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A pair of crows seems to be watching with curiosity as another crow takes flight from atop a birch tree. Their pose makes me think the lingering pair are wondering why the third bird is departing instead of continuing to bask in the sun on their lofty perch. F3.2 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 300mm lens at 300mm

This large mute swan swam into the only area of the Goldsworth Valley Pond being hit by sunlight and proceeded to groom and bathe himself for several minutes. He banged his powerful wings onto the surface of the water creating a huge mist the air and then quickly swam into the cloud of water. F4 at 1/2500, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

Looking regal as he rushes through the water, a swan graces a pond at Western Michigan University. The mute swan and its mate looked splendid to me but plenty intimidating to the ducks and geese attempting to swim toward their side of the pond. F11 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Most of the students at Western Michigan University have headed home for the holidays but this pair of mallard ducks is among the many waterfowl sticking around for the holidays in Goldsworth Valley Pond. F8 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

Barrows Golden Eye Duck

This goose was in a feisty mood this morning as he swam around strutting his stuff on the Goldsworth Valley Pond on the campus of Western Michigan University. He was even brave enough to tangle with a male swan. The swan won, but you wouldn't have known it a few minutes later because this guy acted like he was the king of the pond. F4 at 1/4000, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

After spending Christmas morning at home with my mom, wife, and kids, I headed out around 1:00 p.m. to finish shooting the last Tuesday of our year-long project. My first stop was my in-laws' backyard on Lavinia Street in Ludington. Don and Shari feed the birds all year long and I knew several cardinals were frequenting their yard. F4 at 1/640, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

As is true for many other bird species, the female cardinal is much more muted in her coloring. They are harder to spot in the wild compared to the flaming red male cardinals, yet they are equally as beautiful. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

This blue jay certainly thought he was the king of the hill while keeping a close eye on my in-laws' bird feeder. Every time another bird would land on the feeder or the ground below, this blue jay would get very loud and swoop over to scare the other birds away. Blue jays might be bossy, but they sure are pretty. F4 at 1/4000, ISO 800, 600mm lens at 600mm

From this angle, this eagle looks like the largest eagle on the planet. The eagle was soaring over Lincoln Lake looking for a Christmas feast. F4 at 1/800, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

I never tire of watching and photographing seagulls soaring through the air. Seagulls rarely get the credit they deserve for being one of Michigan's most beautiful and graceful birds. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

The Sable River at Ludington State Park is one of my favorite places in the world to photograph. While driving through the park I found these two geese taking a leisurely Christmas stroll along its bank. F4 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

I think the common merganser is one of the stranger looking birds in Northwest Michigan. They are harder to photograph than a lot of other Michigan ducks because they are more skittish of people. Having a huge telephoto lens helps when trying to make strong images of these elusive birds. F4 at 1/640, ISO 1600, 600mm lens at 600mm

This is the view from the very end of North Lakeshore Drive where it dead-ends at the North Bayou on Hamlin Lake. Today I parked my truck at the North Bayou Resort and Marina and grabbed my camera and tripod to document the beautiful swans swimming in the open water in front of the snow covered Hamlin Dunes. F7.1 at 1/500, ISO 800, 70-200mm lens at 185mm