Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Photos of the Day

After a few warm days it seems like spring is bursting out all over. The crows and magpies are busy collecting twigs for their big messy nests. A few days ago the first water boatmen appeared in the Innovation Place pond, even before the ice was off it. Today there are hundreds of them, and the first water striders are showing up.

The Forsythia are blooming and their bright yellow is such a contrast to everything else that is still brown. Although they aren't native, they've become a sign of spring here.

Forsythia

Other buds are swelling rapidly.

buds

And the larches are growing new leaves, and flowers that will turn into pinecones in a fascinating progression.

Untitled

Irises are pushing brilliant green up through the dead leaves.

sprouting

And a Mourning Cloak butterfly cooperatively posed long enough for me to pull out my camera and take enough shots to get a decent one. They are one of the few butterflies here to overwinter as adults, and therefore one of the first to appear in the spring.

Mourning Cloak butterfly

These were all taken with the new Panasonic ZS100. I'm still getting used to it, but so far it seems to be doing a good job.

No comments:

Post a Comment