spring

Spring Ephemerals

Spring beauties

Hepatica

Blue cohosh

Spring beauties

Yellow violet

Trout lily

Trout lilies

Purple trillium

Dutchman’s breeches

We went for a short hike up Mt. Hunger in Waterbury today (dutifully turning around at the “Trail Closed” sign above the waterfall…) I’d thought that, after being away from the Vermont woods for a month, that we’d missed the spring ephemerals. Not so! The trail up the mountain was alive with all the “usual suspects”! In places, the spring beauties covered the forest floor, and their fragrance sweetened the air! What a fine welcome back to the hills of Vermont!

Panasonic GM5, 12-32mm lens @ various lengths, various ISOs, apertures, and shutter speeds.

May 6, 2016 0

Flowering Dogwood

Spring may be reluctant in Vermont, but in Virginia, the dogwood is blooming nicely!

April 16, 2016 0

Thin ice

We went on a little stroll along the trails of the Warren & Grace Beeken Riverside Preserve in Richmond the other day. Cold morning temperatures had allowed thin ice to form in a vernal pool in the flood plain. As the water receded during the day, the ice was suspended in the air, still clinging to the objects that had help form it. Lovely!

Panasonic GX8, Lumix 14-140mm lens @ 26mm, ISO 400, f/13, 1/125″ exposure.

March 22, 2016 2

Emerging

The ice along the edges of our pond is slowly receding. This maple leaf from last fall emerges…

Panasonic GX8, Lumix 14-140mm lens @ 73mm, ISO 400, f/10, 1/200″ exposure

March 13, 2016 2

Bluebird day…

hump-view-north — Looking north towards Mt. Mansfield from the summit of Camel’s Hump

It was a fine morning to climb the Hump today. Although there was very little snow in the woods even up at the ridge meadow, traction aids were a must as the trail is still pretty much ice covered above 2500′.

March 12, 2016 0

Bluebirds are back!

bluebird-pair-box — A pair of bluebirds inspect one of the boxes in our front field

The bluebirds are back! I was enjoying today’s warmth working in my “front office” (on the front porch) when I heard the distinctive burble of a bluebird. Grabbing my camera and long lens, I didn’t have to wait long before this pair came around to inspect one of the boxes we have in our front field. Hopefully they’ll stick around for the season!

Panasonic GX8, Lumix 100-300mm lens @ 300mm, ISO 800, f/9, 1/400″ exposure.

March 9, 2016 8

The first to arrive…

robins-2-28-16 — A group of robins makes an appearance. Harbingers of things to come…

I was standing at the back door overlooking Fargo Brook when I heard the unmistakeable call of robins. Grabbing my camera and long lens, I headed outside and found them over by the winterberry bush munching on a few remaining berries. They took to the willow over the pond as I approached and were nice enough to pose for a few shots.

Panasonic GX8, Lumix 100-300mm lens @ 300mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/500″ exposure.

February 28, 2016 7

Song Sparrow

I spent some time stalking this song sparrow yesterday morning as he hopped about in the sumac in part of our front field. He didn’t seem too bothered by my presence, allowing me to get in fairly close as he hopped from branch to branch pausing to loose is lovely song.

Nikon D600, Sigma 120-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 800, f/8, 1/1250″ exposure.

May 6, 2015 0

Willow Burst

This variety of willow (that I’m not entirely sure of…) is one of my favorite early spring “poppers”. Its tight catkins burst into fireworks-like explosions of fuzzy yellow wonderfulness.

Nikon D600, Nikon 24-120mm lens @ 120mm, ISO 640, f/14, 1/320″ exposure.

April 26, 2015 3

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John Hadden Photography

Photography of the Natural World

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