Blog Archives
Another Sunset-Full Moon Rising
Friends, this sunset also has the moon rising, I have seen this sight many times when the Sandhill Cranes are gathering on Crex Meadows before they migrate. This image is the only one i have been able to capture showing the cranes moving across the moon. The exposure is difficult to nail precisely, but this one comes close. Focused on the birds so the sky is a little soft but seems to be a colorful shot for Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays to you all. til Tomorrow MJ
Winter Splendor
Friends, this winter sunset is colorful and shows a typical scene from our northwoods of Crex Meadows in the winter, the color of sunset and sunrise are the highlights and only show up when the sun is not blocked with clouds. I hope you all are preparing for a Happy Holiday season, as for me and mine, we will enjoy the company of family and friends. A trip to Sax Zim bog is planned after the new year. so til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Surprise
Friends, though not uncommon, a heavy frost is a nice surprise on a winter morning, when every little branch and twig is covered with heavy frost, the winter wonderland is transformed into a silent wilderness with only the roar of a blue sky to interrupt the silence. The oak leaves never are down until the new spring leaves push them out so they remain on rust covered bushes to announce their resistance to the cold winds. This morning we have a little frost but one of these mornings… til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, this view is typical in our country this time of year. A mixture of ice and open water, and some bare sticks for trees with the ever present pines. The sky seems to stay the same but fewer days with a blue sky showing, and way too many clouds. But Christmas is coming and all the little children are counting the hours, til Tomorrow MJ
A Christmas birdie
Friends, this Christmas birdie is not your traditional cardinal, but a pine grosbeak (male) who is attracted to sunflower seeds in bird feeders and the pine cones of the northwoods. He is a delicious color and resembles a small parakeet or parrot in his actions. til Tomorrow Happy Holidays MJ
Summer Cheer
Friends, this bright yellow is to cheer up those who need cheering, including me, til Tomorrow MJ
HDR Tree
Friends, this is a bit of color left over from last spring, this is an HDR image which is a composite of three images, one overexposed, one underexposed and one right on. HDR stands for high dynamic range, meaning that the three images can encompass the all the dark details as well as all the light details. In the winter i have more time to process photoshop images and i needed something to fill up my color meter this morning, til Tomorrow MJ
Old and New
Friends, these are flight feathers from a redtail hawk at the border between old feathers and new feathers, the old has signs of wear on the edges and the new have a smooth edge. This is a sight that few of us get to see, unless we frequent Hawk Ridge and then study higher magnifications of the wings. The older feathers are browner and might even be juvenal feathers left over when the bird had its first molt. The very top feather shows a notch that is present on the outer primary flight feathers of the wing, so this is the left wing and we are looking at the underside of the wing. I am busy studying the molts and feathers to see what i can learn, lots to learn. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Delicate
Friends, these feathers look very delicate but for a hawk they are necessary attire. This is the top of the wing of a redtailed hawk as seen at Hawk Ridge this fall, I am studying feathers and the molts. There is a lot to learn but a research project keeps me entertained on a cold windy and rainy day. The rain is melting all our snow and we are likely to have ice for Christmas instead of snow. til Tomorrow MJ
Another short commercial
Friends, I finally figured out how to offer you a pdf version of my recent book, you can purchase a pdf version to be read with Adobe Reader for $7.00 and download to almost any pc or mac that has Adobe Reader. follow the loons, eagles and other birds and flowers in Crex Meadows in the summer months. The order is Instant pdf and is at the top of the order column. the link is , so til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 