Blog Archives
Four Rules
Friends, I have four rules (for myself) before I publish a bird image on this blog. 1) eye must be sharp,2) must be highlight in the eye 3) the light must be good (not too much shadow), and 4) the background must be somewhat amorphous (bokeh). if three of the four are satisfied, I may also publish, but I prefer that all four rules be followed (by me). This winter gold finch image is an example of the four rules, when they are applied. Practicing at my bird feeder, Simple ??, til Tomorrow MJ 
Drips
Friends, after a few weeks of wintry weather we got a few days of warmup and the snow was rolling off our garage roof. I liked the curly shape of icy snow and the solid wood texture, so i gave this a black and white look. I love January thaws and enjoyed tramping thru the snow in the woods. Also enjoyed a few days of sitting in the lawn chair watching the bird feeders. til Tomorrow MJ
Snow falling
Friends, this is an animated gif of snowfalling at Crex Meadows. I am learning this photoshop technique and soon will have some refinements available. This tutorial is offered at Photography Improvements blog, tune in if you want to see how to do this. 
Too Much Detail
Friends, this image of a ruffed grouse in a birch tree illustrates a common problem when photographing birds in their environment, too much detail around the bird. However, the eye was sharp and had a highlight and the light had a reasonable angle so I decided to show it to you today. After risking our lives by stopping on a blacktop road and scurrying around on the shoulders, I thought maybe the image had some merit. The grouse love the birch buds this time of year (winter) and are often perched among the branches eating their fill. 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
Winter Birdie
Friends, the appearance of this tiny bird means that winter has arrived, three inches of snow on the ground this morning and more on the way, a steady stream of snowflakes to cover all our pine trees in the yard, makes a beautiful sight, but wet conditions for birding. This birdie is a Redpoll and gets his name from his jaunty cap of red. His food is hanging all around him and he was very busy chomping on these catkins. I will try to get outside today but it is a struggle to keep the camera dry. Oh well work on my book today. til Tomorrow MJ
Red Pine Sunset
Friends, the end of a perfect winter day, this red pine grove is halfway home from Crex Meadows and I often see it at sunset. Spending the day at Crex is a passion even when the summer birds have gone south. The only birds remaining are natives and those that migrate from the far northern regions. Currently there are Rough-legged hawks, bald eagles, a harrier, osprey and an occasional red-tailed hawk, I am chasing otters, timber wolves, white tail deer and other illusive ghosts thru the 30,000 acres of marsh and woodlands that is Crex. Finding tracks but nothing else so now i have to resort to some sunset images to be able to show you the wonders of Crex. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 