fall photos – SilverLining

The Red-tailed Hawk

March 5, 2011April 11, 2019Tagged adult light morph red-tailed hawk, fall photos, images of red-tailed hawk, red-tailed hawkLeave a comment

The labeling of birds confounds me. Come to find out, this late in life for me, not only do birds’ colors and markings differ with age (juvenile to adult) and gender, but they differ by season, and within species. The red-tailed hawk is one of the easiest birds to identify – when the red tail is apparent, as in the photo above. But the bird can also present as a ghostly white, as in the photo below, which shows the adult light morph.

All the photos in this post were taken within a ten minute time frame and of two birds that were occupying the same sky space (along with two others that were at a higher altitude.) One of the birds, the one pictured below, was significantly larger than the other and arrived on the scene flying low over the line of tree tops on the far side of the pond.

Please click on the image above to see the gorgeous posture and attitude of this bird. (Use your back arrow to return to the post.)

This winter, the absence of birds has been remarkable. There has been an eerie silence in the air, day after day. But this afternoon, I saw these hawks (and the stoic and reliable American robin – click to visit my photo site, The Ripest Pics, where I shared a wonderful photo of an American robin that I took today.) It was a thrill to see these birds and to think that maybe spring is finally coming.

My hope is that these photos foretell of wonderful season of bird sightings and great shots. I felt today as if my camera, nature, and I were in sync.

This red-tailed hawk even maneuvered in a way to show me its back-side, which is quite a contrast to its light underbelly.

Betwixt and Between

September 30, 2010April 11, 2019Tagged dragonfly on berries, fall berries, fall colors in nature, fall photos, natural historyLeave a comment

A heat wave came through last week. Just as it often is in mid-August, the temperature was in the mid-eighties and the air was humid, uncomfortably humid. Unlike mid-August, though, I loved it. It was one final blast of summer before winter closes in.

All the while, summer waned as dragonflies with damaged wings clung to fall berries and wilting, drying plants.

Color mixes of red and green, and yellow and green, were the backdrop to the Indian summer.

Shrubs rich with berries promised the return of warm seasons.

While the richness of some of summer’s greens hung on a bit longer…

…vivid hues told there was no turning back.

Before the winter claims them, bees and butterflies carried on in their work.

The last of summer’s blossoms – the aster – offered a final flowering.

How Do I Love Thee?!

April 18, 2008April 11, 2019Tagged dandelion, fall photos, leaf buds, mallard, snapping turtleLeave a comment

If ever I wonder, and sometimes I do, will the pond someday bore me – a day such as today sets me straight. As the pond is ever-changing, it is not likely that I will take for granted its presentations.

With the temperature in the 70’s and sandals finally on my feet, I walked the dog one time around the pond. I took shots of the emerging leaf buds, schools of fish, the first dandelion flowers, and, what you see here – a mallard and a turtle. In no more than 30 seconds a series of twelve photos captured this scene of harmony between two beautiful creatures. While the mallard is immediately seen, the large turtle hangs just below the surface in the foreground. Enjoy these five photos.

Click on the photos to enlarge. Use back arrow to
return to the post.

Here, the turtle comes up for a look about!

As the mallard circles back, they spook, and in the blink of an eye, they are gone!

Moving my eyes from the view-finder, I saw the mallard alighting some twenty feet to the left. As I am get quicker on the draw with my camera and settings, I was able to catch it as it landed.

I will devote my next post to my faithful and patient companion!

Fall Inspirations

March 25, 2008April 11, 2019Tagged fall photos, foliage, pond life, snake photo, turtle photo, winter2 Comments

This past year, the fall, like the prior two seasons, achieved near perfection in weather and sensory excitement. At the height of color season, I enjoyed the visit of long-time friends through a weekend and, more than once, we enjoyed walking several laps around the pond as we caught up on the status of each others’ lives and thoughts. As we walked, one friend’s eyes worked in a way different than mine. While I tend to look toward the pond and sky, she kept her eyes just ahead of her feet. I suspect she did this for just the purpose she achieved – to avoid stepping on a creature. Thanks to her watchfulness, I have these two photos to share, and neither reptile was crushed by our step. Walking with her has inspired me to cast my eyes to the ground more often.

The seasons shed new light and cause different framing to almost any view of the pond. Here, the variations of color, visual texture, and depth caught my eye, at a place along the walk that, through other seasons, I might pass without notice.

Often I have wondered, as I look at reflections on the pond, if the term ‘water color’, used as a description of an art form, was inspired by the image reflected in the lower half of the photo below – after the method of painting was established. Or, did an artist see what this picture shows, and, using water mixed with color, try to recreate water color.

As the days shortened, the colors dulled, and the leaves fell to the ground. Then, on came the winter.