Other Birds

A three-day-old piping plover is dwarfed by dune grass near a pond in the dunes north of Big Point Sable Lighthouse. The tiny bird has no idea it is a rare endangered species. Michigan Department of Natural Resources piping plover steward Katrina Hernandez and I have spent a couple hours this morning finding the plover and rest of its family after they fled from the cage and fencing designed to keep people and predators away, yet not to restrict the birds from leaving.

Birds of a feather try to stay warm on a wire together along Iris Road. They remind me of tightrope walkers maintaining balance as their wire perch sways erratically with gusts of ice-cold wind. F2.8 at 1/800, ISO 400, 300 mm lens at 300 mm

What is there about watching a seagull soar into the sunset that makes us want to trade places, if only for a short flight? I had that feeling one warm, sunny evening while watching this gull fly over Lake Michigan. But I have witnessed the opposite extreme--seagulls hunkering down on ice formations against wind, snow and cold on subzero mornings. Life as a seagull probably is seldom romantic; often it is a fight for survival.

The January Thaw is in full swing today, creating lots of puddles. I know when I see this lone seagull reflected in a puddle near the west end of Ludington Avenue that I have found the shot I was seeking. F4.0 at 1/500, ISO 400, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

The S-curve shapes of this tree along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Ludington State Park have long caught my eye. Today as I pass by in my car on M-116 a crow sits atop this tree like a beautiful ornament. It stays in just the right spot long enough to make the picture. I am very pleased to have found this quieter picture. F2.8 at 1/1000, ISO 100, 80-200 mm lens at 200 mm

 

Blue Takeoff

Hiding in Plain Site

I have learned hundreds of photography hints from my dad, but one of the most important things he has taught me is that the sky often displays the best color about twenty minutes after sunset. I had just captured the Breezy Night photograph when Betsy and I drove further into Ludington State Park to look for more photographs. As we passed over the Sable River Bridge, Betsy noticed a heron in the water below. I grabbed my gear and I was off. To get the best photograph possible, I knew I would have to get in the river. Not wanting to threaten or disturb the heron, I waded ever so slowly to within fifteen yards of the bird, and quietly captured the photograph I was looking for. Thanks for the helpful hints, Dad.

Ludington Beach R

Workshop at Ludington State Park

Large telephoto lenses are great for photographing wildlife because they allow you to keep your distance from the subject. Many times the subject doesn't even know it is being photographed and its behavior will continue in its natural state. This great blue heron was focused on finding fish in Hamlin Lake and was not bothered by me while I photographed it with a 1050-millimeter telephoto lens.

Workshop at Ludington State Park

Like pairs dancers, these gulls fly over Lake Michigan in perfect symmetry. I love watching their precision and control. They are amongst nature's most naturally graceful performers.

This seagull has to be in its glory, bathing in sunshine and near 50-degree temperatures as it soars along the Lake Michigan shoreline on one of the warmest January 31sts in Ludington's history. The sun is lifting my spirits too.

A great blue heron remained motionless while waiting for his fish dinner to swim past his position along a bank of the Pere Marquette River. I have long admired the stealth and patience of these beautiful birds. As an outdoor photographer, I have learned to be more stealthy and more patient to increase my chances of capturing wildlife magic moments

A highlight of a summer day at the Lake Michigan shoreline is when the sun reflects on waves in the late afternoon. It is a golden hour for looking lakeward. One of those lazy days, a shallow sandbar created a wading pool where wave currents and gulls played upon the surface near Ludington State Park Beach House.

I don't have time to see the detail as I swing my camera, trying to follow and shoot this picture of a seagull. But I know that if I can fill most of the viewfinder with the bird and get enough exposure, there will be plenty of detail to see in the finished photograph. I choose to convert the image to black and white to focus on the patterns of the feathers without being distracted by color.

Ludington State Park

It looks like anything but winter through my viewfinder as I photograph seagulls basking in the sun on a January morning along the Lake Michigan shoreline.