Final Macro Lens Day and Some House Finches: March 2021

Way too much wind for outdoor macro photography today, so I headed to Thomson Memorial Park to gather items to be photographed later. I posted many bud photos during my first 4 days so decided to have a “no bud” day today. Here are the results:

Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Lichen
Lichen
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Cat-tail (Typha)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Lichen
Northern Catalpa seed pod (Catalpa speciosa)
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Hedge-parsley (Torilis japonica)
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis
Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

Thomson Park is a nice mixture of streamside, woods and history.

Snail shell
former church sexton’s house
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Some botany:

Walnut shells
Fungus on fallen Crack Willow

I saw my first House Finch in the 1980’s as they are originally a bird of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

House Finch (male)
House Finch (female)
House Finch (male)
House Finches
House Finches
House Finch (female)

Other birds:

House Sparrow (male)
Hairy Woodpecker (male)
Mallard (female)

I heard my first singing Cardinal towards the end of January. These days some are singing shortly after 5 am.

Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)

MAILBOX

Hello Miles, This is the shot – taken in Ireland by a not-so-busy-these-days sports photographer who’s had time to “think about other things.”

Perfect shot: the murmuration of starlings over Lough Ennell, in Co Westmeath, on Tuesday evening. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Here is the story about it, along with other images by him:
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/murmuration-of-starlings-how-our-stunning-front-page-photograph-was-taken-1.4501033?fbclid=IwAR15TDh5uUMunzxVmfkVFQ-ys-skprn5afOyH8JuxDgLJ1IqzasA8cv6BYQ#

NATURE POETRY

New England woods are softly fair,
And many marvels gather there—
The flaming hush the soaring pine,
The shining birch, the swinging vine;
But lord of all the varied scene
I rank the lowly wintergreen.          – Amos Russel Wells (1862-1933)

Miles Hearn

2 thoughts on “Final Macro Lens Day and Some House Finches: March 2021

  1. Debi

    Beautiful macro photos. Thank you. Really nice to see the minute details.
    The house finch are very pretty. Especially male. Hadn’t noticed them until a couple of years ago when they frequented our feeders.
    Our well stocked feeder and fresh water bath still remain silent where usually busy with many varieties. Can’t figure out what we did wrong. Hopefully as season progresses “they will come”
    Heard the Cardinal singing happily today.
    Enjoy your weekend

    Reply
  2. Lisa Volkov

    “Murmurations” of Starlings? Wow.
    And “WOW!” on the details revealed using that lens! More than can be seen by the naked eye! They look incredibly exotic, artistic and other-worldly. Any privacy concerns on the part of the lichens, etc.? I just happened to read recently about some very understandable privacy concerns relating to abuses using certain kinds of lenses. I suspect that the birds and branches don’t mind, anyway. Thanks, Miles!

    Reply

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