Brutus's family just hopes that he can find a home where he can share all of the love that he has to give – and get lots of love in return, of course!
Monday, December 10, 2018
Brutus: Animal Friends Home to Home Adoption Program
Brutus's family just hopes that he can find a home where he can share all of the love that he has to give – and get lots of love in return, of course!
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Starry Skies
As the lucky stars would have it, this evening turned out to be a New Moon, AND a nearly clear night! That meant dark starry skies, and less than a half-hour from the Art Loft is The Wilds and thousands of acres of surrounding reclaimed strip mine lands. This is the area that I wrote about in my last post, HERE. Although it would make for a long day, the allure of astrophotography was too great to pass by, so off I went into the cold (hit 18 F that night!) star-studded evening following the gallery exhibition.
As always, click the image to enlarge
Myriad stars, seemingly embedded in a celestial agar, dot the southern sky. In spite of this site's remoteness and apparent darkness, light pollution cannot be avoided, like everywhere else in Ohio. The distant orangish glow on the horizon probably emanates from the town of McConnelsville.
Astrophotography is not easy, and I am very much the piker when it comes to shooting night skies. Most of the work lies in the setup. Due to the very long exposures, a tripod is essential, it goes without saying. Framing the image is challenging, as it's obviously hard to see landscape features well given the lack of light. I use a flashlight and a bright green laser to help orient my camera during the setup procedure. Just pointing up at the sky and failing to include terrestrial features would make for a boring photo. Here, I used the road as a leading line, and I liked that lone cottonwood tree in the distance. While an old building or structure can be very cool as a ground-bound anchor point, this is what I had to work with in this area. One of the trickiest bits is acquiring sharp focus. That usually takes me at least several test shots. I start at the infinity stop (the little hourglass marking on the lens's focus meter), but that position is never the sharpest. From there, I just dial the focus slightly either way, evaluating the results under magnification in "live view" on the back of the camera. One can also magnify live time in live view to assess star sharpness, but I like to take the actual photos and use them for evaluation. Make sure your lens is set to manual focus and if it has image stabilization, turn it off. Either, if active, can cause movement during exposures.
This image, being a single "still" to show the countless pinpoints of light, was made with a 13-second exposure. Any longer than that, and the stars will manifest a smudginess as apparent star movement will set in with longer exposures. The earth's rotation can be used to advantage as in the following image, but no movement was the goal here. I used my Canon 5D IV and Canon 14mm lens. The latter is widely panned as astrophotography glass, and it certainly has its weaknesses, but passable night sky images can be created with it. At its widest, the 14mm is an f/2.8 lens, and that's OK for night shooting (the wider aperture the better, as it allows for more light harvesting). The rub is, the lens is not tack sharp at f/2.8 and will not render crisp stars. Thus, it must be stopped down a complete stop, to f/4, which sharpens it up considerably but at a large loss of light. This required an ISO of 4000 to harvest enough light to make the shot work. The best Canon astrophotography lens I know of is the 24mm f/1.4. I have it, and stopped down to f/2.8 or so it is scary sharp. But tonight was for experimentation with the 14mm, which does have the advantage of a much wider angle.
A brief play of a flashlight beam down the road gave the lane a bit of a glimmer.
In addition to the inescapable light pollution (in Ohio at least), another manmade problem for astrophotographers is airplane traffic. And, I learned, there is LOTS of that in these particular skies! Planes will leave unsightly and very unnatural dotted trails across the image. and in the case of this hour-long exposure there were many. It would have looked terrible if they were left in the image. The solution to that is easy but time-consuming. One must use Photoshop or some other editing program to blot out the airplane trail on every individual image on which they occur before fusing them together. In this case, of my 120 exposures, plane trails were manifest on several dozen of them.
I look forward to some future excursion to the truly dark skies of the western U.S., such as some of the federal lands in Utah, to attempt some real dark sky photography.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
A jaunt through the Wilds, bird-seeking
This is my 1,832nd post over this blog's history (I had two previous iterations), for whatever that's worth. The first entry dates to July 22, 2007, and covered the Ohio Dragonfly Conference (see that post HERE). There have been nearly 4.3 million page views over that span, and I'm grateful that people check into this space occasionally, whether by accident or intentionally. It's been a great forum for keeping the digital pen honed, and to share (hopefully ever-improving) photos. If nothing else, I've got staying power on my side. A great many blogs that I've seen launched during this span have drifted off into the ether. Hopefully I'll still be on this space when it comes time to write my 2,000th post.
