Blog Archives
Hanging out at the Bird Feeder
Dear Friends, this image of a common bird, the chickadee, reminded me of why i shoot so many images to get just one good one. This black-capped chickadee was up against a black background, but when the light hit the feathers on top of his head in just the right angle, the black of his head was lighter than the background and stood out, how do you like?, til Tomorrow MJ
Preening Feathers
Friends, after three days of cleaning up a hacker’s mess, i have finally returned to the land of computer sharing. If you receive a notice from yahoo telling you to update your software, please know that it is a scam to steal your contacts and email. Then they horse up your passwords and send out embarrassing messages saying you are in Istanbul and need cash. I don’t even have a passport. So back to Crex Meadows and this beautiful crane, cleaning her feathers. til Tomorrow MJ
Why Heron have Long Necks
Friends, this Blue Heron has a very long neck so he can bunch it up and rest his chin when he is resting. The morning was very windy and his head feathers were standing up on end, i love the feather details. I did not like the green detailed background so i tried to minimize its effect, did i succeed??, til Tomorrow MJ
Wing Beats
Friends, i know i do this same image every year and sometimes several times a year, but the takeoff and landing of cranes on their roost site is still a wonder to me. The air from their wingbeats causes a rush of joy as they pass over my head, sometimes so close you feel you could touch those feathers. Crex Meadows this time of year is a paradise for photographers who love nature. til Tomorrow MJ
Sharp Tail portraits
Friends, these male Sharptail Grouse are taking a break from their dancing in the spring. They came very close to the blind and sometimes i even had to back the zoom off from 400 mm to 300 or even 100mm. What a day, started very foggy but with the sunrise came the color. til Tomorrow MJ
Then There were Three in a Tree
Friends, sorry for the alliteration, i couldn’t resist. The cedar waxwings are migrating thru Duluth Mn on the shores of Lake Superior. This dead birch tree made a handy lookout for these three, they didn’t stay for long, just long enough for me to photo. The bird in the middle is an immature but still has the yellow tip on the tail. The little round red blob is a berry that the right bird dropped when he landed til Tomorrow MJ
Mad Birdie
Friends, the expression on this yellow-rumped warbler appears as though he is mad. I think it is the white eyebrows, but loved the feather details so excuse the extreme crop. He was only a few feet away but he is a very small birdie. A disclaimer, this was shot last spring with my old lens 100-400 mm Canon so I am comparing these results with the new telephoto 150-600 mm, I like the new lens better. til Tomorrow MJ
A Blue Bird in the Badlands
Friends, not sure of the id of this bird, but loved the blue feathers on his back and tail, since it rained much of the time that we were in the badlands this summer, i took a lot of birdie pictures. Some are immature birds and some are females and all are birds that i don’t normally see in Wisconsin. til Tomorrow MJ
Summer Wood Duck
Friends, this is two views of the same male wood duck molting into eclipse plumage. I included two images to show why i am a big proponent of continuous shooting mode. The top image shows the bird at a rest position, and the second while he is paddling and peeking. Sometimes when ducks are paddling, their backs look extended and elongated, while the top image shows a quiet duck. Which one do you like best?? til Tomorrow MJ
Badlands Spotted Towhee
Friends, this spotted towhee was caught out in the rain hence his ruffled feathers. In the North Dakota Badlands, rain is not expected in the month of August, but it rained the whole week we were there. The rain was great for the plants and animals but not so good for photographers who wished to do some hiking. I am not afraid of a few drops on my head, but the slick gumbo under my feet is heavy to haul around, kind of like mud snowshoes. And did I mention that it is slippery, my camera has chunks of muck on it from the last spill I took trying to chase down a pincushion cactus. So this was taken from the safety of a pickup blind, and i learned that these birds like to perch on dead sagebrush rather than high in a tree. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 