Late September Walk

Gracie and I took a morning walk at the CJ Beach and the Croft Rd Overflow. Here's some looks....

This Double Crested Cormorant was happy to pose at the CJ Overflow. While their eyes aren't quite as beautiful as they look in the spring, the color is still a lovely turquoise. Cormorants are moving through our area on their way to warmer coastal climes.

A Wood Duck showing off some great colors as well.

A beautiful day to be out and enjoying nature!

Amish School Monarchs

 We visited the Amish School near Plain City tonight to view the Monarch Butterflies. Landowners surrounding the school have planted fields of Clover...which attract the Monarchs as they prepare for their southward migration journey. As evening approaches, the Monarchs cluster together in the pine trees on the school property. Here's some views of the Monarchs and surrounding scenery.

As other Monarchs approach, the perched Monarchs flutter their wings.

The setting sun provided some beautiful backlit lighting.

Increasing numbers of Monarchs as dusk approaches.

Photographing the Monarchs.

Other folks photographing the sunset.

Sunset on the Clover fields.

Scene across the road.

September Aurora

 There were predictions that we could possibly see the Northern Lights last night so we and other several folks headed to the CJ Brown Visitor's Center point hoping to catch some views. The predictions didn't pan out as well as we had hoped...partially due to the very bright Waxing Gibbous Moon. We did catch some color on the horizon with some faint pillars at about 9:20 (visible only with long camera exposures), but that soon faded and concluded the show. Still, you can't beat chatting and sharing stories with like-minded folks under the Big Dipper and the September moonlit sky!

The Dragonhunter

 


I was walking along the banks of Beaver Creek at Kirby Preserve and saw something perched in some brush at the creek's edge. Pausing before I approached too close, I snapped a few shots and realized that it was a Dragonhunter.....a dragonfly that I'd been actively seeking for a couple of years. 
    This huge dragonfly (3.5 inches long) feeds on insects, including other dragonflies...thus the name. 
    Since that time, I've found several Dragonhunters and have been fortunate to be able to get some images of them. Most of them have been at Kirby Preserve, but a couple were at the Snyder Park Arboretum.
    Yesterday, Gracie and I were walking along Beaver Creek in about the same location where I saw my first Dragonhunter. I large dragonfly popped up from the brush and perched a short distance away....it was another Dragonhunter.
    Surprisingly cooperative, it allowed me to approach and shoot many (way too many) images. I shot several in-camera stacked focus-bracketed images in order to get maximum depth of field for this big dragon.
    In the images below, you'll note differences in the backgrounds. When shooting a long telephoto lens (I was shooting the Olympus Zuiko 100-400mm at 400mm) the angle of view is quite narrow. Because of the narrow angle, moving only a few inches one way or another can markedly vary the background. 

Cedar Bog Visit

 It's starting to feel like fall at Cedar Bog. The meadows are filling with colors...the vivid purples and yellows of early autumn. 

Cedar Bog Meadow

Clamp-Tipped Emerald Dragonfly

Clamp-Tipped Emerald Dragonfly

Five-Lined Skink

Somebody lost a skin....

One of the Cuckoo Bees

Meadowhawk

Monarch Butterfly

Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly

Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly

Full Sturgeon Moon

The Full Sturgeon Moon was this weekend, and we caught some lovely views. 
The first views were taken at the CJ Brown Reservoir Visitor's Center Point on Sunday evening. 

These shots were taken from our upstairs windows on Friday evening. 
 

Summer Evening at the CJ Brown Beach

 A few snaps from the CJ Brown Beach last evening. 
Our Jack Russell mix, Gracie loves her evenings on the beach.