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Posts tagged ‘photography’

Winter Exhibit

Love the George Carlin quote ‘ Always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away”. Here are four such moments and images that have recently been accepted for the “Winter Exhibit” at the Jefferson Hospital Gallery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

“A Cold Water Stroll” was taken on one of my snow coach expeditions in Yellowstone National Park. There is a reason this elk is strolling along this stream. Not only is it easier than moving through deep snow, but more importantly is the exposed vegetation along the banks to graze upon. The antlers of a bull elk can reach four feet above its head. Elks retain their antlers through the winter, but the antlers are shed in the spring. They begin to grow new antlers soon after in preparation for the late summer breeding season.

‘A Cold Water Stroll’© Larry A Lyons

‘Otter Family’ was captured at a specific location in Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park where the otters tend to show-up and entertain us. The many dozens of times that I passed this specific location, the otters were present on only a couple of times. Photography is often about being at the right place at the right time.

This otter family consisting of two adults and a juvenile was mesmerizing to watch. Their thick fur protects them against icy waters. Their webbed feet and powerful tails help to navigate through the water. Otters close their eyes and nostrils underwater and use their whiskers to search for prey. They would dive down for two or three minutes and surface with a fish in their mouth.

‘Otter Family’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Dueling Big Horn Sheep’ was also taken in Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. These big horn rams decided to express some dominance by dueling on the edge of this cliff. However, there were no females around to impress. Guess these rams were just practicing for the Spring rut season.

‘Dueling Big Horn Sheep’ © Larry A Lyons

The fourth image that was accepted into the “Winter Exhibit” was my ‘Snowy Owl’ image. It is an image that has been presented at several other exhibitions and has received awards. This image was captured at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. Snowy owls from Canada have been coming much farther south along the coast of New Jersey and have been spotted at times at the Forsythe Reserve. The number of owls spotted varies from year to year, but they have been coming south in search of food in the winter. Here this owl is posing and displaying a foot that is extensively insulated with feathers. This insulation explains how this owl is able to stand in snow for hours.

‘Checking You Out’ © Larry A. Lyons

To see more winter images please go to my favorite place to be come winter – Yellowstone National Park. It really is North America’s Serengeti. It really is a magical place to photograph wildlife particularly in the winter, including moose, elk, coyotes, foxes, wolves, big horn sheep, otters, bison, and a variety of birds. To view more of the beauty of Yellowstone in the Winter, go to my gallery at ‘Winter Yellowstone’.

There are still openings in a photography workshop, entitled “Winter in Yellowstone” scheduled for February 1 to 8, 2020. The workshop is geared for photographers of all levels. Go to ‘Winter In Yellowstone Photography Workshop” for details.

Bald Eagle Photography at Conowingo Dam

Conowingo Dam is a hydroelectric dam situated on the Susquehanna River in Maryland just five miles south of the Pennsylvania border. It is an area where bald eagles tend to congregate particularly in November to about mid-December. It just so happens…… where bald eagles congregate so do photographers with their long lenses. On any given day during this period you will probably find a hundred or more photographers and they come from all over. When I was there last week coming from New Jersey, we parked next to a van with three gentlemen from Toronto, Canada and I set-up my tripod between a lady that just flew in from Dallas, Texas and a gentleman from Maryland of all places.

The dam has 11 turbine units – four high capacity units and seven low capacity units. The more units that are operating in a given day, the more fish that pass through the turbines. The more fish often equates to a greater activity of bald eagles swooping down to collect a meal. There is a Conowingo Generation hotline (888-457-4076) that will inform you how many turbines will be operating the next day on the evening before.

Photographing bald eagles particularly when they are zooming down to capture a fish is challenging. First of all, you need to have all of your camera setting set for the best exposure and you will need to be able track the rapid action through your viewfinder. This is not easy to do. You will also need to be aware of constantly changing lighting conditions. Let me show you what I mean. The next 10 images were captured sequentially over a period of THREE seconds. All images were captured using a Canon IDX and a 600 mm lens with 1.4 teleconverter (total of 840 mm). The camera was set at a shutter speed of 1/4000^th of a second, f-stop of 5.6 and ISO of 1600. The camera was set on spot metering and rapid fire.

Start time was 8:03:34 AM for Image #1:

Image #1:

‘Image #1: The Grab’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #2:

‘Image #2: Crappie Secured’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #3:

‘Image #3: Liftoff’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #4:

‘Image #4: Revving Up’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #5:

‘Image #5: The Glide’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #6:

‘Image # 6: More Power’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #7:

‘Image #7: More Lift’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #8:

‘Image #8: Increase Lift’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #9:

‘Image #9: Banking Left’ © Larry A Lyons

Image #10:

‘Image #10: Heading Home’ © Larry A Lyons

End Time was 8:03:37 AM for Image 10. If this photo sequence was captured in video, you would miss out on all those maneuvers over a period of only THREE seconds.

It is just remarkable to process what happened in just three seconds. This bald eagle swooned down from high above at lightning speed and dipped its talons just below the water surface to snag its target. Razor-sharp talons penetrated the crappie preventing any chance of escape. In the next fraction of a second, the eagle begins lift off with this three-pound walleye. Average weight of bald eagles is 9 to 12 pounds and so it is lifting perhaps thirty percent of its own weight. Then, you witness the sheer power and determination with that wingspan to maneuver itself away from the surface of the water and head home. Talk about skills! We should be in awe!

The image that I like the most is image #9 (Banking Left). What I like about this image is the way the eagle is maneuvering; the length of the wingspan; the visibility of its very lethal talons; how one of the talons is firmly holding onto the crappie; the eye of the crappie is visible; and the backlighting of the tail. Is it a perfect image? No, but what do you want from three seconds. I am just a photographer not a bald eagle.

