Steven Helmer Publications

My legs are a bit sore today (nothing serious, just being middle-aged) and I wasn't sure if I would get out for a walk as a result. The weather was too nice to stay inside, however, so I grabbed my camera and did just that, even powering through the whole park rather than cutting the walk short. Here are some of the photos I took: _____________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/19/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/14/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (5/13/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (5/20/2026)

My walk today came with some sadness because I came across a deceased muskrat. I'm not sure what happened to it other than it possibly was attacked by a hawk or something that was then scared off before it could eat. It seemed fairly recent though because the fur looked like it was still wet. Anyway, despite that, it did turn out to be a decent walk. I wound up skipping some trails because I didn't want to scare some green herons that were perched in the way but still got quite a few photos. Here are some of them: This frog was a bit of a surprise because it was some distance away from any of the ponds. Hopefully, it hopped back before it dried out (or was eaten by a snake). I mentioned the green herons. There were multiple birds hanging out around the largest pond, giving me plenty of opportunities to get photos from far enough away to keep from scaring them. I still haven't been able to photograph the large snapping turtles that have been swimming near the shore but did g...

I wasn't sure how wet the trails would be after the rain we got last night (or how many mosquitos would be out). However, they turned out to be manageable, and I was able to get my walk in today at lunch. I wasn't able to get photos of them because they were underwater, but the snapping turtles were swimming around near the shoreline, which was kind of cool to see. I did manage to get photos without them though. Some of them are below: I haven't had a ton of success with bee photos this year, but this was one of the better ones I've gotten. There were plenty of dragonflies buzzing around while I was watching the snapping turtles swimming, so I got a few photos of them. The snapping turtles stayed underwater but there were plenty of others that were out sunning themselves. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to photograph these two monarchs as they fed. __________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photo...

It was a bit overcast at lunch, but we aren't supposed to get rain until later, so I managed to get a walk in with my camera. There wasn't much activity today, probably because it looked like they just got done mowing some of the grass, but I did capture some of the usual suspects. Here are some of my photos: There was no heron on this rock today, like yesterday, so the turtles returned. This turned out to be an interesting photo, at least in my opinion. The dragonfly was on a stump and the water from the pond was in the background, but it almost looks as though it is a giant dragonfly on top of a mountain with clouds in the background. Two photos of the same dragonfly from different angles. I was surprised it stayed in one place while I moved. I'm not against fall colors. I just am not a fan of seeing them when it is only mid-August. What's up with that? ___________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature phot...

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get a walk in today or if it would start raining around lunchtime. Once I knew for sure the weather was going to remain dry, I decided to go.  We did get rain yesterday though and, since I both knew some of the trails would be muddy as a result and I had no desire to contend with mosquitos, I didn't walk as far as I normally do. Despite this, I was still able to get some photos. Here is a selection of them: This monarch was a consolation photo. I missed out on three garter snakes on the same path because they were slithering into higher grass by the time I noticed them. This butterfly presented a bit of a challenge because it simply would not stay still. This was the best out of about thirty attempts to photograph it. The dragonflies were a bit more of a challenge than usual today too. Every time I'd have one in the perfect position/in focus, a fish would make a splash and startle it. Not my best turtle photo but I was able to get a pictu...

There's a chance for storms this afternoon and evening, but the weather was decent enough at lunch for me to get a walk in with my camera. There hasn't been as much at the park as usual, but I did still manage to get some photos. Here are a few of them: ________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous nature photos: Just a Couple Rabbit Photos Morning Walk Photos (6/3/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/29/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/4/2026)

It was a little warm out there, making the steeper parts of my walk a bit more difficult, but I managed to get one in today just the same. There was surprisingly not a whole lot in terms of wildlife today, though I am certain I heard a deer walking just beyond my sightline. As a result, I once again focused primarily on the dragonflies and butterflies, not counting the frog I saw along the way. Here are some of my photos:   ___________________________________________________________________ Here are some previous nature photos: Morning Walk Photos (6/15/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (5/8/2026) Morning Walk Photos 7/6/2017 Lunchtime Walk Photos 9/15/2017

I am still getting used to the macro setting on my new camera. It works, just in a different way than my previous camera, and there are some nuances I'm still figuring out. I did manage to practice a bit with that on my walk today though, mostly trying to capture images of dragonflies near one of the ponds. Here are some of the photos I got: ______________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my other insect photos: Just a Butterfly Picture Butterfly Photo Dragonfly Another Dragonfly Photo