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Archive for the ‘nature photography’ Category

Baby Sun with Rattle

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , on May 28, 2009| 3 Comments »

Baby Sun, 5/09

Today was one of those days where the objects I found really directed the figure I made.  I came across the broken passifier and baby rattle and wondered what our star would look like personified as an infant?  It is afterall almost summer.  I used pieces of bark to frame the head.  The eyes and nose are fishing bobbers and I’ve imbedded a yellow light into its body.  The bottoms of aluminum cans form the ears.

Silver-spotted Skipper, 5/09

Butterflies are starting to appear in greater numbers and diversity.  This is a Silver-spotted Skipper sunning itself.  Today I also saw Red Admirals and a Red-spotted Purple. 

Yellow Warbler, 5/09

I had one opportunity to photograph this Yellow Warbler and here is the result.  The restless nature of warblers makes them challenging subjects, but when you get a good image it makes your day.  About an hour later we had a pretty good thunder shower…I’m more concerned about keeping the camera dry than if I get wet.  I left the Sun figure behind and thought it was one of the stranger ones I have made recently.  I’ll close with a detail of this odd image.

Baby Sun with Rattle, 5/09

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Orange-collared Thickbill

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , on May 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Orange-collared Thickbill, 5/09

The shoe/figure from the previous post wasn’t the only piece I made that day.  Here’s another in my Styro-bird series I call the “Orange-collared Thickbill”.  It  wouldn’t surprise me to learn that somewhere among the world’s 10,000 plus bird species is an actual bird called this!  All the elements came from this day’s walk.  The blue bill is the nose cone of a bottle rocket.  The eyes come from sycamore seeds.  I wanted to create another image with the willow fluff before the expected rains wash it away.

Orange-collared Thickbill and fluff, 5/09

I’m seeing fewer actual bird species now and feel we are settling into our summer time mode.  Cedar waxwings are still around…taking advantage of a bumper crop of mulberries.  The resident Eastern Kingbirds are back flycatching from their willow posts.  Orioles still flash through the treetops as they pursue their own kind relentlessly.  Closer to the ground, I came across a small flock of American Goldfinches.  Their bright yellow bodies, black wings, and orange bills add a color note to the muted tones of sand and gravel.  I remember seeing once, a small flock of about twenty goldfinches their numbers doubled by their reflections in the shallow water they were bathing in…now that was beautiful! 

male, American Goldfinches, 5/09

Last shot is of one of these amazing willow trees that survive being immersed and battered by the river’s currents.  It’s like walking through this habitat of giant bonsai trees. 

willow tree, 5/09

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Superimposements?

Posted in Art, art and environment, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, unusual collection, tagged , , , on May 23, 2009| 2 Comments »

superimposed toy boat

Well, I think I just made up a new word…although I don’t believe the Oxford Dictionary will be calling me up any time soon.  I just couldn’t think of the right thing to call these three images that seemed to fit them.  The idea is simple enough.  I overlay a found object ( like these toys) and take a picture that includes a backdrop of  the landscape they were found in.  Maybe, some wordmeister out there can hit the nail on the head.  This was a late summer image from 2008.

toy boat superimposed, 5/09

Another toy boat on the water from a couple weeks ago.  Photographed with the tainter gates as a backdrop.

toy helicopter superimposed, 5/09

Found this broken toy helicopter and thought it looked good against the blue sky.  Isn’t this what kids do…hold toys up and imagine they are somewhere else and real?  I don’t recall if I was making engine noises too!

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Black Robe and Beaver

Posted in art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , on May 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Black Robe, 5/09

Had a few hours to play around and so I constructed this small figure fairly quickly.  It’s just a reminder that among the first Europeans to venture down the Ohio River were French missionaries who called these waters La Belle Riviere…..the Beautiful River.  This piece is constructed from Styrofoam, sticks, acorns, plastic, and what appears to be a rubber-like material (neoprene?)…that’s the material that makes up the robe.

mallard eggs, 5/09

I was walking by a hollow log and a female mallard duck burst out and scared the “heck” out of me!  I wondered what this duck was doing a few hunderd yards away from the water and when I poked my head inside I found her nest with eggs.  I took this quick photo and retreated.  I think we both gave each other a good fright!

beaver skull, 5/09

Even with the incissors gone, I identified this as a beaver skull.  It’s a fairly heavy and dense assemblage of bone.  The rest of the skeleton is nearby, but it still has some decomposing to do.  I photographed a beaver sitting on its tail during high waters last year.  I think of this animal as being one of my collaboraters because I love to use beaver-chewed willow sticks in my art.  As they nibble the bark off, their teeth leave marks in the wood that add a subtle pattern.  The beaver are making enough of a comeback here that in places they are considered a nuisance.

Beaver, Spring 2008

Here’s the beaver photo from last year.  He was drying his fur on the bank when he heard my camera and dashed for the water.  Sitting on its tail, it seems almost contemplative.  I like that the French word for river and reverie sound similar.  Here’s one last image of “Black Robe”. 

Black robe, 5/09

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1st Photos of Falls Brush Fowl!!

Posted in Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , on May 19, 2009| 2 Comments »

Falls Brush Fowl, 5/09

Ornithological history was made today as the first photographic images of the rare and elusive Falls Brush Fowl were made public.  Seldom seen and rarely heard this bird was photographed by the park’s unofficial artist in residence.  The Falls of the Ohio is the same area where the legendary John James Audubon began his drawings for his monumental undertaking, “The Birds of America”.  Audubon, however, never recorded seeing this bird.

Falls Brush Fowl, 5/09

The specimen appears to be a male in full courtship display.  This bird was not particularly wary as it strutted it’s stuff on several prominant logs and branches often in bright sunlight.  The Falls Brush Fowl is known for the fan it creates from its tail feathers, much in the manner of grouse.  Dancing gingerly it trills its song into the deep underbrush, while its head is framed by a ring of pink feathers.  The exact numbers of this bird are unknown.

Falls Brush Fowl, 5/09

No response was noted from the male Falls Brush Fowl’s display.  As reclusive as the males are…the females are even more difficult to approach.  Nothing is known abouts its nest, eggs, clutch size, incubation period and chicks have never been seen.  Speculation exists that the eggs may be deposited in a hole covered with rotting vegetation.  The heat generated from the decay of leaf matter incubates the eggs, but this has never been proven.  The bird is more myth than fact and the photos are welcomed by the scientific community and the general bird-loving public.

Chestnut-sided Warbler, 5/09

Other birds noted in the area this day include:  the Chestnut-sided Warbler seen in the above photo.  Small groups of mixed species  traveled and fed together among the willow and cottonwood trees.  It was not unusual to find Yellow Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, Carolina Chickadees, and Indigo Buntings harvesting small caterpillars. 

Time Keeper and Wishing Well, 5/09

Lastly, yesterday’s figure entitled the “Time Keeper” was spotted in an a different location.  A park visitor moved the piece inside a wood structure called the “Old Colonel’s Wishing Well”…a curiousity deposited by the last high water.  I’m sure there is a story surrounding that object and if anyone out there knows it…I would love to hear it!

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High Water Bottleman

Posted in Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , on May 9, 2009| 2 Comments »

high water bottleman, 5/09

My latest figure made from river junk comes at a time when the river is getting higher.  We have had a lot of rain today and so for the next few days the river should continue to rise.  When you live on the Ohio River, this is important information.  For example, the morning talk was of a small fishing boat going over the Falls that needed rescuing…that and a large white pelican was sighted again.  Might be the same bird from two years ago.  Didn’t hear anything else about the fisherman…hope they are ok.

high water and interpretive center, 5/09

foot of steps, high water, 5/09

Two views looking east…the top shows the interpretive center and the steps leading to the river.  The next shot is from the foot of the steps themselves.  It should be interesting to see how high up the steps the rising river level will creep. During the Great Flood of 1997 the river completely climbed the steps.  This event shouldn’t be that bad.  Fishing has been great with lots of anglers catching striper hybrids, catfish, skipjacks, and an occassional sauger.  Did see many large carp trying to leap over the fixed wier dam as in classic salmon pictures. 

Bottle man, 5/09

I moved the Bottleman to another location to get a better sense of his context.  A couple days ago, you could walk by the trees that are now submerged.  Most of the fossil rock formations are underwater.  The Bottleman is on some sort of mission just one step ahead of the river.

heron and fridge, 5/09

Took a little time to do some birding and had some success.  Saw my first Black-headed Blue Warbler, male and female traveling together.  They were here and gone before I could get a snapshot.  I did, however, find this Great Blue Heron fishing from floating logs as an abandoned refrigerator went by.  Years ago, when I first started this project, I found a refrigerator lodged in the top of a tree and I couldn’t believe the river could get that high.  Other notable birds…lots of Magnolia Warblers, various thrushes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Great Crested Flycatchers, Indigo Buntings, and a few Scarlet Tanagers were still around.  Double-crested Cormorants were fishing all along the river and close to shore.

bottleman and stash, 5/09

This is where I left the Bottleman by a log with a large hole in the side.  Perfect for stashing away plastic bottles in case of an emergency.  The figure is made from pink insulation foam, regular polystyrene, hickory nuts for eyes, part of a walnut husk for a mouth, wood, plastic bottlecap nose, and a fork for emphasis.  He’s near the water and probably gone by now.  The logs rolling over one another in the water made the strangest creaking and squeaking noise and reminded me of my father grinding his teeth in his sleep.  We will see how high the river gets and if that pelican hangs around.

