Review This Reviews!

Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts

Thursday, November 9, 2023

National Bird Holidays and Awareness Days- 4thQuarter

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

When I decided to write a review on bird holidays, I was surprised to find out that there are many different bird holidays. So, I changed my thinking and decided to do four different reviews, one for each quarter of the year, and in each review, I would pick out a sampling of the holidays for that quarter. This is now my review for the last quarter of the year. You can find links to my first three reviews at the end of this review. This quarter I have picked a bird holiday or awareness day for each month.

October 3- Butterfly and Hummingbird Day

Butterflies on a Pink Flower

Although a butterfly is not a bird, it certainly has a lot in common with the hummingbird. Here is a list of similarities I found on the site Bird Tipper.Com Here is the link : National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day - BirdTipper

Hummingbird and Butterfly Similarities

Both have nectar from flowers as a food source
Both are attracted to certain colorful flowers (I find in my garden that bright red or pink flowers really attract both of butterflies and hummingbirds)
Both are very important for pollination
Both help to provide a safe environment for local plant life
Both are necessary parts of our everyday life

In addition to these points I would say that both are fascinating to watch and to learn about. As a photographer, I also find them both to be wonderful photographic subjects, although they both require patience to catch them at their best. Here are a couple of photographs I have taken in addition to the ones above.

Choose your favorite way to celebrate Butterfly and Hummingbird day by checking out the suggestions at the bird tipper link listed above.

November is Adopt a Turkey Month

Turkey has long been the staple for the American Thanksgiving feast. Because of this the turkey population is greatly depleted during the month. To try to offset this and save some of the loss of the turkey population, certain groups have banded together to try to save some of the turkeys by championing an adoption process for turkeys. The website for the Adopt a Turkey is https://nationaltoday.com/adopt-a-turkey-month/

They suggest the following three activities to choose from in celebrating adopt-a-turkey month.

Adopt a turkey as a pet
Donate a turkey to an animal sanctuary
Go meatless for Thanksgiving

For more information on the process and the history of the holiday check out the website above.

December 14 through January 5-Christmas Bird Count Week

The bird count week is celebrated annually and is a tradition that is over 100 years old. It honors bird lovers from around the world who head out to count and record millions of bird siting's each year.

The bird count is sponsored by the National Audubon Society. You may go to this link https://nationaltoday.com/christmas-bird-count-week/ to find out more about the history of this count.

Three things you can do to celebrate bird count week are :

Participate in the Bird Count
Take up bird-watching
Discourage hunting for pleasure

I encourage you to go to www.audubon.org to sign up to receive more information and find out how you can help. I have just signed up and I found out from their map there is a location near me where the Christmas-bird-count will be taking place this year. I'm looking forward to getting more information.

More of my Bird Photography from this Year

Links to Bird Holiday from the First Three Quarters

First Quarter Bird Holidays

Second Quarter Bird Holidays

Third Quarter Bird Holidays

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Review of Missouri Botanical Garden

Water Lily and Reflection

Missouri Botanical Garden in South St Louis is a wonderful place to discover nature and so much more. The garden was founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw on his country estate. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and is considered to be one of the top 3 botanical gardens in the world.

Some highlights to see and do when you visit the garden include:

Climatron- a geodesic dome that is used as a conservatory.
The Doris L Schnuck Children's Garden- this area is a delight for children and I have spent many hours there with my granddaughters when they were visiting.
Japanese Garden- this beautiful area is one of my favorite spots to stroll in the garden.
Chinese Garden- another favorite spot of mine in the garden.
Tower Grove House
William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening

These are but a few of the many interesting highlights in the garden. The garden is also the host to many festivals and special events. I recently toured the garden on a special night they had for photographers to photograph the Chihuly works of art that were featured in the garden from May through October.

Chihuly Exhibit

Dale Chihuly is a world-renowned artist who does amazing works with glass. In his works in the Missouri Botanical Garden art and nature are united in a fantastic exhibition.

I spent several hours at the exhibit in mid-September where I entered the garden at about 6 pm when it was still daylight and stayed for several hours so that I could also capture the beauty of the Chihuly art lit up in the night. Here are a few of the photographs that I took. The first one shows the first Chihuly art I saw when entering the garden.

Chihuly-Vivid Lime Icicle

The next three photos show a beautiful red and yellow tower that I photographed first in the daylight, then closeup and finally a nighttime shot with the crescent moon above it.

Chihuly Tower in Daylight

Closeup of Chihuly Tower

Chihuly Art at Missouri Botanical Garden

Chihuly Tower at Night

The next photo was taken at night in the lake by the Japanese garden.

Float Boat and Niijima Floats

Here are three more of photos from the exhibit.

Boat with Chihuly Art in Reflecting Pool

Turquoise Martins in Chinese Garden

White Tower in Blanke Boxwood Garden

These are just a few of the many Chihuly works of art throughout the garden. It was truly an inspiring experience.