We've been having an extending period of gray gloomy days here in central Ohio, so when I saw that last Sunday was supposed to be largely blue skies, I left home well before the crack of dawn to visit the Wilds. This is a strange place, weather-wise, and I am becoming convinced it generates its own weather. As I neared the place, the skies were clearing and all looked good. As I entered the Wilds proper on Zion Ridge Road, dense fog settled in, shrouding the landscape and largely putting the kibosh on bird photography. Prior to strip mining, this region was almost entirely deciduous forest. After clearing and major soil disturbance, numerous springs were exposed and the ground is seemingly soggy nearly everywhere. Maybe it's all that moisture going airborne that creates the fog, I don't know.
While the fog killed any chance for a good sunrise, the sunset sure looked promising. Come day's end, I got myself into a good position, and was rewarded with the odd flaming orange and yellow sky you see above. I was hoping for one of those brilliantly parti-colored palettes of pinks, oranges, reds, blues and purples, but no. Oh well, it was still pretty cool looking.
Shrikes are sometimes called "butcherbirds". Slightly smaller than a robin, these songbirds are predatorial terrors. They'll catch prey ranging from large insects to mice and voles, to birds up to the size of blue jays. Shrikes often cache their victims by impaling them on thorns, hence the somewhat gruesome nickname.
A handsome male American kestrel "play flies" atop a post. A brisk steady breeze was blowing into his face, and he seemed to enjoy holding his wings out, like a kid (or me) sticks an arm out the window of a moving vehicle and rotates his/her hand. At first, I figured he was doing this to balance in the wind, but no, I think not, as he also sat with wings tucked for extended periods.
While kestrels have declined alarmingly in most regions, they appear to be on the upswing at the Wilds. Local nesters have been bolstered by the placement of numerous nest boxes, many of which are now occupied.
This shot was made from the vehicle, not long after he launched from a wire on one of his hunting forays. The topography worked to my advantage, as he was not far above eye level when I made the shot and the natural light was superb. The image was made with the Canon 5D IV and the outstanding Canon 500mm f/4 II lens, with 1.4x teleconverter (=700mm). The settings were f/8, ISO 500, 1/1600, +0.3 exposure compensation. As always, I used back-button focusing, and only the center focus point was active.
Speaking of bird photography, if you would like to enter the land of avian abundance and feathered photo ops galore, Debbie DiCarlo and I are leading a photo workshop to Florida from February 18-23 (with optional extension from February 23-25). We'll have scores of opportunities to shoot many interesting species, and learn lots about the art of bird photography. All details on this trip ARE HERE. We'd love to have you along!
Blue Jay
Blue Beauty Right Under Our Noses
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| Blue Jay [Marbeth Wilson Photo] |
You might not have noticed but we have blue beauty right under our noses. And lots of it. The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is such a common local bird that we tend to overlook it on our quest to see rare birds or the not-so-common local birds like cardinals and orioles. Its aggressive behaviour around our feeders also tends to make us wish they would move on.
I once had a visitor from Labrador who was very excited to see a Blue Jay because they are not found there. To listen to him remark about how great it was to see one made me rethink our attitude towards this beautiful bird. Sometimes we need to reconsider what we take for granted.
The Blue Jay is a medium-sized jay with distinctive blue plumage. It is the only North American bird with bright blue and white wings and tail. It has a blue crest, white underparts and a dark necklace. At 28 cm (11 in) long it is bigger than the robin (25 cm/10 in). Juveniles look like the adults but are more grayish and have more limited white on the wings. There are 3 subspecies of this species and they differ in size and brightness. The bromia subspecies that lives here is the largest and brightest. The Blue Jay is so distinctive in appearance you are not likely to mistake it for any other species here. In the west, however, it can be mistaken for the Steller's Jay.
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| Blue Jay |
The Blue Jay readily comes to feeders where it dominates other birds. Other birds tend to wait until the jays are finished rather than raise their scorn. Blue Jays eat seeds, insects, fruits, nuts, mice and frogs. They will sometimes raid the nests of other birds and take their eggs or nestlings. They can open nuts by holding them with their feet and hammering them with their bill.
