Bluebells

Though these Bluebells are not a native species, they have naturalized themselves so well they seem to be native and they are a joy at this time of year.

Bluebells

On my recent ramble in Highrock Park, as well as the Shooting Stars pictured yesterday I also saw the first of these lovely blue-purple flowers. Bluebells are not a native plant here but have moved into the local environment so successfully they seem like an indigenous species and are a delight to see in the spring.

Bluebells

Bluebells (Hyancinthoides hispanica) are an introduced species but one that I'm always happy to see in the spring. These were photographed in Highrock Cairn Park. Despite the name, they sometimes come in pink (below) or white.

Bluebells (Hyacinthoides)

A rainy day kept me inside today so I spent some time playing with a bellows attachment to my camera, a gift from Causeway Artist, Dean Lewis. This bellows attachment enables me to turn some of my old legacy lenses into super macro-lenses capable of the kind of resolution you can see in the above photo. Blogger shrinks everything to 1600 pixels wide but this image is just as sharp at twice the resolution. The flower is a Bluebell, one of three very similar species in this genus (Hyacinthoides). Although they are all over the place in the parks I visit and along the roadsides, they appear to be an introduced or invasive species since they are not listed in my field guides of indigenous flowering plants. However, for me they are another sign that spring is here despite the dark, wet days we're having. To the right is the setup I used to capture the above closeup. The bellows allows very precise focusing since it can be moved along a track using the screw adjustment at the bottom. Also, since the lens is further from the sensor the magnification is increased. I don't really understand optics or lenses but I am very pleased with how this setup works. Many thanks, Dean. (Now all I need are some cooperative insects so we can begin to explore the world of six legged Victorians.)