Grass Seeds

Eastern Meadow Lark

Saw this bird while hiking behind a ball field.

Mocking Bird

I saw this bird as I was checking the Missouri river for flood height.

Remeasure Eastern Cotton Wood Tree

June 1st 2015

Circumference 9' 8 7/8"

Height 108'

Canopy 61' and 73'

Total points 241

The decrease in height is due to the problem of looking through other branches that are not part of the tree I was measuring. The circumference increased 7/8"

June 14th 2014

Circumference 9' 8"

Height 115.8 '

Canopy 67' and 71'

Total Points 249

June 14, 2014 photo

Wandering Black Locust

When I took the first photo I thought the stem crossing the trail was a vine. But when I arrived closer I noticed that this was not a vine but a Black Locust tree that was searching for light.

There were stems growing vertically off of the horizontal stem.

Quality of Light

There is something about a forest that is clear below. One of the things this means is light is not getting through the upper canopy to allow for tall shrubs and trees to grow below. This would signafy that all the light is being captured. But that is not ture because if it was ture I would not be able to see into these woods. This then brings up the question of the quality of light. Can light be used up and the residual light we see not be useful for much plant growth?

This brings to mind the Scripture Jesus talks of light being dark. 

Matthew 6:23 ""But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Let the light of Jesus shine within you.

Blackberry Flowers

Hiking in a park we came across these Blackberry Flowers. We will be back to reap the fruit in July.

Western Kingbird

I saw this bird along with a few others chirping in some trees. I had to walk a ways to get a clear shot.

Canon PowerShot SX700 HS

1/500 sec.

ISO 100

-1 step

f/7.1

42 mm

Slippery Elm

Not being familiar with this tree I was watching when the leaves came out to ID the tree. It is a Slippery Elm. One of the characteristics of this tree is the vertical  lines within the bark. American elm  does not have this. Am elm bark is blotchy in color. 

The buds were round and not angled and oblong like Am elm.

Oak Savannah

Oak Savannah is being created by cutting out the undergrowth. These woods are more park like and attractive to look at in the summer. The photo below is adjacent to these woods and shows how the forest looks without management.

Fallen Log

Here is a fallen log across the trail I was hiking on at the Oak Savannah woods. I enjoyed just sitting there and listening to the birds sing and the other woods noises. It was restful and provided one of the reasons I go into the woods often. I enjoy waiting in the woods for what can be observed. This does not happen if I'm in a hurry. Learning happens as I wait.

It is the same with the Lord Jesus. Hurry does not provide much benefit. It is as I wait on the Lord quietly that I gain peace and understanding with the things of God and life.

Weeping Willow

Photo taken April 2nd.

f8 160 75mm ISP 100

Tulip

Daffodil Flower Bud

Common Field Speedwell

Common Field Speedwell (also known as Persian Speedwell)(Veronica persica)

Box Elder Maple Bud

Shagbark Hickory Bud

Black Walnut Bud

Close up of black walnut bud. The triangle below a smaller bud on the twig is called the leaf scar. And the marks inside this leaf scar are called bundle scars. This is where a vein from the leaf connected to the twig. 

Gray Dogwood Buds

Here are a couple of examples of Gray Dogwood end buds. Sometimes as the top photo shows there are 2 buds. Normally there is just one bud.

Gray Dogwood is a tree/shrub that comes into an abandoned field and grows up in the grass. The tree will establish a forest cover. Later other trees will grow up under this type of tree. Deer enjoy browsing on this plant and N. Quail will eat its seeds.

This plant is used to plant on disturbed sites such as strip mining areas. Or roadside cover. The flower is attractive, even if it is not as nice as the Flowering Dogwood.

Eastern White Pine

White pines have 5 needles in a bundle. They are fine needles which are not stiff at all.

Bur Oak Bud

Here is a close up of a Bur oak bud. Oak buds have multiple buds at the end of the twig.

American Basswood Bud

I have some extention tubes to add on to my camera lens. Now I am able to get better close ups of the trees I watch. This is the best one of the Basswood tree I took the other day. The red buds are distinctive. 

Nature seems drab in the winter. But when you get up close there is much to draw my interest. These red buds are a delight.

Baltimore Oriole

River Birch

River Birch is an attractive tree. White bark flaking off.

American Elm Bud

Found this American Elm bud.

