We’re on a temperature roller coaster here in southwestern New Hampshire, with temps in the low 20s one day and high 30s the next. This weekend they say we might hit 50 degrees, so the ice and snow will be melting fast.
Watching water freeze probably wouldn’t be considered high excitement, but if the above shot is compared to the one in last Saturday’s post, taken from the same spot, the slow buildup of ice in the Ashuelot river can be seen.
Last Saturday none of this ice was here.
While I was at the river I walked along the banks to my favorite grove of witch hazel shrubs (Hamamelis virginiana.) I found one blooming here on the day before Christmas, and here it is still blooming. It is supposed to be a late fall bloomer-one of the latest-but seeing it blooming this late is strange. It is only one plant out of many that is doing this, and I’d bet that plant breeders would love to get their hands on it and develop an “ever blooming” witch hazel.
This is what one would expect an American witch hazel to look like at this time of year. The small cups are formed by four bracts that curve back. The petals unfurl from these cups on warm fall days. It takes about a year for the plant to form seeds.
Alder (Alnus) fruits come in the shape of small cones, called strobiles, which contain even smaller seeds, called nutlets. These flat, triangular seeds are an important food source for small birds like chickadees. Alders like a lot of moisture and can be found on the banks of ponds, rivers and streams in full sun.
These are the male staminate flowers of the alder, called catkins, which will open in the spring and release pollen to fertilize the female flowers. The female flowers will then produce the strobiles shown in the previous picture.
Lichens are much easier to see in the winter. This is bristly beard lichen (Usnea hirta) I think. I’m beginning to see that, though they grow almost anywhere, many lichens seem to prefer growing near a water source like a river or a lake. Ledges that trickle groundwater are another good spot to find them.
I’ve never noticed before that the bright red fruits of the burning bush (Euonymus alatus) seem to turn to a kind of orange jelly in the winter. I’m surprised there were any fruits left because birds love them. Burning bush, also called winged euonymus, is one of our most invasive plants and the woods near the river are full of them.
It’s easy to see how whitewash lichen (Phlyctis argena) got its name because it looks like somebody took a paintbrush to the tree trunk that it grows on. This crustose lichen almost always grows on deciduous trees like red maple but can occasionally be found on conifers. It is also called blemished lichen.
I liked these furry looking seed heads but couldn’t figure out what plant they were on. It had a woody stem and stood about a foot and a half tall.
Hoar frost is also called rime and forms when water vapor contacts surfaces which are below freezing. The sun melted the snow around this clump of grass, but then frost formed on it quickly. This frost usually happens when the sky is clear and is also called radiation frost for the radiational cooling that takes place before it forms.
Wilderness touches the heart, mind and soul of each individual in a way known only to himself ~Michael Frome
Thanks for stopping in.
Thank you for the beautiful photos and amazing description.
You’re welcome John. Thank you for visiting.
Enjoy all the shots but my favorites the second and last. I have noticed the different appearance of hoar’s frost but never understood how it came about. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Grampy!
What a beautiful place! I really like the second picture too. The smoothness of the water as it drops down and the colors are beautiful.
Thanks for posting.
🙂
Thank you Chris, I’m glad you liked it. That second photo that everyone likes was just a one click afterthought. I’ll have to pay more attention from now on!
Allen, could the furry seed heads be a bush clover?
Maybe Hairy Bush Clover?
Just a guess.
🙂
That’s an excellent guess, but I have no way of knowing for sure. If I can find it again I’ll mark it with marking tape so I can watch it next summer. Thanks!
You are getting more very nice stuff from that camera! I really love the second shot!
We are on the same roller coaster with our weather. Last week very warm, this week quite cold. Personally I wish it would just level out and drop a few feet of snow.
Thank you Montucky. I’d rather have level weather too, but not feet of snow. If we get too much I get ice dams on the roof and have to shovel it, so a few inches is enough for me. If it wasn’t for that I’d say bring it on-I love the snow, but not the shoveling!
Pleased you’re getting on with your new camera, Allen (so that’s your name!). Quite a learning curve isn’t it … if it is anything like mine. The instruction manual is as thick as my finger … and all in English, not just several pages in 20 languages. Makes my head spin. Dave
Thanks David. Sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself-I never know if we should do that here on these blogs or not. Yes, the manual for this camera is the same-long and complicated. I usually turn to it when I can’t make the camera do something I know it can do, and ignore it the rest of the time. If I sat and read the darn thing cover to cover I’d never get the chance to take any pictures.
Again, very nice, Allen…and I have to agree with Melanie…your photos seem to be getting better and better…I wonder if you’re not looking at things differently now that you have your new camera…..
Thanks Scott. That could be. I think, once you learn what a camera is capable of, it almost makes you look at things differently. This one is able to get almost microscopic detail so I can look for musch smaller things to photograph. That’s always fun because most people never see these things in nature. It has also forced me to use a mono or tripod more often!
Seems to change the realm of possibilities, and I’m sure you do have to use something to stabilize the camera a bit more, getting in so close. And I think you’re right, too…most people never see some of the things you capture with such a close eye…. Keep it up…. 🙂
I think your photographs are getting better and better! These images are all so beautifully composed. I love the shallow depth of field you’ve chosen for the close-ups, so we can see the details of your subjects. Such a wonderful variety here, too. The furry seed head looks so fluffy and jumps right out of the screen on the white background. The colors of the witch hazel and the red fruit of the burning bush are spectacular. The shot of the Alder fruit is outstanding with its splendid bokeh. Great post!
Thank you Melanie. I’m not sure if you saw that post, but right after Christmas I did one saying that I wasn’t happy with my Canon’s ability to take macro photos and I had decided to get a Panasonic Lumix because I had seen you do such fantastic things with it. Anyhow, my kids ended up getting me one for Christmas and I’ve been having a ball with it. It’s a great camera and I thank you for introducing me to it!
I must not have seen that post, but will go right now and look for it! I’m thrilled to know that you got a Lumix, and am happy that you’re having such a great time with it. That’s the best part!
I’d recommend it to anyone who wanted to do macro photography, that’s for sure! I’ll also tell them that if they want to see what this camera can REALLY do, they should visit your blog. Both of my kids already have.
Sorry, not much time this morning other than to say another very informative post! I’m off to chase a golden eagle spotted in the area, wish me luck!
I do wish you luck Jerry, and I can’t wait to see pictures of that eagle!
I should have stayed home and blogged.
Wow, they are so pretty!!
Thank you. I’m glad that you like them!