Skies, Clouds, and Trees in Black and White

This photo is from Manasquan Reservoir, last Saturday morning. The sky was clear with patches of clouds; later in the day, clouds would fill the sky, but at this point it was still sunny. What impressed me about this scene was the variety of cloud types and altitudes, in just this one small portion of the sky. The dead trees in the foreground were presumably killed when the reservoir was initially flooded. In the distance you can see the dam. I shot this with a polarizing lens and then applied black and white processing in GIMP.

In autumn, I normally like to emphasize color, especially for trees that have turned brilliant shades of yellow, orange, or red. We only get these colors for a few short weeks; during the rest of the year trees are either green or bare, so it seems good to take advantage of the colors while we have them. However, these brilliant colors can create interesting effects in black and white. This tree is a Pin Oak, and most of its leaves are at least tinged with dark red. (The color looks a bit like this tree.) In black and white, the contrast between the blue of the sky and the red of the leaves jumps out much more dramatically than it does in color. In this version, the blue sky appears dark while the red leaves appear light.

SkyWatch: Swallowtails

Since the start of summer I have been seeing more large butterflies, especially Monarchs and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. So far I have mostly seen male swallowtails, such as this one nectaring at a neighbor's butterfly bush, but presumably some females are around or about to emerge.

This swallowtail looks worse for wear. It must have had a narrow escape from a bird while its wings were folded, as large chunks are missing from both hindwings.

Photos links to larger images on Flickr.
 

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SkyWatch: Pyramidian

Pyramidian by Mark di Suvero, at the Storm King Art Center.

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SkyWatch: Earth Day

Above are some trees leafing out against the sky on Earth Day 2010. Below are some sky blue flowers, Forget-me-nots.

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Skywatch: Icicles

The combination melting snow and prolonged cold air temperatures have caused icicles to form in front of my house. The stems extending downward from the gutter – the subject of my SkyWatch shot – were not the most impressive part of this formation. Water dripping from the roof froze and accumulated on the bush below. The resulting series of icicles seems like an icy cascade extending from the gutter almost to the ground.

While the icicles hanging from the gutter have since fallen, the ones in the bush were still there the last time I checked.

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SkyWatch: SnowWatch

Some readers might have noticed that the Mid-Atlantic states got a bit of snow this week. For many states in the region, this has been the snowiest season on record; for many of the region's cities, the season's three major storms have been among the heaviest snowfalls ever recorded.

Yesterday it snowed all day. New Brunswick's official snowfall total was 16 inches. That figure seems to match what I saw in my neighborhood. Unlike the previous storms this winter, this storm brought wet, heavy snow, made more heavy because of midday sleet. By late yesterday afternoon, many tree branches were pulled low by the weight of the wet snow. After I took my pictures, I knocked snow off as many of them as I could.

By this morning, the snow had stopped and the sun had come out. However, there was much snow to be cleared, and it will probably stay here for a while.

Despite what some people are claiming, the heavy snowstorms this winter are not evidence against climate change. Snowstorms like these occur when very cold air meets warm, moist air. Thanks to an active El Nino and an unusual jet stream pattern, we have had plenty of both this winter. The best explanations of the phenomenon are on Jeff Masters' WunderBlog and the Cape May County Herald.

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I and the Bird and SkyWatch

I and the Bird #118 is now online in some weird dialect at Ben Cruachan Blog, a long-time member of the blogosphere.

The photo above, presented here for SkyWatch Friday, is from the early morning last Sunday on Cape Ann.

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SkyWatch: Snow Day

This photo is from Sunday, when the last few snowflakes were still drifting down and branches were covered with snow. The tree on the left is a cedar; the ones on the right are maples. No snow is left on the branches now, but we still have plenty on the ground since the temperature has not risen enough to melt all of it. Perhaps that will happen this weekend.

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SkyWatch: Magnolia

This is a magnolia tree; I am not sure of the species. The principle magnolia found in the wild in New Jersey is probably Sweetbay Magnolia, which this tree is not. Instead I think it may be a Cucumbertree, one of the taller magnolia species.

While branches near the top reached for the sky, this tree's lower branches arched downwards in graceful curves.

What tipped me off to the tree's family were the large buds, which are fairly distinctive. This tree is already preparing for spring.

Trees in the magnolia family are unusual among deciduous trees in having tough, waxy leaves. In northern regions, these leaves turn brown and drop in the fall. In southern regions, some species may stay evergreen through the winter.

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SkyWatch: Black and White Reflections

Sometimes it helps to look down if you want to see the sky. Here is the color version.

These photos were taken in the Princeton Institute Woods. Stony Brook, the stream in the images, is crossed by a narrow footbridge that connects to the D&R Canal. The bridge is labeled a "swing bridge" on trail maps, but there does not seem to be any swing mechanism involved. However, it does bounce as you walk across.

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SkyWatch Robin

 
I took this photo while the skies were somber at the end of last week. With persistent rain and wind spread over several days, the chances for birding were pretty brief, so I tried to make the most of them. This American Robin sat still as I approached; it seemed preoccupied with swallowing or regurgitating something.

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SkyWatch: Winged Sumac

A sumac seems like a short plant for a SkyWatch post, but it depends on one's perspective. Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) is one of several sumac species native in eastern North America. It is also known as shining sumac, flameleaf sumac, and dwarf sumac. Sumacs are early succession plants, common in old fields, waste areas, and highway medians. Winged sumac is especially common along New Jersey's shore, where its tolerance for dry, sandy soil and harsh conditions allow it to thrive.

Like other sumacs, winged sumac has compound leaves. In autumn the leaves turn bright red. This species gets its name from the narrow leaflets that grow along its leafstalk in between the larger leaflets.

In winter, sumacs drop their leafstalks along with the leaflets, leaving only the bare trunks and branches. At the top of each branch is a cluster of red berries, called drupes. These fruits provide a winter food source for birds and mammals. I have rarely seen birds eating sumac fruit, so I assume they eat it mainly in emergencies when little else is available.

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SkyWatch: White Oak

This White Oak was changing from its summer green to its autumn deep red. The blue sky reflects the weather conditions of the beginning of the week, not the middle.

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SkyWatch: Looking up at Trees

Sometimes the best way to appreciate fall foliage is by looking up. When leaves are backlit by the sun their golds and reds look even brighter than the whole tree does at a distance. The crooked shapes of the branches stand out more too, in contrast to the bright leaves and sky.

In central New Jersey, we are in the midst of the first wave of color changes. Right now Sugar Maples and Honey Locusts are at their peak, and Red Maples and dogwoods are close. Most oaks and the invasive Norway Maples have not turned yet. In time, those will change too, the oaks to deep reds and the Norway Maples to pale yellow.

Of course, not every tree is changing; some of them are dead but still majestic like this Black Walnut.

More photos are my Flickr account.

SkyWatch: Bugs on Milkweed

This photo is from the garden at Hereford Lighthouse in North Wildwood. It shows Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) and their nymphs crowded on the seed pod of a milkweed plant (Asclepias sp.) against a gorgeous blue sky. Now that we are well into the fall season, such sights are becoming much more rare, but there are still a few around if you look.

SkyWatch: Lighthouse Sunset

These photographs are actually from earlier in the summer, but I am just posting them now. They got lost in the shuffle when my laptop needed repair. The lighthouse in the photos is in Cape May. I took the first photo from the state park trail along the dunes and the second from the hawk watch platform.

Night settles in, and the light comes on: