So do these photos look unusable to you? (rhetorical question) I recently got a mirror lens – the Tamron 55BB 500mm F8 – to be exact. Many dislike mirror lenses because they can be finicky to work with due to the fixed F8 focal ratio, shallow depth of field, and long focal length. All of which makes getting focus and capturing sharp images challenging. These lenses also have very distinctive bokeh due to the obstruction from the secondary mirror. Can you see the “donuts” in these photos.
Here are some photos of the local goldfinches. A female house sparrow for good measure.
I quite like these photos. They remind me of old film photographs. As you can probably tell from this blog, I am not one who is too fussed about “tack sharp” as a photographer. If a photo is acceptably in focus, I’m good. I do have to say that this lens does really need daylight. Low light would require a tripod and long exposure times to compensate for the F8 aperture.
The area around the Octoraro Reservoir and watershed in southern Lancaster and Chester Counties is particularly scenic. The buggies were out in force one Saturday in May.
I don’t have much to say about these photos, and I will let them speak for themeselves.
The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art has a branch in Ligonier. The grounds feature some beautiful statuary while indoors the featured exhibit focused on the nearby Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, Fallingwater, at the time of my visit. The museum is free, but donations are appreciated.
I like the whimsy in the sculptures, which also feel very organic.
A sampling of pieces featuring Fallingwater and a collection of glass paperweights.
After a few months filled with globular clusters, large, colorful nebulas are returning to the night sky. This month’s targets for the Hubble 35th Anniversary Challenge (see The Night Sky page for more information) are a good representation of these objects.
The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8, M8 or NGC 6523) is a giant emission nebula with an H II region located in the constellation Sagittarius. Discovered by Giovanni Hodierna in 1654, it is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the naked eye from mid-northern latitudes (the other being the Orion Nebula). It is a popular photographic targets and can be combined in mosaic images with other nearby nebulae and clusters. Located approximately 4,000–6,000 light-years from Earth, the nebula spans 110 by 50 light-years.. While appearing pink in long-exposure photographs, it typically appears gray when viewed through binoculars or telescopes due to the human eye’s limited color sensitivity in low-light conditions.
M8
The Eagle (or Star Queen) Nebula (Messier 16, M16 or NGC 6611) is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745–46. Both the “Eagle” and the “Star Queen” refer to visual impressions of the dark silhouette near the center of the nebula. This area was made famous as the “Pillars of Creation” image by the Hubble Space Telescope. The nebula contains several active star-forming gas and dust regions, including the aforementioned Pillars of Creation. You can see this area as a small v-shaped dark area in center of the nebula image below. The Eagle Nebula lies in the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way.
M16
The colorful Trifid Nebula (Messier 20, M20 or NGC 6514) is another H II region in the north-west of Sagittarius in a star-forming region in the Milky Way’s Scutum–Centaurus Arm. It was discovered by Charles Messier on June 5, 1764. Its name means ‘three-lobe’. The object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars, an emission nebula (the relatively dense, reddish-pink portion), a reflection nebula (the mainly NNE blue portion), and a dark nebula (the apparent ‘gaps’ in the former that cause the trifurcated appearance, also designated Barnard 85). Viewed through a small telescope, the Trifid Nebula is a bright and peculiar object, and is a favorite of amateur astronomers. I was pleased to be able to pick up some of the bluish color in my photo below.
M20
The famous Ring Nebula (Messier 57, M57 or NGC 6720) is a planetary nebula in my favorite constellation, Lyra. A “planetary” nebula has nothing to do with planets. Such a nebula is formed when a star, during the last stages of its evolution before becoming a white dwarf, expels a vast luminous envelope of ionized gas into the surrounding interstellar space. This nebula was discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier while searching for comets in late January 1779. Messier’s report of his independent discovery of Comet Bode reached fellow French astronomer Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix two weeks later, who then independently rediscovered the nebula while following the comet.
The Ring Nebula is a small, but exquisite, object. You can see some of the concentric color circles in this image.
M57
We coudln’t leave Spring behind without two more globular clusters. Although I have stated that these can be easier to image, these objects proved challenging due to a low position in the sky and nearly full moon when they were shot.
The interestingly named Wild Duck Cluster (Messier 11, M11 or NGC 6705) is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Scutum (the Shield). It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1681. Charles Messier included it in his catalogue of diffuse objects in 1764. Its popular name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could resemble a flying flock of ducks (or, from other angles, one swimming duck). The cluster is located just to the east of the Scutum Star Cloud midpoint.The Wild Duck Cluster is one of the richest and most compact of the known open clusters. It is one of the most massive open clusters known, and it has been extensively studied. Its age has been estimated to about 316 million years.
M11
Messier 22 or M22 (also known as NGC 6656 or the Great Sagittarius Cluster) is an elliptical globular cluster of stars in the constellation Sagittarius, near the Galactic bulge region. It is one of the brightest globulars visible in the night sky. The brightest stars are 11th magnitude, with hundreds of stars bright enough to resolve with an 8″ telescope. It is just south of the sun’s position in mid-December, and northeast of Lambda Sagittarii (Kaus Borealis), the northernmost star of the “Teapot” asterism.
