Welcome to My Michigan (The Mitten)
I took a fifteen year break from photography to spend as much time as possible with my family. Now that the kids are out of school and I find myself with more free time I have decided to join the digital age and pick up where I left off.
For me photography is a labor of love. It helps me see everything in a new light and a new way. Everyday events become forever memories. Insects, flowers, animals and birds become magical and mystical. My eyes see a whole new world around me, sometimes alien but always beautiful. This is what I love to do, winter, spring, summer and fall, immersed in the great out of doors with a camera in my hand.
Come and join me on my expeditions. And just maybe, like many others, you will come away "Smitten by the Mitten".
Thank you for stopping by.
Jim
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Spring Has Sprung
It's spring time in the Mitten
And the gentle breezes blow
Gusting sixty miles an hour
Wind chill seventeen below.
Oh, how I love this great state
When the snow's up to your butt.
When you take a breath of spring time
And your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is perfect
So I guess I'll hang around.
I will never leave Michigan
'Cause I'm frozen to the ground.
Author: Unknown
Last Snowy of 2014?
I drove to Annis Rd., SW of Mason, for my lunch break today. I was hoping to find a Snowy that someone else had seen last night. Will this be my last Snowy of 2014? He was far away so the photos are not the best. Three more pics can be seen here.
Horned Lark
It seems that there are Horned Larks everywhere. The birds are starting to move north!
Waiting in Ambush
It's one thing to hide in the trees and attack from above, but this Coopers Hawk has learned to hide behind piled up snow and wait for unsuspecting prey. Pretty darn tricky. Unfortunately this is in our backyard and the reason we have so few birds at the feeders this winter.
Looking For a Red-neck
I went back to Grand Ledge today to try my luck at finding the Red-necked Grebe. I found it and a Lesser Scaup at Island Park and another Bald Eagle at Jones Road bridge. Overall it was a very good day. More pics from the day can be seen here.
Red-necked Grebe
Bald Eagle
Lesser Scaup
Looking
I went to Grand Ledge today looking for the Red-necked Grebe but he had moved on to someplace else. I was lucky enough to see an Immature Bald Eagle, a Common Goldeneye and a Bufflehead.
Immature Bald Eagle
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Slow Saturday
Things have quieted down. No new ducks are showing up or any other birds. I guess they are waiting for it to warm up a bit. Here are three pics from yesterday.
Goldeneye takeoff at Grand Ledge Island Park.
Female Common Merganser at Potter Park.
And the resident (old) Coot at Potter Park.
Night Sky
Aurora activety was high but there were no visible northern lights (plenty of bone chilling air). These photos were taken on Dennis Rd. just west of Williamston Rd.
Looking North (light pollution is terrible)
Looking South over the top of my car.
Coot
Here is a pic of the Coot that has been hanging out on the Red Cedar River at Potter Park.
Bald Eagle
As I was driving to a lunch time appointment I saw this guy soaring overhead. Then I noticed there were two of them circling and "dancing" with each other. It is the first time I have seen a Bald Eagle so close to home.
Infrared Winter
Trying to get in some winter IR before the snow is all gone.
This is the IR image straight from the camera.
This is what you end up with after adjusting the grey point and swapping the red and blue channels.
And finally converted to B & W.
Old Barn
Three presentations of an old barn in Gratiot County.
Original
Black and White Conversion
Black and White Grunge
Pintails and More
It was another good weekend. I saw Pintails at Island Park in Grand Ledge and a Red-headed Woodpecker and nesting Great Horned Owl at Maple River SGA. You can see the rest of the weekend pics at Weekend Pintails.
Male and Female Northern Pintail Ducks.
Red-headed Woodpecker.
Nesting Great Horned Owl.
Back to Muskegon
I decided to take my wife, sister and niece to Muskegon and show off all of the ducks that had gathered there. Unfortunately the water has opened up off shore and a lot of the ducks have moved from the channel. We did not see the Barrow's Goldeneye but did see the King Eider. Here are a couple of pics from the day and the rest can be seen at Muskegon Ducks 2.
Female Goldeneye
Juvenile King Eider