cyberastrofolkie's photos with the keyword: Upstate New York Wildlife

I have never seen a hawk this darkly colored. We have many Red-tailed Hawks here in many variations. I believe this one is an Accipiter. The general consensis has been that this is a Cooper's Hawk. I imaged this one in the back yard in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA, very close to where New York meets Connecticut and Massachusetts. It would have been nice if the weather conditions were better. Because of the dark gray day, I had to raise the sensitivity up to ISO 1600. I made some adjustments to the shadows and contrast in FastStone. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55BB SP 500mm f8 Mirror Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 140f 1.4X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K M Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held at the camera with the lens pointed out the opened bathroom window and resting on the window sill, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 700mm, ISO 1600, f8 on lens, 1/180 sec, with available ambient light. My lens was functioning as a 700mm f11 Mirror Lens.

I had my car parked in the lower driveway so as not to block the upper driveway where I usually park, which is near the front door. I did not want to obstruct the front door where the Trick or Treaters might be. I waited until it was past the time any more children might visit and decided to move my car. When I attempted to open the front door, I saw something odd on the outside surface of the door and when I first saw this critter, I thought it was a fake one left there by one of the children as a Trick. On closer examination, it turned out to be a live salamander of some sort and this one decided to crawl up the outside of the front door. It has been raining all evening and it feels rather balmy outside. The whole experience has turned into a real Halloween Treat. I imaged this guy on the front door in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 27A SP 28-80mm f3.5-4.2 CF Macro Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A Mount on Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 75mm focal length, ISO 400, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) without any post-processing, editing, cropping, re-sizing, or adjustment. The dark area at the bottom of the image is a shadow caused by the lens hood.

This is a 2:1, at the sensor, macro image of a Lilac flower and raindrop. I captured this image on May 11, 2013, in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 Macro Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1 Tube and Tamron Adaptall-2 01f 2X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A Mount, all mounted to Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused by moving the entire assembly back and forth, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 400, f19 on lens, 1/30 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a Full Resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post processing, editing, adjustment, cropping, or re-sizing.

This is another view of the "Just Hanging Around" image with a different lens set-up and a different exposure. This is a 1:1 (life-size), at the sensor, image. I imaged this member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II where it landed, hanging from a low branch of a small tree in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, on July 05, 2013. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 macro lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1tube with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A mount on Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, ISO 400, Shake Reduction set to 300mm focal length, f16 on lens, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I imaged this Cicada shed nymph case where the adult Cicada emerged from this case. The nymph lived underground and before emerging came out from underground, crawled up the tree trunk, crawled out a branch. and crawled out to this leaf. If you view this nymph case large, you will see the dried mud still coating the outside of the case from when this nymph lived underground. This nymph was a member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II and was imaged in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, on July 05, 2013. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 macro lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1tube with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A mount on Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, ISO 100, Shake Reduction set to 300mm focal length, f13 on lens, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a less than 1:1 close-up. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I imaged this member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II where it landed, hanging from a low branch of a small tree in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, on July 05, 2013. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my AF Tamron Model 572D 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD lens in macro mode on my Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, focal length 300mm, ISO 800, f13, 1/125 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

Every day, in recent days, I would venture out into the front yard with my camera to image the insects on the flowering lilies: the grasshoppers, the butterlies, and the adult katydids. Every night I would hear the chorouses and conversations of Katy Did, Katy Didn't. On July 27, 2013, I recorded this image of this adult katydid not realizing that this would be the last katydid I would see in the yard. I no longer hear the voices of the katydids at night. In past times I have seen and heard the katydids from July through October, and only after severe frosts would the katydid's voice become silenced. Has something odd happened here in this little corner of southern Columbia County, New York, USA? Or, is this phenomenon occurring elsewhere. Is this the precursor of worse times to come? Or, is this just a temporary condition in this little place in the world? I welcome any and all feedback. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52A SP70-210mm f3.5-4 CF Tele Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 400, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

I believe this is a juvenile Gray Tree Frog. The frog's body is about an inch long. I had gone out the front door to retrieve something from my car, after dark, in the rain, and when I started to re-enter the front door, I noticed something attached to the aluminum siding, which was this frog. I ran inside to grab my camera and take several images, this one being one of them. I imaged this Tree Frog on the side of the house in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52A SP70-210mm f3.5-4 CF Tele Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 200, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

This butterfly gave me many chances for a good digital capture. I imaged this one at the lower end of Sutherland Pond in Ooms Conservation Area, part of the Columbia Land Conservancy, in Chatham, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52A SP70-210mm f3.5-4 CF Tele Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 400, f16, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

