July 30, 2022

In July, the New Jersey Audubon Society hosted a Morning Walk at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Basking Ridge. It was a fun walk cut short by my desire to get over to the Bedminster Farmers’ Market.

Our bird watchers and photographers comprised mostly retirees, me and our young Associate Naturalists. Our walk was informal and informative. Our naturalists stopped to point out the birds, trees, tracks, and wildflowers. I had packed my Fuji X-T3, XF27mmF2.8 R WR lens and MCEX-16 macro extension tube. I focused on documenting the flowers, plants, and whatever could be photographed with this lens. Bird photography is better earlier in the day before the birds take to the high parts of the trees. Photographing subjects against a bright sky is not advisable.

I did not find any Monarch butterflies to photograph. But I was rewarded with a beautiful display from an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.