Showing posts with label Duck Potato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duck Potato. Show all posts

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Crops & Clips: The Golden Hour

Storms threatened one morning as we walked into our local south Florida birding patch:

Storms building over Keys HDR  20160813

Looking towards the west, opposite the rising sun, cloud tops were bright but darkness persisted over the lake:

Clouds over Pine Bank HDR 20160815

A full Moon will soon settle opposite the rising sun:

Moon HDR 20160819

Cloud tops break up the rays:

First rays HDR 20160813

The rays converge on the western horizon creating the illusion of a second sunrise, with the sinking Moon on an apparent collision course with the virtual Sun:

Moon setting into mirrored sunrise DPP 20160819

A Great Egret forages before sunrise. The rays have not yet hit the surface of the lake, and light reflecting from the clouds bathes the scene in gold. Low light provides both a challenge and a reward to the photographer:

Great Egret at dawn HDR 04-20160820

Out across the lake the shape of another Great Egret sharply contrasts in the semi-darkness:

Egret landing HDR 20160821

A smaller Snowy Egret also stands out:

Snowy Egret 02-20160716

Shooting into the low sun creates glare which can spoil many an image. The finer plumage details of this Spotted Sandpiper are softened, but the overall effect is nonetheless pleasant:

Spotted Sandpiper HDR 03-20160823

Sunlight touches the trees at the far end of the wet meadow, but another Great Egret is still in shadow:

Great Egret in wet meadow HDR 20160822

Sun rising behind this American Redstart produces a mere silhouette but also illuminates its colorful tail feathers: 

American Redstart HDR 20160822

Warm morning light enhances the colors of a Red-shouldered Hawk:

Red-shouldered Hawk 03-20160823

Clouds rise at the dead end of "The Road to Nowhere" at the north end of our patch. Guard rails were placed before construction of the road ceased ten years ago.:

Road to nowhere HDR 20160815

The planned completion date for the road is uncertain, but it will transect the patch and run right along this shoreline:

East shoreline HDR 20160819

For now, beauty overcomes progress. The white flowers of the Duck Potato (Sagittaria latifolia) stand out against a golden sky: 

Duck Potato - Sagittaria latifolia 20160821

= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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