Water Lilies in the Garden

Along with the Chihuly works I was able to enjoy the flowers in the garden when we first entered in the daylight. My favorite flowers that were blooming in mid-September were the beautiful water-lilies. They were in several pools within the garden. The ones I liked the best were the ones that I photographed in the reflecting pools in the central axis area of the garden. My favorite is the purple one in the opening photo for this article. The light was fading and it really made the reflections of the flowers stand out. Here are a few more of my favorites.

Lavender Water Lily and Reflection

Water Lily

Reflecting Pool

Stunning Purple Water Lily

I hope you have enjoyed this brief review of the Missouri Botanical Garden and if you visit the area I hope you will be able to enjoy the Garden.

Origami in the Garden

In 2021 the Garden hosted an exhibit of origami art. Here is a link to a review that I wrote. Origami in the Garden

FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Visit Missouri-Review of Faust Park

Butterfly House

There are many interesting parks in the St. Louis metro area and I enjoy visiting them. On a beautiful September morning I toured parts of Faust Park with a photography group that I mentor. Faust Park is located in Chesterfield, Missouri which is in St. Louis County. On this visit we spent our time in the historical village, but on other occasions I have visited some of the many features of the park. It is complete with a playground, picnic areas, walking paths, a lake and so much more. In this post I will give you some of the highlights of the park and share my photos with you.

History of Faust Park

The land that is now Faust Park was originally owned by Frederick Bates who was the 2nd governor of the state of Missouri. In 1819 Bates built an estate on the property and called it Thornhill. That building still stands and is open for the public to see what life was like in the 1800 and 1900's.

In 1968 Leicester Busch Faust acquired 100 acres of the land and opened it to the public as a park. By 1995 the park area had doubled in size.

St. Louis Carousel

The St. Louis Carousel was built in the 1920's and for years it delighted visitors to the Forest Park area. It was in an amusement park called the Highlands. In 1963 when there was a fire at the Highlands forcing it to close, the carousel was moved to Faust Park. Today it is housed in a building at Faust Park and is a delight for kids of all ages. I have taken all four of my granddaughters there at different times and they always enjoyed riding the majestic horses.

Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House

In 1998 the Butterfly House opened in Faust Park. This beautiful building, which is pictured at the beginning of this post, houses a wonderful collection of butterflies. I worked for several years as a volunteer at the house and I was able to guide the public as they toured the Butterfly House. I learned a lot about butterflies and various insects and enjoyed photographing the butterflies. Here is a link to some of my photos and an article on photographing butterflies.

Photographing Butterflies

Historic Village

The historic village at Faust Park consists of a collection of nineteenth century St. Louis County homes and buildings. They all were in danger of being demolished and were rescued and moved to the village at Faust Park by the St. Louis County Parks Department. The buildings date from about 1840 to 1900. You can read more information about the village at Faust Park Historic Village

There was not a formal tour going on the day we visited so we wandered through the village taking photos and enjoying the historic buildings. As we approached one of the houses a worker for the parks department offered to give our group a tour of that home. It was the Davis House, and we were able to go inside on the main floor where she gave us a bit of information about the house. Here is a photo I took of the outside and one of the front parlor.

Below you will see a photo I took of the 1800's General Store.

There were several other homes in the village. Here are three of them. You will note that each is a completely different style from the others.

FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Reviewing Quail Ridge Park - Visit Missouri

Gazebo at Quail Ridge Park

I love exploring new parks and the St. Charles County Park system has a lot to offer. On a beautiful day in mid-August, I was able to explore Quail Ridge Park with a photography group. We had a great time exploring the park and taking a lot of nature photography.

Quail Ridge Park

Quail Ridge Park is located in Wentzville Missouri at 560 Interstate Drive. Although it is only about 20 minutes from my house it is a park I had never visited before. This park has many trails that can be used to explore the park. There are over seven miles of both paved and natural trails throughout the park.

The park features fishing lakes, ponds, playgrounds and shelters. It also has a wonderful dog park where you can unleash your dog and let them run. The park has an eighteen-hole disc golf course and is also home to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame.

Lodge and Gazebo

My group met in the parking lot of the lodge and then proceeded down the paved path for a walk around one of the lakes.

Lodge at Quail Ridge

The lodge, pictured above, is a rustic cedar banquet facility that is often used for weddings and other events. It will hold 180 people. The gazebo, which is pictured in the opening photo is the first stop on the path leading down from the lodge. One of the photographers that was with our group said it is a popular place for the bride and groom to have their photo taken for the wedding.

Walking the Paved Trail

From the lodge there is a paved trail that curves around past the gazebo, and then around the lake. It was a beautiful day, and we took a leisurely stroll along this path stopping to take photos along the way. Here are some of the photos I took.

