Along with fellow photographers Sharon Milligan and Larry Dees, I had a great trip up the Pascagoula River with Lynn and Benny McCoy of McCoy’s River and Marsh Tours (http://mccoyrivertours.com/) recently.  We were headed out to investigate reports of our native, epiphytic orchid in bloom at nearly eye level.  Now, we’ve got several native orchids here in the Deep South, and I’ve been lucky enough to photograph several of them this year, but our native ephiphytic orchid wasn’t one of them.

Oh, I reckon that I ought to talk about that epiphytic part for second….  Breaking down that big ostentatious word down into parts of “epi” and “phytic” give us it’s meaning of “upon” “plant”.  So an epiphytic plant is a plant that grows ON ANOTHER PLANT.  It depends on that plant for support, but not nutrients (it’s not a parasite).  Our best known epiphytic plant down this way is Spanish moss.  A little further south in Florida several epiphytic bromeliads can be seen.  But our only native epiphytic orchid in Mississippi is the greenfly orchid.

Greenfly orchids can be found on magnolias, live oaks, tupelos, and other hardwoods in moist swamps & bluffs.  They are often found in conjunction with resurrection fern.  Greenfly orchid flowers are non-descript when compared to some of our other native orchids, but the little greenish, yellowish blossoms are attractive in their own right.

We carried our gear onto the stable, well-appointed boat the McCoy’s use for their river tours and began our short trip up the river in search of the orchid.  Of course, we took a boat-load of photography equipment in case we saw something else to photograph…

Before we could even get up to speed, an American alligator swam across the bayou.  There were several cypress and cypress snags that hosted birds or would have made nice scenic shots.  Several wildlflowers were blooming out in the marsh as well.  But we pressed on in search of the epiphytic orchid.  The wild rice seedheads were beginning to fill out and had already attracted many red-winged blackbirds.  There were also reports of early flocks of teal beginning to take advantage of the ripening seeds.

Male red-winged blackbird availing himself of ripening wild rice.

The first sight that really interrupted our progress and caused us to stop was a water-level osprey.  While we would see many osprey and osprey nests on our short expedition, this was the only water-level osprey we would see.  We killed the motor and allowed the current to carry us nearer the bird as a trio of cameras hammered off frame after frame.  As we got closer, it was obvious that this was a juvenile osprey and that it had likely fallen into the water and climbed out on the log to dry off.  Our concern mounted when it became obvious that the osprey was blind or nearly in one eye (which would really make depth perception as you dove for a fish
impossible).  However, the bird flew off strongly and with no problem.  Hopefully the nictitating membrane over its eye will return to functioning normally.

Osprey perched near a nest under construction.

A juvenile osprey that made a mistake and had to climb onto a water-level log to dry out.

As we pushed on up the river, we saw a number of cooters and yellow-blotched map turtles basking on logs.  The yellow-blotched map turtle (aka yellow-blotched sawback) is a federally threatened species endemic to the Pascagoula River system.  So it was a treat when one of them cooperated for photographic opportunity.

A yellow-blotched map turtle basking on a log.

When we arrived at the reported greenfly orchid location, we quickly found a large clump on a limb about 10 feet over the water (which is MUCH more accessible than the heights where they are “normally” spotted).  There were hundreds of blossoms, but it was evident that just a week or so earlier that there had been THOUSANDS of blossoms.  Then several additional clumps were located as well.  Requisite shots were taken and mental notes were made to come back a littler earlier in 2014 and capture that large clump of greenfly orchids in their combined radiant glory!

An individual greenfly orchid making up part of one of the larger clumps that we located.

Greenfly orchid blossoms.

So, if you want to come along on a fun trip in late July of 2015, shoot the McCoys or me a message and tell us to put you on the list for a fun trip up the Pascagoula River in search of whatever nature offers us!

I thought I would highlight a couple of shots of one of my favorite orchids that is native to the southeastern United States.  I’ve been lucky enough to see this flower blooming in 3 different (and all new to me!) locations this summer.  The glowing orange color of the orange-fringed orchid (aka yellow-fringed orchid, yellow-fringed orchis, Platanthera ciliaris) rising from the sere greens in a late summer boggy area are always quick to attract the eye.  A closer look at the delicate beauty of the individual blossoms never ceases to cause me to marvel and smile.

Orange-fringed Orchid Inflorescence

Orange-fringed Orchid Blossom

Orange-fringed Orchid Blossom

We made a quick trip in late June to North Carolina and Tennessee with most of our time spent in or near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  While the primary purpose of this trip was NOT photography, I did get a chance to photograph some of our natural world.

We made a quick stop at the US Forest Service’s Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory where I worked on pitch pine decline for my Master of Science thesis.   Many of the smaller watersheds have weirs (as pictured below) on them to measure total water, sediment, and nutrient output when land management activities are altered.  This large outdoor laboratory has provided lots of information that enables us to better manage and restore our natural and working forests.

One of the main weirs and sampling stations at the US Forest Service’s Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.

The elk just north of Cherokee, NC were grazing near their elk crossing sign just inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Ironically enough, some elk were grazing near the Elk Xing sign near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

While I didn’t get to head for any “cool” sunset spots, the sunset from the deck where we were staying made it worth digging a camera out.

