WHIRLIGIG’S DANCE FLOOR


Whirligig’s dance floor, Watoga Lake, Watoga State Park, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ———— 

Reading at Wikipedia website I learned that whirligig beetles got their common name from their habit of swimming in rapid circles on the water surface when alarmed. They are known for the bewildering and rapid gyrations in which they swim, and for their gregarious behavior.

I named this photo “Whirligig’s dance floor”. The crazy, dance like movements of the water bugs had shaped the open circle on the water, surrounded by pine needles and grass.

In this low light situation I shot the Nikkor 24-120, f/4 wide open at 120 mm and focused on the leaves under water to give the scene some depth. The natural light of the setting sun gave shape to all the elements that make this photo one of my favorites from our trip through West Virginia.

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4, @120 mm, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter, @1/100s, f/4, ISO400

NATURE CLICKS #386 - RED-SPOTTED NEWT


Two Red-spotted Newts, Watoga Lake, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ---- 

If you saw my photo from Watoga Lake in yesterday’s post you can imagine that Joan and I had a really good time there. Our excitement grew when we discovered a whole bunch of Red-spotted Newts in the crystal clear water at a shallow part of the lake. So, what is a newt? I found a simple answer on a website of the University of Georgia. All newts are salamanders, but not all salamanders are newts. With other words, they are a specific type of salamanders. The Red-spotted Newt is a subspecies of the Eastern Newt. This newt produces tetrodotoxin which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish. Key to survive! There is a lot more to tell about the biology of this very interesting critter. I trust you know where to find more detailed information in the world wide web.

Since this was not an “everyday” shooting situation I like to share my approach for this photo with you. We had an overcast day and it was already late afternoon, hence the amount of light was limited. Even if the water was crystal clear, we had to deal with some reflections of the sky on the water surface, means a polarizing filter was mandatory. The B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter did an excellent job to keep the glare on the water out of the frame. The downside is that it swallows about 1-1.5 f-stops. The photo was made handheld with the Sigma 150/f2.8 at 1/40s, f/4.5, but to get into this speed range I had to pump up the ISO to 400. I tried to keep the focus point on the eye of the adult newt on top, but obtaining focus on a small spot under water is quite a challenge. The newts moved around but often stopped for short periods of time.

There is lots of wildlife in West Virginia. It is not always easy to spot because most of the state is forested land. Our biggest hopes to see a Black Bear again were not fulfilled, but the excitement while watching the Red-spotted Newts left a lasting impression on us.

WATOGA LAKE - EASY CLICK


Watoga Lake, Watoga State Park, Allegheny Mountains, West Virginia ————

The further south we went in West Virginia the less we saw fall colors. Some trees had already lost their leaves while others still showed a lush green. However, it didn’t deduct from the beauty this part of the country has to offer. Watoga State Park was our second base camp for exploring more of the Allegheny Mountain Range and Monongahela National Forest, a vast paradise of forest land and natural wilderness areas.

Just before the sun was about to set behind the mountain ridge the clouds opened a small gap and suddenly the texture of the forest across the lake came to life. The reflections on the lake had to be included. It was an easy click!...

DOLLY SODS WILDERNESS


Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia --------

If there is one area that surprised Joan and me with its beauty much more than we expected during our trip in West Virginia, it is the Dolly Sods Wilderness, short Dolly Sods, . Let me quote from a sign that we found up on the plateau. Dolly Sods is a broad plateau atop the Allegheny Front. The area around Bear Rocks supports subalpine heathlands dominated by shrubs such as blueberries, huckleberries, mountain laurel, azalea, and rhododendron. The site is marked by groves of stunted red spruce, flagged by ice and wind, outcrops of sandstone, grassy meadows, and cranberry bogs also occur.

This beautiful plateau is actually one of the most abused pieces of land in history, logging and being a practice artillery and mortar range and maneuver area before troops were sent to Europe to fight in World War II, took their toll. Recovery came mostly by the activities of the Nature Conservancy, who played a major role in preserving the area. If you are interested in reading all the facts, please click the link to Wikipedia’s site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Sods_Wilderness

What makes the Dolly Sods so interesting is that the flora creates impressions of areas much farther north. Many plant communities are indeed similar to those of sea-level eastern Canada. Many species found here are near their southernmost range. For example, the Snowshoe Hare found in Dolly Sods is usually found in Canada and Alaska.

I know I haven’t exploited all the possibilities this area offers to a photographer. Time was simply too short. Reason to come back sometime...