Photography Challenge Week 5

Dogwood Photography Challenge Week 5

For Week 5 the challenge was to shoot a composition using symmetry in landscape to create a new viewpoint. I thought I knew what that meant, but I did an internet search looking for examples just to make sure I understood correctly. Basically if you can divide the photo in half either vertically or horizontally and both halves are a mirror of each other, then the picture is symmetrical.

We went to the Audubon Center at Riverlands to look for the trumpeter swans who over-winter in this area on Sunday morning. It was incredibly foggy, so at first we could only hear the swans but couldn't see them. When the fog somewhat lifted, it was a gray and dreary sky so not the best for taking photographs. This is the best I could do under the circumstances. Again, this challenge is all about learning, so at least I am more clear on how to find and shoot symmetry in the future.

Bird is the Word

Audubon Center at Riverlands

Last weekend I picked up one of my friends at 6:20 in the morning, and we drove to the Audubon Center at Riverlands in northeast St. Louis County. We wanted to arrive in time to see the sun coming up over the various bodies of water at the center.

The Audubon Center is located on 3,700 acres of restored prairie marsh and forest, and serves as a migratory bird sanctuary. Over 325 species of songbirds and waterfowl live in or migrate through the area. This time of year the main draw is the arrival of the once endangered trumpeter swans. In late November a record 1,089 swans had been recorded. They will hang around the area until around February or March.

We did get there in time to see the sunrise, but I'm not sure where in the heck the 1,089 swans were hanging out. I would say that we saw several hundred on Heron Pond, which was pretty cool. They are such large birds, with a height of 4 feet and a wingspan of 7 feet. And they are certainly noisy, earning their name of "trumpeters".

trumpeter swans

After we finished with the birds, we decided to play around with our crystal balls. I'm so glad I thought to bring mine along as it was really fun to see what I could come up with when shooting through the ball.

crystal ball

We ended the morning by catching breakfast at a local place called the Florissant City Diner. The food was plentiful and tasty, and the prices were unbelievable. I need to go back there with Jim some morning. What a fun day!

Burn, Baby, Burn

thermos

Yesterday was my semi-annual visit to the dermatologist for skin cancer screening. Since last year was a banner year with four basal cell carcinomas having to be surgically removed within a six month time frame, I wasn't sure what kind of report I would be getting. My doctor, ever optimistic (not!), always enters the exam room with a red plaid thermos filled with liquid nitrogen in hand. I'm old enough to remember the plaid metal lunchbox that came with this exact thermos. What a way to spoil a childhood memory!

The procedure is known as cryotherapy, because liquid nitrogen is extremely cold - at around negative 328 degrees Fahrenheit. Using an extra-long, cotton-tipped swab, the doctor places the liquid nitrogen for ten seconds or so on each spot on my skin that he deems suspicious. The affected skin is frozen, and forms a blister which eventually dries up and falls off. The hope is that all the pre-cancerous cells are killed, and that the remaining cells underneath are healthy. Yesterday I had 25 spots frozen. Yikes! But the good news is that only six of those were on my face, and the doctor was not alarmed by any of the spots that he saw. I'll take that news.

As someone who grew up before the advent of sunblock and spent long, summer days playing outside with my friends, I've had lots of exposure to the sun. Add in my light skin, blue eyes and the fact that I wear my Irish heritage proudly, and I am the poster child for skin cancer. As my doctor says, "You shouldn't walk from the house to your car without wearing sunblock". I try to be vigilant about this.

Onto a happier topic...This weekend we were blessed with incredible weather, particularly on Saturday. I knew that my husband would go out for a motorcycle ride, so I left the house early and drove to the Audubon Center at Riverlands. Many migratory birds stop here during the winter months, and January is usually a good time to see the trumpeter swans. I wrote about visiting the center last January (you can read the post here), and mentioned that there were way fewer birds on site than in 2015. This year I think there were less birds than in 2016. I'm not sure what that means, but it may have something to do with the fact that the weather has been a little milder. Maybe they just don't have to travel so far south to survive the winter. It was a little disappointing, though the sixty plus degree weather helped me get over it.

