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As I was driving through Stearns Park this morning I saw a mature bald eagle flying the shoreline looking for food. I drove into the Loomis Street Boat Ramp and got my big lens and tripod out and waited 20 minutes for the large bird to fly overhead. F5.6 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 600 mm lens at 600 mm

A sandhill crane pops up out of the grass for a look while playing hide-and-seek with me at Kensington Metro Park. I took many photographs of sandhill cranes today, some showing an entire bird or birds, but I find this tighter shot riveting and much less expected. F4.5 at 1/1250, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

A mourning dove catches my eye as I hike near the Kensington Metro Park Nature Center. I think quickly but move slowly to frame the bird cleanly against a backdrop of trees beginning to turn color. The subtly beautiful creature stays still long enough for me to finish making a picture that feels good. F9 at 1/500, ISO 3200, 300mm lens at 300mm

Winter is just ducky at the Gustafsons' pond along Iris Road south of Ludington. Flowing water keeps the pond open and the ducks swimming. The ducks are a beautiful sight for the Gustafsons and passers-by. F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 185 mm

Wild turkeys file down a trail at the Kensington Metro Park nature preserve. They seem unbothered by my intrusion into their habitat. I am impressed by how wild it is at Kensington even though the southeast Michigan park borders one of Michigan's busiest freeways and is within a short distance of big cities. F9 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

A great blue heron stands motionless, waiting for lunch to swim his way on a pond at Kensington Metro Park between Brighton and Milford, Michigan. I love the elegant posture, self-control, and patience of these keen hunters. F22 at 1/500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. A deer adds to the beauty of snowy woodlands this morning as I stop on my way to work to appreciate the scene and capture this 2010 moment for others to see. F2.8 at 1/100, ISO 500, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

I have chased these birds and a hundred others for several blocks, taking pictures periodically, but knowing I was not making a strong picture. Now I finally have a handful of them right where I want them. F5.0 at 1/500, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

A box turtle makes its way along the edge of a country road near Ruby Creek. I am eye to eye with this beautiful creature because its sunshine-bathed yellow shell and body grabbed my attention like a turtle-crossing sign as I was driving eastward across the Michigan countryside. F5.6 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 300mm lens at 300mm

I am back at the Andersen elk ranch on Amber Road to try once again to make an image I like of a big elk. Today he surprises me by ambling over to the edge of a neighboring enclosure to share a friendly moment with a younger elk. F2.8 at 1/100, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

As I drive by the W.C. Cornwell Ranch north of Clare, Michigan, I get a quick look at a nice young buck trotting through one of the many pastures of the big centennial farm. From the looks of this deer, the eating is good at Cornwell Ranch. F10 at 1/800, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

A fox darts for cover moments after I spotted it lying in a farm field south of Clare, Michigan. At first I thought I was seeing a fawn lying down in the grass. What a surprise to see a fox pop up. F9 at 1/800, ISO 400, 300mm lens at 300mm

My dad and I stayed at the Konteka Hotel and Restaurant during our trip to the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The Konteka is a great experience in itself. The staff and owners were extremely friendly and the food was great. The best part of our stay was seeing the coyotes that feed behind the restaurant. From near our dinner table I photographed this coyote that was running around outside. I had my dad stand up behind me to block the reflection of the salad bar in the window. The final photo turned out a lot cooler than I ever imagined it would. To me, it evokes a feeling of "Man Versus Wild." F2.8 at 1/13, ISO 1600, 18-50mm lens at 46mm

A pair of mute swans keeps its lone surviving cygnet close at hand as they float along the shoreline of Pere Marquette Lake just after sunrise. Mute swans have proliferated in Michigan to the point that efforts are being made to reduce their population. I, for one, never tire of seeing the graceful birds and watching for peak or unique views of them. F2.8 at 1/2000, ISO 1600, 80-200mm lens at 145mm

A great blue heron stands as motionless as a lawn ornament in the yard of a cottage on Bass Lake near Pentwater, Michigan. I have to look twice to make certain the bird is real rather than plastic. F3.5 at 1/2500, ISO 1600, 300mm lens at 300mm

Our friend, Don Nelson, notified my dad and me about a wild ruffed grouse that had befriended him during the last two weeks. Wherever Don went around his yard, the gorgeous bird would follow. After a week, the bird would even climb onto Don's shoulder. Right after I made this photograph, Herkimer (the bird) climbed up onto my camera and posed for an iPhone photo. F2.8 at 1/320, ISO 800, 300mm lens at 300mm

This wild ruffed grouse befriended our friend, Don Nelson, last week and I couldn't wait to photograph the beautiful animal. After I made the photograph I had imagined of the bird in some brown ferns, I asked Don if he could get the bird to land on my 300mm telephoto lens. With surprising ease, Don had Herkimer posing on my lens in no time. F8 at 1/125, ISO 800, iPhone

After making a photograph of this red-tailed hawk from several hundred yards away, I drove to within 50 yards of him, got back out of my truck and made this image. Though red-tailed hawks are not as big as bald eagles they are equally beautiful and majestic, especially while in flight. F4 at 1/1600, ISO 3200, 600mm lens at 600mm