Blog Archives
Dancing Cranes
Friends, these greater Sandhill Cranes have just arrived from the south, and are so happy to be up north again. They are dancing and celebrating the coming of spring weather. Watching them dance inspires me to celebrate as well, so i turn up the country music playing on my radio 🙂 til Tomorrow MJ
Skunk cabbage
Friends, this is also one of the early blooms in Crex Meadows. It is Skunk Cabbage and grows in very wet ground along streams or flowages. I got my feet wet shooting this image, but i think it was worth the effort. The difficulty in this shot is portraying the pod-like bloom with the purple husk alongside the bright green of the huge leaves. The name skunk cabbage comes from its rotten smell when the plant is crushed or physically disturbed. I didn’t touch and left it undisturbed. til Tomorrow MJ
Pussy Willows
Friends, these pussy willows have gone to seed and all are rushing to be first in line to be photographed. They are really male catkins of the willow tree covered with stamens they appear very early in the spring. In Crex they are a dominant vegetation in the wet areas. Below is an image of an earlier version of pussy willows.
Hooded Merganser
Friends, it was a rough day on the water when this little male Hooded Merganser decided to appear in front of my camera. He is one of the first ducks to arrive on Crex in the spring and has found some food underwater. As he rose from his dive, he was startled by my presence and his white and black crest was raised in alarm. In this image the hood is still being raised as he motors away. I had to focus quickly and hope that i was on the right target. til Tomorrow MJ
After the Rain
Friends, these cheery flowers are the first to bloom in Crex Meadows, a favorite haunt of mine in Northwestern Wisconsin. They are Pasque flowers and are a wild crocus. They are a light blue when they first bloom but fade quickly in the early spring sunshine. I especially enjoy their yellow centers before the pollinators beat them to a pulp. Hope you also enjoy their cheerful faces. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unfocused
Friends, this image is technically focused, but the subject, a Trumpeter Swan, is definitely unfocused. He has his nose tucked in and is napping peacefully in the early spring sunshine. He will be startled when he awakes to find a photographer taking his picture from a very close vantage point. til Tomorrow MJ
Warm fuzzies
Friends, these little fuzz balls are a sure sign that spring has arrived in Northern Wisconsin. Over this last weekend, we observed at least ten new families of Canadian geese. You can see the adult feathers above and below these goslings in a protective stance against photographers who are curious and bent on taking their picture. They certainly gain a high rating of cute and cuddly. til Tomorrow MJ
Sandhill Sunrise
Friends, these Sandhills are taking off into the sunrise, pretty colors in the morning especially as the sun peeks over the horizon. Now i am done showing any more crane images until next fall. Tomorrow i start in a new direction, i will still be doing the nature photography, but the location will change from the Wisconsin birds to North Dakota badlands. I will show you the land, critters, wildflowers, lichens and tell you some natural history stories along the way. Tune in for a fascinating journey into a land touched by the sun,wind and history. til Tomorrow MJ
Juvenile Cranes-Talking While Flying
Friends, whenever i am feeling down, i just look at one of my images of the Sandhill Cranes, especially flying shots like this one and i am cheered immediately. Sometimes i think one of my major purposes in life is to photograph the cranes as they fly overhead. These birds are juveniles, their crowns are rusty instead of bright red, and as all young ones do, they are busy talking as they fly. I have recorded their sounds and play them back often to remind me of the beauty of Crex Meadows in the fall. Now i am feeling much better, til Tomorrow MJ
Dysfunctional Swan Behavior
Friends, not the pretty swan picture that you are accustomed to seeing, but normal behavior during the breeding season, chasing away the competitors, and this takes place in Crex Meadows before the ice melts on the lakes, i like to think of them chasing away the cold weather and ushering in the warm, no Pasque flowers yet but 66 degrees F yesterday so warmer times are coming 🙂 I am ready, til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 