Sunday 8 March 2015

Catkin Time

With Saturday temperatures reaching a dizzy 16C my corkscrew hazel bush had started to expand the catkins which were formed in early Winter. These come out before there is any sign of leaves:

DSCN3963 Corkscrew Hazel Bush

Next to the male catkins are the female flowers. These are bright red but so tiny you really have to look closely to see them:

DSCN3964 Corkscrew Hazel Catkins

I decided to put a piece under the microscope to have a closer look at a flower.
The mm divisions on the tape measure give an idea of just how small they are:

DSCN3959

I took a few focus stacked photos with the microscope / video camera set up and processed them in Zerene Stacker. It reminds me a bit like a miniature sea anemone:

2015-03-06-15.59.47 ZS PMax2

I did the same with a catkin and it was quite a surprise to see just how much of the surface is covered in tiny hair like filaments:

2015-03-07-10.18.28 ZS PMax2

The world looks so different and so much more interesting when I can get in for a really close look.

5 comments:

  1. I always enjoy micro shots. It's a different world or a different perspective on the same world.

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  2. Nice work, John! Adrian has it right that it is a different world when you at things in detail.

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  3. I will keep an eye out for the red flowers next time I'm out on my travels, plenty of hazel on my running routes

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  4. Your hazel bush looks stunning John.
    Spring is finally rushing in.
    Love the micros too.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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