Image #10, as well as Image #5, provide good examples how changing light conditions can so quickly change and reduce the quality of an image. The detail of the crappie is washed out in Image #5 probably because of the way the fish was turned and some of the details of the white head are lost in Image #10 once it starts flying downstream directly into the sun.

This particular bald eagle with the head and tail not entirely white is just completing its development to maturity. The immature stage of the bald eagle lasts for a period of four to five years. The plumage of the immature bald eagle, as shown below, is dark brown including its head and tail. It sometimes is mistaken as a golden eagle.

Image: Immature Bald Eagle

‘Immature Bald Eagle’ © Larry A Lyons

The immature eagle is not nearly as dramatic or regal as the mature eagle with its white head and tail except perhaps when it is looking right at you claiming its catch.

Please visit my website at www.EnviroQuestPhotography.com to see more galleries.

A Melange of Feathered Friends

This is the final post of a three part series of a Florida field trip that this photographer co-coordinated for the South Jersey Camera Club members for the purpose of photographing birds and their behavior. The field trip was conducted over a five-day period in the beginning of March. The first post entitled, ‘Spring Has Sprung: Busy, Busy Birds’, visited the Venice Rookery with an amazing diversity of birds courting, mating and raising offspring. The second post entitled, ‘Spring Has Sprung: Birds of Prey’, traveled to various locations in southwest Florida to photograph birds of prey nesting and caring for their offspring. This post provides a melange of birds captured when visiting the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

The Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge consists of 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes, and hardwood hammocks located on Sanibel Island. This refuge provides an important habitat to over 220 species of birds.

Here is just a sampling of birds photographed at Ding Darling starting with the ‘Reddish Egret’. The ‘Reddish Egret’ is considered the least common heron in Florida. The population of this heron was almost eradicated due to plume hunting during the 19^th century. The species has never fully recovered with the current population in the United States of only about 2,000 pairs primarily residing in southern Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico, and Texas.

‘Reddish Egret- Breakfast Time’ © Larry A Lyons

The feeding behavior of the ‘Reddish Egret’ is captivating to watch. It leaps sideways and quickly changes directions in shallow waters searching for small schools of fish to feed upon.

‘Reddish Egret- Down the Hatch’ © Larry A Lyons

White Pelicans only spend part of their year in Florida. They migrate to their wintering grounds to coastal areas of Florida, Gulf of Mexico and southern California. In March and April they migrate to inland lakes in flocks to their breeding grounds as far north as Utah, Idaho, Minnesota and Canada.

‘Pelican Gathering’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘White Pelican’ is considered one of the largest birds in the United States with a 9-foot (2.7 meter) wingspan.

‘Landing Gear Down’ © Larry A Lyons

This pelican was rigorously fluffing its wings and having a bath.

‘Bath Time’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Blue-winged Teal’ are long distance migrants with their territory throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and northern South America. The can be found wintering in Florida and will migrate northward in the spring to breeding grounds.

‘Blue-Winged Teal’ © Larry A Lyons

This ‘Tricolored Heron’ is standing absolutely still, not necessarily to get photographed, but waiting for prey to approach it. Its’ prey consist of small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. It is a remarkably slender bird with long beak, neck and legs.

‘Tricolored Heron’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘Tricolored Heron’ is common along the coastal habitats of the Southeastern United States.

The ‘White Ibis’ is a wading bird residing in the deep South. It is one of the most numerous wading birds in Florida although the population has been declining in recent decades due to the loss of feeding and nesting habitats.

‘White Ibis’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘Little Blue Heron’ is another bird that resides mostly in the deep southern United States and Mexico. It looks much like a Snowy Egret when it is young, but molts to the dark slate-blue plumage as an adult.

‘Little Blue Heron’ © Larry A Lyons

This ‘Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron’ was stalking prey along the bank. These birds are often active at night. It is interesting that this species shows up several times in fossil records with the earliest fossil record being 2 to 2.5 million years old from Sarasota, Florida.

‘Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘Wood Stork’ is considered one of Florida’s ‘signature’ wading birds. It is classified as ‘threatened’ by the State of Florida and federal government due to the destruction and degradation of the wetlands.

‘Wood Stork’ © Larry A Lyons

This alligator is a resident of the Ding Darling Refuge. Here this gator was basking in the sun to control its body heat. Adult gators enjoy a diet of fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds.

‘Alligator With It’s U-Shaped Snout’ © Larry A Lyons

Perhaps we should let this gator know which birds are protected. And perhaps this gator provides some protection benefits for the birds from predatory mammals.

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The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a very tranquil sanctuary with an extensive boardwalk to transverse though this wetland. It is not to be missed. This sanctuary is part of the Western Everglades in Southwest Florida. It consists of approximately 13,000 acres and is primarily composed of wetlands and includes the largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest in the world. The National Audubon Society has been ultimately responsible for acquiring, protecting and maintaining this sanctuary.

Not only is the sanctuary important for a variety of endangered or federal or state listed birds including the Wood Storks, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Tricolored Heron, but also for protecting a variety of other species including the Florida panther, American Alligator, and Florida Black Bear. Several rare plants are also found at this sanctuary including the Ghost Orchid.

Crocodiles also inhabit this sanctuary. The primary physical difference between crocodiles and alligators is the shape of their snout. Crocodiles have long and pointed, V-shaped snouts and alligators have rounded, U-shaped snouts.

‘Crocodile With It’s V-Shaped Snout’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Anhinguas’ primary habitats are cypress swamps, rivers and wooded ponds. This pair of ‘Anhingua’ was attending to their nest.

‘Anhinguas’ © Larry A Lyons

There were a number of songbirds to view including some very common ones. The lighting on these birds is a photographer’s dream.

