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Marching with Mom

A chipping sparrow chirps away while basking in the morning sun near the top of a pine tree in southern Oceana County. The bird seems as excited as I am that the sun has finally come out on this April day. F4.5 at 1/4000, ISO 800, 500mm lens at 500mm

This chipping sparrow came to say hello to my dad and me today and it sang us the most beautiful little song. The warm sunshine made all three of us feel joyous and in the mood to sing. Unfortunately, nobody wants to ever listen to my dad and me sing. F7.1 at 1/3200, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 840mm

Morning Stroll

No lifeguards are on duty; the ice-cold water is still keeping all but the hardiest swimmers away. On this evening the shapes of the lifeguard tower on the Ludington beach look interesting to me empty, framed against sand, lake and sky. F8.0 at 1/250, ISO 100, 12-24 mm lens at 14 mm

My parents have several birdhouses around their yard. I particularly love this one. This bird was busy making a nest, and it took a while to capture a sharp photograph of it, but my stubbornness won out.

Stearns Park Takeoff

Can't Keep me Down

The Pere Marquette River Flats south of Ludington is a mecca for waterfowl. As the sun rises this morning, the river and marsh come alive with Canada geese. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200 mm at 200 mm

Lisa Cooper called and informed me that she and Paul had some baby barred owls in their backyard near the Lincoln River in Victory Township. It took me several minutes to spot this baby, even though Paul and Lisa were pointing right at it. The little owl blended in perfectly to its surroundings.

Wintery Perch

We had a family dinner at my brother and sister-in-law’s for the first time in a long time because of COVID-19. Paul and Sue’s back deck is surrounded by many trees – you truly feel as if you are having a picnic in the woods! Tonight, we were visited by many different varieties of birds as we enjoyed each other’s company.

Brad and I are both scurrying to find a picture of the day before speaking to the Alpha Graduates of Ludington High School. We have been frantically busy all day at the gallery so have little time to shoot today. I make a couple images on the Lincoln Hills Golf Club grounds I don't especially like. Then this robin appears just in time! F4.0 at 1/200, ISO 200, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I love the return of spring and all of the pretty flowers and blossoms, but what I love the most is the singing birds. This robin was hard at work finding food near the public boat ramp off of Lakeshore Drive on Lincoln Lake. F5.6 at 1/1600, ISO 1000, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

Later tonight my dad and I have to present a slide show at the West Michigan Birding Festival, so I got up early this morning and set out to make at least one more good image of birds. I headed to Lincoln Lake to see what I could find. After many failed attempts, I finally got one photograph that was sharp and well composed. F9.0 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender at 850 mm

I have watched these goslings for weeks. I knew that I wanted to make a photo of them and tonight seemed like a good night for it, as they were perched on a mound surrounding their mom. As I was getting in position, the mom and goslings swam off their mound. Two other geese started to come near, and the daddy scared them away. It wasn’t the photo I was going for, but it turned out better than I envisioned.

My high school friends Bryan and Veronica Copenhaver have recently moved back to the area after living in Alaska for several years. Brian called me to say they had a white egret in their pond. Sean and the kids and I drove out there in the rain and found the bird. Just as I was rushing into position to make my first image, a truck drove by and scared the bird away. I ended up photographing this pair of geese on their pond instead.

Parents escort a squadron of Canada geese goslings on an evening voyage across Pere Marquette Lake. Perhaps the youngsters are practicing the precision V-formations they will be part of when they learn to fly. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 100, 80-200 mm at 200 mm

I was shocked to be standing in my kitchen and to look out the window at our bird feeders to see two indigo buntings and two scarlet tanagers all at the same time. I haven’t seen either of those species in my yard before, let alone four of them at the same time. I snuck back outside to my truck and got my camera and big lens just in time to get a photo of the one remaining scarlet tanager.

All primped after taking a bird bath in the Red Cedar River, a female cardinal awaits the arrival of a nearby male cardinal that has been pursuing her on the Michigan State University campus this spring afternoon. F6.3 at 1/1000, ISO 1600, 80-200mm lens at 200mm