Cool Nature Photos

[GeneV]

First snow.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

We even have mushrooms in Texas. Just saw this one behind the shop, wasn't there yesterday.

 

[bunyip]

Couple more from the Monaro area, the contrast of black clouds and sunlight behind us, I fly fish in this area and it can be quite productive.

 

[oosik]

Bunyip - your Monaro area looks a lot like what we have here in Ea WA state.

 

[snymat68]

Here's a few I took on my lunch break yesterday.

 

[cqaigy2]

The frozen, then thawed grapes?, look pretty cool with the red migrating down into the droplet.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

SR

 

[snymat68]

The frozen, then thawed grapes?, look pretty cool with the red migrating down into the droplet.

Almost dead berries on a bush with thorns.

Autumn pictures.

Nice

 

[dalola]

That sounds about right. They pulled the tracks in '88, and the initiative to make it into a multipurpose rail-trail started in the late 90's I believe. The section of trail where the tunnel lies is pretty popular these days, with a big Halloween bash at midnight the last several years, due to all the ghost stories from the area. Pretty creepy place after dark, when no one else is there.

Here's one from earlier in the summer, my youngest son guarding the entrance.

 

[oosik]

Several years ago I started a project of identifying all flowering plants on my property. So far 91 - with a few more to "catch".

These are a couple I like the best.

Idaho Blue Grass/Flax - View attachment 627114


Camas - View attachment 627115

 

[snymat68]

Those are cool.

 

[4get gto]

This guy won't be around much longer...

 

[oosik]

4get gto - the pic of your mantis tells me you still have green grass. Late summer/early fall the mantis around here turn "dead grass tan".

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Ok, here is one I took on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska while my son and I were on a motorcycle trip in 2004. Actually it is about 4 or 5 images stitched together to make the panoramic. Shot it with a Nikon D100 which had no panoramic setting. It was late at night in early July, hence the deep shadows.

 

[snymat68]

Nice shot(s).

 

[4get gto]

4get gto - the pic of your mantis tells me you still have green grass. Late summer/early fall the mantis around here turn "dead grass tan".

That picture was taken probably a month ago. But our grass is still green and praying mantis are still around....Didn't even have a good frost yet. Tho that could change tonite so I hear.

 

[oosik]

We have had hard frost almost every night/morning for the last two weeks here. The gravel driveway is freezing up nice and hard. Great for plowing when we get snow.
The mantis are hard enough to find when they are mint green. Next to impossible when they are dead grass tan and mixed in with the fields of dead grass.

We would go down on the Kenai every year for "clamming" at either Clam Gulch or the Ninilchick. Usually during the extreme spring tides.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

The tides there amazed me. Huge mud flats showing when we went down. Then water coming in when we came out. Really pretty also.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Over the years, I've dug a LOT of clams at Clam Gulch...

On low tide, there's an island that appears, (BIG sand bar) and that's the place to make a killing on clams. You just have to be VERY careful watching the tide, you don't want to get stuck out there with the tide coming in. A few have drown there, from not paying attention!

SR

 

[oosik]

Every year - several get "stuck" and have to be rescued. Occasionally one or two drown. I saw a young "buckaroo" loose his brand new Bronco. Folks think when the tides go out - sand flats are exposed. BIG MISTAKE - what you see out there are mud flats formed from glacial silt. It is sticky, it will grab on and not let go.

There is another interesting phenomenon that happens in Knik Arm. During the extreme spring tides - you will get a tidal bore. It's the extremely rapid tides coming back into the arm. The incoming tide meets the outgoing water from the river off the Knik glacier. It's like a miniature tsunami. I've seen a bore that was nearly three feet high.