lloydslensphotographyllc

Red-winged Blackbird & A Childhood Goal Achieved

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Red-winged Blackbird On Cattail 6119” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

I was on Muddelty Creek the other day in the marsh and heard an unmistakable sound. The trilling call of a red-winged blackbird. And then another, and another. The marsh was suddenly alive with them. Well, their calls at least. They didn’t really seem to want a portrait on this particular day. I would catch one setting still for a moment but as soon as I raised my lens they would take to the sky and disappear into the greenery.

A red-winged blackbird darting across Muddelty Creek

I remembered the iconic pictures from wildlife books I had as kid. The red-winged blackbirds were always pictured as being perched on a reed or cattail stem and I really wanted to reproduce that childhood memory.

I discovered that even when perched these hyper little guys are never really still. They seemed to be more jittery than I had remembered. Finally the one that’s pictured in mid flight moved a little closer and gave me the shot that I had been waiting for.

I definitely want to go back to this spot for more shots. I know there’s a female in the area but she’s much better camouflaged and will be harder to spot. I also want to catch the male in full display during his call and I’ve downloaded the call to help pull one in a little closer. For now I’ll have something that I have wanted to capture ever since I was a little boy leafing through an encyclopedia at Mt. Lookout Elementary School in the 70s.

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Things Are Just Ducky #3 ( A Duck On The Run)

Color Photography, wildlife

The rest of the flock looked on as George zipped by as fast as his webbed toes would carry him. The rest of the flock all looked into the bushes but there was no fox. They strained their ears but there was no yipping of a coyote. They glanced skyward but there was no hawks.

Again the unmistakable sounds of flat feet slapping wet sand approached the flock and sure enough here came George in a blur of feathers. Back and forth George ran in no particular pattern. And he was quacking like crazy!

Finally, his best friend Ralph jumped out into George’s path and spread out his wings in an effort to stop the frantic George. Ralph winced slightly expecting to be knocked down by George. “What are you running from?” Ralph asked. “Not running from, running to.” George replied as he huffed to catch his breath. Ralph knowing that his friend was prone to unconventional thought processes adjusted the question. “Okay then, what are running to?” “To get finished of course, now let me through!” George insisted with a panicked quack. Ralph, still obstructing George’s progress, continued to press the issue. Finally, George broke down and quacked off a long list of goals that had to be done. “Are you actually accomplishing anything by darting around in a panic?” Ralph queried. “A little bit.” George replied as he continued to try and find a way around Ralph. As Ralph interrogated George it came out that George had the bright idea to start several projects at once in an effort to accomplish more in a shorter time span. But all of his tasks were on opposite sides of the lake. He was running back and forth trying to maintain what he started with little impact on the overall goal and calling it “multitasking”.

Multitasking is a bit of a buzzword in the modern world. As individuals have more and more demands placed on their ever diminishing time the expectations are to split the focus and accomplish more. But it’s an illusion. Multitasking is a poor attempt at function stacking. Think of multitasking as trying to run a load of laundry and dishwasher at the same time while taking a shower. Most of our homes simply don’t have enough of a hot water supply to handle it all at the same time and none of the tasks are accomplished effectively. Where as function stacking is more like carrying out the the trash and coming back with the mail. The two tasks are parallel but don’t require the same resource simultaneously. It’s a more effective use of resources.

So, whatever happened to George? Well, Ralph being the awesome friend that he is not only helped George to get organized but he and a few more from the flock pitched in and took over some of the things that George had started.

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The Elated Snapping Beetle (Nature’s Jack-In-The-Box)

Color Photography, wildlife

Elated Snapping Beetle 52410 — Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is untitled but there’s plenty of titled images on my blog that are for sale. Just cruise the archives and if you see something that you like use the contact form to request prints.

Have you ever been out watching nature and that distinct feeling that nature was watching you back? It it looks like the tree in tonight’s feature image has grown a set of eyes, well, there’s a good reason why. Hiding in a crevice of the cork is the elated snapping beetle. It’s one of the largest insects native to the Appalachian Mountains. And, it has a few tricks up one of six sleeves.

The large eye spots on its thorax are thought to be there to detour predators. After all, they do resemble the large sad eyes of a cartoon character begging not to be eaten. But if that fails to work. It falls down and plays dead. Depending on its thick armored shell for protection. At least for a few minutes. It rolls over onto it’s back and curls up it’s antenna with it’s legs folded. Then at some point it changes the game and goes into Jack-In-The-Box mode. With a loud click it pops up into the air! Even as a full grown adult it’s enough to stun you when you’re not expecting it. It’s able to do this because of the hooks and notches on its shell that turn it into a spring.

The one in the photo is about average size for it’s species. About two inches long. They’re harmless to humans so I picked it up and let it play dead in my hand.

