Bluebirds and Spring Flowers at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

Today, I spent 5 hours walking through the 300 acre Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area checking its 15 bluebird boxes on a gorgeous spring day. During breeding season, the boxes are checked once a week, and it was my turn. The boxes are spread out across the farm, and it normally takes half that amount of time to open each box and inspect its contents, and based on its contents, take the appropriate action such as count any eggs and young bluebirds before they fledge. However, it took me twice as long because I had to stop (often) to photograph the spring flowers that were growing everywhere.

What was also extremely nice today was having the entire farm to myself. While walking the 300 acres, I never saw another human–only nature in all its spectacular beauty.

Before I get to the flowers, the following is what I found when I inspected the bluebird boxes today:

  • Two boxes that had young bluebirds last time they were checked and were now empty.  So, I removed the old nests.
  • Two boxes contained young bluebirds.  (Pictures taken with my iPhone follow.)
  • The other boxes were empty.

As mentioned above, as I walked through the farm, there were spring flowers blooming almost everywhere I looked. The dull brown and gray colors of winter were now completely gone or covered/replaced by shades of green and colorful wild flowers. I predominately shot the flowers with my Nikon 105mm macro lens to get in close and capture as much detail as possible. Some of what I shot follows and more images are located at: http://stabone.com/p175603169

(Nikon D700, Nikon 105mm at f16, 1/40, ISO 200)

(Nikon D700, Nikon 105mm at f16, 1/60, ISO 200)

(Nikon D700, Nikon 105mm at f9, 1/1,600, ISO 200)

(Nikon D700, Nikon 105mm at f11, 1/320, ISO 200)

The flower above is very different and looks like it belongs on another planet.

Tomorrow or over the (rainy) weekend, I plan to complete processing the many remaining waterfall images that I took last weekend at Ricketts Glen and then upload them to my Website. I needed a break from the waterfalls. Is possible for waterfalls to become monotonous? Never, I just needed some more fresh spring air.

Posted in Merrimac Farm Wildlife management Area, Spring Photographs | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Ricketts Glen State Park and Its Waterfalls

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

INCREDIBLE is the only word to describe Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania. At Ricketts Glen, it is almost possible for large, beautiful waterfalls surrounded by rampant spring growth to become monotonous, because there are 22 named waterfalls in one 13,050 acre park. However, each one is beautiful in its own way and was lit differently by the warm sun or by filtered light when it was cloudy and raining (which is the better lighting condition for shooting waterfalls).

We hiked the Falls Trail (7.2 miles, rated difficult) through Ganogo Glen on Friday (10 waterfalls) to Waters Meet and hiked Glen Leigh on Saturday to the three waterfalls below Waters Meet (11 waterfalls).  We saw and shot Adams Falls (making it 22) on Friday, when we arrived, since it was close to the road on the way to the park. And to top it off, we had the park practically to ourselves on Friday.

Ricketts Glen waterfalls range in height from 94 feet to one at 11 feet. In between the waterfalls, Kitchen Creek runs rapidly over rocks and boulders making numerous small (unnamed) waterfalls.  There was new, bright green plant life starting to grow everywhere. The forest was exploding in green, and the sound of the fast running creek and falls was very load at times. When it was quiet between the falls, there were birds singing everywhere.  It was awesome to see, hear and shoot.

Since returning late yesterday, I have only been able to process a small number of photos. I will be processing more tonight and this week, and posting them to this blog and my Website. The Ricketts Glen photographs can be seen at: http://stabone.com/p280440364

Later, I will update the images of the falls to include their names.  They were named by Colonel Ricketts (a Gettysburg veteran), who owned 80,000 acres around Ricketts Glen. Most of the falls are named after Indian tribes and some of his friends.

Northern Pennsylvania seemed to be almost a month behind northern Virginia in spring growth. So, I got to enjoy spring twice this year. The following is how much of the rural countryside looked.

Posted in Landscape Photographs, National and State Parks | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Preview to Ricketts Glen

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

My trip this past weekend could not have been better. Every aspect of it was perfect: friend and fellow photographer–Ceasar Sharper, Ricketts Glen State Park, 22 named waterfalls and others, Bed & Breakfast, uneventful picturesque drive, and no camera gear issues.

I took many photos of the waterfalls and surrounding scenery.  I am anxious to show you more of them later today.  Here is the first one processed.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Spring in Northern Virginia

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

We moved from Florida 18 years ago, and spring in Virginia seems to get better each year.  That could be because I appreciate it more now that I am focused on its beauty as I try to capture it in my photography. Spring also seems to be much more beautiful here than in Florida probably because Florida is green all year, while here the landscape changes so dramatically from brown, leafless trees, bushes and plants to flowers and green growth everywhere. I have been photographing some of that beauty, and some of what I have captured follows. More images are in my spring galleries on my Website.

After winter, even a dandelion sphere about to disperse its seed-bearing parachutes makes an interesting and beautiful photograph (105mm, f9, 1/25, ISO 200).  There is amazing beauty in what we think of as weeds and often overlook.  (Click on the images to see them larger.)

While hiking at Leesylvania State Park this weekend, I had to stop and shoot the large yellow and orange flowers of a yellow poplar tree, which is one of Virginia’s tallest trees  growing to 120′ and whose flowers are 2″ tall (100mm, f5.3, 1/160, ISO 200).

We have walked through Leesylvania many, many times and have often seen pawpaw trees and their pawpaw fruit late each summer, but we have never seen until this weekend the pawpaw tree flowers that bear the fruit.  The fetid flowers are unusually shaped and a deep maroon, purplish color (65mm, f5.6, 1/200, ISO 200).

Besides seeing the many flowering trees at Leesylvania State Park this weekend, as I posted last night, we saw a bright yellow prothonotary  warbler. Another photo of this beautiful bird follows (300mm, f9, 1/200, ISO 200).

In closing, not everything that we saw this weekend was beautiful.  Below is an eastern box turtle that most likely recently emerged from its underground winter location with a face that only another turtle could love (300mm, f7.1, 1/60, ISO 200).

Additional spring photos can be found in my spring galleries at:  http://stabone.com/f481735306

By the way, my next posting will be from an upcoming visit to shoot the many (22) waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Prothonotary Warbler

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Stephen L Tabone

Just a quick update this evening because I am excited about the shot I got of a prothonotary warbler.  Tomorrow, I will post a few photos from this weekend and upload them and more to my website. It was a gorgeous spring weekend here in northern Virginia.

Today, Angela and I hiked our favorite local park–Leesylvania State Park. While walking through Bushey Point at the park, I heard a bird just singing its heart out and very loudly. Then, I saw it and could not believe its vibrant yellow color, and it was within range for a decent shot with my 28-300mm.  The warbler’s location on a branch of an old tree provided the perfect contrast.

Posted in Bird Photographs | Tagged , | 1 Comment