M22 was one of the first globulars to be discovered, in 1665 by Abraham Ihle, and it was included in Charles Messier’s catalog of comet-like objects in 1764. It was one of the first globular clusters to be carefully studied – first by Harlow Shapley in 1930. It is one of the closest globular clusters to Earth.
I made a rare summer visit to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (near Smyrna, Delaware) due to the increased number of interesting species found there in prior days. I didn’t manage to find all of them, but the trip didn’t disappoint.
Of particular interest were the Curlew Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis, Sandhill Crane, Black Swan, and Roseate Spoonbill, as well as the host of other birds that visit the Refuge or call it home. Large numbers of American Avocet, Semipalmated and Black Bellied Plover, Mute Swans, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons and a variety of sandpipers and other shorebirds were present.
With many summer wildflowers in bloom, the Refuge was looking lovely. Sadly, the Purple Martin colony seems to have mostly dispersed. I also missed the Black Swan, Spoonbill, and Curlew Sandpiper but was still happy with my day.
Three of the four of Glossy Ibis I saw. One of my favorite birds, up close there is a dazzling array of iridescent plumage.A Great Egret and Great Blue Heron seem offended by each other,I was thrilled to see this juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron – a long time nemesis bird and a lifer.A convention of Great Egrets in this tree.Lots of American Avocet were present.Fantastic views of a pair of Sandhill Crane.
If the bird life disappoints, you can always just enjoy the view.
Powdermill Nature Reserve is an environmental research center that is operated by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Established in 1956, Powdermill serves as a field station for long-term studies of natural populations, and now forms the core of the museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystems. The reserve encompasses 928.17 hectares, which includes forests, fields, developed land, and ponds and streams.
It is located in the Laurel Highlands, near Rector, Pennsylvania and is well known for its avian research. The Center is one of the longest continually-running bird banding stations in the United States. I had visited on a previous trip, which you can read about here.
Outside the Nature Center.There are lots of interesting exhibits inside. Check out this bluegill.Looks like a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk.A Ruffed Grouse, the state bird.This corn snake is another resident.
One of my favorite day trips is to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, a near 6,000 acre tract managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission primarily for waterfowl, grassland nesting birds, and wetland dependent species. The facility hosts an interactive visitor center, seasonal wildlife driving tour, and over twenty miles of hiking trails. There are other recreational activities available such as wildlife viewing, boating, special hunts, and picnicking. Middle Creek is one of just six Globally Important Bird Areas in the state and straddles Lancaster and Lebanon counties.
I particularly like the view of these hills from the wildlife driving tour road.
This tree swallow doesn’t seem to like me.It was fun to see this rabbit near the road.It was even better when a friend joined.
Laughlintown is located in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County. It is located on U.S. Route 30, 3 miles southeast of Ligonier.
The town is named after Robert Laughlin. The Compass Inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located here, as are the Rolling Rock Club and The Washington Furnace Inn. However, I think for many the notable landmark is this bakery:
I couldn’t resist buying some pie and baklava here. Both were delicious. The menu also includes pizza and sandwiches. Across the street is the Compass Inn property. The Inn is a historic inn and tavern. It is a 2 1/2-story, five bay log and stone building in a vernacular Georgian style. The original section was built in 1799, and it is three bays wide. The two bay stone section was added in the 1820s. A clapboarded frame section was added in 1862. It was restored in 1970, and operated as a local history museum. The property includes a rebuilt barn and blacksmith shop.
The barn.The Compass Inn. Double barn stars on the adjacent property.
Many forestry district offices seem to be in out of the way locations. This one is right on Route 30 in Laughlintown. They are great stops for maps and information.
Lake Somerset is a 253-acre impoundment just north of Somerset (duh). It is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission for public fishing and boating. The Commission’s Southwest Region Office is located at the lake. I stopped on a previous trip and couldn’t resist a return visit. It was great spot for some more Spring birding.
We will start at the north end and work our way south.A very nice fishing pier.These geese had several youngsters.
Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, with a population of 8,060 as of the 2020 census. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999.
Latrobe is known as the home of the Latrobe Brewery, the original brewer of Rolling Rock beer. Latrobe was also the birthplace and childhood home of children’s television personality Fred Rogers and former professional golfer Arnold Palmer. The nearby airport is named after Palmer.
The banana split was invented in Latrobe by David Strickler in 1904. The city is also home to the training camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Latrobe was long recognized as the site of the first professional American football game in 1895 until research found an 1892 game with paid players.
The banana split is claimed to have been invented in 1904 in Latrobe by David Evans Strickler at the pharmacy that later became named Strickler’s Drug Store. In 2004, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified Latrobe as the birthplace of the banana split. The town holds an annual festival in honor of the dessert.
The train station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Latrobe Presbyterian Church.
