Category Archives: Photographs

Lion’s Mane in Alaska

This is one of my favorite photos from my most recent time in Alaska.

Lion’s Mane jelly

Yellow Brick Road

With a pathway like this, is there any doubt why I want to return to Tutka Bay, Alaska?

This is the Yellow Brick Road (kelp) found on May 25, 2013 during an extreme low tide. Click to embiggen.

Gorgeous Views of Alaska (but not what you might expect)

Yes, of course we saw amazing mountains and glaciers in Alaska. But some of the real treasures were found underwater in Tutka Bay. Take a look at some of these anemones, feather worms, sea stars, and other assorted beauties! These were all found under the dock of the lodge where we were staying. Although I also took some underwater photos, these were all taken above water, focusing through the cracks of the dock segments.

Click to embiggen the images.

Baby Robins 2013: Day 5

Day 5. Still mostly quiet and sleeping. Skin is darkening. Feathers visible under the skin.

Closeup #1 of those developing wings/feathers.

Closeup #2 of the wing/feather development.

Those downy tufts on the top of their heads makes them look like old men!

No, it’s not a buttonhole. It’s the eye slit widening. A few more days until they open.

All lined up, waiting for food.

Baby Robins 2013: Day 4

Day 4. More misty rain. Eye slits widening. Wing feathers noticeable under the skin. Tiny robin feet!

See if you can find the worm that the mother robin left in the nest for the babies to eat!

Baby Robins 2013: Day 3

Day 3 and another chilly, damp day for the baby robins. The mother stayed on the nest most of the day. I checked them in the morning (sleepy heads) and at dusk (sort of hungry, but mostly sleepy). This group seems to be developing slower than last year’s.

Baby Robins 2013: Day 1

We have baby robins again this year! Last year I documented the 12 days of their development from hatching to leaving the nest. You can look through the archive here (reverse order of date, so scroll down to see the earlier images).

Four robin eggs in nest. The nest is built in our honeysuckle vines on our front porch.

Baby robins Day 1! Hatched on Sunday, April 28th. So far 3 of the 4 eggs have hatched. Last year they hatched on April 27th!

Feathers

No snow to photograph in NC this week, so I’m turning my easy-macro lens on a feather in my office.

It’s amazing how much detail you can see when you look closely! It looks like we have some birds trying to build a nest near our porch again. If so, we’ll try to follow them as they lay eggs and hatch the baby birds (see last year’s robins).

Snow Crystals captured by my iPhone

Earlier this month I had another chance to try my hand at photographing snow crystals with my iPhone and a macro lens. I’ve tried several iPhone macro lens attachments, but I have to say I’ve had the best success with the very simple Easy-Macro Lens. It’s basically a special rubber band with a lens embedded in it. This means the lens can be used with any smartphone… and even my iPad. So, on to the results!

These are the snow crystals from my visit to Ithaca, NY at the end of December (2012). I used a black scarf to collect the falling crystals, then I moved into an open bay of the garage (cold, but no more snow falling on me). I identified snow crystals that seemed like good candidates, then got my iPhone and lens REAL close. I had forgotten my tripod, so I steadied the phone with a box.

Pretty cool, huh?

(Next time it snows, I’m set. I’ve got my lens, my tripod ready, and some pretty amazing crystal micro-mounts from my brother-in-law Rob)