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Rising River and Roots

Posted in art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, watershed, tagged , , , , , on May 8, 2009| 2 Comments »

rising river, 5/09

rising river 5/09

It’s been raining upriver from us and so what happens in the northeast eventually flows down.  More rain is expected and so it wouldn’t surprise me to see the water completely cover the fixed wier dam that forms the park’s eastern boundry.  Massive piles of driftwood and debris are getting ready to flood the area under the Conrail Railroad Bridge.  Every time the river rises the landscape of the park gets rearranged and creates new novelties.  I was looking over recent images and found I had taken several shots of tree roots that speak not only of the power of water, but the tenacity of trees as well. 

black willow roots, 4/09

These are the roots from a black willow tree.  This is an amazingly tough tree that grows in the poorest soil (essentially clay mud and sand) and frequently gets completely submerged during a flood.

cottenwood roots, 5/09

The writhing roots from a cottonwood tree.  At the moment, fluff from these trees is drifting like dry snow through the air.

tree roots, 4/09

I believe this is a cottonwood tree as well.  I marvel at how the river will undermine a tree along the bank.  In places, canopies are created and you can sit underneath the roots of a tree which comes in handy when it rains or on very hot days. 

roots and frayed barge rope, 5/09

All these exposed roots are good catch-alls for whatever the river sends their way.  This tree has snagged a bit of frayed barge rope or cable.  Originally, these ropes are about as thick around as a man’s forearm.  The river has no problem dealing with them.  We will see how high the river gets.  I’m looking forward to making new works in this rearranged environment.

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Steve the Arrowhead Man

Posted in Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, watershed, tagged , , , , on May 3, 2009| 3 Comments »

Steve 5/09

My apologies to the ladies on the left who’s names I don’t know, but the guy on the right is “Steve”.  I had met “Steve” once before, last year, on the park’s western most border where fewer people go.  I was scouting a location for making a sculpture and he was knapping a projectile point out of glass.  On the riverbank, there is this “hail fellow well met’ attitude and so neither of us knows the other’s last name…as if that were important.  Today I was looking for birds and came across “Steve” waiting for a friend near the Interpretive Center.  We recognized each other and struck up a pretty good conversation.  Seems we have a lot in common.  We both grew up as military brats and our love for nature first developed in the woods of Europe.  We also share this idea that many of the ills of the world could be reduced if people would reconnect with their own innate creativity.  There is a feeling of accomplishment in being able to use your hands to make something.  That’s why “Steve” knaps projectile points.  Every one he makes is different.  You need to know and study your material, be it flint or glass, and plan how you are going to approach making the form you imagine in the matrix.  On the surface of the picnic table we were sharing he showed me some of the points he had made.

Steve's points, 5/09

Most are made from local rock and flint found in Harrison County, Indiana.  I like the ones made from plate glass and Milk of Magnesia bottles among other river-given glass.  “Steve” also makes walking sticks and collects morel mushrooms for sale.  He also admits that despite being “residentially challenged” he leads a pretty rich life.  “Being 56 years old, nobody’s going to hire me.”  We talked about stuff I do.  How he has found several of my pieces in remote places.  We talked about birds and how he collected bird’s eggs in England when he was a kid. 

male Northern Oriole singing, 5/08

“Steve” asked me if I could identify the song an oriole makes when I hear one?  And on cue, one unseen in the woods behind us called out.  This picture of one of last year’s Northern Orioles (formerly Baltimore Oriole) is for “Steve” because he brought me luck.  We were talking when the Summer Tanager from my last post appeared.  I went off into the woods chasing beautiful birds and breathing in the perfume of blooming honey locusts.  This time of year one of my favorite flowering vines is in bloom and I associate it with the orioles.  It’s real name escapes me, but I call it yellow trumpet creeper…does anybody out there know what it’s called?  I’m sure I will see “Steve” again…we are alike in that we are drawn to the river.

yellow trumpet creeper vine, 5/09

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Key Man, Styro-figure

Posted in Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , on May 1, 2009| 2 Comments »

Key Man, 4/08

Before my first month of blogging slides into the archive, I thought I would sneak another post into the Riverblog.  There is a favorite patch of Virginia Bluebells or Virginia Cowslips ( same scientific name…different flower guides) that I like to visit at the Falls.  I noticed that this year the patch has gotten a little wider and more successful.  The flower buds are pink before they turn blue.  I am always looking for new places to pose the Styrofoam pieces I make that reflect the season and this looked like a good location.