‘Cardinal’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Gray Catbird’ © Larry A Lyons

Then there was the exquisite ‘Painted Bunting’ in full display. The ‘Painted Bunting’ breeds in the coastal Southeast and south-central United States.

‘Painted Bunting’ © Larry A Lyons

Florida is a very seductive place to visit for a number of reasons and that would include another seductive sunset at a beach in Naples. So, here we are being seduced again, as the brown pelicans roost for the evening.

‘Another Seductive Sunset’ © Larry A Lyons

Spring Has Sprung: Birds of Prey

This is the second post of a three part series of a Florida field trip that this photographer co-coordinated for the South Jersey Camera Club members for the purpose of photographing birds and their behavior. The field trip was conducted over a five-day period in the beginning of March. The first post entitled, ‘Spring Has Sprung: Busy, Busy Birds’, visited the Venice Rookery with an amazing diversity of birds courting, mating and raising offspring. This post travels to various locations in southwest Florida to photograph birds of prey nesting and caring for their offspring.

‘Bald Eagle’ © Larry A Lyons

The Bald Eagle is another success story on the importance of banning harmful chemicals, such as the pesticide known as DDT; enacting laws such as the federal ‘Endangered Species Act’; and providing appropriate measures of wildlife management. In Florida there were only 88 active nests in 1973. Now there are more than 1,300 nests documented as a result of all of these initiatives.

One of these nests is situated high up in a tree in the northern section of Fort Meyers, Florida. Adult ‘Bald Eagles’, known as Ozzie and Harriet, have been coming to this nest since 2006 residing in the nest between the months of October and May. This eaglet was stretching its wings waiting its turn to be fed.

‘Can I Fly Yet?’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Feeding The Eaglets’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Burrowing Owls’, no bigger than 10 inches (25 cm) in height, live underground in burrows. They dig out tunnels in sandy soils often within residential communities, particularly vacant lots preferring areas with low ground cover. Burrows extend for 4 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 m) underground. This pair of owls was guarding its burrow.

‘No Trespassing’ © Larry A Lyons

The Florida burrowing owl is classified as a “species of special concern”. This means burrows, owls, and their eggs are protected from harassment and/or disturbance by state law.

‘Burrowing Owl On Watch’ © Larry A Lyons

The installation of T-perches near the owl burrows is often provided. These perches provide the owls with an elevated view that aids in looking out for predators. The T-perches also make the burrows visible for operators of lawn mowers.

‘Watching Over Burrow’ © Larry A Lyons

Unlike other owls, Burrowing Owls are active during the day. They have a diversified diet feeding on small mammals (moles and mice), insects, birds, amphibians and reptiles.

‘On The Prowl’ © Larry A Lyons

This wise old ‘Great Horned Owl’ was watching over an owlet living in this tree. Two nests of these owls were observed within a suburban community of Cape Coral that was no more than two blocks apart. It is one of the most common owls in North America. They live in a broad range of habitats from deserts, forests, tropical rainforests, cities, parks and suburbs. Like the burrowing owl, it has found a way of adapting to suburban sprawl.

‘The Wise One’ © Larry A Lyons

Great Horned Owls take life-long mates and will raise the young together. It does have a varied diet that can include small to medium sized mammals (foxes, rabbits, raccoons, rodents, etc.), amphibians, birds, fish and reptiles. This owlet is only a few weeks old and still covered with downy feathers.

‘Owlet’ © Larry A Lyons

The osprey has become the symbol of how nature can recover from environmental atrocities. Osprey populations were decimated from the 1950’s to the 1970’s because of the widespread use of an insecticide, known as DDT. Once DDT was finally banned in 1972, recovery of the osprey population began. A previous post entitled, ‘The Osprey Comeback’, provides more information about the how DDT caused the extermination of the osprey populations. The biology and reproduction cycle of the osprey is also provided in this previous post.

‘Osprey Portrait’ © Larry A Lyons

The ospreys were quite active in building their nest. This nest was situated on an osprey platform in the Ding Darling Refuge in Sanibel Island and nesting begins as early as March. The male ‘Osprey’ brought the remainder of a fish to the female who was attending to constructing the nest. Ospreys mate for life and often return to the same nest year after year.

‘Room Service’ © Larry A Lyons

Stay tuned for the final post of this series that will visit birds and other wildlife at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

The Foxes of Island Beach State Park

Island Beach State Park is one of the last significant remnants of a barrier island ecosystem that once existed along most of the New Jersey coastline. In fact, it is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches along the north Atlantic coast.

Island Beach State Park is about 3,000 acres along a 10-mile stretch of coastal dunes. It is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. This barrier island ecosystem consists of primary dunes, beaches, dense thickets of brush and trees, freshwater wetlands, maritime forest and tidal marshes. There are over 400 plant species. This ecosystem is utilized by a wide diversity of birds including ospreys, peregrine falcons, wading birds, shore birds and songbirds. Island Beach State Park is also the home of a red fox population.

‘Red Fox On Snow-Covered Dunes’ © Larry A Lyons

The red fox population at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey appears quite healthy and prosperous. This past winter of 2015 appears to have a particularly high population of foxes present. In one drive through at least 8 to 10 foxes were observed over a period of four hours. Since Barnegat Bay has been frozen for several weeks this winter, some migration of the foxes is suspected to the park via the frozen bay.

‘On The Run’ © Larry A Lyons

Foxes are generally nocturnal and like to hunt at night. However, if they live in a place where they do feel safe, like Island Beach State Park, they may also hunt in the daytime. One fox was observed running across the road with a bird in its mouth. It quickly disappeared into the thickets to either stash its catch or eat it.

