Mostly Photos

Mockingbird in C8 /  by Todd Henson

Mockingbird in C8

Today we look at a single photograph of a northern mockingbird, an extremely common bird in Virginia, and yet one I find endlessly fascinating. They are extremely talented musicians, able to perform a much wider range of material than most other birds. I enjoy just sitting and listening, closing my eyes and imagining I’m surrounded by a flurry of dozens of different species instead of just the one bird, so easy to do with their vocal skills.

Photographed in mid-afternoon, the sun still fairly high in the sky with clouds in the background makes for a fairly high-key image. I was pleased the mockingbird chose this perch and posed just so, allowing for this simple composition.

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Making Friends /  by Todd Henson

Friendship at a distance

Making friends can take a little time. Sometimes they’ll stay at a bit of a distance, just observing. Are you really someone they can trust? But they can’t completely hide their curiosity. Give it a little time and you’ll eventually turn around to find them right there beside you.

Portrait of stubby

Well, hello there!

Walking by - Siamese style

Walking by - Stubby style

Resting

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White Trillium From Bud to Bloom in 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Rounded petals on a small white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

My father and I were fortune to head out looking for trilliums when they just happened to be in peak bloom in Virginia on April 23, 2024. Granted, we’d visited the area earlier in April, knowing it was too early for trillium but wanting to see if there was any evidence of them yet. At that time there weren’t, but when we returned they were everywhere. I was like a kid in a candy store with only a quarter and so many sweets I wanted to try. I felt overwhelmed.

A very pink “white” trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), with mayapple leaves in the background

An emerging pink-toned white trillium bud

This glowing white trillium has narrower and wavy petals

Over the course of about an hour I managed to photograph a sampling of the flowers we found. Despite the different shapes, sizes and colors, I believe all of these are examples of Trillium grandiflorum, sometimes known as white trillium or large-flowered trillium. But please let me know in the comments below if you know otherwise.

Even a seemingly imperfect trillium can be beautiful

Light pink petals of a white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

The trillium bud begins to open

White trillium, yellow stamens

Elegance of a white trillium

The bud becoming a bloom (Trillium grandiflorum)

The glow from within (Trillium grandiflorum)

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