A ride with Steve and Ken

[finnbay]

Steve and I took a ride today, starting on the Range and ending up in the Superior National Forest. Saw a few interesting things along the way:

Osprey heaven:

This RWBB kept harassing the osprey when they'd come back to the nest:

Peek a boo with a deer:

Steve's going to have to ID this one:

Cotton grass:

Swamp laurel, labrador tea and who knows what else:

A couple of kinds of ladyslippers:

Kinda like takin' a shotgun out to kill a fly! Note pink ladyslipper in foreground!

Osprey shots take with a Canon Mark II and 500 f/4. All other shots taken with a Canon 50D and 100-400, 17-40 and 100 macro.

[MN Shutterbug]

Nice series. I'm especially drawn to the unidentified flora.

But Steve, an orange cap? I'm surprised the Lady's Slipper even stuck around for a pic.

[Steve Foss]

It was hardly work, and I'm exhausted! Darn humidity!

Here's some of my bunch. You'll note Ken got the deer shot and I didn't. Operator error on my part. So sue me!

All with the Canon 30D.

Canon 300 f2.8L IS, iso200, 1/250 @f3.2, handheld

Canon 300 f2.8L IS, iso200, 1/60 @ f4, handheld

Canon 300 f2.8L IS, Canon 1.4 teleconverter, iso100, 1/125 @ f4, handheld

All osprey images with Canon 300 f2.8L, Canon 1.4 TC, iso400, 1/1000 @ f11, tripod, manual focus

A panoply of bog laurel, Labrador tea, black spruce and sphagnum. And some light, too.

Canon 10-22 @ 10mm, iso400, 1/60 @ f14, handheld

Canon 10-22 @ 18mm, iso400, 1/160 @ f4

And two of the lovely buckbean, which loves June as much as it loves keeping its feet wet. I imagine the only reason buckbean isn't grown in cultivation and used for bridal wreaths is that it needs constant water to keep from wilting. Otherwise it's got "bride" written all over it.

Canon 100 f2.8 macro, iso400, 1/800 @ f9, handheld

Canon 10-22 @ 10mm, iso400, 1/80 @ f18

[jonny_redhorse]

Beautiful shots guys!......gotta love those slippers!

[MN Shutterbug]

Sweet additions. But, still no ID on the white frilly one?

[Steve Foss]

But, still no ID on the white frilly one?

Buckbean. Compare Ken's fifth image to my ninth one.

[MN Shutterbug]

Whoops. Sorry, missed it. However, you'd think someone could have come up with a prettier name for a flower as stunning as that.

[Dbl]

Nice work Gents! Looks like a fun afternoon.

[mmeyer]

Great stuff Guys! There's nothing like a ride with Steve and Ken.

[finnbay]

Steve,

I guess I dissed you too soon on using the 300 on the ladyslippers. Great bokeh and color with those shots! Also like what the 10-22 does on super wide angle. Well done! Too bad about the deer. Made some interesting shots!

[Birdsong]

Thanks for the ride once again. The buck bean is beautiful. It is fun to see your ladyslipper shots. I have a few shots of Large and Small yellows taken on May 20th at the arboretum in their wildflower area. Almost one month difference in time. Both of yours are beautiful. I love both the black background and the oof images behind the sharp ones.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, according to what I've read the buckbean was named a long time ago in England. The bean because the seeds look like common garden beans, the buck as an alteration of the Old English "beck," meaning brook or watery place. The plant has medicinal value as anti-inflammatory, and has been used for centuries as a native plant remedy for even more ailments, as well as using the roots as a supplement to feed cattle and other stock.

[dockothebay]

Great series - both of them! I've never seen a buckbean (that I know of anyway) Something new to watch for..