Another Visit to Konza Prairie.

Yesterday I had to go to Kansas State for a meeting on science core outcomes related to transferability **insert arcane educational jargon here** and since the meeting finished at noon, decided that I needed a Konza Prairie break. The grasses and forbs are just starting to turn to their fall reds and browns; the tree foliage is still pretty green.



So here are some pictures, some taken with my DSLR telephoto but some with my new phone (LG G2) and its pretty amazing camera (OK for a phone). The animated gif is made by G+ from photos taken with 'burst mode".  This is cool.

First, from the phone:

What I really like with my phone is the ability to touch the screen to select focus points that are also used for metering. For instance this picture originally had a bright blue sky but the tree trunk was badly underexposed. But focusing and metering on the trunk gave this picture. The sky is blown but I got the trunk detail I was looking for. And with a bit more fiddling I probably could have done a better job of this. OK I can do something like this with my DSLR but it is a bit more awkward.






















From my DSLR (Canon 2i with 250mm telephoto).

I love the red ground color the grass seed heads are turning.

A Fritillary-not sure what species.  250mm telephoto lens.

Unfolding

Unfolding, a photo by pdecell on Flickr.

Unfolding,the map of the night
gets the location of every drop
of mist for anyone thirsting.
Be quick at dawn
before each place is extinguished by the light
and a new map draws itself.

About the best thing I can say...

...concerning "Japanese" Beetles (Popillia japonica ) is that they do not recite Vogon Poetry. If you don't know or have forgotten what Vogon Poetry is, here is a refresher: http://youtu.be/IxPeIiU2kx4

Good Bye Old Friend

Good Bye Old Friend, a photo by pdecell on Flickr.

This is what's left of the old boardwalk at Baker Wetlands, south of 31st St in Lawrence. It is being dismantled to make way for the east leg of the South Lawrence Trafficway.

My son and I spent much time here when he was growing up and it was one of my favorite photo areas. Sure there is a new fancy board walk in the mitigation area but it is not as intimate, being higher above the wetlands. Maybe when the new wetland areas are better established it won't seem so out of place. Maybe other parents and children will make find it a friend as we found the old boardwalk.

Good bye old friend.

The invasion...

The invasion..., a photo by pdecell on Flickr.

Do you think maybe I waited too long to treat my squash plants? What's weird is that these squash bugs don't seem to like cucumbers even though cucumbers are in the squash family.

Via Flickr:
Do you think maybe I was a little late in treating my squash plants?

A waspish visitor

On Tuesday I found this moth visiting my squash plants and not to admire them. This is a moth called the Squash Borer since the larvae bore through the stems of squash plants.

Oops!

Oops! I really wasn't going to eat this cucumber leaf: honest!

At Konza Prairie

The other day I visited my son who is stationed at Fort Riley Kansas. So since we both like to hike and neither of us have spent much time in the Flint Hills we headed over to Konza Prairie near Manhattan KS.

If you think the prairie is boring you are not looking closely enough.

Not sure what the mailbox in the middle of the prairie is all about. 

These rocks remind me pictures I have seen of the Scottish Highlands. Very different  plants  though.

The valley areas have huge trees. These are oaks. Maybe 80 ft tall.