be the primary species involved in the massive migration. Other species, such as gliders and saddlebags, can intermix with these swarms, though.

I've written about these swarms before, such as HERE, HERE, and HERE. Many people made comments on those posts, reporting additional swarms. If you saw such a swarm today or recently, or in the days to come, please leave a comment. Be sure to note at a bare minimum, the county, state if not Ohio, and a rough guess at how many dragonflies were present. If you know dragonfly identification and can say what species were involved, all the better.

30 Days of Compostion: 16-30

Day 16

What's leaving the frame?

Showing only part of our subject can be very intriguing

and I do very much like the expanse of negative space.

What's leaving the space on my embroidery scissors?

Day 17

Creating Depth

By setting my focus on the pebbles in the foreground,

I create depth on the blue and white material in the background.

Day 18

Create movement.

The fountain in the park creates the movement,

both in the stream of water coming down, the splashes

and the concentric circles.

More movement

This little family cycling in the countryside where I was walking.

The little fellow in the front was pedalling nineteen to the dozen!

Day 19

Perfectly aligned.

This doesn't only mean things all lined up in a row. 

The photographic example given was that of 'harmonious composition'

and how not to have conflicting elements in the frame which could make for confusing viewing.

I find that the whole scene of greens and that gentle blue sky work so well together,

but what I really like is the soft zig-zag of hedges leading us to a lone tree on the hill.

Also, if you look at the foreground of hedges and trees,

they lead our eye up to the small chalet in the distance.

Day 20

Deliberately discordant

In contrast to the image above, the fallen basket of yarn and odd crocheted samples

seems rather inharmonious.

Day 21

Square format

The square shape of this house in my neighbourhood

seemed to fit into the square format very well.

Day 22

Single focal point.

I set the focus on the geranium buds on my balcony

and allowed the leaves to provide a soft green background.

Day 23

Tiny subject

I think that this one is my favourite. I do love tiny things and this little crystal angel

seemingly flying through the air fitted so well into her sparkly, starry sky!

Day 24

Complementary colours.

On the colour wheel, complementary colours are those opposite each other

like red and green above.

More complementary colours seen at my local Farmer's Market.

Green and red vegetables,

but also purple aubergines (eggplant) and purple chicory

and the complementary light and bright yellow of the peppers.

Day 25

Monochrome

Monochrome doesn't only mean black and white (or different shades of grey),

it can also means subjects and background in the same colour.

These are some yellow chrysanthemums taken on a background of  similar yellow material.

Day 26

Abstract

Meaning of abstract:

Relating to or denoting something that does not attempt to represent external reality,

but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours and textures.

Day 27

Repetition

Plenty of repetition here with the steps themselves,

the repeated patterns of shadows and the railings.

Day 28

S-Curve

The curve in this path of the rock garden can be seen to form an s-curve.

Day 29

Eye Contact

The easiest way of obtaining this was by taking a self-portrait in a mirror in my home!

Day 30

Break the rules.

Some rules, like not having our main subject right in the middle of the frame,

can be easily broken when harmony is retained.

A country path,  right in the middle of the frame, flanked by trees, can create a harmonious image.

This is the last part of my 30 Days of Composition.

I have really enjoyed creating them.

Photo Tour: Michigan's Upper Peninsula! October 6-10

The mighty Mackinac Bridge, the gateway to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The UP is a paradise for photographers at any season, but at the peak of fall color it truly is a magical place.

Debbie DiCarlo and I are leading a photo tour here from October 6 thru 10, and the details are RIGHT HERE. We have a few spaces available, and if you like shooting awesome landscapes, waterfalls, and amazing fall foliage, you'll love it. The UP is sparsely populated, and not heavily visited by tourists in fall - other than perhaps the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Even there, traffic is light, especially in the lesser known sites that we'll visit.

Following are some images from last year's trip, at the same time of year. They offer a small taste of fall in the Upper Peninsula.

A spectacular tree tunnel in the Hiawatha National Forest. Colorful landscapes abound in this region.

A flaming maple punctuates a red pine forest.

 Maple leaves accent an old white birch log nestled in haircap moss.

 An autumnal white birch forest near the shore of Lake Superior is a riot of color.

 The coffee-colored waters of Tahquamenon Falls. We'll visit many waterfalls of various size and structure, but all showy and trimmed with beautiful autumnal foliage.

An onrush of Lake Superior water washes over colorful polished rocks on the shore of Au Train Bay. Many beaches in this area are carpeted with such stones.

Sunrise over Lake Superior, as seen at dawn from atop Sugarloaf Mountain near Marquette, features an interesting "sun pillar". Finding scenic vistas for sunrise and sunset images is quite easy in the UP.

We'd love to have you join us. Again, GO HERE for details.

Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope - A Late Summer Migrant

Wilson's Phalarope

 Riverview Marsh was rewarded recently (in late summer) by the arrival of several interesting species of shorebirds.  Among them was a Wilson's Phalarope which remained for about a week, feeding heavily to build up energy for its long flight south.  Three of us were there looking at and photographing the Marbled Godwits when very near us swam a phalarope.  It took a close examination of the many photographs I was able to get in order to identify this shorebird.  See this blog for a post on the Marbled Godwits.

Phalaropes are special shorebirds which are often pelagic, are often seen swimming and are sleek and very agile.  They can be confused with other species of shorebirds but after taking a few moments to watch their behaviour, one can identify them as phalaropes.  We have three species of phalaropes; Wilson's, Red-necked, and Red.  See another post on this blog for a description of the Red-necked Phalarope.

Phalaropes are special in that they have partially lobed feet (Wilson's has the least lobed feet) and a very dense plumage.  Presumably these facts make it easy for them to swim.  They feed on the water and often spin in circles to stir up food, the larvae, crustaceans and insects that constitute their diet.  They will also feed on land where they still also walk in circles.  Another interesting fact about this group of species is that they exhibit gender role reversals.  The females are larger and more brightly coloured than the males.  The females court the males in spring and after she lays the eggs, she assumes her duty is finished!  The males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.  They have two plumages per year, breeding and non-breeding (winter) plumages.  Those that pass through here are often in transition and that can make identification difficult.

Wilson's Phalarope

The Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) is usually generally lighter in colour than the other two species.  It is the largest of the 3 species ( 24 cm/9.3 in long).  It has a long, thin, black needle-like bill which helps separate it from other shorebird species.  In breeding plumage the female has a large rufous stripe on the face and neck, a light orange breast, white throat, gray and rufous on the back, and a very light gray crown with a white supercilium (line above the eye).  The male in breeding plumage is similar but much duller in colour.  In non-breeding plumage the black legs turn yellowish olive, the upper plumage is light gray, the crown remains light gray and there is a light gray post ocular stripe.  So, you can see that the individuals in transition can be difficult to identify.  We occasionally see individuals in breeding plumage here in the spring and, as in this case, individuals in non-breeding plumage in the fall (or in transition).

Wilson's Phalarope

As you can see in the photo above, this transitional individual is losing the rufous stripe on its face and neck; the orange on the breast is gone, the black eyeline is fading, and the gray on the crown and back of the neck are becoming lighter in colour.  Also note that the legs are yellow which helps distinguish the Wilson's from our other two phalarope species.

Wilson's Phalaropes breed in interior wetlands throughout western North America.  Some breed along the shores of James Bay in northern Ontario.  They winter in South America especially in inland saline lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.  Their preferred breeding habitats include grassy borders of shallow lakes, marshes and reservoirs.  They nest on the ground in a scrape lined with grasses.  The usual four buff eggs are incubated about 18-21 days.

Wilson's Phalarope

The Red-necked and Red Phalaropes spend considerable time at sea.  We often see large flocks of phalaropes in Passamaquoddy Bay and the Gulf of Maine in late summer.  The Wilson's is less adapted to pelagic habitats so rarely is seen at sea.  They spend their time on ponds inland and this makes the species vulnerable to habitat degradation and loss.  They have been especially vulnerable on prairie habitats where draining of wetlands and water diversion projects have robbed them of major staging areas during migration.

The Wilson's Phalarope is named after the renowned ornithologist, Alexander Wilson.  It was first described as a species in 1819 by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist.  The term, phalarope, comes from the Greek, phalaris, which means 'coot' and pous, which means 'foot'.  Given that the coot has lobed toes, it follows that the phalarope has an appropriate name.  It is 'neat' how language has evolved.

30 Days of Composition: 1-15

Day 1: Viewpoint

Sometimes a different point of view allows us to notice details

 that take on another dimension or importance. 

This is the back view of the biggest steam boat on Lake Léman in Ouchy.

I love how huge the Swiss flag looks and how the water is starting to churn up

 and the steam rises as the boat leaves the port.

Day 2: Framing

I had to find a way of interpreting this inside as the weather was windy and rainy.

Luckily, I had a little box with a shiny base which allowed my Dahlia bloom

to be framed three times.

Day 3: Negative Space

I love using this kind of composition which allows us to really notice the subject

without any distracting clutter.

This is a young lavender stalk from one of my lavender plants

 which is blooming for a second time this summer.

Day 4: Diagonals

They bring a really dynamic element into the frame and seem to shout:

"Look at me!"

I love diagonals in architecture.

Day 5: Rule of thirds

It's about keeping our main subjects in the upper or lower right

or upper or lower left of our frame.

This creates visual harmony.

Day 6: Leading lines

These really pull us forward into the image to notice the elements where the lines

converge. In this case it's the Lausanne Cathedral on the other side of the bridge.

More Leading Lines.

I wanted to add this sideways capture of an escalator just because I like the abstract

dimension and the way our eyes are also pulled into the lines in a rather fascinating way!

