Other Wildlife

As usual, I hit my drive near the trees on the left side of hole 4 at Golden Sands Golf Course near Silver Lake. While walking to my ball, we found a tiny baby mouse sitting on a leaf. I grabbed my iPhone and got down on my stomach to capture this image.

Sometimes it is the totally unexpected view that we need to be ready to capture. While photographing boats cruising the Pine River Channel between Lake Michigan and Round Lake in Charlevoix, a rabbit appears right in front of me to feast on grass and clover in a sunny spot. I am struck by the rim lighting of the hare's face and especially its sunlit ears. F3.2 at 1/320, ISO 400, 80-200mm lens at 280mm

All summer the kids talked about Old Blue – a 6’ blue racer that lived up by the shop on the farm. As much as I despise snakes, I have tried to look for him several times with camera in hand. As we were up by the shop tonight, the kids called out to me. There he was. In all his glory. I used the full length of my lens shooting him so I could stay as far away as possible!

Dragonflies are nature's fastest insects. They are also the most acrobatic. This Calico Pennant dragonfly manages a stylish headstand while hanging on to a shaft of wheat bending in the breeze in a field near Wilderness State Park in Northern Michigan. F5.6 at 1/800, ISO 200, 300mm lens at 300mm

Shadow sits statuesquely looking out the window of our son Willie's home, hoping to catch sight of a bird. Cats are beautiful creatures that maintain their wild animal instincts no matter how tame they have become. F5.0 at 1/200, ISO 800, 80-200 mm lens at 145 mm

This is only the second porcupine that I have had the pleasure of photographing. My dad and I spotted this awesome animal on a dead end road near Torch Lake. I look forward to my next photo encounter with a beautiful porcupine. F2.8 at 1/500, ISO 3200, 300mm lens at 300mm

This is what remains of the Mighty Monarch. The Mighty Monarch was one of the tallest white pine trees in the entire state of Michigan and lived for over 300 years just north of Grayling, Michigan. My dad and I photographed her remains today at the Hartwick Pines State Park. In 1992, a storm took the top off the gentle giant and in 1996, she died. She is now slowly returning to the Earth. F20 at 5 seconds, ISO 100, 14mm lens at 14mm

I am about to get back in the truck after taking a picture near Alpena, Michigan when a bumblebee flies past me and lands on a knapweed flower. Bumblebees have fascinated me since childhood. Their colorful, fuzzy bodies and buzzing sound make them my favorite Michigan insect. F9 at 1/500, ISO 400, 105mm lens at 105mm

All I can think of is Peter Cottontail on the bunny trail as I spot a rabbit on a wildflower-lined trail at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon. The song about Peter Cottontail runs through my head, causing me to smile as I push the shutter button before the bunny decides to hop down the trail. F4.5 at 1/500, ISO 3200, 80-200mm lens at 200mm

A dried up snail was found on what was the bottom of Nordhouse Lake. With the warm weather this year and the lack of rain, all of the water from Nordhouse Lake evaporated and disappeared. This poor snail was left high and dry. F22 at 0.3, ISO 100, 105mm lens at 105mm

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