‘Do Not Feed Me’ © Larry A Lyons

It is obvious that the foxes of Island Beach are somewhat unafraid of humans since they will approach you waiting to see if you will feed them. However, it is strictly forbidden to feed them. There is plenty of natural food in the park for their needs. Feeding them is detrimental to them. One fox was observed walking around with a broken leg. This injury could have resulted by being struck from a vehicle.

‘On The Prowl’ © Larry A Lyons

Red foxes are successful animals in the wild. They live throughout the continental United States and also in Europe, Asia and North Africa. They can be found in a variety of habitats including forest areas, grasslands, deserts, mountains, and coastal areas.

Living in the wild is a harsh life. The life span of a red fox is three to five years in the wild as opposed to red foxes that live in captivity can live up to 10 to 12 years.

‘Oh So Pretty’ © Larry A Lyons

Red foxes are the size of a medium sized dog. They are naturally lean, but do not appear that way when seen in the winter with their rather bulky coat.

Foxes have excellent hearing and can hear low frequency sounds and rodents digging underground.

‘Red Fox Profile’ © Larry A Lyons

Red foxes also have great eyesight. They have vertically-split pupils like a cat that would be advantageous when hunting at night.

‘Red Fox Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

Foxes being omnivores have a very diverse diet of animals and plant material. Plant material would include fruits, berries, acorns, grasses, sedges and tubers. Their animal diet consists of small mammals (mice, rabbits, voles), insects and grubs, birds, and if they live near the ocean they will also consume mollusks, crabs and fish.

Although foxes typically hunt or forage alone, they are social animals that live in packs. Packs can consist of older siblings, pups, nannies (non breeding females) and mates.

‘Winter Courting’ © Larry A Lyons

Their breeding season is in the winter when they will court and mate. The female fox is referred to as a ‘vixen’ and the male as a ‘dog’. The dog fox will support the vixen by bringing food to the family in early spring. A vixen can produce a litter of 2 to 12 pups. Both parents care for their young through the summer after which they are out on their own.

‘The Dog and The Vixen’ © Larry A Lyons

Vixens can also be assisted in rearing the cubs by non-breeding females or a female cub from a previous litter.

Fighting and posturing of red foxes can either be the result of aggressive and dominant behavior or by fearful or submissive behavior. When male foxes are courting females, the male will turn its’ ears outwardly and raise it’s tail in a horizontal position.

‘Dominance’ © Larry A Lyons

When a fox is afraid or expressing submission to a dominant animal, foxes will arch their backs while crouching their legs and curving their bodies. Their ears are pointed backwards and their tails are lashing back and forth.

‘Submission’ © Larry A Lyons

Playful individuals will perk their ears and rise on their hind legs.

‘Playing’ © Larry A Lyons

‘The Chase’ © Larry A Lyons

When red foxes move into an assertive attack, the foxes approach each other directly instead of sideways. They will stand on each other’s upper bodies with their forelegs using open-mouthed threats.

‘Squabble’ © Larry A Lyons

These fights typically occur among juveniles or adults of the same sex. These fights tend to be very short-lived.

‘Foxy Vixens’ © Larry A Lyons

It is no wonder why the red fox has a reputation of being cunning and smart. They are quite resourceful with their ability to find food and appropriate habitats, like Island Beach State Park, to achieve their livelihood. They have a social structure that is not only interesting to observe but is quite successful.

The preservation and management of habitats, particularly unique ecosystems like Island Beach State Park, is a treasure that must be protected, respected, and cherished.

Resources:

http://www.islandbeachnj.org/index.html

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html

February 2015 Exhibition Announcements

Two exhibit announcements to be made for the month of February 2015.

Three images were accepted into the 2015 Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography. This is an annual exhibition that is a juried competition from entrants from all over the world.

For the “Photojournalism Projected” competition a total of 632 images were received and a total of 155 images were accepted. Two of my images, entitled “Wedding Caravan” and “Innocence”, were accepted for the “Photojournalism Projected” competition.

‘Wedding Caravan’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Innocence’ © Larry A Lyons

For the “Color Projected” competition a total of 1,257 images were received and a total 296 images were accepted. My image, entitled “Vigilant”, was accepted.

‘Vigilant’ © Larry a Lyons

The projected images can be viewed on February 22nd and March 1^st from 12 noon to 5 pm at Arshst Hall, University of Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware.

In addition, three ‘printed’ images were accepted at the Medford Arts Gallery in Medford, NJ. A juried exhibition of all prints can be viewed at the gallery during the month of February. One of the prints, entitled “Out of Africa”, was a metal print that received an “Honorable Mention” award.

‘Out of Africa’ © Larry A Lyons

The other two images (Innocence and Vigilant) are displayed as fine art prints.

That is enough of the bragging.

Grand Teton National Park – The Landscape

The Grand Teton National Park, 310,000 acres in size, is located just 10 miles south of Yellowstone within the State of Wyoming. It encompasses the Teton mountain range, glacial lakes, the 15-mile long Jackson Lake, the upper stem of the Snake River and part of the Jackson Hole Valley.

‘Grand Teton National Park Map’

This is the second part of the National Park series following a post on “Yellowstone- The Landscape”. It really is astonishing to travel only 10 miles (16 km) south from the geothermal landscapes of Yellowstone to the majestic, and more serene, landscapes of the Tetons.

‘The Tetons’ © Larry A Lyons

The Teton mountain range is a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains that extends for 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from British Columbia to New Mexico. It is the youngest mountain range within the Rocky Mountains that began forming between 6 and 9 million years ago.

Mount Grand Teton is the tallest mountain within the Teton mountain range with an elevation of 13,775 ft. (4,200 m). Here Mt. Grand Teton stands 7,000 ft. (2,100 m) above a Moulton homestead within Jackson Hole Valley.

