In our nature

For ten years now NCPR has featured a Photo of the Day, submitted by listeners and visitors and friends. The guidelines are pretty loose, photos taken somewhere in the listening area, and timely–conforming to the present season. And we always make exceptions for work that just needs to be seen. Over the years the submissions have gotten better and better, making curating the collection one of my favorite tasks of the workday.

By far the favorite topic of our photographers is the natural world. Through their eyes, the North Country is always engaging and frequently breathtaking. With the unofficial end of summer this Labor Day weekend, I was looking back at the current season in our Summer 2014 album slideshow. And it’s a nature lover’s dream.

Our summer birds this year include great blue herons (strutting, feeding, fanning and hiding), common loons (floating, taking off), as well as hummingbird, cormorant, barred owl, eastern phoebe, domestic chickens, bald eagles (immature and full-grown), a cedar waxwing couple, a wren with chicks, and a goldeneye duck. Mammals are represented by a donkey, assorted breeds of dog, a bobcat, whitetail deer, red poll cows, a moose, a black bear and a red fox. Assorted frogs stand in for the amphibians. On the buggier side, we have a monarch butterfly caterpillar, a virgin tiger moth, a bumblebee, a squadron of dragonflies, and a shade made of luna moths on a porch light.

Featured flora include bee balm, pitcher plants, round leaf sundew, pickerel weed, tiger lilies, borage, sunflower, partridge berry and butterfly milkweed. And on the landscape itself, the following places take the spotlight: Ausable River valley at Lake Placid, Oswegatchie River at Wanakena, Lake Ozonia, Chubb River, Lake Champlain near Plattsburgh, Raquette Lake, 13th Lake, Higley Flow, Intervale Lowlands, Salmon River Falls, Turtle Pond, Whiteface Mt., Deer River Flow, Black Pond, Debar Mt., Meacham Lake, Mt. Colden, Mt. Marcy and Mirror Lake.

By the calendar, there are still three weeks of summer remaining. Here’s my challenge to you all. Over the next few weeks, submit photos that do not duplicate any of the species above, or landscapes views of the region that do not feature any of the landmarks above.

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