Blog Archives

A Full Moon to Remember

eagle on the moonFriends, night of the full moon, Jan 15 2013, yes this is a composite image, but couldn’t resist showing it on this blog, the eagle was at Hawk Ridge, and the full moon from above our house last January.  Sometimes Photoshop is an artist’s best friend, do you mind??, til Tomorrow MJ

 

Treasures Found

baby pied bill grebeFriends, this baby pied bill grebe is starting to get some real feathers on his wing and celebrating by stretching them out for all the world to see.  He is kind of a drab color but i love when the natural history of the wild comes thru in an image, and i caught it for just an moment in time, however with all the images i shot last summer,  i did not recognize the value in this image, but now that life has slowed and it is snowing outside again today, i now have time to peruse and process images of the past.  til Tomorrow MJ

 

A Summer Song

pied billed baby beggingFriends, this winter weather is getting me down, but here is a summer image to pick me up and wash away the blues, This adult Pied Billed Grebe is very small and baby begging is even smaller.  They are brave and come within mere feet of my vehicle.  The babies sit in the lily pads and wait for the adult to come near.  When they are done feeding, the adult slips under the water to hunt for more food.  Summer seems so far away til Tomorrow MJ

 

Back to Work

whooper dancingFriends, i have been busily reviewing my images from 2013 to compile a bird list for my records, i stumbled on this image of a whooping crane that arrived this fall with the sandhill cranes.  She is female 10-10 and was hatched and raised in a facility in southern Wisconsin, she was taught to migrate behind an ultralight aircraft and then set free.  In this image, the Sandhills were trying to persuade her to dance with them, she tried, til Tomorrow MJ

 

Hahaha

snowFriends, while hunting for the Snowy Owl at Crex, all we have found lately has been vertical clumps of snow hanging in the trees.  This clump was especially interesting from a distance, but when we got closer, we were royally fooled.  Oh well still looking. til Tomorrow MJ

 

Why We Shoot

male ring neck-final ring bill1Friends, these two images illustrate why we photographers keep shooting the same subject over and over.  Perfection is not goal.  Both of these are ring necked ducks, but the mood and the light are very different. The experienced nature photographer keeps chasing the light.   So in 2014, I hope the light is good to you all.  til Tomorrow MJ

 

Splendor in the Snow

roosterFriends, this male pheasant is showing off his finery in the drabness of winter.  I love the many patterns and colors on his back, such  a lovely bird.  Surrounded by snow, he still finds a bit of seed to eat, here and there.  We were searching for the snowy owl, but this guy insisted that we take his picture, enjoy til Tomorrow MJ

 

Cranes are gone

two cranes father and sonFriends, the Sandhills have left the building,  we have received about 18 inches of snow and the cranes found it a bit too much.  i wish i could go with them, but need to stay where i am for the time being.  This immature crane is leading the way for the adult with oak leaves in the background. enjoy, til Tomorrow MJ

 

Nuthatch

nuthatch whiteFriends, this white-breastedd Nuthatch visits the suet feeders quite often during our winter season.  He is seen hopping up and down a tree trunk with his you know facing the sky.  Further up north these birds are called assups because they often travel upside-down. You get the picture, til Tomorrow MJ

 

Snowy Owl in the Snow storm

snowy with colorFriends, today we found a Snowy Owl in Crex Meadows.We haven’t seen one of these in Crex since 2005.  This shot is really an extreme crop and a big stretch for my telephoto lens, but we were thrilled to see this owl even at a distance. This was a remeinder for me to get back to work after a short hiatus at Thanksgiving. til Tomorrow MJ