‘Mt. Grand Teton Overlooking Jackson Hole Valley’ © Larry A Lyons

The beauty of the Tetons is never far from your view while visiting this national park. You just have to face west. In addition to Mount Grand Teton, there are another nine mountain peaks at elevations over 12,000 ft. (3,700 m).

‘Teton Mountain Range’ © Larry A Lyons

Mount Moran, named after Thomas Moran, a frontier landscape artist, stands at 12,605 ft. (3,840 m). Mount Moran rises 6,000 ft. (1,800 m) above the Snake River at an area called Oxbow Bend.

‘Mt. Moran At Oxbow Bend’ © Larry A Lyons

Here Mount Moran is reflecting in Jackson Lake.

‘Mt. Morans’ Reflection’ © Larry A Lyons

The major peaks of the Teton mountain range were carved out into their current shapes by glaciers that have vanished long ago. Small glaciers that continue to recede still exist at the highest peaks.

‘Mt. Moran’s Peak’ © Larry A Lyons

The peaks with their light blue glaciers and bare granite are often viewed through the clouds.

‘In The Clouds’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Bare Granite Peaks and Glaciers’ © Larry A Lyons

Jackson Hole Valley within the national park is 55 miles (89 km) long and 6 to 13 miles (10 to 21 km) wide. It is a fairly flat terrain at an average elevation of 6,800 ft. (2,100 m). The Snake River starts out as a small river flowing west and south into Jackson Lake. The first 50 miles (80 km) of Snake River runs through Jackson Hole Valley.

In the early 1800’s mountain men came to Jackson Hole Valley to trap for beaver and hunt for other fur bearing animals. Fur trading businesses thrived until about 1840 when businesses folded as a result of the decline of beaver populations from over-trapping. Today, beavers are back in business and building rather extensive dams.

Weather conditions can really change how your images will be portrayed. The overcast days and extensive cloud cover when photographing within the park this past autumn really provided for some dramatic images. Here only the foothills of the Tetons were visible because of the extensive cloud cover when photographing the large beaver dam.

‘Beaver Dam On Snake River’ © Larry A Lyons

Jackson Hole Valley is also the home of the National Elk Refuge with the largest elk herd on earth.

‘Elk Grazing’ © Larry A Lyons

And Bison also roam free in the valley. Here the bison were moving in one direction, whispery faint clouds passing in the opposite direction in front of the Tetons, and the sun was beginning to set that lit-up the peaks and clouds.

‘Bison On The Move’ © Larry A Lyons

Like Yellowstone, the Grand Teton National Park supports a wide diversity of wildlife. An upcoming post will provide a glimpse into the wildlife that utilize and reside in the ‘Greater Yellowstone’ ecosystem encompassing both the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

‘Western Ho’ © Larry A Lyons

All of the images in this post were captured in the autumn when the aspen trees brighten up the landscape with their quivering, yellow foliage. Autumn is a particularly good time to visit this national park.

‘Aspens Accenting The Landscape’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Autumn Colors of a Meadow’ © Larry A Lyons

The green tint of the bark of aspen trees is created by chlorophyll that allows photosynthesis, providing energy from the sun for their growth. This allows aspen trees to flourish during their short growing season.

‘Stand of Aspens’ © Larry A Lyons

Homesteads settled by few frontiersmen in Jackson Hole Valley during the 1890’s and early 1900’s have been historically preserved.

One particular homestead, known as the “Shane Cabins”, was actually used as props for a 1953 movie starring Alan Ladd in the movie entitled “Shane”. It is an American West movie about homesteaders. A clip of this movie with the Grand Tetons as the setting can be found at Shane.

‘Shane Cabins and Homestead’ © Larry A Lyons

Historically this homestead was the “Luther Taylor Homestead” that was built in 1916; however, for the most part it is referred to as the “Shane” cabins.

‘Teton Sunset’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Shane’ © Larry A Lyons

While photographing these nighttime images, the howling of coyotes in the distance added to the lore of the Shane cabins.

‘Big Dipper Over Shane Cabin’ © Larry A Lyons

There is also a complex of homesteads within Jackson Hole Valley referred to as ‘Mormon Row’. Mormon homesteaders began to arrive in the 1890’s. These homesteaders clustered their farms to share labor and community. Despite the arid and long winter conditions of the Jackson Hole Valley, these settlers grew crops by using irrigation. They dug out levees, dikes and ditches to funnel water to their fields. Today the barns of two settlers – John and Thomas Moulton- remain as historic testament to these hardy homesteaders.

‘Thomas Moulton Homestead’ © Larry A Lyons

‘John Moulton Barn’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Glacier Framed by Corral Fence’ © Larry A Lyons

Bid adieu to the Tetons for now. As majestic and grand as the Tetons stand here on planet Earth, you can only ponder when glazing into the Milky Way and its millions of stars the infinite wonders of this universe.

‘Infinite Wonders’ © Larry A Lyons

Stay tuned for upcoming posts. One upcoming post will provide a glimpse of the wildlife utilizing both the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Another post provide a glimpse of Mammoth Springs, which consists of extensive limestone formations generated by the hot springs in Yellowstone. In addition, a ‘glimpse’ into other National Parks, including the Badlands, the Redwood Forests, Yosemite, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon, will be forthcoming.

Yellowstone – The Landscape

An upcoming series of posts will be providing a “glimpse” of the National Parks in the United States including Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Badlands, Redwood Forests, Yosemite, Death Valley, Grand Canyon and others. This series is intended to provide a glimpse into the uniqueness of each national park encompassing the beauty of its topography, its geological make-up, and the distinct ecosystems supporting a diversity of wildlife and plant species.