Key Man, 4/08

Here is the “Key Man” posed in a bed of wildflowers that include the bluebells.  The figure is found Styrofoam, driftwood, and various plastic elements including tiny fishing bobbers for the eyes and “nipples”.  His name derives from the orange plastic key around his waist that was once part of a child’s teething ring.  Keys have power and are potent symbols.  How all that works in this context is up to you! 

Virginia Bluebells or Virginia Cowslips, 4/08

Another view of the Mertensia virginica.  I would like to offer these to the poor guy who jumped off the 2nd Street Bridge the other day.  I was Falls bound, crossing the bridge by car, and saw that there were two other vehicles that had stopped in the middle of the span.  Drawing closer I could see  two men (later learned they were volunteer firefighters) trying to reason with  a person who was preparing to jump off the bridge into the Ohio River.  I drove on wondering if what I was seeing was in fact what was happening.  The following morning, the local newspaper reported that the man had indeed jumped, but was rescued from the water unconcious and taken to a hospital.  That’s all I know.  It’s amazing he survived a fall of that distance into a river with such dangerous currents.  Sometimes the bodies are never found.  These flowers are offered with hope that this unfortunate soul will be able to find some beauty in the world once again.

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Spring Migration

Posted in Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, watershed, tagged , , on April 28, 2009| 1 Comment »

view from Falls, 4/27

Managed to steal a few hours late in the afternoon and visited the Falls.  Bad weather is predicted for later in the week, plus the Kentucky Derby Festival is going on now making routine trips an occassional challenge.  The real reason I’m here today is to look for birds…it’s spring migration time and it seems to be happening a little later this year than last.  I will, however, enjoy anything else that I happen to come upon.  Such as these wildflowers…

prairie trillium or recurved trillium, 4/27

celandine poppy or wood poppy

I’m still learning the wildflowers…but I think the one on the top is called Pairie Trillium or Recurved Trillium.  I’ve never seen this one here before.  The bottom image is of a Celandine or Wood Poppy.  The latter’s stem and flower buds are hairy.  The trilliums were found along the Woodland Trail.

American Robin, 4/27

Okay…I know this is not the most exciting bird, but I found this pose to be interesting.  I came upon this American Robin on the trail and instead of flying away, he froze staring straight at me.  The most spectacular bird I saw today was a male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, but my photo of them is not great.  I hope to have other chances with that species.  Cedar Waxwings were still around and I saw several birds of prey.  The Turkey Vultures are back.  Here’s a recent image of another bird that I think is becoming a problem at the Falls of the Ohio.

brown-headed cowbird, male, 4/09

This is a male, Brown-headed Cowbird, ( the females are a duller gray).  I have seen more of this species than I have seen here before.  The curious thing about this bird is that it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.  This species takes no care at all in raising its own young.  That job is given to the parasitized species.  The young cowbirds usually hatch first and either push out the other eggs or out compete the other young.  The victim species does not recognize that the cowbird is not its own offspring.

ice storm damage, 4/09

Perhaps one reason there are more cowbirds, may have to do with more accessibility in the wooded portions of the Falls.  The Brown-headed Cowbird is not a forest bird , but looks for breaks and clearings where it feels comfortable venturing in to look for other nesting birds.  We have had two extreme weather events in less than a year ( a major ice storm and winds from Hurricane Ike) that have damaged so many trees.  I wonder if this will impact the birds we will see this year and will the cowbird take additional advantage of them?

tent catepillars, 4/09

Tent catepillars seem to be more numerous this year as well.  The trees here are certainly being stressed by various insects.  Unfortunately, there are only a few bird species that will eat these catepillars.

wood car, 4/09

I could have used this image for my last post.  Hopefully, someday I will happen upon this person or persons who like to make “sculpture” from the found materials in the park.  Already I have come across several structures that are mostly driftwood.  This “wood car” is a little different in feeling from their past efforts.  For me, it’s fun to come across something like this.

fisherman, 4/09

Among the willows and fossil rocks was this single fisherman.  I don’t think he was having any luck.  Perhaps like me, just being outside and near the river is it’s own reward.  I am already looking forward to my next visit.

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