Snowy Bench

Feather

The Line Between Autumn & Winter

Soaking In The Late Summer Nectar

Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Late Summer Wildflowers

Thistles

The thistles have begun to bloom this summer.  I have always liked these interesting plant that are both dangerous looking and beautiful at the same time.  I had to run to Home Depot on Waverly Road the other night and I stopped at Woldumar Nature Center for a few minutes.  A thunderstorm was brewing on the horizon and it had started to get dark pretty quickly, even thought it was only 5:30pm.  I snapped the few photos that I could as the heavy drops of rain that precede a downpour started to fall.  I fortuitously captured the photo below with the profile of the thistles against the darkening stormy skies, though I typically would not have taken a photo like this.  I made it safely back to the car right before the clouds opened up and the deluge began.

Sunset Streamer

This little streamer of dry plant leaves caught my eye the other night as it twisted in the rapidly setting sun at Woldumar Nature Center.

New Growth From The Old

Chickadee

Bluebird

Pine Bark

Eastern Bluebird

Nothing says "spring" like an Eastern Bluebird.

Early Spring Butterflies

In Michigan, two butterflies herald the arrival of spring - the Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) and the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa).  Both of these butterflies spend the winter burrowed in tick brush piles or wedged between loose bark on trees.  While you may occasionally encounter both species in open areas, they generally live in wooded areas.  They often find sunny spots between the trees to soak up a few rays on cooler days.  Mourning Cloak butterflies (bottom picture) tend to be most prevalent during the spring and autumn.  They have a "hibernation" phase in the hottest part of the summer.

Spring Sprouts

Snowy Shadows

Even on a clear day this time of year, the sun still hangs low in the winter sky.  Everything casts a dark shadow on the bright snow, making some interesting contrasts that I believe look best in black and white. 

Moon Cabin - Woldumar Nature Center

A Stream In The Woods

Cattails

Spider Web

Brightly Colored Leaf

I spotted this leaf (actually a small tree full of leaves just like it) the other night whilst walking at Woldumar Nature Center.  It and its companions adorned a small cottonwood sapling.  The bright colors, especially when photographed with the sun behind the leaf, caught my eye.  The texture of the veins and the varying colors fascinated me.