This National Park series will begin with Yellowstone National Park, which is the first U.S. National Park established in 1872.

Yellowstone is situated in the northwest corner of Wyoming and includes small areas of Montana and Idaho. It encompasses 2.2 million acres (or 3,400 square miles). It is an area larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.

‘Map of Yellowstone’

Yellowstone is one giant volcano resting on top of one of the largest magna chambers in the world. The last major eruption was 600,000 years ago. From 1,000 to 3,000 earthquakes occur each year at Yellowstone, but most are too small to be felt.

Geysers and Steam Vents Galore’ © Larry A Lyons

Yellowstone is home to more than 10,000 geothermal features encompassing geysers, hot springs, steam vents and baths, and percolating mud baths. All of these geothermal features are fueled by heat just a few miles underground.

Sixty percent of the world’s geysers are situated in Yellowstone with over 200 active geysers. Geysers are hot springs that are constricted at the surface that periodically erupt into a fountain of boiling water and steam.

The ‘Old Faithful’ geyser is probably the most famous geyser in the world, not because it is the tallest geyser, but rather it is one of the more predictable geysers. ‘Old Faithful’ erupts several times each day and its eruption is predictable within 30 minutes prior to erupting. Eruptions may occur as frequently as every 60 to 90 minutes. Each eruption blasts 3,400 to 8,400 gallons (14,000 liters to 32,000 liters) of boiling water to a height of 120 feet (36 meters).

‘Old Faithful’ © Larry A Lyons

The reason “Old Faithful” is quite the predictable geyser is because it does not share its underground plumbing system with other geysers. Most of the water from geysers first arrives from rain or snow melt. The water seeps deep into the earth and begins a long recycling journey back up again. The journey can take 500 years or more before it is recycled and blasts into an eruption. In other words, the hot water erupting that this image captured was last seen during the time of Columbus.

‘Grand Geyser Erupting’ © Larry A Lyons

Grand geyser is consistently the tallest and perhaps the most spectacular of the predictable geysers. Grand geyser will erupt around every 8 to 12 hours and will blast to a height of 150 to 180 feet (46 to 55 meters).

‘Petrified Trees’ © Larry A Lyons

Petrified trees border the Grand geyser pool area. There are two types of geysers, that is, either cone-shaped like the Old Faithful geyser or fountain-type geyser. The “Grand” geyser erupts from a pool of water to produce a fountain-type geyser. After the eruption has ended, the water will be out of sight or sometimes a pool of water will be visible.

‘Castle Rock Venting Steam’ © Larry A Lyons

Castle geyser is considered a very old geyser that is 5,000 to 15,000 years that has a 12-foot (4-meter) cone. Castle geyser erupts at an interval between 9 to 11 hours. Bison are often seen grazing near the geysers.

‘Hot Spring’ © Larry A Lyons

Hot springs are the most common geothermal feature in which rising hot water is released as a runoff or as steam. Water temperatures can exceed 190 degrees F (90 degrees C). Unlike geysers with a pressurized plumbing system that erupts through a small constriction, hot springs have wide openings where super heated water is continuously circulating to the surface.

‘Colorful Microbial Mats’ © Larry A Lyons

Colorful microbial mats, composed of trillions of pigmented bacteria, live in and around the hot springs. The colors can range across a wide spectrum of colors.

‘Thermophiles’ © Larry A Lyons

The bright colors found in Yellowstone’s hydrothermal basins originate from thermophiles – microorganisms that thrive in hot temperatures and the mineral-rich water.

‘Close-up of Pigmented Microbial Mats’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Small Geysers Sprouting’ © Larry A Lyons

Large Hydrothermal basins, like the ‘Grand Prismatic Spring’, also reveals extensive microbial mats with the vivid colors that flourish throughout the basin.

‘Grand Prismatic Spring’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Sunset Over Grand Prismatic Spring’ © Larry A Lyons

In addition to all of the geothermal features that Yellowstone has to offer, there are many other spectacular vistas including snow covered mountains and a golden grand canyon.

‘Rocky Mountain Vista’ © Larry A Lyons

Here a couple of bison are resting in the grassy plateau while waterfowl wade in the pond. Yellowstone is home to 50 species of mammals and 300 species of birds. An upcoming post will provide a glimpse into the wildlife of Yellowstone.

The “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’ is situated in the middle of the park with Yellowstone River flowing through it. The canyon is 24 miles (38 km) long and 1,200 feet (365 meters) deep. Yellowstone River drops an astonishing 300 feet (91 meters) at the Lower Yellowstone Falls.

‘Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’ © Larry A Lyons

This golden canyon was formed from volcanic rock about 600,000 years ago. The golden color of the volcanic rock evolved from the iron in the rock that had become ozidized from steam and hot water.

‘Volcanic Rock Close-up’ © Larry A Lyons

Yellowstone River is recognized as the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the United States.

‘Upper Yellowstone Falls’ © Larry A Lyons

Forest fires are an important part of Yellowstone’s ecosystem and has become to be understood that fires are a natural regeneration process. Yellowstone, like other parks, have instituted a natural fire management plan that allows fires caused by lightning to burn out on their own. For instance in 2013 there were 15 fires. Of the 15, eleven of the fires were only 0.1 to 1.0 acres in size. The remaining four fires ranged in size from 189 acres to 7,200 acres for a total of 11, 933 acres. Five of the 2013 fires were attributed to human activity while the remaining ten fires were caused by lighting. In 2014, there were only five fires reported and each of those fires was only 0.1 acres in size.

‘Forest Regeneration’ © Larry A Lyons

Many of Yellowstone’s plant species are fire-adapted. For instance, lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta), which make up nearly 80% of the park’s extensive forests, have cones that are sealed by resin until the intense heat of fire cracks open and releases the seeds inside.

