Blog Archives
Sunset
Dear Friends, Day 3 of 5 day Black and White Challenge. This sunset in the rain was taken in the North Dakota Badlands, on top of Buck hill in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Juniper and cedar trees are prevalent in these landscapes, but one can usually see the sky, hence many sunrises and sunsets. Black and white??? til Tomorrow MJ
Cranes Comparison
Dear Friends, day 2 of black and white challenge and another crane image. Those who know me, know that i spend most of my waking hours in the fall in the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, an area of wild rice marshes. This is a comparison of the adult head (right bird) after preening with feathers raised and a juvenile head (left) who has not been preening. Black and white still has to show something of interest (for me). so til Tomorrow MJ
Dancing in the Drizzle
Dear Friends, accepting the 5 day black and white challenge issued by my friend, Jan. Today was a very iffy day for light so black and white was quite appropriate and as usual the Sandhill Cranes at Crex Meadows, dancing for our entertainment, til Tomorrow MJ
Heron Snacking
Friends, this Great Blue Heron is having a fishy snack at the fishing hole. Like eating popcorn, you can’t just eat one. I know he is backlit, but i like how the light lit up his beak. 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
A Tight V
Friends, first , thanks for all the birthday wishes. i had a great day. Jim and I went to Crex for dawn and watched the cranes leave their roost site in the morning. This image was taken the night before when the cranes were coasting into their roost site. Three natural history facts are in this photo, cranes fly in a v formation, they coast before landing and they talk to the birds below to warn them of their landing. so 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
Wet Day in the Badlands
Friends, a wet summer in the North Dakota badlands leaves saturated colors and a dark sky. A little different than we usually see in August out there. til Tomorrow MJ
Juvenile Trumpeter Swan
Friends, Early in the morning we went to see the sunrise in Crex Meadows and watch the Sandhill Cranes lift off their roost site and fly off to the fields. But this Trumpeter Swan family stole the show. This cygnet has juvenile gray feathers with a striking pink bill and sorry about the adult in the background, serves as a nice contrast to show off the adult vs young coloring. Next Spring they will all be white with black bills. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 