Path Around Lake

Fishing Lake

Blossoms, Butterflies and Moths

As we walked along the path, we stopped to photograph the wildflowers and butterflies that made their homes in the woods around the lake. I also captured a moth on a wildflower across the path from the lake.

Missouri Wildflower

Lavender Wildflower

Swallowtail Butterflies

Butterflies

Flower on Edge of Prairie

Moth on Blossom

Purple Wildflower

Learn More About Missouri Butterflies and Wildflowers

Here are a couple of books where you can learn more about butterflies and wildflowers.

FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, August 10, 2023

National Bird Holidays and Awareness Days- 3rd Quarter

Bluebird of Happiness

I love to explore designated bird holidays to find out more about these fascinating creatures that give pleasure to our lives. For the third quarter of the year, I discovered three different holidays that I would like to write about in this post.

National Hummingbird Day

The first Saturday in September is designated as National Hummingbird Day. These little birds have long fascinated people and as beautiful as they are, they are only found in the America's, especially North and South America. The first recorded siting of a Hummingbird took place in 1557 in Brazil in by a French explorer.

Hummingbird at Feeder

Hummingbirds are very colorful little birds that are characterized by their ability to hover mid-air and rapidly flap their wings which make a "humming" sound.

In my area of the country, we put out our hummingbird feeders in early April, hoping to attract these fascinating little birds as they migrate north.

To find out more about hummingbirds and National Hummingbird Day check out this website. https://nationaltoday.com/national-hummingbird-day/

World Shorebirds Day

World Shorebirds Day is celebrated on September 6th and is a day to learn more about the birds that frequent our shores. It is surrounded by a week where volunteers count the shorebirds in their area.

Blue Heron

Shorebird fishing on Rock

White Ibis

When we travel to the shore, I always enjoy seeing all the different shorebirds. They are very different from the types of birds we see at home in the Midwest, and I enjoy trying to identify each bird. The three photos above are shorebirds I photographed in Florida.

National Bluebird of Happiness Day

The bluebird is my favorite bird and I get very excited the few times each year when they visit my backyard. I have my camera ready and delight in capturing these beautiful birds with my camera.

Bluebirds Enjoying a Drink

Bluebird of Happiness

There is much written about bluebirds, and you will find them on all types of cards and household decor. On September 24th we celebrate National Bluebird of Happiness Day. Here is a little history of the bluebird I found on the website. https://nationaltoday.com/bluebird-of-happiness-day/

For the longest time, it has been known that the bluebird is a harbinger of happiness. This notion was first held by the Chinese who saw the bird as immortal, a protector, and a symbol of the sun. Native Americans too were in deep awe of the bluebird. Navajos revered it as a spirit in animal form, and the Iroquois believed the bluebird’s song would make the harsh winters bearable. For the Russians, the bluebird represented hope.

Bluebird of Happiness Day will be a great time to spend some time learning more about these birds that bring happiness to so many people.

Reviews on Birds

Here are some reviews written on Review This about the birds listed in this review.

Bluebird Facts and Photography

Hummingbirds at Your Feeders

Photographing Florida Birds

FOLLOW US ON:

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Photographing Wildflowers in Missouri

Purple Coneflower

I love wildflowers and, in the spring and summer, they are abundant in Missouri. It makes photographing them so very easy, I can find them in parks, along the sides of roads, on my neighborhood walks and even in my own yard. When I am planning to go out specifically to take photographs, I usually bring my Sony mirrorless camera along with a 55-200 zoom lens. It makes it easy to take pictures at a distance and also to zoom in for closer shots. When I am taking my dog for walks in the neighborhood, I always have my iPhone handy, and I find that it takes great shots of the wildflowers I find in the neighborhood and at our park.

The photo at the beginning of this article was taken at O'Day Park in O'Fallon, Missouri. It is a purple coneflower, that is very popular in my area in the summer months. It is one of my favorite wildflowers. I took my granddaughters to the park and brought along my Sony to capture the wildflowers that were in abundance.

O'Day Park Wildflowers

O'Day Park is a 57-acre park in O'Fallon that features a lodge, playground, camping and miles of paths and trails throughout the park. Near the playground area, I discovered a paved trail that had lots of beautiful wildflowers along the sides. They were in full bloom during our visit, and I was able to capture several different types of Missouri wildflowers. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Plains Coreopsis

Rough Blazing Star

Queen Anne's Lace

Purple Coneflower with Bee

Around the Neighborhood

The photos in this section were all taken on my walks in my neighborhood. They were all taken with my iPhone.

Trumpet Vine

Purple Coneflower and Golden Alexander

Lance Leaf Coreopsis

In My Yard

As I was looking at lists of Missouri wildflowers online, I noticed that many of the flowers in my flower beds are considered wildflowers. I know that all of them were started with a single clump given to me by and friend and all have spread like crazy. They make a colorful bordered on the side of my house.