Pine and Aspen Saplings’ © Larry A Lyons

One lonely Aspen sapling along with the pine saplings are in the process of regenerating into a new forest. Fires may stimulate regeneration of aspen, sagebrush, and willows, but the interactions between these plants and fire is complicated by other influences such as grazing levels and climate.

The scenery of Yellowstone at night can be as grand as the daytime hours.

‘Night Eruption of Old Faithful’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Venting To The Stars’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Big Dipper and Yellowstone’ © Larry A Lyons

Here a full moon is shining through Old Faithful’s eruption.

Bid adieu to Yellowstone for now. What a magnificent treasure! Stay tuned for upcoming posts. Two more posts on Yellowstone will be forthcoming. One is a glimpse of Mammoth Springs, which consists of extensive limestone formations generated by the hot springs of Yellowstone, and the wildlife of Yellowstone. In addition, a ‘glimpse’ into other National Parks, including Grand Tetons, Badlands, Redwood Forests, Yosemite, Death Valley, and Grand Canyon, will be forthcoming.

Hidden Habitats! Who Knew?

Never underestimate what a nature park can offer and teach you. Take for example a nature park situated in New Jersey just across from the City of Philadelphia.

The Palmyra Cove Nature Park (www.palmyracove.org) is a 350 acre site located within a highly developed urban and commercial area in southern New Jersey. The park is bordered along the Delaware River just south of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.

Five field trips to the Palmyra Cove Nature Center during the spring of 2013 provided an opportunity to observe and photograph an amazing diversity of organisms and their behavior.

'Great Horned Owl and Fledging' © Larry A Lyons

Let’s begin with the Great Horned Owl. This owl is one of the largest owls in North America and one of the most ferocious birds of prey. Both sexes tend to look similar, but the female is 10 to 20 percent larger than the male.

'Female Great Horned Owl' © Larry A Lyons

Distinguishing features of the great horned owl are long ear tufts, intimidating stares with their yellow eyes, and densely feathered toes with dark horned claws. General coloration does vary between the owls.

A pair of Great Horned Owls selected a nesting site high up in the crotch of a cottonwood tree. Nesting begins as early as January or February and the female will typically lay two eggs. After hatching the nestlings are unable to fly for ten to twelve weeks, but the owlets will venture to nearby trees.

One of the owlets remained in the original nesting site while the other owlet had moved to a lower a branch.

Both owlets are being cared for by both parents and remain dependent for food until the fall.

Great horned owls are ferocious predators and will hunt and eat all sorts of small and medium sized mammals (mice, squirrels, opossums, bats, and skunk). It will also eat small and large birds, including Canada geese, herons, ducks, and turkey. Owl prey can also be raccoon.

It was amazing but only 20 feet away from the tree where the owlets were being raised were raccoons residing within a tree hollow.

Raccoons, like great horned owls, are nocturnal and tend to sleep during the daytime. This one was resting in a vertical position in the hollow of the tree.

Trekking around the ponds at Palmyra Cove Nature Park can provide some great opportunities to observe birdlife and some interesting and bizarre behaviors. One such encounter involved a courting encounter amongst blue-winged teals.

Blue-winged teals are known to be the last duck to migrate north in the spring throughout most of the United States. Once they arrive in their northern breeding areas, pairs of teals will settle in vegetated wetlands and ponds to begin the next generation.

'Pair of Blue-Winged Teals' © Larry A Lyons

Blue-winged teals are monogamous during the mating season and are known to have some exaggerated behavior when courting. One such encounter was when another male attempted to intrude upon this pair of teals.

The paired male quickly made it quite clear by grasping the beak of the intruder.

The intruder was able to pull its beak away from the grasp and then was aggressively chased away.

Blue-winged teal are so named because both sexes have some blue feathers on their forewings, but really cannot be seen until they are taking off or in flight. The male, on the other hand, is distinguished with slate gray head and neck and white crescent in front of the eyes.

Palmyra Cove Nature Center has a frog pond that is inhabited or utilized by several different amphibians. One unusual amphibian that only visits the pond once a year to breed is the Fowler’s Toad. The Fowler’s Toad is generally terrestrial and nocturnal except when this amphibian is in breeding mode. So, come spring to early summer, Fowlers’ Toads will venture out from the nearby woods to a wetland or shallow pond to breed. The male toad, measuring about two to three inches in size (5.1 to 7.5 cm.), will produce a call to attract the females.

The toads will proceed into what is referred to as amplexus, also known as the “Latin Embrace”. This embrace is a form of pseudocopulation where the male grasps the female with his front legs. The male then releases a fluid with sperm into the water and externally fertilizes the female eggs. The female lays eggs in clutches up to 25,000 eggs.

There were hundreds of toads in the pond participating in this breeding ritual on this particular day. However, on a return trip of the following week, there was not a single toad to be seen, but there must had been thousands of tadpoles (about one half inch in size) swimming in the pond. Metamorphosis from tadpole to young toad occurs within two months.

The frog pond is also shared with other amphibians, such as, the green frog. This green frog surely would have found the eggs and the tadpoles of the Fowler’s Toad a tasty meal. It is all part of nature.

Canada geese are so common that their increasing populations have become a nuisance at some locations. However, even though their presence is often taken for granted, their behaviors and their life history are quite interesting.

Canada geese do pair for life and will remain together over the entire year. In the spring, pairs of Canada geese will separate from their flocks and establish territories to start the next generation.

When a goose intrudes into a pairs’ territory, a lot of commotion will evolve in which the male will aggressively challenge the intruder by honking loudly, hissing with their beaks open wide and will even grab and collide between each other.

The female is responsible for building the nest and incubating the eggs while the male will be nearby guarding the nest. After the goslings hatch they will remain close to their parents.

