Yeah, I love this stuff

Posted by Photonstopper on April 28, 2017
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Photo: Dramatic clouds roll in accompanying a cold front. Photo by James Guilford.

Approach: A Cold Front Arrives

Scattered thunderstorms were roaming the area. Watching radar, I spied a “gust front” — the leading edge of encroaching cold air — that could be visually interesting. So I headed out to a favorite spot with a fairly good view to the southwest and over Medina. I thought I was well ahead of my target clouds but arrived at the site with clouds already overhead. In this shot a “roll cloud” can be seen in the distance — the actual leading edge of the front. As it passed overhead winds picked up from a breeze to probably 25 MPH and higher … and chilly! My burgeoning interest in weather has led me to get National Weather Service Skywarn Spotter training and, because I had to guess the wind speed I’ve ordered a handheld anemometer. Yeah, I love this stuff!

Image: Radar Image of April 27 Storm Activity

Radar Image of April 27 Storm Activity – Cloud photo was from a site on the south edge of an area of heavy rain, near West Salem in this image made earlier.

Sunset to nightfall

Posted by Photonstopper on March 25, 2017
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Photo: Cirrus clouds glow orange in sunset rays. Photo by James Guilford.

Cirrus clouds glow orange in sunset rays.

I took a late-day stroll Friday, exploring the neighborhood and enjoying the warm spring air. As the sun sank low in the west, I could see it had potential for a beautiful sunset — streaked cirrus clouds aligned north and south across the sky. So I waited. The air grew cool. The cirrus seemed to disappear. And then warm color rose, first lighting a few scattered cumulus and then revealing the missing cirrus. Just after sunset the sky turned orange, glowing clouds reflected in water, ducks made ripples as they found their nighttime moorings.

Photo: Colors deepen as night falls; ducks make ripples on the pond. Photo by James Guilford.

Colors deepen as night falls; ducks make ripples on the pond.

February thunderstorm brings early opportunities

Posted by Photonstopper on March 23, 2017
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Photo: Lightning arcs in March Thunderstorm - Cloud-to-Cloud. Photo by James Guilford.

February Thunderstorm – Cloud-to-Cloud

A powerful thunderstorm rolled through the area the night of February 24 – quite unusual, as was the general weather, for winter in Northeastern Ohio.

Photo: Lightning arcs in March Thunderstorm - Cloud-to-Cloud. Photo by James Guilford.

Lightning arcs in February Thunderstorm – Cloud-to-Cloud and Cloud to Ground in the same space of time!

The storm approached from the southwest and, as it rolled in it was dry at first. I set my camera up in a sheltered patio area and waited for the occasional flash of lightning. Then, as so often happens, rain started and drove me indoors.

Lightning arcs in March Thunderstorm Bursting forth and spreading along the underside of the cloud - a "crawler." Photo by James Guilford.

Lightning arcs in February Thunderstorm Bursting forth and spreading along the underside of the cloud – a “crawler.” The crawler was weaker, not as bright, as other flashes.

There, thanks to a beautiful new picture window with excellent glass, I was able to continue the shoot from the dry safety of my living room! Unfortunately, most discharges were out of my line of sight or low to the horizon; I did, however, get a couple of decent images.

Ancient rite of spring

Posted by Photonstopper on March 6, 2017
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Photo: Near-silhouette of a pair of Great Blue Herons high in a tree on their nest of sticks.

The Ancient Rite of Spring

For wildlife, springtime is usually when family life begins. The hard winter is nearly gone, spring’s warmth is moving in, and the hope of a summer plentiful with food is ahead; so it is with the Great Blue Herons. Large numbers of herons annually nest together at their rookery in Cuyahoga Falls, at the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The big wading birds build nests of twigs and some surprisingly large branches, pair off, and raise their young. On Sunday, the herons were mostly quiet, little mating, nest building, or flying, and no vocalization at all. The sky was milky white with cirrus — not the best conditions for bird photography. Still, a silhouette can tell a story of the ancient rite of spring,

The hike was a wise choice

Posted by Photonstopper on March 6, 2017
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Photo: Screech Owl perched at the base of the opening to the hollow of a tree. Photo by James Guilford.

Screech Owl Napping

I had been told there was a Screech Owl resident within sight of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s (CVNP) Towpath Trail. I’ve heard about the bird for at least a couple of years. I had even been told where to look for the owl on previous hikes but never saw it or its hidey-hole. Though I wasn’t seeking the bird Sunday, I was on a little hike to see if anything was happening in the CVNP’s Beaver Marsh area north of the Ira Road Trailhead. As I began my walk, a returning couple said, “The owl is out today!” So now I had something to look forward to! Farther along, I could see a group of people stopped on the path, looking westward and off-trail … right about where I knew the owl was said to live. “Yes,” they told me when I reached the group, “there he is!” They pointed. They described how the owl could be seen: “see that snag? Now look for two trees behind it, and it’s about three trees over that way.” Directions like that didn’t help me much; it’s a heavily-wooded area! Finally, however, a patient woman let me stand behind her as she described the location and pointed… and there, at last, was the owl! The little bird was sitting at the bottom of an elongated opening to the hollow in a tree. From the trail, the owl’s plumage made it look very much like a part of the tree. Excellent camouflage. Far away. Darned near invisible! I was carrying my camera with a 400mm telephoto lens attached (~600mm with sensor cropping) and shot a few images. The owl never moved that I could see but the light changed as time passed. I could get only one clear view of the bird — fairly thick woods — but that was enough. So I captured my first images of an owl in the wild as it enjoyed the afternoon’s weak sun. Making the hike was a wise choice.