Broad Wings
Friends, a recent visitor to my site asked me why i was practicing bird flight photos, this image is a result of lots of practicing at Hawk Ridge. This is truly the first good flight shot of a broadwing hawk that was released back into the wild after being banded. You can see his new bracelet on his right leg. Below is a portrait taken while the bird was in hands of a educator on the ridge. you don’t want to be a frog or lizard that this bird can see. til Tomorrow MJ
A very special bird-Peregrine Falcon
Friends, not only is this a juvenile peregrine falcon, but it is a juvenile tundra peregrine that was raised in the far northland. This subspecie is smaller and lighter in plummage than the normal peregrine. Peregrines have recovered from near extinction in the 50s with the help of dedicated bird lovers. I have watched the regeneration program in Rochester Minnesota where the bluer and darker peregrines raise their chicks in nests atop the Mayo Clinic buildings. I have watched them feed their young on building ledges but i have never seen one in the wild. The experts on Hawk Ridge were quite excited to show this bird in hand and educate the public. They have survived due to the diligence of those who legislated to ban ddt, resulting in the saving of many bird species, til Tomorrow MJ
MY Goshawk
Friends, this is my goshawk that i adopted on Hawk ridge yesterday, actually my husband adopted him for me. What a thrill to hold her in my hands and release her back to her element. The banders had captured two juveniles at the same time and since there is always a competition for food in the nest, the hawks were objecting to being so close together again. This is how they plead for food from the adults, lots of screaming. When i held her she was quiet, and patiently awaited being released above the cliff over Lake Superior and flying off to hunt her own food. Below is an image of me with my bird, thanks Jimmy, til Tomorrow MJ
Monday morning coffee
Friends, this big blue heron is set on the grass background in a really high key image, nice start for a Monday morning. Having my coffee and thinking about the day. Family may come first today, but if everyone is ok, then Hawk Ridge and sitting in a camp chair in the fall sunshine might be the order of the day. I need some more hawk portraits. til Tomorrow MJ
Sandhill Details
Friends, i am showing a closeup of a greater Sandhill Crane head cause i think they are so beautiful. The Big Blue stem grass makes a great backdrop of their native habitat. Crex Meadows is a gathering place for thousands of cranes as they stop here to feed on wild rice and the farmer’s corn crops. In the evening they land on traditional roosting grounds and in the morning they fly off again for food sites. Their gurgling calls keep us company until the snow flies and the marsh freezes over, then they are off to better weather. Below image is a summer crane who is joining in the festivities. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Solitary
Friends, this Great Blue Heron is fishing alone . They don’t like company when they are seeking food in the lake. A solitary figure for our weekly photo theme: solitary. He stalks the shallows along the shoreline and with a quick jab catches a small fish which he swallows whole and head first. He has been in Crex all summer and i see him in the same area every day. He has some rust stains on his blue feathering from the water. til Tomorrow MJ
Prairie Grasses
Friends, some fall grasses going to seed in Crex Meadows. I think the grasses are almost as pretty as the flowers you just have to get very close to see their beauty and get the light behind them to bring out the colors. This Indian grass (top) and Big Blue Stem (below) are indicators of a tall prairie eco system, and they both grow 4-5 feet high in parts of Crex exposed to full sunshine. Big Blue Stem has a turkey foot shaped seed head at the top of a dark stem as seen in the image below. til Tomorrow MJ
Natural Watercolors
Friends, Hawk ridge yesterday, but no birds. The sky was almost clear when i got there, but a storm blew in and covered my car with pea-sized hail. After the storm, i shot some fall foliage cause the sumac was gorgeous up on the ridge. More experiments with moving the camera during the exposure. I think this looks like a watercolor. Below is an experiment with the under layer moved and the top layer more sharp, a paper birch changing its clothes. til Tomorrow MJ
The Arrival of Fall
Friends, We had our first hard “Freeze” last night announcing the arrival of fall. This image is a true “fall image” of Crex Meadows, the Greater Sandhill cranes coming in for a landing on the marsh. I think they look like little parachute jumpers coming down to earth. Soon the marsh will be alive with thousands of Cranes calling to each other and all talking at the same time, they are such special birds. Too bad they don’t stay with us all year long, but their arrival makes the fall a busy place for us wildlife photographers. Then with the first snowfall, they are gone. 😦 , leaving me sad and faced with ice and snow for 4-5 months. Below is an image of the color that is invading the Meadow, the sumac is one of the first to change from green summer finery to fall red. Going to Hawk Ridge today to get some more hawk portraits. til Tomorrow MJ
Redtails and Redwings
Friends, this young red-tailed Hawk is perched on a birch tree branch in Crex Meadows. This is about as close as you can get to these birds when they are in their natural environment. I also have images of him from the front and you can see his white bib and splotched belly band that marks him as a red tailed. We had some frost last night and temperatures down to 25 degrees F, so fall is technically here. Below is an image of the red-winged blackbirds gathering for their trip to the south. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 