Category Archives: Uncategorized
Swans on the Ice
Friends, The ice (and snow) are still on the lakes and covering Crex Meadows, but the Trumpeter Swans return anyway cause they know it is nearing time to nest. Last spring, we watched a pair of swans build a nest in Crex, lots of pulling up vegetation and piling it on a muskrat house. When they first return a lot of chasing behavior establishes the area boundaries and eliminating possible competition for mates. This specie was almost extinct and has rebounded well in the last few years. Lead poisoning is still the biggest threat so please make sure your fishing weight is secure and doesn’t land in the bottom of the lake. til Tomorrow MJ
Moonrise, Sunset, Cranes
Friends, yesterday i showed you an image of the cranes landing with the full moon that was a composite image of two images. Today i show an actual single image of the cranes coming into the roost on an evening when the moon was rising and the sun was setting. In silhouette, the birds are smaller and are gliding into their parachute stance. The sunset and moonrise are the stars of this image , whereas the birds are the subjects of yesterday’s image. So the age-old photography problem, what is the subject of your image? til Tomorrow MJ
Cranes on the Full Moon
Friends, this is a double exposure of cranes and the full moon, I have seen this many times, but when photographing i am less than successful. Last fall i did get some images with both the moon and cranes. I will show you them tomorrow, but today i love the cranes landing like little dancers on the wind. While this shot is what i wanted to express, it is somewhat mechanical, lacking the romance of the moment and a little on the sterile side. Someday i will capture what i feel while watching the cranes landing in Crex with the full moon rising and the sun setting all in one moment. til Tomorrow MJ
Celebrating
Friends, the state bird of Minnesota is the Loon, the whole name is the Common Loon, but i think the term, Common, is a misnomer. They often do wing flapping and rise out of the water, splashing water on all who venture near. I think they are celebrating life, and dancing for joy. Wish it was summer and the birds were all back and celebrating life. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Distorted
Friends, when i hear the word, distorted, i immediately think of the sandstone formations throughout the western US, where wind and water have carved holes in the rock. These small holes in red rock sandstone were found in sinagua country south and east of the Grand Canyon, the very large hole eroded by wind and water. I love the textures both small and large that are still being carved, as we stand in the wind taking the photos. Larger forces at work than mere humans. til Tomorrow MJ
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Friends, this handsome fellow is an early spring visitor, the yellow-rumped warbler. We haven’t seen them yet but i think they are probably on the doorstep. When they arrive in Crex Meadows, they cruise the edge of the lakes and eat the mosquitos as they hatch. They will also eat berries and fruit, but prefer the insects. til Tomorrow MJ
Birch Cones
Friends, more macro work, tiny cones from a birch bush, Birch have both female cones and male polen sacs, and these cones are about 1/2 inch long. I brought them indoors and lit them with flash against a gold reflector. I think the top one has a face in it, maybe the face of neptune with a beard. Getting hard to find something to photograph outside, with 16 inches of new snow, the contrast is non-existent, oh well, maybe Tomorrow MJ
Pin Feathers
Friends, today we have winter all in one shot, been short of snow all winter, now on leap day, Feb 29th, we have a foot of snow and more coming. This is another macro shot of my favorite bird feathers with the yellow shafts. This time i concentrated on the base of the shaft and the pretty pin feathers. This preparation is dry (no ice) cause a friend requested that i show the through focus technique in a dry situation. well here it is, do you like dry or ice??, I personally think that the ice gives a more saturated colors and i like the bubbles. til Tomorrow MJ
Birth of a Pine Cone
Friends, this is a macro image of a young pine cone among the needles of a white pine tree and encased in ice. As this preparation thawed, smaller bubbles appeared, not sure why that happened. but i like the detail in the small cone forming and you can start to see the scales forming on the surface. White pines have both female and male cones, but I am not sure how to differentiate them especially when they are very young. If you look closely at the needles, you can see the white lines on the needles and on White Pines the white lines are present on two sides of a three-sided needle.Can you see them, i can. til Tomorrow MJ
Baby Owl
Friends, This baby owl is a young Great Horned Owl with his ears flattened down. When he is an adult bird the feathers on the top of his head will stand erect and give the appearance of horns, hence his name the Horned Owl. This particular bird is a captive owl after being injured or abandoned. His handler brought him to Crex Meadows on a family day where he posed for photos. I loved his big yellow eyes that were watching me intently. Now i know how a field mouse feels when being hunted. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 