Red Twig Dogwood
Swaths of Red Twig Dogwood brighten an otherwise brown winter landscape along Dike Road. The gravel part of the road that crosses the Horicon Marsh is not yet open for us to drive through.
We can look forward to clusters of white flowers on the Dogwood in late spring.
Have you heard of the rule of f/11 when shooting the moon? I have heard that a good starting point is to use ISO 100, an f/11 aperture, and a shutter speed of 1/200 when taking pictures of the moon. Tweak from there. The above shot was taken at ISO 100, f/6.3, and a shutter speed of 1/1000. It was taken at 3:30 in the afternoon. I was happy with the detail in this photo, since most of my shots of the moon are featureless white blobs. If you have tips for shooting the moon, please let us know in the comments area.
Red-tailed Hawk
This Red-tailed Hawk was keeping watch high in a tree along Highway Z. We had sunshine today at the Horicon Marsh after a number of gray days in a row. Whether sunny, gray, or we’re seeing red, it is always a great day to visit the Horicon Marsh.
The Snowy Owl was elusive today as I drove through the fog shrouded Horicon Marsh. Several vigilant hawks were perched high in trees, including this Red-tailed Hawk.
He fans his reddish brown tail feathers as he takes flight, confirming his identity.
Sharing the backside of a hawk flying away isn’t a prize winning shot. What I found interesting though, is how relaxed his feet are as he releases his grip on the tree branch.
Hawk Leg Tendons
Hawks have three main leg bones that form a “Z.” Muscles that attach to the back of the leg bones have long tendons. These tendons pass through grooves behind the “ankle” and end at the underside of the toes. (Tendons attach muscles to bones.) Think of the tendon as a big rubber band going over a pulley. When a hawk straightens its leg, the muscle contracts and shortens. There is less tension on the tendon since it does not have to travel as far, and the toes open. A hawk uses this mechanism when it approaches a perch or its prey. The hawk then flexes its legs to grasp the perch or prey. Flexion stretches the tendon and puts more tension on it, causing the toes to close. We have a similar mechanism in our wrists and hands. Try to bend your wrist back and grasp a pen. Then bend your wrist down as far as you can. Your grasp will loosen on the pen and it will be harder to hold. This is referred to as a tenodesis grip in humans and is used as a tool in physical and occupational therapy to rehabilitate damaged tendons.
A hawk’s body weight increases the effect. This passive closing of the toes allows the muscles to relax and the hawk can stay perched for long periods of time without expending energy.
Hawks also have keen vision. As soon as they see my car slowing down, off they go to find another lookout post to survey the Horicon Marsh.
It is a calm, gray, fall day, perfect for a drive on the auto tour. Sumac is turning red, orange, and yellow.
The velvety, reddish brown fruit is rich in Vitamin A. Apparently, birds aren’t all that excited about eating it, but they will resort to it if other food is scarce.
Trumpeter Swans and their growing cygnets enjoy a leisurely swim.
A little boy was walking with his mother along the road as I was standing taking pictures. He exclaimed, “Mom, she is taking pictures of that white bird!” He was so excited and so was I.
The prolific cattails are going to seed. Cattails are actually an herb. Each spike can contain 220,000 seeds!
Milkweed is also an herb. The plant contains cardiac glycosides, similar to Foxglove, that are used to treat some heart diseases. These glycosides are absorbed by Monarch butterfly larvae. Milkweed is the only thing the larvae eat. The glycosides make the larvae and adult butterflies toxic to birds and other predators.
Canada Geese take a break before migrating south.
This Great Blue Heron stands in the water near the road.
I love the coloring of the Red-tailed hawk. His eyes looks so dark and almost hollow. Red-tailed Hawks have keen vision. They can see their prey, like a mouse, a mile away.
Some of the information today was found in the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Eastern Region.
Recent Comments