Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : Bee

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Spring Comes to the Great Basin

First Signs of Spring with the Vernal Equinox

Winters in the Great Basin Desert can be very drab with only the deep blue sky to brighten up the landscape. As the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt toward the sun bringing longer days, the desert begins its transition and slowly awakens with the first signs of spring.

A bee gathers pollen from one of the rosemary flowers. Rosemary is the first plant to have blooms and is always buzzing with bees or butterflies.

One of the few remaining robins lands on the fence, a winter visitor to brighten the dull landscape, they will move further north as the temperature warms.

Filaree storksbill comes alive as the days first begin to warm.

The tiny lavender flowers provide nectar for the brown argus butterfly where an egg for each larva is laid on the underside of a leaf.

The yellow blooms of wild mustard begin to accent the ground, often considered a weed; the entire plant is edible from the root to the flowers. The young leaves make a nice addition to salads, while the seed pods add a peppery accent.

Daffodils or Narcissus, a true sign of spring, have slowly poked up and are just about ready to open.

Symbolizing rebirth and new beginnings, the yellow fragile flowers are one of my favorites, reminding me of my grandmother's yard.

Sharp leaves of bluish green spring up, the tulip is coming out from its cool dormancy. Soon a brilliant red flower will appear.

In just a few days, the Earth's axis will tilt to 23.4 °, bringing equal hours of day and night. The Vernal Equinox comes to the Great Basin at 3:45 PM PDT on March 20th. As with ancient cultures, the Vernal Equinox to the High Desert of Nevada is also a symbol of returning food supplies and renewal of new beginnings from the drabness of winter.

Follow me on my future blog posts as I explore more of the new beginnings as spring slowly turns to summer.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

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http://www.bonnierannald.com/

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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Summer of 2012, Great Basin Desert

Nature's Subtle Changes

Over the summer of 2012, I have noticed some subtle changes with the birds and insects that I enjoy watching in my yard that is located in the Great Basin Desert of Northern Nevada.

It was a cold spring this year with the temperatures not warming until June. However, the cooler temperatures and strong winds were not deterrents to the hummingbird migration. I noticed some early arrivals in mid-March. Fortunately I had the feeders ready with plenty of sugar in my pantry.

The Bullock's Orioles began to show up much later than the typical April 15th. calendar date. I was starting to worry that something had happened during their migration from South America when finally I noticed a male desperately trying to drink from the hummingbird feeder. Quickly, I prepared the larger feeder that is designed to accommodate the orioles so that they can drink nectar water.

Once the air began to warm up, it got very hot. The summer was also dry and even the seasonal monsoons did not produce any measurable moisture.

The hot, dry summer did not deter the damselflies from being so prolific; I have never seen such large numbers and a few stragglers were still around in late August.

For the first time over the summer, I did not see any of the usual garden spiders that spin such intricate webs around the pond plants.

I only saw one Western Spotted Orb Weaver on the Russian Sage.

However, the lake spider orb weavers were out in mass with larger numbers than I have ever witnessed. It was not a good time to go hiking through the brush, they are not poisonous but will bite.

The bees have been very plentiful and are still buzzing at every flower that is still in bloom this late in October.

After such an abundance of Painted Lady Butterflies from the summer of 2011, I only saw a few and they did not hang around for long.

Much to my surprise, the number of preying mantis was very low. There were so many last summer and I found egg sacs on almost every wooden surface.

The summer of 2012 has been an unusual one and it seems to be getting hotter each year. The Great Basin Desert is noted for its cooler temperatures and if the climate continues to warm, it will be very interesting to see what changes to nature this will bring.