Nature Through The Lens

Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate

Fauna.

A tiny, brightly colored juvenile Eastern Newt, commonly referred to as a Red Eft, crawls along the forest floor. It's bright orange skin stands in stark contrast to the surounding litter of leaves, twigs, and bits of tree bark. All seemingly insumountable obstacle for this delicate little amphibian.

You won’t find a much more delicate creature roaming the forest floor than the juvenile Eastern Newt, commonly known as the red eft. This little guy (gal?) was only about 2 in. (5cm) and very hard to miss, with such bright orange skin, as I was strolling along the trail. The adults are much less showy in color, and can reach a length of 5 in. (12.7 cm) and can live between 12 – 15 years in the wild.

Flora.

A single pink rose pagonia, a wild orchid found in peat bogs, itsdelicate pink petals covered in morning dew

Photographed on the same day as the Red Eft above, this Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides), a wild orchid found typically in fens and bogs. Also known as the snake mouthed orchid, this beautiful specimen was beautifully crowned with dew when I photographed it.

The clock is ticking…

Don’t forget to cast your vote for your favorite Jeff Sinon Photography image from 2012! Details and rules HERE.

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18 Responses

  1. Your newt really looks like a dainty little creature :) Loving your wild orchid too – orchid is my flower :) . Damn this snow!!!. Re. your PS note: will I be disqualified if I vote for all of them? :D

    December 15, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    • Thank you Paula. No you won’t be disqualified, but your name only goes in the drawing once. :-D

      December 15, 2012 at 5:41 pm

  2. Nice flower,my favorite color.Thank you for sharing a picture. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    December 15, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    • Thanks Rimas. I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy and prosperous New Year!

      December 15, 2012 at 8:00 pm

  3. I can’t understand why the baby newt is so flagrantly colored. Any clue? Surely it’s lousy camouflage.

    December 15, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    • One word Paul, poison. Though nowhere as toxic as the poison dart frog, they secrete a poison through their skin when threatened. I think the bright coloring of these guys is just Mother Nature’s poison warning label.

      December 16, 2012 at 4:50 am

      • That was my guess but didn’t want to assume. Thanks!

        December 16, 2012 at 10:51 am

  4. I am discovering many types of strange orchids resembling other things and not flowers. This pink orchid looks like a butterfly and it’s beautiful.

    December 17, 2012 at 1:30 am

    • It is amazing how many of them don’t look like your typical flower. There are several that grow in my area that I’ve yet to discover, the search continues…

      December 17, 2012 at 5:41 am

      • Keep on photographing them, they are beautiful creations.

        December 17, 2012 at 10:17 am

  5. Love the Pogonia image. Nicely captured!

    December 17, 2012 at 11:07 am

  6. just beautiful Jeff…that little guys is so colourful

    December 17, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    • Thanks Jo. If you haven’t already, check out the link in the post about them. The beauty sure fades as they grow to adulthood. That great orange color turns into a drab olive/brown.

      December 18, 2012 at 5:43 am

  7. Nice shots Jeff

    December 19, 2012 at 2:18 pm

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