Blog Archives
What a thrill!!
Friends, these Greater Sandhill cranes are gathering on the Trade River for their last hurrah before going south. But surprise, one of these birds is not a sandhill, but is a rarely seen Whooping Crane. The big white one in the top of the image whose head markings are a little different than the Sandhills. They are very white and larger than the sandhills. These birds are extremely rare and are now bred in captivity then taught to fly using an ultralight aircraft at Naceedah Wildlife Refuge, then they are released into the wild. Occasionally we see one who is migrating on his own with the Sandhills, it is a very rare sighting. Sorry for the poor image, but i was stretching my telephoto. Thanks Kim for the tip and Jim for the company. til Tomorrow MJ
Spring Loon
Friends, this is an environmental shot of a loon nesting far out in the marsh in Crex. The loons have all flown south and now the marsh is full of sandhill cranes. Soon they will also disappear and we will be left with the snow, ice and winter birds. Bald eagles, snow buntings, rough-legged hawks, blue jays, nuthatches, goldfinches, juncos, woodpeckers, flickers and ever-present chickadees will remain behind to keep us company. til Tomorrow MJ
Maple Glory
Friends, this foliage is gone for now, but a little reminder of the wonderful fall that has now passed us by. The maples are the highlight of my fall, they seem to turn every shade of yellow, orange and red before they pass into winter snow. til Tomorrow MJ
Sandhill Closeup
Friends, this sandhill crane was very close to the road, so I just had to take his picture, nice portrait, don’t you think? He was rooting in the mud for food but had cleaned off his bill for the photographer. About 12000 of these birds have gathered in Crex Meadows to fatten up before their long flight south. til Tomorrow MJ
The Neon Woods
Friends, i get tired of the same old fall foliage images of pretty leaves and trees, so i was playing last night and came up with this. An abstract with a painterly effect. It is half a cup of motion blur, half a cup of paint spatter and a pinch of masking to reveal the details, is it a recipe worth keeping? that is the question til Tomorrow MJ
His Environment
Friends, this baby pied billed grebe is begging food from his mom, and in the bottom image he is grown and no longer using the lily pads for cover. Now he is swimming on the big water and getting his own food. I love these little birds as they are always around on Phantom Lake, constantly fishing for food. I am experimenting (again) with a crop that includes his water trail and his eye. Do you like this kind of crop? til Tomorrow MJ
Milkweed 2
Friends, I reexamined my milkweed images for the essence of the fall explosion of tiny white hairs that carry the seed on the breezes. I like the essence of a single seed at the point of hairs emanating from the seed. I tried to emphasize this point with some special effects from Color Efex Pro. Do you like? til Tomorrow MJ
Milk weed
Friends, not sure that i like this shot, but the best i was able to get the day i was in Crex. I like the background colors and the hidden seeds in the nest of white hairs. this is the theme for Lets See you best shot on Facebook, til Tomorrow MJ
Crane Overhead
Friends, this Greater Sandhill Crane is taking flight at sunrise. In Crex Meadows, the cranes come into Main Dike at sunset and roost for the night. People also come by the dozens to watch the nightly display. In the morning, the cranes are noisy on the roost and all talking at once just before they take off and go back to the fields to spend their day. They usually fly in large flocks or smaller family groups and this single crane was actually part of a larger group. As they passed overhead, I was able to isolate a single crane in flight. til Tomorrow MJ
Green Heron Fishing
Friends, this green heron is fishing from his favorite perch just a mile from my house. In the early morning fog, he is back lit by a diffused light. Again i am experimentingwith a vignette, green this time. I like this pose, always alert for small critters below him in the water. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 