WI
Red-spotted Purple Admiral Butterfly
I found this butterfly resting on the ground. I searched the Internet to identify it and found it to be a “Red-spotted Purple Admiral.”
This was a pleasant find while biking on the Ahnapee State Trail near the Bruemmer Park Zoo northwest of Kewaunee. This was the second such butterfly I saw. This one was kind enough to allow me to get close enough to snap a portrait. I”m not sure how it got the name Red-spotted, since its spots seem mostly orange which seemed consistent with other images I found online.
You can see more of the detail in this image by viewing the full-screen version. To do so, simply click on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Exceeding All Expectations
The Algoma, Wisconsin lighthouse and piers stand guard over the harbor as they await the sunrise over a calm Lake Michigan morning. Algoma is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
As with other the images I captured and have posted from this particular morning, I’m impressed with the colors and textures in the sky and how they’re reflected in the water.
Though it doesn’t look like it here, this is a huge image. It’s large size comes from the fact that I joined (or “stitched”) three separate shots into one image in order to capture as much of the scene as I could. When snapping the shutter, I’m careful to overlap the edges of the shots so the software can find similar pixels and match them to each other.
Unfortunately, this panoramic format doesn’t show well here because of the limited space allotted for images. However, as I usually do, I urge you to view its full-screen version by clicking on the photo. Hopefully you have a large monitor – the bigger the better.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Charmed
Every year I find wild geraniums blooming in the woodlands near our home in northeast Wisconsin. I think this is delightful wildflower which, I guess, explains the numerous images I have featuring them.
I titled this one, “Charmed,” because the stem with those hairy buds reminded me of a lady with a charm bracelet dangling from her wrist.
You can view a larger, more detailed, version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a full-screen image will open in another browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Praisin’ In The Grass
It was a calm morning on Lake Michigan just before the sunrise. This view of the Kewaunee, Wisconsin lighthouse and pier was viewed among the beach grass on shore.
This turned out to be a good morning to catch the sunrise. (06/19/18) I decided to grab this shot, a few feet away from the shore line, for a different perspective. It was still pretty dark when this image was captured. You’ll notice, the lighthouse light is still on. My shutter speed was set at 1/4 sec. It was a very calm morning.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
On The Hunt
Keep your eyes open. It’s snake season. This is a harmless, Western Fox Snake found slithering through the woodlands of northeast Wisconsin.
We were out on a springtime, family hike in search for morel mushrooms. My wife – an avid mushroom hunter – was the first one to spot this beauty. The snake was kind enough to rest quietly while I snapped a few shots.
As I said, these snakes are harmless to humans. They prefer to dine on mice and other small rodents. These snakes can seem fairly bold and don’t mind getting close to other animals and humans if undisturbed. When confronted, they will ‘rattle’ their tail to imitate a rattlesnake and attempt to scare away a perceived threat. They will also go into the S position and rapidly lunge in your direction. These are all defensive maneuvers in an effort to scare you off so they can escape.
One of the interesting details of this image is found on the lower lip of the snake. (That is, if snakes had lips.) You have to look closely, very closely, to see an ant going along for a ride. Zoom in as far as your monitor will let you and you may be able to see it. Not sure what the ant is doing there, but I thought it was interesting.
I’ve taken photos of this breed before, in my own yard. Get a real close-up view from my image, “Forked Tongue.”
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All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Voluptuous Iris
Look at this gorgeous, spring bloom! This exotic beauty is a bearded iris.
While driving along Miller street in Kewaunee, Wisconsin I noticed an area with several blooming flowers. There were several of these iris’ in the area but most were just beginning to open. This early bloomer was begging to be photographed.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this photo by clicking on it.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Precious Reminder
Tiny in size but big on charm. The Forget Me Not blooms are some of my favorites. I don’t find them often, but when I do it’s a delight. I found these blooming in the shade at the small, Lincoln Park zoo in Manitowoc.
Forget Me Nots are part of the Myosotis genus. This unusual Greek name means mouse’s ear, which is a pretty literal description of the shape of the flower’s small petals.
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo. When you do, a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Fern of Fancy
This fern, found in the woodlands of northeast Wisconsin, was in the final stages of unfurling. In the spring these ferns sprout from the ground and go through the process of spreading their highly divided leaves.
The delicate curl you see at the ends of the fronds will soon straighten out. These ferns can quickly take over an area of forest floor when they are growing in favorable conditions.
You can view more of the detail in this macro image by viewing the larger versions. To do so, simply click on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Two’s Company
The prize of every springtime mushroom hunter – the elusive morel. These morels were found in the woods of northeast Wisconsin.
We haven’t had much success in our search for morels this year. This is the best of what we did find. They are pretty small. With the hot, dry weather we’ve experienced recently, the window of opportunity may have closed. We’ll see.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on it. When you do, a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.
Thrice As Nice
Every spring I am drawn to the beauty and simplicity of trilliums in bloom. These were photographed on a recent hike through a wooded area of northeast Wisconsin.
If you like the trillium blooms, thank an ant. Ants are the ones who spread the seeds of the trillium plant. Ants gather the seeds and transport them away from the parent plant because they are attracted to the elaiosomes on the seeds. After learning this interesting fact I had to look up “elaiosomes.” Turns out, elaiosomes are fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.