Canada geese are herbivores and will feed on grasses, sedges, berries, etc. This gosling has learned quickly what is good to eat.

White-tailed deer is another common resident not only at the Palmyra Cove Nature Center, but also throughout the woodlands and suburbs particularly within northeastern United States. The deer are usually best seen in the early morning or at dusk when they are browsing along the edges of woodlands.

'Young White-Tailed Deer' © Larry A Lyons

Their winter or early spring coats are brownish grey but they will turn to reddish-brown in the summer. The female deer (doe) stands at about 3 feet at shoulder height and will weigh up to 100 pounds.

White-tailed deer are herbivores and will forage on a wide diversity of plants, including agricultural crops, at a rate of 2 to 7 lbs. per 100 lbs of body weight each day.

White-tailed deer populations do present significant concerns that have caused negative effects to the deforestation of woodlands. Deer-related collisions with vehicles have also been an increasing problem with the overpopulation of deer. Attempting to maintain or manage deer populations at densities that will not be detrimental has become more and more challenging.

No nature park is without mallards, the most common duck in the United States. The female mallard lays an average of nine eggs and is responsible for incubating the eggs and taking care of the ducklings.

'Female Mallard and Ducklings' © Larry A Lyons

To reiterate the take home message of this post: Don’t underestimate what a nature park can offer and teach you. Here was a nature park situated in a highly dense urban area that provided an incredible assortment of habitats. The combination of these habitats allowed for the propagation and sustainability of a diversity of wildlife from amphibians to owls, ducks, songbirds and geese to deer and raccoons.

Let’s get our children outdoors and away from their electronic devices. Let them find hidden habitats and enjoy the many wonders of nature. It is “our” next generation that will be responsible for continuing efforts to protect wildlife and maintain a commitment for preserving habitats.

Observe, enjoy, learn and, if you are so inclined, photograph them.

References:

http://www.palmyracove.org

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/

http://srelherp.uga.edu/anurans/buffow.htm

http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/fs1202/white-tailed-deer.asp

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/

The Osprey Comeback

Osprey populations were decimated from the 1950’s to the 1970’s resulting primarily from the widespread use of a persistent insecticide, known as DDT. There were regions in the United States where 90 percent or more of the breeding pairs disappeared. Over 500 osprey nests were present in New Jersey prior to the effects of DDT. By 1974 only 50 nests remained in New Jersey.

The osprey has become the symbol of how nature can recover from environmental atrocities. DDT was banned in New Jersey in 1968 and banned almost entirely in the United States by 1972. Recovery of the osprey populations began once these bans were implemented.

The mechanism of toxicity resulting from DDT to predatory birds, like the osprey, is quite complex that ultimately affects their reproductive success. DDT is a persistent organic pollutant that tends to concentrate as it moves through the food chain. Fish that could be contaminated with DDT from eating shrimp or crabs would further magnify the concentration of DDT in predatory birds, like the osprey. The accumulation of DDT and its metabolites in the osprey prevents calcium metabolism causing the thinning of the eggshells. As a result of the eggshell thinning, the osprey would crush the eggs when sitting on them during incubation.

The 1962 landmark book “Silent Spring” authored by Rachel Carson clearly expressed how important it is to maintain a vigilance on the use of chemicals and their fate in the environment. This book is often attributed to the environmental movement that was initiated in the 1960’s.

'Birds of Prey Socializing' © Larry A Lyons

All of the osprey images were photographed at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge located on the southern coastline of New Jersey. This refuge, situated just north of Atlantic City, NJ, encompasses 47,000 acres of coastal habitat and is an important sanctuary for a wide diversity of birds and other wildlife. A future post will present many other birds that utilize this refuge.

The osprey, also referred to as the fish hawk, has a diet that is almost entirely made-up of fish.

Ospreys have gripping pad on their feet that aids in plucking the slippery fish from the water with their long curved talons. The osprey will orient the fish head first to reduce wind direction when carrying the fish in flight. Here a flounder is being carried back to the nest.

The osprey stands between 21 to 23 inches (53 to 58 cm.) and has a wingspan of up to six feet (1.8 meters).

They do require suitable tall structures for building their nests. Platforms are often constructed to allow a suitable structure for nest building.

Osprey nests are built of sticks and lined with grasses or seaweed. The male usually fetches most of the nesting material and the female arranges it. At the Forsythe refuge there are at least eight to ten platforms for the ospreys to build their nests.

Males and females do appear similar in appearance, but there are some slight differences that can distinguish between the sexes. Males have a slimmer body and narrower wings. Also, the coloration of the breast band is either lighter or not present in the males.

Ospreys mate for life and return to the same nest year after year. They migrate back north in the Spring usually around the beginning of March.

The female typically lays three eggs and both parents help to incubate the eggs. Osprey eggs do not hatch all at once, but rather hatching is staggered in time so some siblings are older and more dominant. The pair works together to raise the young.

The young fledge at about eight weeks of age and then remain in the area of the nest for about two months.

Juvenile ospreys have buff fringes to the plumage of the upper parts, a buff tone to the underbody, and streaked feathers on its head. Juveniles also have orange pupils that turn yellow when they reach adulthood.

The adults and the juvenile ospreys will begin their southern migration by the end of August or beginning of September to their wintering grounds in Florida, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

'Are You Ready To Head South?'© Larry A Lyons

Ospreys are a conservation success story. Both the pesticide bans and the construction of artificial nest sites continue to allow for the comeback and growth of osprey populations.

Leave you with a quote by Rachel Carson: “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

References:

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/edwin_b_forsythe/

http://www.conservewildlefenj.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/osprey

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/osprey/id

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/osprey/

http://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/osprey.html