Day 7: Symmetry

This one rather speaks for itself.

 I like the early morning lighting which created the soft blue colour.

Day 8: Filling the frame

This is a beautiful way of coming in really close to our subject so that we can appreciate 

each small detail, like the curly petals and stamens of this yellow Dahlia.

Filling the frame with a beautiful Gaillardia bloom

Day 9: Odd numbers

This is a house in my neighbourhood covered in Virginia Creeper.

We can just see the three windows on the top floor.

Day 10: Balance

I enjoyed creating a still life image of cherry tomatoes and using the rule of thirds.

The main subject is the two tomatoes in the foreground, balanced by the glass dish

of tomatoes,

 purposely out of focus so it doesn't enter into competition with the main subject

in the foreground.

Day 11: Abstract patterns

I enjoy noticing abstracts and patterns in the world around me.

I went downtown to capture the glass walls of a modern building

and took the photo on the diagonal because it seemed more interesting that way.

Day 12: No foreground

This prompt felt a little awkward to me because I do love foregrounds

with soft backgrounds.

I photographed an angel decoration with a crystal butterfly.

I thought that it would be rather flat and boring on its own, so I added a corner of

my decorative mirror.

It's true that three things within this frame makes it more interesting.

Day 13: Circular

I had to think about this one - and imagined that taking one of my camera lenses

and holding it in front of the Begonias on my balcony

would make a fun and interesting shot!

Day 14: Form or Shape

I love the harmonious rounded shape of the weather vane down by the lake.

This shape is echoed in the granite rock on the left.

We can also see the soft shapes of the mountains in the background

and the shapes of the rocks which are part of the port.

Day 15: Texture

This is the trunk of a Plane Tree and I do enjoy how the bark of these trees peels off showing

different textures and colours.

This looks like a bark butterfly.

Texture: a larger part of the Plane Tree trunk.

I have really been inspired to create images which express the daily prompts in the best way possible.

Next time, I will post the next fifteen interpretations of the daily prompts.

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I have enjoyed creating them!

Nature: Western kingbird is a sight to see in Ohio

A rare western kingbird hunts from a fence/Jim McCormac

Columbus Dispatch

September 1, 2019

NATURE
Jim McCormac

On the Northwest Side of Columbus lies a large stretch of green in an otherwise heavily urbanized setting. The Ohio State University Airport (Don Scott Field) and the adjoining OSU livestock facility cover about 1,300 acres. This land forms a big green oasis, especially for birds that like open country.

Birders like to check the farm’s perimeters, where there is some access at the western end of the complex. Expert birder Irina Shulgina was exploring here on Aug. 11 when she spotted an out-of-the ordinary flycatcher hunting insects from phone wires. She had found a rare western kingbird!

This wasn’t Shulgina’s first experience with western kingbirds. She has found two others at this locale, one last May and another in May 2018. Add a kingbird in Union County in 2014 to her tally, and she is the undisputed western kingbird champion of Ohio.

Western kingbirds normally inhabit the western half of the U.S. and adjacent southern Canada. In winter, they retreat to Mexico and Central America, with a small wintering population in southern Florida. These robin-sized flycatchers are rare visitors to eastern North America, with most sightings along the Atlantic coast.

Ohio’s common counterpart is the eastern kingbird, which breeds in all 88 counties.

Ohio’s first western kingbird record dates to Sept. 13, 1930, when one was seen near Toledo. That pioneer was the vanguard of many more to come. These kingbirds remained scarce until the 1980s, with only a few reports a decade. After that, sightings blossomed and western kingbirds were recorded regularly, with multiple birds some years.

By the early 1990s, records had plummeted. The kingbird yo-yo ascended again in the 2010s. Since 2011 there have been 10 sightings — the most of any decade since the original discovery.

I journeyed to the OSU farm on Aug. 12 to see Shulgina’s most recent discovery. It didn’t take long to spot the bird hunting from a chain-link fence. As the name suggests, kingbirds are not shrinking violets and typically hunt insects from conspicuous perches.

The pugnacious flycatcher lived up to its name by aerially bombarding a nearby American kestrel, causing the little falcon to flinch and duck. Kingbirds are notorious for badgering raptors that dare fly through their turf. Even bald eagles are not exempt from harassment.

In turn, some birds think little of kingbirds and express their displeasure. Several barn swallows seemed to enjoy strafing the kingbird as it hunted.

Many other birders have stopped by to view the rare flycatcher, which was present until at least Aug. 21. For many, it is a “state bird” — their first sighting of this species in Ohio. Many birders love to collect new bird sightings like a philatelist collects stamps, and I confess to lacking immunity to listing fever. I first saw a western kingbird in Ohio in Butler County in 2002, but the protagonist of this column is only my second Buckeye State bird.

Given the recent sightings of western kingbirds at the OSU livestock farm, it will be interesting to see whether they attempt nesting here in years to come.

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.