Audubon Center at Riverlands

Continuing on my drive, I crossed over into Illinois to travel on the River Road. I was hoping to spy some eagles. I saw one swooping down overhead as I was driving, but none in the trees. Normally drivers are pulling over to the side of the road to take photographs or look through binoculars, but that didn't happen either. Driving through Grafton, I saw several cars turning down a side street. Following them, I finally saw an eagle high in a tree. The other photographers there said the eagle had been in the same spot for at least an hour. I snapped off a few photos of the eagle, and then caught this unusual bird formation in the sky. Doesn't it look like a fish?

eagle

The Loading Dock

As luck would have it, my husband and his friend were also traveling on the River Road, so we were able to meet up at The Loading Dock for lunch. It is located right on the river, and has a wonderful patio area. It was nice enough for us to sit outside while we were eating. Following lunch, they continued north and I headed south for home.

On Sunday, Jim and I took our first walk around the neighborhood together since losing Kirby. It was strange not to have him with us, but as each "first" passes, things get easier and easier. I'm sure he walked with us in spirit.

Kirby

Eagle Eyes

Trumpeter Swans

Around this time of year in the St. Louis area there are a couple of birding events that take place, and Jim and I try to get out and take some photographs if our schedules permit. First of all, it is trumpeter season at the Audubon Center at Riverlands in West, Alton. Hundreds of Trumpeter Swans overwinter in the great rivers confluence area. Trumpeter Swans are the largest native waterfowl in North America, reaching lengths of up to 6 feet. Their wing span is around 10 feet! It is believed that this group of swans comes from upper Wisconsin, and they typically spend December through early February here. At this time last year, 960 swans were counted in the Riverlands. Sunday I would say there were only a couple hundred. It is quite something to hear their honking, thanks to long, coiled windpipes. Unfortunately, none of them took off while we were there. That must be something to see as they need about 100 feet of runway space to get airborne.

Trumpeter Swans Audubon Center at Riverlands

The second thing we like to do is look for eagles. When the rivers north of Missouri freeze, the eagles come south looking for food in open waters. According to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, around 2,500 eagles winter along the lock and dams of the Mississippi River. The bluffs along the River Road in Illinois also provide a native habitat for these majestic birds. We took the road along the bluffs as far north as Pere Marquette State Park. Fortunately, you don't have to peer too closely for the birds. You can simply pull your car over to the side of the road where others are parked, especially when you see someone with a long, telephoto lens or a pair of binoculars. There are always other eagle scouts out this time of year.

The eagles have landed

While the day was pretty nippy, arriving early in the morning assured us of catching sight of the birds while they were out to feed. There is just something about seeing the national symbol of the United States in person that warms the heart, if not the body.

For the Birds

Early yesterday morning Jim and I drove to the Audubon Center at Riverlands to see the birds - specifically the trumpeter swans. This bird is the largest waterfowl in the Northern Hemisphere, and the largest swan in the world. It has an eight-foot wingspan! Each year a significant number of these swans migrate south from their summer resorts in the northern United States, Canada and even Alaska seeking open water. Around here that can be found at the audubon center. Last year over 900 swans made this area their winter home, and this year the number appears to be about the same. It was easy to see (or perhaps I should say hear) how they got their name. They are quite noisy!

trumpeter swans and ducks on the Mississippi

ducks with cold feet

birds in flight

After visiting the audubon center, we drove across the bridge into Illinois, and then followed the River Road north hoping to catch a glimpse of eagles. Some bald eagles migrate to our area this time of year as well. We found this handsome guy in a tree along the River Road.

bald eagle

We continued our drive up to Grafton, IL where we had a nice breakfast in the restaurant of the old Ruebel Hotel. The bar is from the 1904 World's Fair - beautiful! 

We had such a nice time on an unseasonably warm day in St. Louis. It was a perfect day for a drive - even if it was for the birds.