For the egret, not for me. This Great Egret, Casmerodius albus, had walked the shoreline of the Roeliff Jansen Kill to a bend in the stream in front of where I was sitting and was walking past me. Because the bank is high above the stream, all of the bird visible is only the bird's head and upper neck. I imaged this scene in Copake, New York, USA, near the border with Ancram, along Empire Road where the stream runs through Snook Hill Farm. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55BB SP 500mm f8 Tele Macro Mirror Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 140f 1.4X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K M Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction previously set to 500mm focal length (forgot to change to 700mm when adding 1.4X TC), ISO 400, f8 on lens (f11 with TC), 1/125 sec, with available ambient light. This lens was functioning as a 700mm f11 lens. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

Standing between a yard and a meter in height, this Great Egret, Casmerodius albus, appears to be an imposing figure when compared to the other residents along this stream. This particular Egret seemed more tolerant of my presence than the Herons and other birdlife. I was sitting on the guardrail along Empire Road, completely out in the open. I like this spot to observe and image the wildlife. The Roeliff Jansen Kill flows through the land belonging to Snook Hill Farm, bends and flows alongside Empire Road before bending again to flow under the bridge on Empire Road. This bird was walking along the shore towards the first bend where I was sitting. I imaged this scene in Copake, New York, USA, near the border with Ancram. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55BB SP 500mm f8 Tele Macro Mirror Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 140f 1.4X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K M Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction previously set to 500mm focal length (forgot to change to 700mm when adding 1.4X TC), ISO 400, f8 on lens (f11 with TC), 1/125 sec, with available ambient light. This lens was functioning as a 700mm f11 lens. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

This appears to be the palest Primrose Moth I have ever seen. We have been regularly checking the Evening Primrose plant for moths and this is our first one on this plant. This is our first plant on the property in several years. Typically, these moths have pink coloring on the wings. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52A SP70-210mm f3.5-4 CF Tele Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 200, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing. This is a half life-size (1:2), at the sensor, close-up.

I encountered and imaged this Dogbane Beetle on a Daisy flower in the parking lot of the Neilmann Preserve in Wilton, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52A SP70-210mm f3.5-4 CF Tele Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 400, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

We were exploring several preserves and conservation areas today in search the Karner Blue Butterfly, which is on the US Federal Endangered Species List. We started out at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, where Karner Blue Butterfly Walks were given throughout the day with none of these butterflies observed. We then drove north to the area of Wilton, New York. There are about a dozen separate conservation areas or preserves within Wilon, New York, USA. There were predictions posted online of an expected hatch of the Karner Blues this week at the Old Gick Farm section. We explored part of that area without any Karner Blue sightings. I did observe a lot of other insect activity there and came back with 105 images of various kinds of insects from that section. We then drove over to the Camp Saratoga section where my friend, Barbara (mudder_bbc), came upon a small cloud of newly hatched Karner Blues along the trail and this image is of a few of them. We estimated there were 40+ butterflies in this location. Most were in one little area along the trail and some were flying nearby and landing on flowers and other vegetation. I took many images there and came back with 152 images from the Camp Saratoga section. I have many to choose from. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52A SP70-210mm f3.5-4 CF Tele Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 400, f22, 1/125 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, adjusting, editing, cropping, or re-sizing.

I imaged this member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II where it landed on a low branch of a small tree in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my AF Tamron Model 572D 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD lens in macro mode on my Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, focal length 300mm, ISO 400, f11, 1/90 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

This member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II flew from a tree to the ground in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, where I took this image. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my AF Tamron Model 572D 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD lens in macro mode on my Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, focal length 300mm, ISO 400, f13, 1/90 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

Insect macro imaging doesn't have to stop when the sun sets. This image was made well after dark under the floodlights outside the sun room in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. Many insects were drawn to the outside lighting including this very small green colored Leaf Hopper. I imaged this one on the door frame under the floodlights. This is a 2.8:1, at the sensor, macro. If you view this one large there is good face and compound eye detail. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 Macro Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1 Tube and Tamron Adaptall-2 140f 1.4X Flat Field Teleconverter and Tamron Adaptall-2 01f 2X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A Mount, all mounted to Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused by moving the entire assembly back and forth, Shake Reduction set to 300mm, ISO 400, f13 on lens, 1/90 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a Full Resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post processing, editing, adjustment, cropping, or re-sizing.

This image is from March 03, 2013. The birds were on a feeding frenzy as the snow was falling. This female Northern Cardinal stopped long enough to allow me this fairly crisp image from her perch on the deck railing about six to eight feet from my camera. I imaged this Cardinal in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 model 55BB SP 500mm f8 Tele Macro mirror lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K M mount on Pentax K20D body, manually focused. hand held at the camera with the lens barrel resting on the window sill and pointed out the opened bathroom window, Shake Reduction set to 500mm, ISO 400, f8, 1/125 sec., with available ambient light. This full resolution large JPEG was edited in FastStone to slightly lighten the shadows to bring out some eye detail.