Photography

Colorful Fall Flowers

The red tree, at about noon time, where I parked and ate lunch in  the red sun light passing through the leaves

Oct 10, 2014, Eden Prairie, MN

this is an Acer x freemanii hybrid of red maple (A. rubrum) and silver maple (A. saccharinum)

Nice fall colors on the side of this hill, in the shade you will see frost on the grass – Oct 10, 2014, Hopkins, MN

Photo above shows a sumac plant

October 8, 2014 – Chan, MN

In Chanhassen, MN – October 8, 2014

Plant identification post:

This one is: Viburnum trilobum/opulus – canberrybush viburnum

October 2, 2014 – Eden Prairie MN

Fall colors, Chanhassen, MN

Oct 9, 2014

above photo is at highway 212

Below, shows early fall colors in the metro

Below is Red Rock lake in Eden Prairie

The “Forbidden” Red Fruit

(click photo to enlarge)

A “Taxus media”, A.K.A “Hicksii Yew” plant and fruit. All parts of this plant are poisonous.
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Great for a desktop background image

Shot Aug 28, 2010 ::  Next to the Hennepin Public Library, Minnetonka, MN

Taken with a Canon Rebel XSi 12.2 MP D-SLR Camera

More info:

Taxus media (Hicksii Yew)

This yew can reach 20 feet high in 20 years and while it is narrow when young, it grows wider with age. Both male and female columnar clones produce deep dark green needles on top and pale green underneath. In general, form is broadly pyramidal with a central leader. Similar to Taxus cuspidata, the Anglojap Yew has olive green branchlets which do not turn brown the second year. Bud scales are blunt and leaves are two-ranked. Thrives in sandier soil that is acid to neutral and well-drained. Does well in either sun or shade.
Important Info : All plant parts are poisonous if ingested

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I like this bird, I don’t see it often enough.

Photo shot from 30 ft away

It is exciting to see a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, and these birds are smart and they simply look pleasant (happy), I think it’s their eyes and face that give me this impression.

You may wonder, why this bird is red-bellied while it clearly is red-headed?
The answer is simple, the belly is red, we just can’t see it.

I am 50-80 feet away from the bird here

I think this bird could have been named “zebra” (for the zebra-pattern black and white color on its back, wings and tail), red-crowned, or red-necked bird.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are relatively new to the North. Like northern cardinals, northern mockingbirds and tufted titmice, these birds are native to the Southeast. It’s only been in the late part of last century that they pioneered northward. Now these birds are found through the Upper Midwest and Northeast from the Great Plains east to New England.

(click each photo to enlarge)

A Red-Bellied Woodpecker

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Beautiful eye-catching red Cardinal.

About to Fly

Flying

This Northern Cardinal has very little black around the bill.
Lowering his crest (yes it’s a he) as he flies.

Shot March 24, 2010

Taken with a Canon Rebel XSi 12.2 MP D-SLR Camera from about 30ft away

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Eat Healthy, Eat Beautifully

Pepper, Fig, Carrot, Cucumber

March 24, 2010

Taken with a Canon Rebel XSi 12.2 MP D-SLR Camera