The Elated Snapping Beetle in my hand for a size comparison.

They belong to a group of beetles that bore into trees and live as larvae. Some members of the group are believed to live as a larvae for 50 years or more!

While the Elated Snapping Beetle has no bioluminescence that I’m aware of they are a first cousin to the tropical headlight beetle who’s eye spots are more foreword and produce enough light that they have been used as an emergency light for surgeries. They’re also related to what we call lightning bugs in Appalachia. ( fireflies in other places)

I was a little excited to see this one because I had not seen one of these giant clicking beetles since I was a kid. I’m sure that they have been around but I had not spotted one.

Other members of the group can be pretty destructive. One prime example would be the powderpost beetles which can be as damaging as termites. Dutch Elm disease is transmitted by wood boring beetles and the North American Chestnut is nearly extinct because of wood boring beetles.

However, there’s a bit of innocent fun when a young boy dares his friends to touch the dead beetle and it pops up at just the right moment.

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I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Holding Focus

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Gauley Mountain Zen” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The water cascades from rocks at cathedral falls and rushes towards the three rivers. The turbulent flow changes the landscape as it passes by rearranging the stones and moving logs. I stood on the little foot bridge and set up my tripod for a long exposure. The stick wedged between the rocks has caught my eye. It remains stable in the middle of the chaos of the high water. It was a place where I can hold my focus.

I have said before that my favorite images seem to have what describe as that “Zen quality”. I honestly don’t practice Zen and only have a pop culture definition as a state of peaceful focus that clears the mind.

I look at stick and the log in the lower right corner of the image as well as the dandelion on the left and consider symbolism of having a fixed point to focus on. They seem to have sidestepped the chaos for at least a few minutes. They are frozen in the moment and the chaos passes them by.

We all need to limit word’s ability to sweep us away in the chaos. A few minutes of tranquility in a place where the pressures of the the world’s demands can’t really reach us does the trick. Like the water we need these things but like the water they can sweep us away and swallow us whole. Like water the pressures of the world have an ebb and flow. Sure there will be times when we have no choice but to deal with what’s at hand. But when those days come being centered mentally and emotionally helps us to do so with little impact on our well being. Soon the high water will ebb and we can recharge.

This Image is titled “Peaceful Resolution” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

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Forage Friday #10 Red Clover

Color Photography, Forage Friday

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Red Clover 91217″and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The warmth of summer sun blankets the ground in the Appalachian Mountains. As I stepped out the robin gives and alert call and swiftly zips across the yard and disappears into a thicket. In the direction that she flew I see the reddish pink dots that stand a little taller than the surrounding grass. I eased over to the edge of the yard and bent down to pluck a single head from the plant. Red clover was one best parts of summer as young boy on the farm. During one of my long walks with my grandfather he stopped and pulled up a couple of red clover flowerheads. He would grip a few of the individual florets in his teeth and gently pull them from the base. They were full of sweet nectar and by freeing them from the base one could enjoy that sweetness unencumbered by grassy part. That’s how I was introduced to red clover. My brother and I would often pick a few as we played the countryside. Occasionally we’d get a dry one that wasn’t quite so awesome but for the most part they were like natural candy. No wonder the cattle would sometimes push through the electric fence to get to the clover.

As I got older I learned that all clovers are rich in protein. Peterson’s Field Guide says that the raw leaves and flowerhead is hard to digest raw but that soaking them in salt water for a while and boiling for fifteen minutes makes it so they can be eaten in quantity.

The dried flowers are a an awesome herbal tea that has some health benefits.

These days we know that smoking anything is not a good idea but Native Americans included different types of clover in “Kinnikinnick”. Contrary to popular belief Native Americans rarely smoked pure tobacco. Kinnikinnick loosely translates as “things mixed together” and it seems that everyone had their own recipes based on the purpose of the smoke. I can remember some of the old timers talking about generations of Mountaineers prior that kept a jar of red clover for their pipes. At one point there was a marketed tobacco substitute for people who were trying to quit smoking that used red clover as a base. I’m not sure why but seems to have been taken off of the market for some reason.

The last use listed by Peterson’s Field Guide is as a four. I do have to wonder what a non grain based flour made from clover might mean to someone who has a grain sensitivity. (⚠️ please remember that I claim no expertise in anything medical. ⚠️) The technique I found by searching the internet seems pretty straightforward. Dry the flowerheads at low temperatures and grind them in a blender until you have a fine powder.

Clover is usually easy to find in large quantities but it can also be purchased at agricultural supply stores as a soil amendment and livestock fodder.

For me red clover is a harbinger of sweet memories. But then again, I just might find a way to keep a patch handy to occasionally enjoy.

⚠️Please remember that my blog is a photography blog and that Forage Friday is only intended to be a conversation starter and not a substitute for proper training in survival or foraging.

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