Category Archives: Crex Meadows
Icy River
Friends, the Yellow River has sprung a leak, that is the ice has broken and the water is cascading over an ice dam. Our little warm spell (to above zero temps) has caused the thin ice to break over the very fast moving water on this river. The green glow attracted my attention so I thought I would share this image. 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
Nuthatch
Friends, been computer-fixing for two days, ugh. This white breasted nuthatch waited patiently til I finished my swearing cussing and kicking the tires. Finally I got this blog to work again, something about the Java program not being up to date. Don’t you just love computers??, But i remember well the darkroom days and this digital photos are cleaner and created in the light. til Tomorrow MJ
Blue Jay
Friends, this blue jay is a shy guy who visited the suet feeder briefly then flew away. I sat for 1 hour waiting for him to reappear, and he eventually came back. The cold weather has made the birds hungry and they are visiting the feeders. The cold weather has me shivering after an hour and my hands and camera refuse to work. til Tomorrow MJ
Immature Eagle
Friends, This immature bald eagle was trying to have a little snack on a roadkill, but i was patiently sitting across the road and he remained in this tree until i went away. smart bird, but he was still snacking a few days later when i passed again, but I had taken this image so I did not stop. The ponds and lakes are all frozen this time of year so his fishing food source is not available. Bald eagles will scavenge what food is available and an occasional deer carcass means survival. His varied feathering marks him as a juvenile bird. The bald eagle gains his all-white head and tail over a period of five years His pate is turning a white but still has a strong eye stripe and a dark bill. I am not a birding expert so I will not venture a guess at the age of this eagle. til Tomorrow MJ
Too Much Detail
Friends, this image of a ruffed grouse in a birch tree illustrates a common problem when photographing birds in their environment, too much detail around the bird. However, the eye was sharp and had a highlight and the light had a reasonable angle so I decided to show it to you today. After risking our lives by stopping on a blacktop road and scurrying around on the shoulders, I thought maybe the image had some merit. The grouse love the birch buds this time of year (winter) and are often perched among the branches eating their fill. til Tomorrow MJ
Circle of Ice
Friends, life goes around and comes around to the beginning, again and again, the circle of life like these rocks on the ice. Not sure how they got in this formation, but I thought on New years it was an appropriate symbol for making resolutions, Reminds me of the fish traps on a nearby river built by the native Americans, they flooded the traps, caught the fish and drained the traps and started the cycle over again. I feel that there is a more profound message in this image, but with this headcold, my brain won’t function. til Tomorrow MJ
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
MJ Springett 