A Quick Break

Megan and I have a busy few weeks ahead of us, and I've decided to take a little break from blogging. I'll be back sooner than you know it with nature photographs from Ohio and beyond.

Tom

Great Blue on the Olentangy- Camera Critters

June 5, 2011

When I go to the Olentangy, I'm usually there to photograph dragonflies.  So I'm typically not set up or ready to photograph a giant flying bird.  This past weekend I got lucky however, and managed a decent shot of a Heron as it flew up river towards Worthington.  Have a great weekend!

And since it's Saturday morning, I'll think I'll include this post in the Camera Critters meme- it's been a long time since I've participated!






Tom

The Legacy- The Story of Ohio's Division of Natural Areas and Preserves

This tells the story of the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves here in Ohio- Unfortunately, much has changed. The Division created a fantastic system of state nature preserves over the past 35 plus years, but the future of that preserve system today is cloudy.

Please go to Facebook and "Like" the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves to show your support for Ohio's natural areas.

Tom

Wood Duck Pair on the Olentangy

Columbus, Ohio June 5, 2011

I don't think of the Olentangy River in the city of Columbus as a hotspot for wood ducks.  Normally you'd think of a more rural area with plenty of wet swamps but trees.  But each year I spot wood ducks near Kenney Park.  They're much more wary than the local mallards, so most of my photos are from afar.  I hope you are enjoying my little trip back to the Olentangy River, which is where spent much of my free time in 2007 and 2008.

Tom

Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle - Wordless Wednesday

Olentangy River, Columbus, June 5, 2011

Northern Map Turtle, Graptemys geographica

Olentangy River, Columbus, June 5, 2011

So if you know me, or read this blog, you probably know that turtles are pretty much up there at the top of my list as far as animals go.  I've been a turtle nut for as long as I can possibly remember, and I've peppered turtle posts throughout the years at this blog.  I just can't help myself, I suppose, I'm a sucker for a nice turtle.

This past Sunday afternoon I photographed this common map turtle.  Or I thought it was a common map turtle.  I even named my photo for this post "common_map_turtle_olentangy".  I always do a little cursory research before I post something, and my search for common map turtle turned up a wiki article for "Northern Map Turtle".  Northern Map Turtle?  What the heck is that?  Well- it turns out that there is a committee that produces a list of standard common and scientific names for North American Herps north of Mexico.

In their latest publication the committee changed the name from "common map turtle" to "northern map turtle".  Why?  They give this reasoning- "We have changed the name from Common Map Turtle because of the possibility that the word “common” might be misinterpreted to imply abundance rather than to the fact that it has a broad range."

There you go- broad range, not necessarily common.  Therefore, we have the Northern Map Turtle.  That name is going to take me some time to get used to.

-Tom

Ohio Spiderwort

A native Ohio plant, I can't get enough of the contrast between Ohio spiderwort's (Tradescantia ohiensis) deep purple flowers and bright yellow anthers.  This is one of the native species I've added to our back yard since moving to Worthington three years ago.  Enjoy your Sunday morning! If everything goes well for us, we'll be off on a family strawberry picking adventure to  Legend Hills Orchard.


-Tom

Prince Baskettail, Olentangy River

It seems like every summer I end up shooting Prince Baskettails in Flight.  This is a fairly common dragonfly- although I photographed it along the Olentangy, it isn't restricted to river habitats.  This species flies back and forth in the same general area, at shoulder level, all day, looking for food.  You can stand in one place for an hour, and they'll fly by you hundreds of times- so they're great for dragonfly-in-flight photography.  I find photographing dragonflies in flight one of the hardest things to do- but when I get home and see shots like this from my new 7D, standing in a river in the hot afternoon sun becomes totally worth it.

Tom

Following the Light

Sometimes, good light can lead you to an interesting subject to photograph. I am sitting on our back deck enjoying this perfect weather. A beam of golden light shines across the back yard, lighting up a patch of the grass. I need to mow, but why not set my iPhone right down in the grass where the light is fantastic?

I come away with what I think is a pretty good image of our suburban, backyard lifestyle!

So with no real idea of what type if image I wanted to make, I just followed the light, and this is what I came up with. What do you think? Can you see any of the bugs crawling in the grass? I can't tell with the small screen of the phone. Happy weekend!

-Tom

Posted from my iPhone

Location:Linworth Rd E,Columbus,United States

"Snotty Little Kid"

I've got my own......colds all around at the Arbour household........

Tom