Curl

Something a little different than a portrait of Lauren's face.

Tim T Has Nothing to Fear From Me

 For the past several years I have noticed ibises at our pond in the spring.  Maybe next year I will remember to stake it out early in the morning and will get some better shots.  I know these are pretty bad and are posted only as a record of the event. This year had to be the most ibises I have seen at one time --- 30.

   

F

 The dark area on the far right is the edge of a tree I was hiding behind.  This is about as close as the group came to me and they turned around when they heard my shutter clicking.

A jogger sent the group into flight and they were gone for good.

Since it was just after noon on a cloudless day I had set the camera to underexpose the white birds, but got tons of noise as a result, since I was using my D200.

Wildflower 8

These flowers are so interesting, I would love to have them in my flower beds.  They are a little larger than the others I have been finding, probably 4 to 5 inches tall.  While I was crouched over them shooting I heard a strange squawk and looked up into a tree nearby to see several white ibises.  They flew down to the pond and joined a few already there.  It was near noon on a cloudless day so not the time to photograph white birds, but a few minutes later a larger group flew in.  I counted 30 ibises! I'll post a few of those shots tomorrow, I had to try to document that.

Wildflower 7

It seems like every day I notice another plant or flower that I have not seen before.  Now these bulb-shaped ones are emerging in the low, boggy areas near the woods.  Just a few have opened and I must say the bud is much more interesting than the flower.   I did not shoot any opened ones because they had not fully opened --- I thought I would wait for them to reveal more. But unfortunately our fields were finally mowed so I will never know what the blooms look like.

Wildflower 6

Nikon D700, 60mm macro

Wildflower 5

Nikon D700, 60mm macro lens at f3.5 and 1/350th, ISO 400

This plant is very small, only a couple of inches high so the tiny blooms are minuscule. The color and form of the blooms remind me of orchids.  I don't know why this year I have suddenly noticed all these miniature wildflowers.  Are they just showing up because of all the rain we have had?  Am I more observant this year?  Or maybe because the area where I walk my dogs has not been mowed yet this spring as it usually has been in past years.

Wildflower 4

Nikon D700, 60mm macro lens at f11 and 1/500th, ISO 1600, -.5 exposure compensation