MN Zoo field trip August 16.  Photo by Leon.  Deb was also taking a group photo.

MN Zoo trip this Sunday, August 16th at 9:00am

Just a reminder. This Sunday morning is our much anticipated trip to the MN Zoo. We will be meeting at 9:00am by the south entrance to where we pay. Just look for a bunch of people with cameras swinging from their necks.
Some of us will be joining up at the FSSP office parking lot at 8:00am and carpooling to the Zoo. Anyone is welcome to join us. If we get 4 to a car, will be saving about $5 each.
http://mnzoo.org/

Hibiscus laevis (Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow)

These flowers are currently blooming in Lilydale Park in St. Paul at the East end of the park along Lilydale road. They are a native perennial. I have seen humming birds feeding off of these very showey flowers. 

To learn more about these flowers check out https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/halberd-leaved-rose-mallow

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This bird has come to my bird feeder.  It does not look like any other feeder visitors.  Anyone have an idea what it is?

F-Stop Swap (today) was typical..  lots of cameras, lenses, cases, filters, and all sorts of accessories and even some books.   Maybe 50/50% film and digital now.  Some 4x5 and 2 1/4 square.  Great place to pick up filters that are "nice to have" for special cases or projects... cheap!  I got a spare Carousel remote I'll use to make an automated slide batch handler of an old Carousel for digitizing slides using my DSLR.

Chuck

Caught this dragonfly just leaving the larval stage this morning.

Tis the season - morels & wild asparagus

From: Chuck Cole [mailto:cncole@earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 10:03 AM
To: 'FSSP Camera Club'
Subject: 'tis the season for morels and wild asparagus

Last Sunday's Star Tribune paper had an article on morel mushrooms.  This is the season for finding both morels and wild asparagus.

Perhaps Leon, now a vegan, would lead an expedition in his backyard Minnesota River Valley woods  :-)  This could be both a photo expedition and perhaps a culinary experience as well.  Might be some in FSSP areas also.  Common areas are likely picked clean by enthusiasts.  Morels sell for very high prices. 

The morel festival is this weekend in Wisconsin: 

2015 Muscoda Morel Mushroom Festival   33^{rd Annual Morel Mushroom Festival}

     ^{<http://muscoda.com/festivals/muscoda-morel-mushroom-festival/}>     ^{Saturday & Sunday May 16 & 17, 2015}

I've never seen or eaten a morel mushroom, but haven't done serious hunts for them.  I'm fond of mushrooms, but not a native, so I'm inexperienced and cautious.  Supposedly, morels are the safest mushrooms to identify and gather on your own, but there are some that look a little like them which are poisonous.

Wild asparagus is supposedly quite tasty but harder to find than morels.  The "secret" is to have spotted some "too mature" plants in the previous year and to look in those places when sprouts are just emerging from the ground or through light snow the next Spring.

Seems to me that each of these might be good "plant photography" subjects.  Nadine Blacklock's booklet, "Photographing Wildflowers", has great tips for photographing plants and flowers.  Used copies can be found for $1.00 or borrow a copy from a local library.  Nadine was a better photographer than Craig, and that's likely what led to their divorce.. etc.

Chuck