Blue Jays are very vocal. We are all familiar with their shrill 'jay, jay' call. They also emit a variety of other sounds; gurgles, whistles and rattles. They can also mimic other species especially raptors.
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| Blue Jay |
Most people are not aware that Blue Jays undergo some migration. They are permanent residents across southern Canada from Alberta east to Newfoundland and south to Texas and Florida. There is a small migration from the northern reaches of their range in winter. That is why we see flocks of Blue Jays in fall here. They are moving south from central Quebec or northern Ontario to warmer climates for the winter.
Blue Jays build their nests high in trees in coniferous forests, mixed woods and suburbs. The nest is made of sticks and lined with grass. Three to 7 bluish green eggs marked with brown are laid. Both parents incubate the eggs.
You may have already suspected that the jay is intelligent. It is a member of the Corvidae family, comprised of jays and crows. We are familiar with the intelligence of crows and ravens, cousins to the jays. Experiments have been done on jays and show that they know how to use tools. They have made tools to get at the desired food. Another interesting fact is that the blue of the blue jay is not real pigment which most would assume. It is caused by the way light refracts from the structure of the feather. If a blue jay feather is ground up, the blue disappears! A neat fact for the scientific birder.
When the jays come to your feeder tomorrow, look at them now for their unique beauty!
Monday, December 3, 2018
Nature: Giant swans make yearly visit on long migration
A pair of adult tundra swans against a frosty November sky/Jim McCormac
December 3, 2018
NATURE
Jim McCormac
Eventually the giant birds materialize; glimmering flecks of ivory shimmering in V-formation.
A tundra swan is massive. Measuring nearly 4½ feet in length, with a wingspan pushing 7 feet, a well-fed male (males are slightly larger than females) can weigh 23 pounds.
By comparison, a bald eagle averages about 2½ feet in length and weighs 10 pounds, although the wingspan is about the same. Trivia: It would take over 3,000 ruby-throated hummingbirds to equal the mass of a big tundra swan.
On a recent trip to the former Sandusky Plains of north-central Ohio, I encountered hundreds of swans. Flocks were plentiful in the collective 15,000 acres of Big Island and Killdeer Plains wildlife areas, and in flooded fields between these sites.
The two wildlife areas are about all that’s left of the wetlands of the Sandusky Plains. The former wet-prairie region once blanketed much of Crawford, Marion and Wyandot counties, but nearly all of its rich soil has been converted to beans, corn and wheat.
Nonetheless, ancestral instinct is strong and the swans still use the Sandusky Plains as a migratory way station, in spite of the prairie largely being swept away in the past century or so.
The giant birds are an on epic journey. Well-named tundra swans breed in the Arctic, the nearest nesters at least 1,100 miles to our north. Some that pass through Ohio might have bred over 2,000 miles north — nearly the distance from Columbus to Los Angeles.
Most of the swans that visit Ohio will travel to coastal areas along the eastern seaboard, mostly from New Jersey to the Carolinas. In total, these powerful flyers will have made a one-way flight of up to 2,500 miles.
Many of the swans that I observed were family units: snowy white adults accompanying dusky-necked juveniles. The youngsters must be shown the migratory ropes. Unlike many songbirds, which have built-in GPS and can make inaugural migrations unaided, swan cygnets require coaching. The adults remain with their offspring until they return to tundra nesting grounds the following spring. By then, migratory corridors are firmly stamped into the youngsters.
Tundra swans commence breeding when they are 2 to 3 years old. Once a pair bond is established the swans remain monogamous, although new mates might be taken if one of the pair dies. These relationships can be long-lived. The oldest documented wild tundra swan was nearly 24 years old, a female that was banded and later recaptured in Ohio.
Lewis and Clark first described the tundra swan on their western expedition of 1804-06. Struck by the peculiar fluting hum created by the swan’s wings in flight, they dubbed this species the “whistling swan.”
That charismatic name stuck until 1982, when ornithologists rebranded it. The scientific name, Cygnus columbianus, remains, the specific epithet recognizing the Columbia River of the Pacific Northwest, where Lewis and Clark’s team obtained the first specimen.
White swans, swirling in like giant snowflakes on Arctic breezes, serve as elegant reminders of a natural world that doesn’t recognize political boundaries.
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.
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
called 30 Days of Perception
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Northern Shrike
New Brunswick's Butcher Bird
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| Northern Shrike |
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.
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| Northern Shrike |
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.
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