APAWC – Angry Birds

Nancy Merrill has chosen birds as the subject for this week’s Photo A Week Challenge and many of you will know that the only way I’ll take a picture of a bird is either from a safe distance or from behind a window or similar barrier.  My life-long fear of birds has kept me at a distance from these beautiful creatures but it doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate them or enjoy capturing the occasional image.   However, these birds were definitely not in a mood to be trifled with.

One angry bird!  This swan did not appreciate an over-inquisitive visitor to the Chicago Botanic Garden getting too close to its young ones.

Never get between a hawk and its dinner. This angry bird evidently didn’t welcome anyone else getting near the plat du jour.

This bird, at Brookfield Zoo, was decidedly cheesed-off about something. It kept marching up and down and making a lot of noise and I, for one, wasn’t about to get in its way.

Also at Brookfield Zoo, this eagle obviously considered it an invasion of his privacy when I used the long lens to get some candid shots.

For more on Nancy’s A Photo A Week Challenge go to A Photo a Week Challenge: Birds

OWPC – Heron

Perfect timing!  The subject for Jennifer’s One Word Photo Challenge this week is heron.  Traveling down to Indianapolis for our grandson’s wedding last week, we stopped at Lake Dalecarlia for a couple of days and were greeted by a heron that visited the family’s boat dock every morning and evening. It followed the same pattern each day, landing on one side of the boathouse and strolling around to the other side to take off again.  For more on Jennifer Nichole Wells One Word Photo Challenge go to This Week’s Challenges: July 9 – 15 (OWPC & WW)

A Photo A Week Challenge – Mountain

This week, Nancy Merrill has us looking to the mountains for her Photo A Week Challenge.

Taking a picture through the dirty windshield of a fast-moving car is not the most ideal way of capturing a shot but I managed to salvage this view, seen in Colorado, with the help of a little HDR.

On our way through Wyoming we drove along the Snowy Range Pass where we encountered some wonderful scenery.

And then on to Utah.

During our stay in Salt Lake City we took a side-trip to do a little hiking near Alta.

For more on Nancy’s A Photo A Week Challenge go to A Photo a Week Challenge: Mountain

OWPC – Giraffe

The One Word Photo Challenge from Jennifer Nichole Wells this week is Giraffe.  These are such graceful creatures and Brookfield Zoo offers an excellent opportunity for capturing some nice shots.

Measuring up.

I love you, Mommy!

 

Tree smooching.

For more on Jennifer’s One Word Photo Challenge go to This Week’s Challenges: June 11 – 17 (OWPC & WW)

 

A Photo A Week – Moving Waters

Nancy Merrill has suggested Moving Waters as the theme for her Photo A Week Challenge this week and, looking through the archives, I realized I had quite a few images that might fit the bill.

Pictured above, Copper Falls State Park near Mellen in northern Wisconsin.

A fish ladder on the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park near Paradise, Michigan.

The fountains at Brookfield Zoo, Illinois.  A refreshing sight on a hot day.

For more on Nancy’s A Photo A Week Challenge go to A Photo a Week: Moving Waters

Poppies, Butterflies and A Corpse Flower

It’s been a few weeks since my last visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden and in that time most of the usual spring flowers have come and gone.  I missed the tulips, tree blossoms and the azaleas in the Japanese Garden but fortunately was just in time to see the annual, colorful display of Iceland poppies on the hill just outside the English Walled Garden.

There was much activity throughout the Garden as preparations are being made for this year’s theme which is ‘Brazil in the Garden’ so it wasn’t really a good time for taking pictures and I headed over to the Butterflies and Blooms exhibit which has returned to the newly renovated Regenstein Learning Campus.  Here too, things were only just beginning to get going but I did manage to capture a couple of nice butterfly shots.

But undoubtedly the stars of the show and what most people had come to the Garden to see that day were not just one but two rare Corpse Flowers nicknamed ‘The Titan Twins’ that were on display in the greenhouse.

 

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Gardens

The topic for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week is Gardens and do I have the garden pictures!!  Wherever we go on our travels we always look out for a pleasant public garden in which to spend some time and over the years we have found a multitude of gorgeous places.  Rather than overload the post with too many images, I’ve narrowed it down to just a few of the more memorable gardens that we’ve visited.

Closest to home is the Chicago Botanic Garden and probably my most favorite spot to sit and look at the flowers is the Circle Garden.

The Frederik Meijer Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides a delightful blend of art and nature.

Although the reason we went to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis was chiefly to see the Chinese Lantern Festival, we went back again to take in everything else that the garden had to offer and it was spectacular!

Another place that really impressed us was the garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The perfume in the rose garden was heavenly!

Green Bay Botanical Garden in Wisconsin is another one of my favorites.  We have spent many hours wandering around here looking at all the beautiful flowers and plants.

Back to Illinois and the gardens at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.  Immaculately kept, these gardens are a must-see for anyone visiting the area.

Also in Illinois, Anderson Japanese Garden in Rockford is a little different in that it doesn’t have a huge display of flowers but makes up for it with tranquil settings amid lush greenery.  Make sure you visit the waterfall and perhaps feed the koi fish swimming in the pool.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge visit https://ceenphotography.com/2017/05/23/cees-fun-foto-challenge-gardens/