Not so Itsy Bitsy Spider....

Ryan had a great video of a spider on his web... which creeped me out to no end, thanks Ryan. BUT, in the interest of Halloween coming up and spooky critters aloft... here's my macro shot of a rather large Garden Spider hanging out on my house. Nothing like turning the corner and having this guy (or gal) greeting you at the garage. *shudders* I have to say, I was a little apprehensive in getting close to this guy, but if he moved an millimeter, I would have been outta there!

Oh, and sorry for the arachnophobic folks out there like myself.... I couldn't resist this rather large spiders beauty...

Posted in: Spider

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Okay, so maybe it's not so itsy bitsy after all.  Sorry to all the arachniphobes for the close ups of the spider.  It was really cool watching him run around the web and wrapping up gnats for future consumption.  Watch close in the video and you will catch a couple gnats smacking into the web.  This spider won't have to worry about where his next meal is coming from for some time.  This really makes me want to get a macro lens for such occasions.


Itsy Bitsy Spider from Ryan Ankeny on Vimeo.

Posted in: Spider

Blackacre Nature Preserve in Louisville

On my "vacation" from work, my wife and I took a trip to Blackacre Nature Preserve in J-Town off of Taylorsville Road.  This was the first time I had ever been and it was a nice quite place full of history.  Blackacre is an old farmstead that has been preserved so current generations can have an idea of what living in Kentucky was like in the past.  We mostly stuck around the old barn and pasture fields, but there are trails to hike as well.

Top of the old barn

Sun lights the path

Mostly what I wanted to go for was to take some pictures of the horses and farm animals.  There were all types of critters running around, it kind of looked like the state fair!  There were horses, donkeys, goats, and cows.  I focused mainly on the horses as the good light was fading fast.  I also took quite a bit of video of the goats and other animals, which I may get loaded on here soon if I'm not too busy.

This horse had burlap over its eyes.  I don't know why.  Maybe he gets nervous when he sees all the people staring at him.  He was very gentle and sweet to us though.  I think it gives the pictures an eerie touch.

I will definitely be going back to check out the rest of the estate and trails.  Be sure to stop and say hello to the kids when you're there, and by kids I mean baby goats!

Posted in: Blackacre Nature Preserve,Horse

Fall Warblers in Louisville

Lots of fall warblers have been moving through the woods the past few weeks.  As fall migration starts to wind down I thought I'd share some pictures I managed to get recently.  Below is a Palm Warbler in winter plumage.  Palm Warblers are common warblers, in spring they have bright chestnut caps atop their head.  In fall, like all warblers, they are less colorful but retain the bright yellow undertail coverts.  They also are known for pumping their tails up and down, a good characteristic to look for to identity Palm Warblers.

The three birds below gave me some trouble when trying to identify them.  The first bird is clearly a Tennesse Warbler in winter plumage.  It is tinged yellow all over and the eye-stripe give it away.  The last two birds are a bit more difficult to ID but I am *pretty* sure they are Tennessee Warblers as well, just birds that are in various stages of molting into their winter plumage (or they could be something else entirely).  If you think I am wrong be sure to leave a comment and set me straight.  :)

 

Next, the only warbler that regularly spends the winter in Kentucky, the Yellow-rumped Warbler, affectionately known by some as "Butterbutts" for their bright yellow rump patch.  I found a group feeding in some walnut trees this weekend along the Salt River in Shepherdsville.  Check out World Bird Wednesday for more bird photos.

Posted in: Palm Warbler,Tennessee Warbler,Walnut Tree,Yellow Rumped Warbler

Shorebirds in Louisville

Some shorebirds I've been seeing lately in Louisville.  Below is the ever-present Killdeer hanging out by a puddle.  The bird below gave me some trouble so I outsourced the ID to some local shorebird experts.  Turns out it is a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper.  New bird for me!  :)

Killdeer

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Posted in: Buff-breasted Sandpiper,Killdeer

Kentucky Goldenrod

The trees have yet to change but fall color is not limited to the reds and yellows of falling leaves.  The Goldenrod, Kentucky's state flower, is on full display right now.  Goldenrod was adopted as the state flower in 1926, replacing the trumpet vine.  There is some disagreement on which species is actually the state flower.  The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives names Solidago gigantea as the state flower, but it is speculated that Solidago patula was the intended species when the resolution to adopt the Goldenrod was passed.  The statute that named Goldenrod as the state flower failed to indicate which of the 30 species growing in the state was the actual state flower.

Monarch Butterflies visit Goldenrod in the fall to refuel on their long trip back to Mexico.  Butterflies in the eastern half of the United States migrate to the pine-oak forests of southern Mexico and those west of the Rocky Mountains migrate and overwinter in central and southern Cailfornia.  These beauties won't be around much longer so catch them while they are still around.  Turns out I was a little too quick to ID this butterfly.  It is in fact a Viceroy butterfly, a known mimic of the Monarch.  Thanks to Sam Galick from flickr for the accurate ID.

Posted in: Goldenrod,Viceroy

Prairie Thistle

Posted in: Prairie Thistle