Monday, August 19, 2013

The Saga of the Seeds

I was so excited to be photographing a new flower this summer.  Yes I have had sunflowers bloom in summers past, but this year was such a good variety and I actually got several plants to stand proud and tall across my yard.  (Several meaning sparse, few, scanty, miniscule in numbers.)



Yes, they needed my support, but all friends no matter how sunny their dispositions need support on rainy and windy days.  Those heavy heads can be quite droopy once the weight of the seeds kicks in.

I even had a volunteer just appear in a pot on my back deck!  Yes it was a party crasher, but you know some party crashers are always welcome.  Soon it was full of seeds.  And soon the goldfinch, which I RARELY see until the coneflowers seed, were popping by morning and evening.  I could just sit in my living room and watch the floor show!


Once the morning sun was over the tree tops his golden glow was easy to spot even though he tucked himself in the leaves of my moon flower vine which was embracing the dying sunflower.  (I guess that they had had an affair of some sort?)


He really was a beauty and soon made a dent in the seed head.  BUT  it took no time at all for the gray squirrel to also crash this feast.  His manners were despicable and he did not consider sharing.  Faster than the goldfinch can fly away this was the carpet on my deck...


And this was how the remaining flower heads looked!  Egad, it was a frat party.



But I was not filled with dismay...because prior to this disaster, I got the following to warm your spirits as the mornings grow cooler.




The two above I got while experimenting with a ring that I use to turn my lens backwards and convert it to a macro.  Cheaper than buying the macro lens, but VERY difficult to focus and stabilize!



And since there was a party...how about a South American theme?   OLE!


14 comments:

  1. Your captures and comments made me smile. I love the effect you get from that faux macraux!

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  2. Such a sweet little bird sporting a favorite shade of yellow. I have wondered about the technique you described for macro but it sounds like it's not ideal. I sure would like a macro lens.

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  3. wow those macros you end on are amazing! a frat party...smiles...thanks for the chuckle....

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  4. If you grow them, the goldfinches will come.

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  5. Our sunflowers are being eaten, but I haven't seen the guests, yet. We just aren't here at the same time.

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  6. Squirrels are the messy party crashers, most of the birds are welcome, though.

    Although i must admit the squirrels do often keep me laughing.

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  7. I have sunflowers this year for the first time in many. They are smaller and put up multiple flowers. In the past, with the big ones, the squirrels found them still in bud, climbed the stalks and bit off their heads. So far the squirrels have not found these. I have hope.
    Love your macros!

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  8. The American goldfinch is a very active and attractive little bird. Unfortunately we see very few of them here.

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  9. HA! A frat party! A perfect description. :)
    Beautiful flowers! That pink! Wow.

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  10. I am very impressed. These are gorgeous photos! I do love those striking goldfinches. Squirrels, squirrels... yes... they can be quite messy. We had a chestnut tree that used to be completely overtaken each fall in Illinois.

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  11. Gosh, aren't those stunning. Yes, I would be tempted to let the party flow and the participants make a mess. What a colorful lot of fun.

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  12. Great picture, great flowers, wonderful colors :) Regards

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  13. Sunflower smiles to you! I have that macro ring and find it very difficult to stabilize the camera enough to get a handheld shot. You must be less shaky than I am!

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  14. Anonymous9:18 PM

    I just saw your blog and loved your photos. I wish I could post one of mine, it is of a sunflower, facing down, with tons of empty seed 'casings' on it, kind of like an inverted bowl. The bluejays & cardinals went wild on the sunflowers and left the empty 'shells' like sloppy guests! Amazing yet so beautiful.

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