“Everything from the humble woodlouse to specks of dust moving through a ray of sunlight. Each tells a story.”
― Fennel Hudson
I can’t help it; I love these little pesky creatures. I know they can be destructive. But I love to watch them.
Of course, I love all wildlife. I spend a lot of time watching animals and insects through my viewfinder. It’s an amazing world to watch and study.
Until next time…peace…..
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.” Mother Teresa
Yesterday, I spent most of the afternoon photographing flowers. I had a new lens to play with…what else would I do? Today…well..it’s raining. So, I guess I should work on my book.
Until next time… peace.
Every day this week around 3 pm, this doe appears out of the woods. She spends her time walking around my yard. She nibbles on the grass. I stood and took over 300 photos of her today. When I brought them up on my computer, you can see all the different bugs mostly flies and mosquitoes on her. I am assuming she comes out of the woods to get a break from these pesky little insects.
With all the rain we have had, the mosquitoes are thick this year in Michigan. I had a very hard time pulling weeds the other day. I think the little biting insets were using my mosquito repellent as an appetizer.
I loved watching this little Nuthatch walk across the top of the feeders. I have six different feeders that hang down off from the rod. The little bird walked back and forth like he was trying to decide what type of snack to eat. Until he finally jumped down to one of the feeders.
This beautiful Hummingbird Moth was a welcomed edition to my front flower garden. I hadn’t seen one in years. I was so happy to view this one as he moved from flower to flower.
No matter how old I get, nature still amazes me.
Here in Michigan, the Little Brown Bat or Myotis lucifugus is the most common. I am assuming this little guy is a Little Brown Bat with a very big mouth. The Little Brown Bat is a relatively small mammal with an olive-brownish to dark yellowish brown colored coat. In Latin, the word Myotis means mouse ear which is great for these Little Brown Bats since they do look like they have little mouse ears.
Even though I know they are only insect eating creatures; I am still cautious when approaching them. I guess I have heard too many urban legends in my time. In fact, when I was photographing this one (yes, I brought him in my house to use my backdrop; he was attached to the piece of wood), my mother stopped by. She was more than happy to remind me of all the myths and diseases the bat could carry. I took my few photos and returned the Little Brown bat still on the wood where I found him.
According to the Michigan DNR website, “Little brown bats use echolocation to find and capture prey. They emit pulses of high frequency sound (20-130 kHz) that bounce off nearby objects. The bats then use the echoes to determine the object’s distance, size, and shape. They feed primarily on aquatic insects, including mayflies, caddis flies, and stoneflies. They will also feed on other flies, wasps, moths, and beetles to supplement their diet. Typical summer foraging areas include forest edges, along streams and lakes, and sometimes in small cultivated fields. Young little brown bats can eat up to 1.8 grams of insects/night; lactating females can eat up to 3.7 grams of insects/hour due to increased energy demands” (2014). Of course, I wish they would eat more mosquitoes in my area. I can’t even begin to tell you how bad these mosquitoes are right now. They are horrible in my area.
Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12145_12205-70016–,00.html
Beautiful sunny day here in Mid-Michigan!
Sometimes an early morning sighting can make your entire day. The fawn was just as curious about me as I was about her (or him). I am assuming she came out into the clearing because the mosquitoes and other pesky insects were bothering her.
She was the first fawn I have been able to photograph this summer so far. I was really happy, she just stood there.
Now, if I just figure out what the other noise was? The high pitched sound echoed in the wooded area. The brush and other foliage is too thick for me to venture in there. I guess, I will have to put a trail cam up.
Until next time…peace
Phone rings. The answering machine picks up. From the open window, I hear my mother’s voice:
“Stop taking pictures of the storm and get in your house. I refuse to explain to the doctor why you were struck by lightning.”
Yes, I went back in and called my mom to ease her worries. I live right beside my parents. There’s actually distance between the two farm houses which is why I had to ask if she could see me outside. Her reply:
“No, I just know you.”
Her answer was perfect.
Dark skies, wind, thunderstorms, heavy rain, tornado watches (and warnings)…just another day in Michigan. As I type this, we are still under thunderstorm/tornado watches. I guess, the storms are one of the main reasons why I am still awake. I like to keep an eye on the weather during these watches and warnings.
Michigan has seen a little bit of everything as far as weather is concerned. Mother Nature was busy keeping our lives interesting. There have been reports of tornadoes. In fact a tornado touched down in Portland earlier. From the pictures on social media and the news, the place resembles a war zone. Despite all the damage, no major injuries or deaths have been reported which is the best news to come out of all the destruction.
For my area, I noticed the birds and other wildlife seemed extra hungry prior to the beginning of the storms. I was told this is normal; the animals will eat early in order to take shelter later. I am going to have to do some research to see if this theory is true or not.
Until next time…peace
I was writing this afternoon. I noticed a small brown creature run across my yard to the back field. Of course, my first thought was a dog. My parents have a VERY spoiled dachshund and they live next door to me. I thought maybe she had made her way down to my house or dad was out giving her a walk. But on closer inspection, I realized the brown colored animal was a fox.
A few years ago, I photographed foxes in their natural habitat. But I have never viewed any in my immediate surroundings. I was pretty excited to see her (or him, I don’t know the difference upon first glance). I quickly grabbed my camera and was able to take just three photos before she scurried back into the wooded area.
Wildlife has been in the area more and more over the last few years. People blame the animals. I cannot take this same point of view. We are in a farming community (Please do not take this the wrong way, I respect all the hard work farmers do. My parents did farming when I was a kid. I know the long days that were put into the fields). The problem with animals is based from the clearing of their natural habitat. Large wooded areas are being purged and burned to make room for more farm land. When this happens, animals must relocate. I believe this is the real reason why I have been able to photograph so many different species in my area.
I personally get excited be able to photograph foxes, deer, and especially the little baby bunnies.
I have been informed there are coyotes in the area. I have not had a chance to photograph one of them in the wild. So, we will see as time progresses what other forms of wildlife are going to be around. Of course, I am writing this right now as the raccoons play on my front porch. They are pesky little creatures. But I enjoy watching them interact with each other.
Until next time….peace….
My morning routine is simple; I sit at my dining room table which is in front of my large sliding glass doors and sip my large cup of tea. As I watched out the window, I noticed a lump in the yard. Of course, I didn’t have my glasses on but my binoculars are always close by. The lump turned out to be a very large Common Snapping Turtle. She had come up from the Maple River to lay eggs.
I didn’t get a chance to photograph her laying the eggs. She must have been out there awhile before I even noticed her. By the time I was able to get out to her, she was already on a trek back down to the river beds. The site of seeing this creature wander across my yard toward the back where the river branches off into the creek line is amazing.
I wish I had enough knowledge to tell how old she was. She was covered in moss and algae. I found her to be absolutely beautiful. Of course, I did not get to close to her. Snapping Turtles are known for their rather fierce disposition other wards they bite. And, I am rather fond of all my fingers.
Until next time…peace
Rebecca's Vintage and Wildlife Photography 