Category Archives: Birds
Weekly Photo Challenge:My 2012 in Pictures
Friends, a short summary of my best shots from this year, in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures
til Tomorrow MJ
Another Winner
Friends, I know i showed this image last spring, but it bears repeating since it won a monthly spot in our club calendar. These are one day old Canada geese chicks nestled between mama goose and papa goose, when we returned the next day, the whole family had moved across the road to the big lake and they were no longer in good camera range. I love the huddled mass of warm fuzzies, til Tomorrow MJ
One of my Calendar Winners
Friends, this first day after all the festivities I am showing you my winner for this year, this image of a 12 week old Common Loon Chick was taken this summer, this image won the calendar contest in my photo club and adorns the cover of the Calendar for 2013, I am proud of it and waited by the waterside for hours photographing the growth of the two chicks raised by the Adult Loons on Main Dike in Crex Meadows. Dead space at the top was perfect to put our title on the calendar. Hope you enjoy, til Tomorrow MJ
May You Have a Blessed Christmas
Friends, this Gray Jay is a northern bird , they are very drab gray but talk of winter and sunflower seeds, they come to the feeders in the bog of northern Minnesota and are very common up there. Sometimes wonderful things come wrapped in gray small packages, such is my greeting for a happy holiday to you and yours, my family celebrates Christmas so i say Merry Christmas and to all a Happy New Year. til Tomorrow MJ
Another Sunset-Full Moon Rising
Friends, this sunset also has the moon rising, I have seen this sight many times when the Sandhill Cranes are gathering on Crex Meadows before they migrate. This image is the only one i have been able to capture showing the cranes moving across the moon. The exposure is difficult to nail precisely, but this one comes close. Focused on the birds so the sky is a little soft but seems to be a colorful shot for Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays to you all. til Tomorrow MJ
Winter Splendor
Friends, this winter sunset is colorful and shows a typical scene from our northwoods of Crex Meadows in the winter, the color of sunset and sunrise are the highlights and only show up when the sun is not blocked with clouds. I hope you all are preparing for a Happy Holiday season, as for me and mine, we will enjoy the company of family and friends. A trip to Sax Zim bog is planned after the new year. so til Tomorrow MJ
A Christmas birdie
Friends, this Christmas birdie is not your traditional cardinal, but a pine grosbeak (male) who is attracted to sunflower seeds in bird feeders and the pine cones of the northwoods. He is a delicious color and resembles a small parakeet or parrot in his actions. til Tomorrow Happy Holidays MJ
HDR Tree
Friends, this is a bit of color left over from last spring, this is an HDR image which is a composite of three images, one overexposed, one underexposed and one right on. HDR stands for high dynamic range, meaning that the three images can encompass the all the dark details as well as all the light details. In the winter i have more time to process photoshop images and i needed something to fill up my color meter this morning, til Tomorrow MJ
Old and New
Friends, these are flight feathers from a redtail hawk at the border between old feathers and new feathers, the old has signs of wear on the edges and the new have a smooth edge. This is a sight that few of us get to see, unless we frequent Hawk Ridge and then study higher magnifications of the wings. The older feathers are browner and might even be juvenal feathers left over when the bird had its first molt. The very top feather shows a notch that is present on the outer primary flight feathers of the wing, so this is the left wing and we are looking at the underside of the wing. I am busy studying the molts and feathers to see what i can learn, lots to learn. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Delicate
Friends, these feathers look very delicate but for a hawk they are necessary attire. This is the top of the wing of a redtailed hawk as seen at Hawk Ridge this fall, I am studying feathers and the molts. There is a lot to learn but a research project keeps me entertained on a cold windy and rainy day. The rain is melting all our snow and we are likely to have ice for Christmas instead of snow. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 