Blog Archives
Splendor in the Snow
Friends, 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
Junco
Friends, i am running out of images to post, guess i have to get busy and do some photography. This junco was sitting on my desktop, so here he is in all his feathered glory. I do love the birdies, til Tomorrow MJ
Noisy Visitor
Friends, this noisy goshawk is leaving the area in a hurry, Goshawks are notorious for the squawking that they do when in hand at Hawk Ridge. This is a first year bird and is used to hollering for food in the nest. His feathers are a bit ruffled as he gathers himself to continue his migration south. Being a woodland bird, these are rarely seen except in the fall migration over Hawk Ridge. The Goshawk count over the ridge is the highest anywhere in the US. So the goshawk has become an icon of Hawk Ridge, til Tomorrow MJ
Cooper Blur
Friends, this Cooper’s Hawk is still protesting his capture and banding, or maybe the loss of a feather, floating in the lower middle of this image. Hawk Ridge is an exciting place to be in the fall, lots of birds migrating and some are caught, banded, adopted and released back into the wild blue yonder. But I have a question, is this a pleasing blur?? til Tomorrow MJ
More Feathers
Friends, under this wing of wood duck, we found layers of feathers, brown and white. A contrast to his brilliant blue feathers of wing top. I find their wing feathers very interesting with all the tiny details. til Tomorrow MJ
Wood Duck Feathers
Friends, these wood duck feathers look like brush strokes,; the overlapping, fine details , and iridescent colors. The blue color is not a pigment but rather a structural color, the light is reflected as the full spectrum, that results from the light being bent by microstructure within the cells. Perceiving the color is dependent on the angle from which one views. If you stand ninety degrees from this angle, the iridescence is gone, til Tomorrow MJ
Swan Portrait
Friends, this swan is close up and personal, i love their curves; This image was shot in the very early spring in the brown of the reeds and grasses as background, I was able to sit in my car and shoot out the window. They are eating in water that is full of iron, so their neck feathers stain red. By this time of year they are molting into pretty white again, til Tomorrow MJ
Making Waves
Friends, these mallard chicks are making their own waves following their mother on the green hues of Lake Superior. They are still covered with down and have no flight feathers yet, hope they grow in soon so they can fly south with their mother. Until then they will be making waves. til Tomorrow MJ
Calling Crane
Friends, this Sandhill crane was right by the road when i jumped out to photograph him. I like the feathers in the tip of his bill, he is molting his summer coat stained with red-iron water. Soon he will be handsome gray all over and ready to move further south. Til then we enjoy the flocks of cranes that spend the fall in Crex and surrounding areas. He was calling and i love the red eyes. til Tomorrow MJ
Joyous Day
Friends, lots of folks around Crex Meadows have been watching this red-neck grebe’s nest this spring, wondering when will the little ones hatch. Yesterday was the day, in the morning I watched against the sun and saw three little heads riding on the adults, when i visited again in the evening when the light was better, I only saw these two riding on mom, but a third might be hidden somewhere in her feathers. A soft comfy bed to take a nap, I will visit again today to see how they fare in Phantom Lake, this image is a little fuzzy but I had to push my telephoto to get any image at all, enjoy, I know I will til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 