Friends, these late summer water plants are found in Crex alongside the water lilies. I cannot identify them but they look like pink bottle brushes that we used to use to clean flasks and test tubes. At one time in my life I was a chemist for a company that specialized in shampoos, cream rinses, hair dyes and hair spray. All the chemical glassware was washed by hand at the end of the shift. Everyone was a dishwasher as well as analyst so I knew how to use a bottle brush. I was twenty-one and straight out of school, those were the days (my friend), we thought they’d never end. Seems like a century ago now. The internet community calls this flower smartweed or redshank, til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, this image of a Sandhill Crane spoke to me, the detailed feathering and the green background were very artful, so i played with my photoshop and converted this to an oil painting effect. I am studying feathers and the Sandhills have left their feathers all over the Crex Meadows due to seasonal molting. We have picked up several feathers and they are natural treasures that will help us to remember the autumn days on Crex and look forward to the return of the Cranes in the spring. If you are interested in feathers, I can recommend a good book, Bird Feathers, available at Amazon.com. Lots of info and well illustrated, but scientifically dry, but if you are into research (me), it is an excellent reference book. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, this tiny hawk is an American Kestrel found in Crex Meadows. The educators on Hawk Ridge have taught me that this is a male due to the blue outer wing. Females have a red-brown feathering extending from the back out across the wing backs. They are a small member of the falcon family, related to the Merlin and the Peregrine Falcon. When hunting, they will often hover (wings flapping while staying in one place) or kite (wings steady while staying in one place) over a hayfield or other open area. I think this boy was hunting me. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, Geometry is all around us in nature. When I first took this photograph, i loved the way the Common Loon was suspended in a sea of sine waves. Upon further study (sine waves on water), I learned that these waves are more correctly called trochoidal shapes and are narrower at the peak than a true sine wave. A geometry lesson for me. Never heard of a trochoid shape before. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, this is a downy woodpecker who is perched on a bush along the mighty Mississippi River. This image had no color hence the black and white treatment. I photographed this tiny bird while visiting with a friend in Red Wing Minnesota. This friend is one of the few that i can really photograph with, cause we go separate directions and get lost in our respective visions for an hour or more. Depending on the weather, we eventually meet at the vehicle when we have finished. I am always surprised at the subjects that i choose to photograph as opposed to what she chooses. I am always centered on birds and on this particular day, she was focused on bittersweet, hope she got some good ones. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends,this morning I am sharing this gull flying free above the Mississippi River. I have been reading some blogs from a website titled craft and vision and that has opened a question as to why we want to share our images with others. A new magazine is available at this site titled simply Photograph. I will be examining my own reasons for sharing in the near future, how about you? Do you share with an ulterior motive or like me, not sure of the reasons for sharing. When I write a blog about nature and the great outdoors, I tend to write to the person(s) who cannot experience and needs to see the misty mornings, glorious sunsets, flying birds and especially the micro world that exists at our feet. But I realize that while my images are probably sufficient for this purpose, my writing skills need to improve. So I will be exploring the writing of the blog to match my photographic visions. til Tomorrow MJ
Nov 1
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Friends, the last day on Hawk Ridge was a wonderful sunny blue sky day and the birds were really flying. We saw 101 bald eagles in 1 hour against a clear sky. They didn’t capture any eagles but, my husband, Jim (jimspringett.com) adopted this young male Redtail hawk and released it. The bird energy can […]
Friends, this is the last day at Hawk ridge for the educators and volunteers. I have learned so much from them about the raptors that i can never thank them enough. I t has been a wonderful fall season. thanks everyone. My one hawk that i have not seen up close is a rough legged hawk, but i saw this one on my way home on Monday, so maybe i will see one up close today. This hawk was quite a good way and even with the telephoto he was probably too far for a great shot, but he is a symbol of the whole project and a target for today. so onward and upward, til Tomorrow MJ
Oct 30
This gallery contains 3 photos.
Friends, these images illustrate differences in individual Northern Goshawks. Both birds are first year hatch birds, both males but the white content varies from white in the right hand bird to a cream color in the left hand image. Both images were balanced with the white in the bird and the backgrounds are very different, […]
Friends, this immature redtailed Hawk is eyeing me, he wants to be sure that i stay in my vehicle blind and don’t come any closer to his tree. I am often asked how i get so close to the birds and i answer that staying in your vehicle is the key. Sitting quietly in your vehicle in a place where the birds are usually present will increase your chances of getting close. Of course this takes loads of patience so be prepared to spend a few minutes watching the landscape and quieting your soul; you may get more rewards than patience itself. My husband liked this image this morning, so I dedicate this blog to him. This hawk is probably headed south at this time, but I have the photo to remember him til he returns in the spring. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 