Blog Archives
Blue-wing Teal
Friends, this beautiful duck is a blue-winged teal in Crex Meadows. His blue wing is hidden deep in the feathers, but his head shows a little blue cast. This was a cloudy day but his white was a beacon on the dull colored water. This time of year, lots of cloudy weather gets people down and we have to look far and wide for some color to photograph. Some say to photograph in black and white, but I see in color so I long for any shade of color to brighten my day. Today I am going to Crex, maybe I will find color as the Meadows are full of Greater Sandhill Cranes gathering for the migration south. Or maybe I will find the mature Northern Harrier that i saw last week, that would make a great photo for my hawk book. One can dream and previsualize, but divine intervention is necessary for this to occur. til Tomorrow MJ
A Painting
Friends, this image of a Sandhill Crane spoke to me, the detailed feathering and the green background were very artful, so i played with my photoshop and converted this to an oil painting effect. I am studying feathers and the Sandhills have left their feathers all over the Crex Meadows due to seasonal molting. We have picked up several feathers and they are natural treasures that will help us to remember the autumn days on Crex and look forward to the return of the Cranes in the spring. If you are interested in feathers, I can recommend a good book, Bird Feathers, available at Amazon.com. Lots of info and well illustrated, but scientifically dry, but if you are into research (me), it is an excellent reference book. til Tomorrow MJ
October Photo Challenge
Friends, this image is to show what October means to me and to enter the October Photo Challenge, please tune in and enter, it is still October, isn’t it?, but October means bird migration to me. These Greater Sandhill Cranes are on their way to the south and if you follow my blog regularly, you have seen the hawk migration up close and personal, til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Silhouette
Friends, I know I cheated a little by leaving some details in my silhouettes, but when totally dark against a light background they lose that flying delicate feathery look. These are Greater Sandhill Cranes that are gathered by the thousands on the marshes and corn fields around Crex Meadows. They are feeding and resting for a while before another push to southern climes, the snow will eventually drive them from Wisconsin. They keep me outside, hiking, photographing and waiting for the snow, BAH Humbug, til Tomorrow MJ
On the Meadows
Friends, this morning we are back at Crex Meadows in Northwestern Wisconsin, where the Trumpeter Swans are passing through on the migration. This beautiful bird is preening her feathers and admiring her fine figure in the lake water. A ballerina balanced on one foot, all she needs is a tutu, this week has been a bit gray in the meadow and we are out walking the young dog and mourning the passing of our old dog. The Meadow colors make life a bit more bearable. Below is an image of the grass colors and the pond where thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Mallard ducks are also gathering to help with the harvest of wild rice. til Tomorrow MJ
The Arrival of Fall
Friends, We had our first hard “Freeze” last night announcing the arrival of fall. This image is a true “fall image” of Crex Meadows, the Greater Sandhill cranes coming in for a landing on the marsh. I think they look like little parachute jumpers coming down to earth. Soon the marsh will be alive with thousands of Cranes calling to each other and all talking at the same time, they are such special birds. Too bad they don’t stay with us all year long, but their arrival makes the fall a busy place for us wildlife photographers. Then with the first snowfall, they are gone. 😦 , leaving me sad and faced with ice and snow for 4-5 months. Below is an image of the color that is invading the Meadow, the sumac is one of the first to change from green summer finery to fall red. Going to Hawk Ridge today to get some more hawk portraits. til Tomorrow MJ
On a Wing and a Prayer
Friends, this pair of Greater Sandhill Cranes were very near the road and i was too close and working too hard for them to tolerate. They are on the wing and fleeing. I love their graceful wings and all their beautiful feathering. The migration has started and soon there will be thousands on the meadows of Crex, calling and dancing til the winter snows start to cool us off. til Tomorrow MJ
Greater Sandhill Cranes
Friends, This Greater Sandhill Crane is tiptoeing through the meadows of Crex in search of food. Their rust colored feathers are being replaced by their more formal gray of winter. When the molting season is here, one can find many feathers along the road and lakes where the cranes are busy pulling out old feathers and growing new ones. The red head and white cheek patch signify that this is an adult bird. Soon they will be flying over every morning from their roost site and every evening into their roost site. They migrate to the Texas Gulf Coast and to Florida, mostly an eastern route thru Jasper-Pulaski National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Indiana. On the way they eat grains, mollusks, and any grasshoppers that might still be roaming about. When they are here at Crex, they often gather in large groups to dance and call, celebrating the raising of the young. They are quite the spectacle until the snow flies, then one day they are gone and we are sad, but we wait patiently (?) until they return in the spring. til Tomorrow MJ
Sandhills Everywhere?
Friends, this Sandhill Crane has either just molted into his formal gray or has arrived from Northern clearer waters. He is a clean gray and not stained red from the iron-rich waters of Crex. I found lots of molted feathers around the feeding fields of Crex which suggests that the Cranes are molting and shedding those red worn feathers. Some of the feathers are gray at the base and red on the outer tips. The Cranes are flying about getting ready for the Great Fall gathering on the marshes of Crex. I am practicing my flying shots so I will be ready for the fall migration that is the highlight of my year at Crex. Thousands of cranes concentrated on a few marshes flying into a roost in the evening and out of the roost at sunrise is a sight that should not be missed by any bird/nature lover. They will soon be everywhere in Crex Meadows of NW Wisconsin. til Tomorrow MJ
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
MJ Springett 