A moment in time: Part one

​More than a few failed attempts at the “perfect” shot made me wonder - it's all about timing.
I can’t even count the multitude of times I have framed a shot perfectly only to have the execution live up to less than expectations.
However, on a few occasions the timing was right.

I was able to capture some oriole photos where they weren't perched on the grape jelly feeder. I felt that it was about time for them to cooperate. While I managed to capture them in the nick of time, they weren't on or near any garden flowers. They were perched on the garden fence itself. I believed they were juvenile orioles who may not have had the prejudice against the camera that their parents did.

Nonetheless, time flies and the orioles, juveniles and all, have left for the season. Author Gary Edwards wrote in his book “Birds of Venango County,” that the bird is a common migrant and abundant summer resident that arrives in late April and departs in mid-September. ​

​This past summer some good timing also allowed me to nab several nice shots of hummingbirds. Time is running out for the little zingers’ seasonal stay here in Venango County. They shall depart for warmer parts in a matter of weeks. 

 Meanwhile, residents are encouraged to try to keep their feeders out until the end of October in case any western hummingbirds might make a rare appearance.
Many other birds are on the move right now and folks can track migration forecasts at this site.

​Time is also winding down for our butterfly season. Timing for butterfly photos can be tricky. With that being said, the insects are not as fast as hummingbirds. That made pictures a little easier to achieve. 

I did have the perfect timing for a photo of a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar.  I first wasn’t sure if it was a spicebush caterpillar because it was not green. Experts on a butterflies and moths Facebook page explained that its orange color meant that it was ready to pupate. This was my first sighting of a spicebush caterpillar. I had always just viewed the adult butterflies. 

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​Nonetheless, I believed that good timing could also be linked to good lighting.
Just the right moment could light up a photo subject in a new and interesting way.

​This happened with some ghost pipe plants. There was irony in the photo in that the plants don’t need sunlight and don’t contain chlorophyll.

​The right light at the right time can also make things visible that are not easily seen such as spiderwebs. Intricate designs and patterns lit up the forest on sunny days. 

However, when the sunlight wasn’t just right the webs remained unseen.  Many times, I have ended up wearing them and their builders on my face.
My experiences reminded me a Facebook post that said, “I love spiderwebs as long as I am the second one on the path.”
​While I’m not usually the first one on the path, my four-footed walking companions aren’t tall enough to net the spiderwebs before I get there. 

Spiders and webs weren’t the only thing drawing my attention.
I spotted a hornet’s nest with a unique design. I photographed it with a zoom lens and posted it on  the PA Insects Facebook page.
A commenter posted that if I waited until the first hard frost of the year, I could harvest the nest and sell it on eBay. I surmised that some folks use nests as décor.
I talked to a coworker about this, he said he knew of someone who took a nest down after the first frost.
However, that person didn’t get to sell it on eBay as the warmth in their basement brought the bees back out. 

​Nonetheless, there was case of bad timing. The nest was damaged about a week after I took the photo. Then it completely disappeared. A quick internet search found that skunks, raccoons and bears will brave the risks to consume the protein-rich larva inside. 

While the area hadn’t seen its first frost yet, I did find some colorful leaves. As the calendar moved past the first day of fall, the color change seemed a little early to me.
An article on posted on www.centredaily.com, by Bill Lamont provided one answer.

​The article title “Why are maple leaves turning yellow and dropping early? A Penn State forester explains” commented that the lack of rainfall this summer could be the cause.
“If there’s not enough water to keep all the leaves happy, shed some and send their products to those that remain. The reason the leaves often turn yellow before they drop is that the tree harvests many of the nutrients from the leaves before it sheds them, which is a simple measure of conservation of resources,” Lamont wrote.

Meanwhile fall forecasters at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry, said that September's rains helped deter some of the leaf drop.
"After a long summer drought, Pennsylvania forests were quenched by some much-needed rainfall this month, arresting premature leaf drop," said the post on the DCNR's site.  ​

​The post continued by saying, "Fall seemed to arrive right on time, and seasonable to below-average temperatures should compel steady changes throughout commonwealth forests. Drier forests this summer meant fewer leaf fungi observed throughout the state, setting the stage for what could be a notably vivid fall season."
While some of the leaves in the area have turned, there was still quite a bit of green. 

​That green with the right light at the right time can create colorful reflections.
 I had posted a photo of Gus swimming in the neighbor’s pond on a St. Bernard Facebook fan page. 

​One user cautioned me about the green water and toxic algae. I kindly explained that the green was only reflection of the trees and that the water itself was not green.

While the still water at the pond was an awesome photo subject. I hedged my bets with some moving water. 

​I tried to figure out the timing of water droplets a water fountain in my garden.
I found it hard to get the drops in focus unlike when I had photographed dripping icicles in the winter. However, the sparkling water and colorful backdrop provided some interesting photos. 

​Whether it be water, webs or wary photo subjects, timing may indeed be everything or nothing. That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.