Rayetta's Butterflies - Nature and the Naturalist
The CB is partly an experiment in small scale, one acre, ecology. Mr. Red Ears, proprietor, encourages native plant species diversity. The plants, in turn maybe, bring in the little animals. Many butterflies, for example, are little enough to run through a cycle or two of their lives contained entirely within the boundaries of the CB, maybe. The skipper and crescent abundance at the CB could be a reflection of just that. To date, Day 168 of DY 1, we have documented about 50 butterfly species at the CB.
Birds, on the other hand are way too big. For example, despite a smidgen of tall grass prairie habitat established at the CB, we have noted no appreciable increase in native sparrow visits or seasonal occupancy over a ten year span. In fact, since most of the grassland sparrow habitat in these parts has been obliterated, we see fewer grassland sparrows at the CB now, than formerly. So even little sparrows are way too big for the CB.
For the naturalist, and conservative, having a great diversity of native plants, handy, is lots of fun. At the CB we have about 350 native plants species crammed into an acre at any given nonce. Considered temporally, the species come and go. Scrophs, for example, are very hard to keep here for long due to deer herbivory. So we re-introduce them. Or we use exclosures.
The little animals attracted to the native plants are also lots of fun. So we are documenting some of their antics pictorially. But being naturalists, we like to know a little something about what's included in the pictures, or better yet, we like to know everything. Hmmm. Just yesterday I was reminded that, You can never know enough!!!!
So that brings me to the subtopic, photography equipment for the naturalist who wants to know everything. The naturalist who wants to know everything may be poor in money. Hark! though. That is not very important. What is more important is that the naturalist knows a little something. Course, being right with the Goddess is even more helpful.
Here are a couple of pictures shot with an E 330, live view A, hand held, out of the camera JPGS, employing the very cheap Zuiko 14-45 kit lens.
A patch of pretty good butterfly habitat. Whoa! The venue has refused to load the bottom of the picture on the CB monitor. The picture may be too big. Go figure! Here it is again, cropped.
A phaon crescent in the pretty good butterfly habitat. Strictly P&S.
Birds, on the other hand are way too big. For example, despite a smidgen of tall grass prairie habitat established at the CB, we have noted no appreciable increase in native sparrow visits or seasonal occupancy over a ten year span. In fact, since most of the grassland sparrow habitat in these parts has been obliterated, we see fewer grassland sparrows at the CB now, than formerly. So even little sparrows are way too big for the CB.
For the naturalist, and conservative, having a great diversity of native plants, handy, is lots of fun. At the CB we have about 350 native plants species crammed into an acre at any given nonce. Considered temporally, the species come and go. Scrophs, for example, are very hard to keep here for long due to deer herbivory. So we re-introduce them. Or we use exclosures.
The little animals attracted to the native plants are also lots of fun. So we are documenting some of their antics pictorially. But being naturalists, we like to know a little something about what's included in the pictures, or better yet, we like to know everything. Hmmm. Just yesterday I was reminded that, You can never know enough!!!!
So that brings me to the subtopic, photography equipment for the naturalist who wants to know everything. The naturalist who wants to know everything may be poor in money. Hark! though. That is not very important. What is more important is that the naturalist knows a little something. Course, being right with the Goddess is even more helpful.
Here are a couple of pictures shot with an E 330, live view A, hand held, out of the camera JPGS, employing the very cheap Zuiko 14-45 kit lens.
A patch of pretty good butterfly habitat. Whoa! The venue has refused to load the bottom of the picture on the CB monitor. The picture may be too big. Go figure! Here it is again, cropped.
A phaon crescent in the pretty good butterfly habitat. Strictly P&S.
posted by ray pistrum at Wednesday, June 06, 2007
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