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
If you enjoy this blog then visit "like" Cerulean Sky Photography on Facebook.
More Ducks
I went to the Red Cedar River Potter Park area to see if the swans might have returned. The swans weren't there but I did find some surprises. Go to Sunday Birds to see all the pics from today.
Black Ducks
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
American Coot
Common Goldeneye
Bitter Cold Blast
This afternoon the temperature dropped from 20 to 10 degrees in one hour when a cold front moved through. And the wind was gusting to 35 mph. So I decided to go out and try to capture the bitter cold and blowing snow. I am posting a couple of the pics here but you can see more photographs in the Bitter Cold Jan 2014 gallery.
Keeping Warm
It is about 10 degrees with a wind chill of -12. These two Swans are snug as a bug in a rug. This is on The Red Cedar River by Potter Park Zoo.
#4
Snowy Owl number four and less than 3 miles from home. This one was on Simmons Road between Holt and Lamb (just to the east of Okemos Road).
Boat Landing
Here is a photograph of an old boat landing along the Red Cedar River.
Slow Day
I didn't see many birds today, but I did get a couple of nice pics of a Brown Creeper, a Tree Sparrow and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Brown Creeper
American Tree Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler eating Poison Ivy berries
Snowy Owl Revisited
I found some time to go back through the Snowy Owl pics from two weeks ago. I picked this one out and converted it to black and white in Topaz Adjust.
Black and White version.
Color version, before B & W conversion.
Juvenile Coopers Hawk?
Yet another raptor from this past weekend. I think this this is a juvenile Coopers Hawk. Others think it looks more like a Sharp Shinned Hawk. I'm going with Coopers. I decided to include a black & white conversion that I liked. This photo was taken in the same area as the Red Tailed Hawk just northeast of Laingsburg.
Flying High
On Sunday I decided to take the back roads to Maple River SGA. Long story short, I got lost on the way. Northeast of Laingsburg I captured this Red Tailed Hawk. Funny story is when I was a kid I thought all big birds that soared were Red Tails. I certainly have seen a lot of Red Tailed Hawks in my lifetime. :)
We Have Lift Off
It was muddy and messy and I almost turned around and went home. But I wanted to get at least one good pic for the weekend so I pressed on. This Rough Legged Hawk looks much better than my car does. I'm glad that I didn't turn around and go home.
Great Blue Heron Keeping Warm
Early Sunday morning I found this clever Heron hunkered down inside a culvert, out of the wind and fishing for breakfast. This is one smart bird!
Pileated Woodpecker
One more pic from the weekend before I go back to work. The first time I saw this bird I was about 14 years old. I remember thinking it was the most regal thing I had ever seen. When I look at it today I am still awed by it's majestic beauty.
Mink
I went for a short walk in the fresh snow and found out that there were others out for a walk also. I think this is my first photo of a mink.
Is that you Jim?
Snowy Day
It has been 30 years since I saw my last Snowy Owl. I worked very hard for this one. It was a very good excellent all around day! More weekend pics can be seen here.
