Randy, the colors on 75 north of Grayling today were AMAZING. The freeway goes over some hills, from which you can see huge stands of trees, that are all glowing orange and red. It was breathtaking!
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The hills in that area are really nice, and I remember going over each one and wondering when we would see the Mackinac bridge (a bit further north). I bet the colors would be absolutely beautiful. Thank you.
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Wish you’d all been here with us. This is one of my favorite places. Period.
Some highlights of Tahquamenon Falls near Paradise (Michigan) on Friday.
Main drop at the Upper Falls with lots of color. The bright colors in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) are spread out more, because there are more conifers in that part of the state than deciduous trees.
A closer view of the main drop.
Some brighter colors downstream:
My family and some amazing maple color in action:
About 3 miles farther down the river at the Lower Falls. In the summer you can rent a row boat and row across here to the island that’s toward the right side of the photo.
A bit more of the island.
There are falls in the river all around the island.
The anti-rock-stacking sign in action with the new bridge that goes to the island! What a treat, not having to row, and to see the river from this new vantage point!
In the summer, these shallows are perfect places to start wading out into the river. Near the banks, there are many shallows, where we often walk around or enjoy the view. Because the bottom of the river is like stair steps, it’s a popular place to walk around (wearing shoes!), but it’s also easy to wind up to one’s waist in water, by stepping into an unseen hole.
Always one of my favorite spots to hang out, when we’re on the island in the middle of the river. I’m standing on a large, flat slab, big enough to have a family picnic, right next to this narrow, swift fall.
One last look up the river, before I head back to the bridge.
I didn’t buy the shirt, but the sentiment is perfect. I do a lot of thinking in many directions, when I’m outside.
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Thanks. I processed another set of exposures last night that were backlit, resulting in less drapery and more translucence.
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Exquisite!
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My new (functional) camera arrived Tuesday. Here are some pictures from our yard from Thursday:
A rose and a new county record! (a trivial one, given that there are no odonatans officially present in the county)
This is as far as the fall colors have gotten at 700 ft around here
This is fully zoomed out with the camera
This is fully zoomed in (on those flowers near the mailbox
The not-very-active sun.
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Nice. What kind of camera and lens?
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Nikon Coolpix P1000. 4.3 - 539 mm telephoto.
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It’s the pitcher plant mining moth “Exyra semicrocea” . The other pitcher plant moth down here in the Exyra genus is very similar but they are hosted by different pitcher plants. This one was found in the white top / crimson pitcher plant. The other one seems to be found predominantly in the purple or rose pitcher plants. The caterpillars are really pretty. They hatch in the leafs (pitchers) of the plant and make a silky web near the top opening. They then eat a layer ring inside and make the plants droop over sealing them safely off from weather and predators. Then they eventually leave through a hole as an adult moth.
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Though not rare I’ve only seen it a few times in the last several years of hiking. It’s one of the two greenbriers native to alabama with reddish, orangish berries. It’s the sarsaparilla vine. The rhizomes of this species can be dried and used to make a sort of root beer flavored drink.
The wood ear mushrooms look like embers on fire being backlit from the sun.
Ink gallberry holly.
Some species in the blueberry genus.
Fishing spider.
Bark rash lichen again which is a close second to my favorite lichen the Christmas lichen.
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Crazy picture! How did you take it/what settings?
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Is that a brown thrasher? It looks a little smaller and plumper than I’m used to, but maybe it was chilly and more fluffed?
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It ticks all the boxes for a Brown Thrasher for me, but yeah, fluffed up so a little plump. I don’t know how to use this system to tag paraleptopecten directly…
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I’d love to hear it.
Growing up “out west” on the northern Pacific Coast I experienced the sad lack of any mimid except the Grey Catbird. The Brown Thrasher was among the top birds on my “hit list” after I moved to Saskatchewan. There it became my nemesis bird for nearly a year, resisting all attempts at location! Finally managed to see the rusty back of one flying between two dense bushes on the riverbank. After that the curse was broken and I encountered these crazy singers more often–love your description Dale! Sometimes they were even so obliging to sit still enough on a bush to get one’s binocs on them…
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My recent obsession with redwoods led me to learn that a tree named Hyperion is apparently the tallest known coastal redwood. I just came across this drone flight video up and back down the trunk of what they say is the tallest. Which one this tree might be, I don’t know. But pretty awe inspiring regardless.
On his website he provided this information, so not the most authoritative source possible.
Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens , is the only living species of the genus Sequoia. Common names include coast redwood and California redwood, but this redwood is also indigenous to southern Oregon. The botanical or scientific name is Sequoia sempervirens. It is accurate to call them “Sequoia” because “giant sequoia” is a common name reserved for Sequoiadendron giganteum, and only the coast forest holds the real Sequoia genus naturally established.
Coast redwood is evergreen and monoecious, forming male and female reproductive parts on one tree. Pollination occurs mostly during winter. Apparently seeds from coast redwoods over 250 yrs. old are more viable than seeds from young redwood trees. It is the tallest species, exceeding 380 to 386 feet and over 29 ft. diameter. Maximum age can exceed 2500 years and there is one estimated over 4000 years.
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