Category Archives: photography
Making Waves
Friends, these mallard chicks are making their own waves following their mother on the green hues of Lake Superior. They are still covered with down and have no flight feathers yet, hope they grow in soon so they can fly south with their mother. Until then they will be making waves. til Tomorrow MJ
Yesterday in Two Harbors
Friends, yesterday I saw this barge/ tugboat combo aligned with the ore dock in Two Harbors Minnesota. This combination, an ATB or articulated tug barge, was recently built (2012) and is 875 feet long. Her name is Lakes Contender/Ken Boothe Sr. Could not resist trying a panorama of this scene, I love all the little details from this 3 photo pan. This small port loads iron ore and other commodities and is north of Duluth on Lake Superior. til Tomorrow MJ
Annoyed or Angry
Friends, this mature Cooper Hawk was captured and banded last fall at Hawk Ridge in Duluth Minnesota. He looks angry but his hackles are raised cause he is a little annoyed with being restrained while the educators talk about his natural history. Someone will have a chance to adopt him and release him back into the wild. I think this is my favorite photo from last fall at Hawk Ridge. Do you like? til Tomorrow MJ
Bittern Eye
Friends, I was thrilled to find this bittern only feet outside my vehicle blind. Most of the time, the grasses were interfering with my desired shot, but when i got home and perused my images, this one caught my eye, because of the bird eye. Nice and sharp with his environment totally surrounding him. This bird is always hiding in the grasses. til Tomorrow MJ
Calling Crane
Friends, this Sandhill crane was right by the road when i jumped out to photograph him. I like the feathers in the tip of his bill, he is molting his summer coat stained with red-iron water. Soon he will be handsome gray all over and ready to move further south. Til then we enjoy the flocks of cranes that spend the fall in Crex and surrounding areas. He was calling and i love the red eyes. til Tomorrow MJ
Green Details
Friends, this leaf was backlit this morning and i couldn’t resist trying to photograph. I think all the tiny details are interesting. it is a arrowhead leaf and this time of year it has some white blossoms that are arranged on a stalk. I wanted an image that incorporated both the leaves and the flower, but alas could not do unless i wanted to get very wet. Do you like? til Tomorrow MJ
Portraits of Crex Meadows
Friends, i received a new lens and need to try it out on landscapes. Now I have always considered landscapes of Crex Meadows to be rather uninteresting. The land and the water are very flat and i think that landscapes should reveal layers of color as the eye travels back into the distance with a clear foreground element. This first image is of phantom lake and the second of a willow flat both leading into a cumulus sky. I like the second image because the willows are the foreground leading into the sky, but in the first image I have no clear foreground element and the horizon is dead center. Which image works for you? til Tomorrow MJ
Run Mouse Run
Friends, I think this is what a mouse sees just before the red tailed hawk grabs him. I am going thru my images of last summer and editing for a book on Hawk Ridge Migration and this image of a red-tail hawk spoke to me, it speaks of wildness and freedom. Minutes after the educator had shown the audience his tail, this bird was released back into the wild. Hope you like him. til Tomorrow MJ
Coming Soon Migration
Friends, soon this will be a common sight in Crex, the Sandhill Cranes flying in to join the larger flocks. They will dance and celebrate the end of summer, the arrival of the fall foliage and the migration of other birds, ducks, hawks, swans and passerines. They will all fly away to the south and leave me here,calling in the darkness of winter, longing for their return. But for now, time to get busy. til Tomorrow MJ
Second Summer Sharp Shin Hawk
Friends, this is a second summer sharp shinned Hawk who has been captured, banded and after this image was taken, was release back into the wild blue yonder. He has changed from his first year coloring when the eye is bright yellow, the breast feathers show a vertical orientation, and the top of his head was brown rather than the gray in this bird. He is a survivor and is migrating south over Hawk Ridge in Duluth Minnesota. The migration is starting and I will soon be able to show you new images of migrating birds. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 