A Smoky Mountain sunset

A ranger-led kid’s activity in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park led us into a creek using a variety of nets to capture a variety of aquatic, benthic macroinvertebrates so that we could identify some of them and discuss their importance.

Sorting aquatic, benthic macroinvertebrates captured in a mountain stream using a kicknet.

Some of the invertebrates that we found were stonefly larvae.  Interestingly, we had a hatch of little yellow stoneflies an evening or two later.

Little yellow stonefly resting on a rock shortly after metamorphosis on the edge of a mountain stream.

A trip through the commercial aquarium in Gatlinburg provided us with a respite from the heat and an opportunity to photograph some other aquatic life.

A pacific sea nettle pulses through a large aquarium.

We didn’t spend much time out in quality wildlife places in good light, but an afternoon trip through Cades Cove provided an opportunity to photograph some white-tailed deer in velvet.

A pair of white-tailed bucks in a bachelor group mutually grooming.

While some really neat birds were observed and heard on the trip, there wasn’t much of an opportunity for bird photography.  But when a cooperative flock of house finches appeared, I obliged by grabbing a few shots.

A female house finch feeding on a Johnson grass seedhead.

Striped pipsissewa was blooming the moist understory at moderate elevations.

Striped pipsissewa littered the forest floor in some areas.

The heavy summer rains provided an opportunity to shoot Willow Creek shortly after it comes off of Signal Mountain as a white-water stream with blooming mimosas on a small island.

Heavy rainfall created a fast-flowing torrent out of a normally more placid stream.

So, a quick trip to North Carolina and Tennessee provided an opportunity to grab a number of different shots that included wide angle, macro, landscape, large mammal, and bird photography.

For the past eight years, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) (https://www.nanpa.org/) has designated a national “nature photograpy day” to promote the enjoyment of nature photography and to further the use of images to help conserve our natural environment.  The Grand Bay National Estaurine Research Reserve in Moss Point, Mississippi hosted an event to get more local nature photographers out on the 8^th National Nature Photography Day on June 15, 2013.

Mud turtle portrait on 8th Annual Nature Photography Day

There were 30 or so nature photographers who came out for a late morning photo opportunity.  There were lots of wildflowers, but with that many photographers and the heat of advanced morning, most animals were under cover and in the shade.

Here are a few images that I captured during the morning.

We photographed water lilies and purple bladderworts (an aquatic carnivorous plant) in a wetland.

White water lily floating in the water.

A purple bladderwort blossoms emerges above the water for pollination by flying insects, while the leafy bladders that this carnivorous plant uses to trap aquatic invertebrates remain underwater.

The adjacent, fire-maintained pine savannah contained many floral gems including pink candyroot and prairie gentian.

A pair of pink candyroot inflorescences in the wet, fire-maintained pine savannah.

A very attractive rosepink or prairie gentian rises amidst the native grasses in the fire-maintained wet pine savannah.

Tom Carlisle (http://www.compass-points.com/) set up his “Meet Your Neighbors” stage to give a few species that celebrity standing of a professional shot with a field studio.  You can find more information about Meet Your Neighbors (and see LOTS of cool photos) here: http://meetyourneighbours.net/.

Tom Carlisle photographs a gulf coast box turtle “Meet Your Neighbors” style!

Unfortunately, not all of the subjects we photographed were neat because they were native and natural.  We also got to see the impact of an exotic fungus on our wet southern woods.  Laurel wilt is an exotic fungal disease carried by red bay ambrosia beetle that has been in the United States for only a few years.  This disease is spreading rapidly across the Deep South killing red bays (like this one), sassafrass, and other laurels

A red bay is “flagging” or dying after being infected with laurel wilt (an exotic fungus). The bay heads and swamps of the Deep South are about to undergo tremendous change as we lose this species.

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Gary Carter and I had a great time with the crew at the Hands-On Herp Photography Workshop in early June.  Stan Lake of Catching Creation fame (http://catchingcreation.wordpress.com/) brought a diversity of his critters to share and did a great job of wrangling them as well.  We photographed 20 species of snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, and tortoises.  I think that this is the first year that we didn’t photograph the abundant Fowler’s toads.

Some, like the red-eyed treefrog, were very exotic.

Red-eyed Treefrog

And some, like the black rat snake, were locals who volunteered to be shot.  (Actually, the black rat snake didn’t so much volunteer as was volunteered by Gary Carter).  Most of the group was photographing a frog or turtle, and Gary was readying some props for the next shoot.  Suddenly, we heard Gary say, “ ROBERT!  STAN!  I need both you over here right now!”  We went on the run, to find that this large black rat snake was trying to crawl under a large cabinet on the patio.

Black Rat Snake

We discussed (and demonstrated) constructing natural-looking sets for woodland, garden, and wetland species.  This red-bellied turtle could easily be basking in a local pond, rather than in the set we constructed.

Painted Turtle

We discussed lighting techniques including modifying natural light with diffusers, reflectors, and fill flash.  We also discussed and demonstrated modifying natural weather conditions with the addition of a little artificial rain as well…

Red-eyed Treefrog

We discussed natural habitats, herpetoculture, natural history, and adaptations.  Like the Van der Waals force from the millions of tiny setae on the feet of this gecko that allows it to cling to not only natural sticks, but also slick glass.

Tokay Gecko Clinging to Bamboo