Maple Tree Remaeaured

I had measured this tree in 2002.  Not being able to find it for many years I ran accross it this past January. I wanted to come back and measure it. I wonder if it was 2 trees that grew together or is it one tree that is splitting apart as the tree ages.

                 2002 Measurements                                           2015 measurements

Height                  83                                                                      79

Circumference          202                                                                 226.25

Canopy                     77  &  77                                                         91  &  65

Total Points                   304.25                                                          324.85

I did not have a clinometer in 2002, so the height was measured by holding a pencil against the and then figure a perportion to a known height and multiplying. Now with a clinometer my height measurement is much better.     

The circumference has grown by 22 1/4 inches in 13 years.

That is 1.72 inches a year or or 0.85% a year.

In the 13 years the circumference increased 11%

Another thing to consider is the tree has a crack between the 2 bowls. Has this crack increased to make the circumference bigger?

Hairy Woodpecker

This guy flew by after I had been waiting for about 30 minutes. A Hairy Woodpecker. The sides of the head show a wedge shaped black stripe instead of more of a round stripe a Downy Woodpecker would have. Unfortunately that photo was not in focus therefore I put this one on.

This Blue jay was less cooperative. This was the best photo I could get of him. There were a few giving calls at further distances. These woods where I was at were devoid of birds most of the time we were there. 

One reason I go into the woods is to take photos. Another reason is to be quiet and listen for the Lord. That is the primary reason I go into nature. It is not the technology but the quality of life I am looking for. 

Therefore my day can be a success on different levels.

Psalm 24:1

A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

Tendril

Close up photo.

A tendril of a vine grows in a spiral. This enables the plant to cling to anything nearby so the vine can grow up the plant.

Sin is like this tendril. What ever is near it will become attached to it. The way to avoid sin is to turn your life over to Jesus and live for Him. As the purposes of Jesus become our purpose the ability of sin to attach itself to us is lessened. 

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Bald Eagle

We were at the zoo in February and were walking a ways to see some African animals and not many were out to view. As we were walking back I prayed that the Lord would let me see an interesting bird in the trees. Not long after that  I saw a large bird fly away and I watched it till it landed and I noticed another bird that might be a Bald Eagle. I saw some white, not sure of what I was seeing because of the tangle of bushes and branches I was looking through. But I brought my telephoto lens to the ready as I looked for a hole in the tangle of branches.  I found one and took about 4 photos and then looked for another hole in the foliage to get a different angle shot . Sure enough  I found one and took some more photos. This is where I got the picture you are seeing.

The day was clear with no clouds at all. The temp was in the 50's, a wonderful day to be out and looking for nature. The birds were about 200 yards away. So I was shooting the full 300mm with the lens. At first I was shooting at 5.6f but checking I changed it to f25 to get more focus in case the camera focused on a branch near by instead of the bird. My lens was a Canon telephoto lens EF  f45.6 75-300mm III I was shooting at 1/500 of a second so the lack of image stabilization wasn't a factor. Yet the photo was not well focused so I didn't crop it. If you look close you can see that I am shoot straight through some brush that is out of focus. I was very fortunate to get this shot.

The eagle on the left is a juvenile and this was the bird I watched at first.

This was a true answer to prayer. It had been years since I had seen a Bald Eagle. But God brought these 2 to my attention right after I had prayed.

Crow

 I had looked for crows earlier this year but didn't find them. This one just flew in while we were walking through the park and gave me this chance for photos He was calling and then turned as if to look to see what I was up to. .I guess he had finished his business there and flew off.

Crows have a language of many sounds. He was doing one type of call and then changed it before he left.

Silver Maple Bud

February 7th 2015

Sweet Gum

Sweet Gum seed pod and winter bud.

Shingle Oak bud

Shingle oak branch showing buds. The leaves don't drop normally until the spring. If you look closely, the white dots next to the terminal bud are lenticles.

f5.6
1/500 sec.
ISO 100
0 Step
55 mm of 18-55mm zoom lens
Photo taken the January 27th 2015

Red Barries

Winter red berries on a tree.

Winter Scene Along Creek

Black Walnut Bud

Here is last winter's photo of a Black walnut bud.

Ice Along Creek

I took some photos of the ice from our last storm. Looking forward to the storm coming Wednesday with more snow.

Psalm 147:17

 He casts forth His ice as fragments; Who can stand before His cold?

Erosion Control.

Erosion control. It would of helped if the trail did not go straight down the hill.

Moss Close Up

Ohio Buckeye Bud

Bud from Ohio Buckeye.