Digging details of nature and the total solar eclipse

Jacob Podner (jp.podner@gmail.com)

Details and tidbits keep coming of the natural world and the total solar eclipse.

"At eclipse max, I noticed a tulip that was open in the a.m. was closed, then, within the next two hours, it opened again," Ken Nieminski emailed.

From Park Bait at Montrose Harbor, Stacey Greene-Fenlon texted, "The eclipse was interesting. Not sure if it made fish more active but they were biting."

John Cuculich of Naperville drove more than five hours to Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area for the solar eclipse. I visited there the day before. It was already filling with campers.

"Most people would wonder why I would drive over five hours to view a three-minute event," he emailed. "All I can say is there is a huge difference between seeing an eclipse and seeing an eclipse in totality. An eclipse is pretty boring. An eclipse in totality is at a whole 'nother level."

Totally agree.

He added, "Humblebrag: I made the lens filter out of two pieces of welder's glass from the hardware store."

The photo at the top came from Jacob Podner, a student in the Restoration Ecology class from Lewis and Clark Community College. I met him during the eclipse at War Bluff Valley Wildlife Sanctuary near Golconda. He diligently photographed the entire event.

His sequence is worth a full view.

Jacob Podner (jp.podner@gmail.com)