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Driving in Truck at Legends Deer Ranch

My grandma, Dorothy Reed, is very proud of her flower gardens. She and my grandpa get much joy out of watching the songbirds and butterflies dance through their yard near the Ludington State Park.

Driving in Truck at Legends Deer Ranch

Driving in Truck at Legends Deer Ranch

November Dream

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are beautiful birds. This one came for a mid-morning snack at my Papa Bill and Nana Bev's bird feeder while keeping a keen eye out for the fat barn cat that frequents the neighborhood.

Driving in Truck at Legends Deer Ranch

I have always loved looking at blue jays. The house I grew up in on the corner of Pere Marquette and Ferry Street in Ludington frequently had blue jays in the yard. I have fond memories of sitting on our porch when I was little, watching the blue jays harassing all the other birds in the yard.

Evening Tranquility

Seagulls along Lake Michigan have a reputation for being less than desirable. They seem to have pinpoint accuracy when it comes to leaving their marks on car windshields. I have also seen many seagulls pester Ludington tourists for a taste of their House of Flavors ice cream, or help themselves to picnic lunches while beachgoers enjoy a swim. All that aside, I think seagulls are beautiful creatures and they are a joy to photograph.

This fat barn cat owned by my Papa Bill and Nana Bev was fixated on the small song birds that were fluttered around the bird feeder. I was on the hunt for a photograph of the albino squirrel that my grandparents kept seeing. This cat was on the hunt for his next tasty treat. Neither of us were successful in our hunts today.

Legends Deer Ranch

I remember a teacher asking me in middle school what animal I would be if I had a choice. The entire class roared with laughter when I said a squirrel. The teacher wanted to know why. I proudly stated that squirrels make people laugh and lots of girls think they are cute.

A mute swan cruises the Sauble River near its outlet to Lake Michigan on a winter afternoon. Waterfowl flock to the river in winter to find open water. Bird watchers and photographers also flock there.

Kingfishers are incredible in their ability to dive down and grab fish out of the water. The hunt appears effortless and amazingly graceful. I wonder if this kingfisher chuckled to see that a human angler obviously needed more practice with his or her casting skills, thus the fishing line stuck in the tree.

Perhaps calling out to attract a springtime mate, a red-winged blackbird perches along a marsh near Hamlin Lake. As common as red-winged blackbirds are in Michigan, I never tire of seeing them and never take their beauty for granted.

I have been photographing seagulls on the Ludington waterfront the past few weeks. Today I like the gray-blue sky that makes the falling snow stand out. I just need a cooperative gull to glide past. This one is soaring beautifully. Thank you, bird! F8.0 at 1/1000, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

Sometimes you just get lucky when you are making photographs. Initially what caught my eye in this scene were the two stumps and their reflections. As I was hustling to set up my tripod, two starlings appeared and had a face-off over before me, possibly over a potential mate. I quickly snapped the shutter just before the birds flew off, chasing each other all the way.

Nikon D850. F6.3 at 1/1250, ISO 800. 60-600mm lens at 600mm. Handheld without a flash. February 12, 2020 at 8:51am.

A blue jay pauses along the Sable River before spotting the photographer tucked in some nearby bushes trying to stay hidden while waiting for one of the State Park's resident otters to come into view. Sure enough, the small bird spots me and sounds out its familiar sharp alarm, announcing to all the wildlife within a mile that danger is here. My presence revealed, I decide to give up on the otter for now and turn my camera's attention to the one who blew my cover.