Harbinger of Spring, Starved Rock State Park, Illinois.
#spring #flowers #ephemerals #nature #naturephotography #macrophotography #starvedrock #illinois

Looking straight up from a sandstone canyon, tall trees line the rim as sunlight bursts through their branches against a bright blue sky.

Looking up from the canyon, taking in the sunlight.

Starved Rock - April 2021

#BlueSkyArtShow #sunlight #lookingup #sunbeams #canyon #starvedrock #trees #forest #nature #naturephotography
#landscape #landscapephotography #outdoors #photography #EastCoastKin #PhotographersOfBluesky

Frozen waterfall in a canyon @ Starved Rock State Park, Illinois

Winter Fantasies (4/6)... Frozen

#waterfallwednesday #waterfall #winter #nature #photography #starvedrock

On this hike through frozen Starved Rock last year, I had the entire place to myself and imagined I was in the ruins of an ice palace. I even slid down a waterfall like a slide-not this one 😆

Fall colors + calm water = instant peace 🍂
Captured this at Starved Rock in Illinois.
One of the most beautiful spots in the Midwest.

#StarvedRock #Photography #Nature #FallVibes

On the river.

#blackandwhitephoto #blackandwhiteart #birdphotography🐦 #starvedrock

I haven't been to #starvedrock in far too long. #dailyphoto #dailypicture

I'm excited to share my work on display at three venues in the Starved Rock & Illinois River Valley area Aug thru Oct!

NCI Artworks at the Westclox Mall in Peru, IL
Starved Rock Country Welcome Center in Utica, IL
The Lumberyard Lane Gallery in Seneca, IL

#artist #art #illinoisriver #starvedrock

White-gray tentacle like thingies growing out of moss.

Finally, we found this under a fallen tree trunk. They were growing out of moss. Are the moss' spore producing thingies?
#Illinois #StarvedRock #MatthiessenStatePark #Fungi

White gilled mushroom on a tree trunk

fan-shaped brown and green mushroom on a tree trunk

Oyster mushrooms?

Dog vomit (Fuligo septica) slime mold?

It has been very hot and humid, so we didn't find very many mushrooms. Here what we did see.
#Illinois #StarvedRock #MatthiessenStatePark #Fungi

Ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)

Spittlebug nymph's protective covering?

Iridescent spider web

In addition to the flora, we also some some fauna, or evidence of fauna. Our attempt at identification is in the alt text.
#Illinois #StarvedRock #MatthiessenStatePark

Black raspberries

Along the path, we replenished ourselves with black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) which were ripening in the summer heat. We left enough for other hungry hikers.
#Illinois #StarvedRock #MatthiessenStatePark

Daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus)

Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)

Noble yarrow (Achillea nobilis)

Crownvetch (Securigera varia)

Here are some flowers and plants that we came across. Their names are in the alt text.
#Illinois #StarvedRock #MatthiessenStatePark

Women entering a hiking trail.

My wife and I are vacationing at Starved Rock Illinois this week. We started exploring the river and dells sections of nearby Matthiessen State Park.
#Illinois #StarvedRock #MatthiessenStatePark

#dailyphoto #dailypicture #starvedrock some years ago. #uticaIL

#stunday #starvedrock #statepark #enjoyillinois

A red “return” sign that indicates when you’re getting close to the visitor’s center of Starved Rock State Park, but someone wrote “the slab “ underneath it in reference to a Courage the Cowardly Dog episode.

A zoomed in photo of a child’s show on a fallen tree branch above a muddy creek.

Lastly, here are some goofy photos I took with my #kodak Pixpro. Good to know there are millennials walking the trails of #starvedrock , but also, people sure lose their shoes in the oddest of places. #photography

Taken on my #kodakpixpro. It felt good to take photos like it’s 2005 again. This is #starvedrock state park in Oglesby, IL #hobbyphotography #digicam

youtu.be/oGswdGbj6VY

#StarvedRock all day

One minute we’re kayaking peacefully—
Next minute, we’re getting ambushed by invasive flying fish 😳
Asian Carp are a problem
Catch the chaos:
youtube.com/shorts/XaMpz...

#AsianCarp #InvasiveSpecies #Kayaking #RiverLife #StarvedRock #WildlifeEncounter #OutdoorChaos #AdventuresLive #MidwestNature

Just out kayaking and locked eyes with a bald eagle.
Didn’t expect to get this close.
Nature delivers again. 🦅

youtube.com/shorts/qkcYx...

#BaldEagle #Birding #KayakAdventure #StarvedRock #WildlifeSpotting #AdventuresLive #NatureMoment #MidwestWildlife #OutdoorLife

New video: Kayak Starved Rock is live now 🛶🐦💥
Noah kayaks through stunning cliffs, spots a bald eagle, and nearly gets KO’d by a flying fish!
youtu.be/WnH_MjW9Xfs

#Kayaking #StarvedRock #AdventureVideo #BaldEagle #FlyingFish #AsianCarp #IllinoisRiver #OutdoorAdventure #NatureLovers #AdventuresLive

Drawing Together: Championing Art in Semi-Rural America For Artists and Art Models in Rural Communities: Why Figure Drawing Matters and How We Can Make It Happen Ethically and Openly

Any of my Bluesky followers in Central Illinois, and interested in figure drawing?

#art #figuredrawing #artist #artmodel #starvedrock

Today, we hiked at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. This is Council Overhang. #StarvedRock #Hiking

View from the base of a narrow sandstone canyon at Starved Rock State Park, with layered rock walls rising steeply on both sides. A thin waterfall trickles down the center, framed by autumn trees with green and golden leaves under a partly cloudy sky.

Stone walls, golden leaves, and a waterfall that sounds like it's trying not to wake anyone. Starved Rock, you quiet legend.

#photography #waterfall #canyon #landscapephotography #naturephotography #illinois #nature #starvedrock #landscape #photographersofbluesky

Early morning hike today in Illinois Canyon at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. The Blue Bells were in full bloom, and it was majestic. #StarvedRock #Hiking #Illinois

#StarvedRock #IllinoisCanyon
#BloomScrolling #VirginiaBlueBells

Spring beauties wildflowers
#StarvedRock #Gardening #Nature

The inside of a canyon in Starved Rock State Park, IL. Steep cliff walls rise to the sky and a frozen waterfall cascades to the canyon floor. Several people stand at the base of the waterfall and photograph it.

Illinois is, for the most part, so flat and boring, but #StarvedRock and #MathiassenStatePark are exceptions and seeing the frozen waterfalls is very cool. #waterfallwednesday #frozenwaterfall #landscapephotography #blueskyphotography

Ice curtains hang from above at Ottawa Canyon on a beautiful winter afternoon. The man standing in the background gives you a little perspective as to how large these things really are!

Thank you for taking a look, have a great night!

#illinois #onlyinillinois #nature #starvedrock #statepark

Winter’s Wonderland: Exploring Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks Experience the magic of winter as you hike through snow-draped canyons, frozen waterfalls, and serene trails at Illinois’ Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks.

Experience the magic of winter as you hike through snow-draped canyons, frozen waterfalls, and serene trails at Illinois’ Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks.
#Travel #Illinois #WinterWonderland #StarvedRock