Category Archives: Birds
Winter Owls
Friends, this is a Great Gray Owl from the land north of here, they sometimes migrate to the Sax Zim bog in the winter. This image was captured in 2005 when we had an irruption of owls from Canada to the northern Minnesota/Wisconsin area. I am processing with Photoshop with techniques that i have been practicing lately, blurring the background and sharpening the foreground, gives this bird a better isolation as the subject of the photo. I love their bright yellow eyes that appear a bit cross eyed, maybe i was too close for the bird to focus correctly, hence crossed eyes. Great Grays are large by bird standards but they are mostly feathers. The owl in the image below is all fluffed up against the -20 degree day. A few owls migrate every year, but 2005 was special. til Tomorrow MJ
Happy Jay
Friends, this friendly blue jay was questioning my presence near his bird feeder. I love the jays in winter when their colors are one of the bright spots in the woods. We visited a wildlife center yesterday and listened to the wolves howling, they are entering their breeding season and our dog is doing a lot of sniffing on his morning walk. We took a few images of wild wolves in captivity and a pair of cougar sisters(for future posts). A hard place to take good images with all the fencing but we had fun trying. These animals were orphaned as babies and would not have been able to survive in the wild, so they educate school children and adults about their wildness that they have managed to retain. til Tomorrow MJ
Roughies
Friends, I went to Crex Meadows yesterday, the temperatures reached 27 degrees above zero Fahrenheit, almost balmy but with the wind I still needed my jacket. The meadow is full of Rough-Legged Hawks and i saw at least 10 of them in my trip. They like to sit in the top of dead tree snags and when I get near they almost always fly away immediately. So this image is a hawk taking off. The outline around their wings and the dark patches at the wrist are id marks for this specie. If you look closely you can see the feathers that cover their legs, helps to keep them warm. The image below is also a take off from another twig in a treetop. til Tomorrow MJ
Bald Eagle in a Tree
Friends, this Bald Eagle is a mature bird and will soon find his mate and settle down to raise a youngster. But for now he is content to sit high in his tree and survey the surroundings. As I ran up and down the road to find the best background for this image, he calmly watched but did not move from his perch. If I returned today to this spot, he is probably still using this perch everyday. We had snow yesterday so branches would probably be covered in snow. I wonder if the sun will shine today. til Tomorrow MJ
Red poll
Friends, this tiny redpoll is peeking around at me and is showing off her stripey sides and wings. These redpolls are very common in our winter season especially near the bird feeders, they love sunflower seeds. In the spring they fly north again. The tiny red patch on top of the head gives the name red poll, this is a common redpoll, but there is also a hoary red poll without the striping on the sides and a frosty appearance overall.I don’t have any images of the hoary—-yet. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Unique
Friends, This bird is not unique to the Crex area, but the male in breeding plumage is unique as it is the only time I have seen the American Bittern male in his full regalia. The white epaulets and the feathery fringe under his chin are decorations that persist for only a short period in the spring. I think the gray mane feathers are also part of this costume. til Tomorrow MJ
Nuthatch color correction
Friends, this nuthatch is supposed to be white under his chin , but somehow he has turned pink. In the bottom image I have corrected his color by using a levels layer, using the white eyedropper in the levels window, click on some of the white under his chin, move the dropper area til you have a decent exposure. Then using the black eyedropper, click on the black region under his tail. Like magic all the colors are corrected. til Tomorrow MJ
Boreal Chickadee
Friends, this Boreal Chickadee is a winter visitor to the bog region of Minnesota. We are waiting for warmer weather so we can visit the bog again. til Tomorrow MJ
Tired of Winter
Friends, I am very tired of winter, so decided that my blog will reflect the colors of summer for this day’s blog. The green lifts my spirits and the ring billed ducks are looking for a nesting site on Fish Lake. Crex Meadows is having a Big Year for Birding that had a formal kick off last night. Today we can start tabulating all the birds we see within the Glacial Lakes Grantsburg wildlife areas. The person who records the most species of birds in this 11 month period is the winner. I won’t win but it will be fun to try. til Tomorrow MJ
Cold Bird
Friends, this winter bird is a Goldfinch wearing his winter coat. He is huddled on a small branch crouching over his feet on a day with -15 degrees Fahrenheit. Did you know that birds can shut down the blood flow to their legs and feet to prevent permanent damage due to cold weather. My feet are cold, til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 