Category: Spring

Native

Red Pine on the level

MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Red Pine is a tree native to North America, yet it is called “Norway Pine” in Minnesota. Famously settled by Norsemen, the misnomer may originate with a sense of homesickness in these first settlers. The tall and straight trunks grace the trails of Treman Park, one trail is eponymous.

Click any photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.
  • Perfect weather

I break away from household chores on a week day for exercise, arriving am impressed by the COVID-19 mitigation.

  • Six Foot Separation begins with parking

The new one-way trail rules, posted on the Rim Trail sign, means my planned route must change. Today’s COVID-19 strategy is to use the Red Pine trail, a very steep climb, a pine woods ramble, ending with descent to the Gorge Trail suitable for a mountain goat. The rules mean I cannot turn right on the Gorge Trail to form a loop. Instead commitment to the Gorge Trails means a 4 mile loop to the bottom of the park, returning on the Rim Trail. I decide to climb to the top and return.

I take an interesting detour on the way, visiting an archaeological site, fields of strongly scented wild roses, lush ferns.

  • Wild Rose fragrance filled the air
  • Wild Rose
  • Fern Bank at the Foot of Red Pine Trail

All these photographs and video are from an IPhone 7, sent to my laptop via ICloud.

I cross a nameless stream to the trail head, follow this stream uphill to where it cuts into the slope where the trail turns sharply and climbs into the pines.

  • Red Pine Trail Head
  • Towering Red Pine
  • A brief life, useful in death

Click me for better experience viewing the following video. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page. Note the replay icon (an arrow circling counter-clockwise.

Here is the experience from the ridge top. The sound of water is Enfield Creek rushing along the cliff face.

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Brave Leap

First to Leave

MichaelStephenWills8 Comments

In the first video, the largest and strongest Robin chick, the first to fledge, is not quite ready. Maybe I am anthropomorphizing, this individual appears to exhibit the same emotions I feel when approaching a new physical experience, say learning to flip turn, swimming laps in later life. Listen carefully to hear the chick playing the carriage light crown like a bell.

Click me for better experience viewing the following video. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page. Note the replay icon (an arrow circling counter-clockwise.

Here the first chick to fledge screws up the courage, takes a shit, then leaps!! Bon Voyage!!

Click me for a better experience viewing the following video. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page. Note the replay icon (an arrow circling counter-clockwise.

I have a lot to learn about making video with this new camera. Color balance is improved in the second video.

Today, the morning after, this nest is not empty. I found the third chick standing, well grown, enjoying the benefits of parental attention. The nest was empty by afternoon, the territorial Robin parents were still terrorizing Blue Jays.

Special thanks to Pam for the heads up on the chicks and for ceding her prime kitchen window spot.

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

A Tight Fit

MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

We watched the parents build this nest in stages from May to June, at times progress was so slow Pam and I thought the nest abandoned. It is a perfect location for them, safe from predators, sheltered by soffit, above, wall, behind. In front, carriage light crown.

Today the two of three chicks flew the nest. Here they are in the minutes before this big event.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Here is my first video with the Canon dslr.

Click me for a better experience viewing the following videos. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Late May, South Rim Trail

Dangerous Practices

MichaelStephenWills4 Comments

Today, I have a companion post to “A Summer Flower and Waterfalls” from a time of Coronavirus (COVID-19) from a walk cut short by inconsiderate people not following New York laws.

All photographs and videos are from an Apple IPhone 7.

Here is a long and close shot of Columbine Flowers thriving on the edge of a gorge cliff.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

With a video of the movement of this wildflower against a backdrop of flowing water over a 100 feet below.

Click for better experience viewing the following videos. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

A scan of the upper gorge with some marvelous clouds.

Continuing onto the forest trail I spotted this Jack-In-The-Pulpit. Here is a photograph and short video.

My walk this day was cut short by joggers, unmasked, on the narrow trail. For each I stepped off to put 6 feet between us. So inconsiderate and unnecessary, selfish.

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Wave Sequence

Wave Motion

MichaelStephenWills1 Comment

Consider these photographs of waves interacting with the basalt columns of Giant’s Causeway at low time to be a sequel to “Kelp” “Tide”. “Movement,” and “Movement Redux.”

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Point of View

concave vs. convex

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Canon’s 24 mm “L” lens saw first light on this tour, was indispensable towards the end of our round of the island. Here the camera is mounted on a Manfrotto studio tripod with a hydrostatic ball head. A 0.6 neutral density graduated filter brought out the sky details though I could not catch the foreground polygons without darkening the far basalt columns.

My position is close to the photographs of all the posts since “Basalt Columns.” Here are two photograph of the pavement effect, walking across column tops. Notice the concave facings, identified by dried seawater pools (white circles), the boss of convex surfaces.

I released the tripod “panning” control, searching for the best aspect.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.


Use this gallery to flip back and forth.

Click Me for my Shutterstock Gallery

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Movement Redux

Which predominates in this series: movement or rest?

MichaelStephenWills15 Comments

Full series of kelp in the waves. In these images I heightened the contrast of yellow-brown algae strands against dark water.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Click Me for my Shutterstock Gallery

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Movement

to and fro

MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Photographers can spend years on the Ireland north coast understanding the play of light on water.

Our springtime evening, a few short hours, are here in this series. Today, a series of two photographs of kelp at low tide, moving with the waves. I see the possibility of a long exposure capturing the movement in one shot.

In which direction is the water/wave surge?

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Click Me for my Shutterstock Gallery

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Tide

Low Tide in a Long Spring Evening

MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

Arriving at low tide, long exposure shots of surf on the pavement was not to be. Here is a rising slope of Giant’s Causeway polygonal columns, dark color marking the usual tidal high point. Above is a measuring stick.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Behind where I stood for the above photo is a channel, perennially flooded at low tide evidenced by the thick growth of brown algae swaying back and forth with the waves.

Click Me for my Shutterstock Gallery

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Kelp

Low Tide in a Long Spring Evening

MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

Our Giant’s Causeway visit was during a long spring evening, low tide. The long strands of a kelp forest curling.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Click Me for my Shutterstock Gallery

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills