Category Archives: Photos

Photos, Troy's Blog

Sandhill Cranes Invade by the Thousands

During the recent sandhill crane migration I had the opportunity to photograph them throughout the day flying away from their roost in the morning, feeding in nearby cornfields, and then returning at night. The day started off hours before sunrise to find just the right place to watch and take pictures from. The problem was where exactly was this spot? I hadn’t been to this area before and all I had was a map indicating a parking place to watch sandhill cranes. Fortunately there was another adventurer with me who had been in the area and had a bit of an idea of at least where the parking spot would be. We found the parking space which was filled with several other vehicles. This must be the place and there appeared to be a trail so all we had to do was follow that to the cranes right? As it turned out all of those other vehicles were hunters and were off in the woods already. And the trail? It definitely didn’t lead to the cranes.

Being dark out we followed the trail by flashlight and thought it was the right direction as we could hear thousands of sandhill cranes calling and we seemed to be getting closer. After some time on the trail, in the dark, we began to hear squishing sounds only to point the flashlight down and realize where walking through swamps. Every direction we turned to get out of the water led to more water but the cranes sounds really close so we kept trudging through. By this time daylight was beginning to show but there still was not much light as a heavy fog enveloped the area making it difficult to see far enough to know which direction to go. Finally I took out my phone and brought up a satellite map to see what to do next. Our hope of seeing the cranes near their roosting sight disappeared as the realization of needing to head back the way we came took over because there was nothing but more and more water ahead of us. Feeling a little defeated we made our way back to the car to see what we should do next with all of this fog.

Cranes flying in the heavy fog

Acres and acres of corn fields surrounded Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge which is where we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the thousands of cranes that stop on their migration south next. But the fog made it nearly impossible to see much and had no indication of disappearing anytime soon. We decided to try driving around some of the area farms and see if there’s anything to look at. Have any of the cranes made their way to the fields yet? After driving for a little while just ahead of us we caught a glimpse of a flock of cranes flying towards corn fields. That was all the encouragement we needed to continue our search. It took a little more time but eventually there was a field with several sandhill cranes feasting away. Pulling off of the road we grabbed cameras and began taking shot after shot as more and more cranes continue to land in this field. Hundreds of them showed up as the fog finally decided to relent revealing more cranes than I could have imagined all looking for food so they can continue their migration.

Cranes out in a cornfield gorging in preparation for their up coming flight

Over the next 45 minutes or so cranes came in and left again until all of them had moved on to other fields. Back in the car in search of other crane covered corn fields. This went on for the next couple of hours until the need for food became to great a distraction from watching and photographing cranes. After a nice stop to re-fuel, the rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Sherburne which has several trails and numerous service roads which can be hiked for a portion of the year.  Eventually the sunlight began dimming and it was time to return to a crane viewing area for the evening barrage of cranes coming in to roost.

A pair of cranes in flight

Getting back to the parking area for sandhill crane viewing there were once again several cars but this time also several people just standing and watching or photographing as the cranes flew overhead. Finally some confirmation that the point is to watch the cranes from this parking place. We were informed many flocks of cranes have already passed by and it was unknown how many more would still be coming. A few minutes later answered that question as one flock after another continued to fly overhead in route to their evening resting place. Hundreds and hundreds kept going over calling to one another along the way. It was an amazing sight to see and hear thousands of cranes converging into one area. Overall they estimated over 11,000 cranes at the refuge this year.

Wave after wave the Sandhill Cranes return from a day of gorging in nearby cornfields

Photos, Seasons, Troy's Blog

Fall Colors

Fall is slowly making its way south bringing with it some colorful leaves. There was a lot of promise for a spectacular fall canvas filled with reds, yellows, and oranges as Northern Minnesota has shown amazing displays but the transition further south has been less striking. It takes a little searching to find some beautiful fall leaves but they’re there. A little here. A little there. Many trees have decided to either turn a dull brown or just drop their leaves without even hinting at a change in color.  It makes these spots of fall color more impactful though I think.

Colorful leaves covering the water

One of falls lessons in the above photo – Don’t be afraid to display your uniqueness! Most of the leaves have turned a bright yellow if they are displaying their color this year but there’s a few stunning red leaves mixed in. Capturing leaves floating in the water is always interesting especially if there’s a blue sky shining back.

Afternoon sun peaking through a red leaf

Heading out one afternoon the unbelievable red colors of some of the leaves caught my attention in the late afternoon sunshine so I of course had to stop the car and grab a camera for a few quick shots before continuing on my way. Trying my hand attempting to find some artistry I set the camera so the sun was peaking through a hole near the top of the beautiful leaf. Not sure it had the effect I was hoping for but I still kind of like the shot. The grass is in the way in my opinion and the details of the leaf become lost in picture but I do like the sunburst filtering in through the tree behind and the whole in the leaf.

Heading home from work one afternoon I happened to look down along the Mississippi River and noticed some nice fall colors showing up. I decided the next morning to get up before sunrise, as the forecast called for a sunny day, and head to a nice spot to capture this morning light against the fall foliage.

Fall colors begining along the Mississippi River

Arriving near the river an hour before sunrise revealed a cloud filled sky leading to some disappointment but there was still time so maybe the clouds would begin clearing yet. As time passed and sunrise neared the clouds kept persisting dampening my hopes for a beautiful fall sunrise along the river. As the morning continued I tried to find things to photograph and began to notice a few breaks in those cloud blankets so I decided to explore along the river banks a little and there it was. The sun revealed itself shining on the reds and oranges beginning to arrive along the river. Unfortunately it was later in the morning so the light wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for but I took some photographs anyway which turned out ok.

On another outting I came across some beautiful bittersweet fully colored up and showing their bright red berries contrasting nicely with the bare trees and shrubs around it. I had to snap a few photos of this great looking vine. Happy Fall!

Bittersweet fruit

Photos, Troy's Blog

Fall Migrations

One of my favorite parts of fall is the duck migration. Things have been on the slow side this year but still a little activity. Heading out to an area shallow pond before the sun rises brings great anticipation of what may be stirring on this morning. With a few clouds in the sky the sunrise provided some beautiful colors to mark the start of a day out in nature.

A lone trumpeter swan

One of the staples out at this pond is a family of trumpeter swans which is always a nice sight during the morning. They are so graceful swimming among the plants and downed trees. Even though they are becoming more common it’s still fulfilling to watch as two parents raise their young.

Wood duck gathering

The most obvious display of the fall migration was a large flock of wood ducks gathered together preparing for their trip south. I’ve never seen so many wood ducks all together. Usually they are mixed in with other types of waterfowl. Over the course of the morning a young eagle would appear flying over flocks of ducks sometimes circling them and other times landing in a tree watching over them. It never really went after a duck which may have been because there wasn’t a good opportunity or because it was just practicing. Still fun to watch but every time this happened I missed it with the camera.

Eagle flying low over a flock of ducks

While I was hoping for more activity during this beautiful morning it was a fun day just taking a break from everyday activities.

A young wood duck crossing the pond

Night Sky, Photos, Troy's Blog

Taking in the Beautiful Night Sky

Getting away from the city lights from time to time provides an opportunity to take in a star filled night sky revealing a universe of possibilities which is always humbling for me. All of those things going on in life become brought into perspective as the whole universe is a good reminder of our place in it. I can stare into the abyss watching the stars twinkling for hours. Time seems to speed up as my eyes bounce from constellation to constellation occasionally being interrupted by a satellite passing by. Once in awhile there’s a shooting star if you’re looking in just the right spot. Often times I try to capture all of this with the camera but it seems impossible to accomplish. On this particular September night I wasn’t expecting an opportunity to see stars as rain and thunderstorms were forecast. At one point I looked up from an evening fire and began to see stars overhead. Continuing to watch more and more stars revealed themselves so I decided to grab the camera and begin shoot away.

After the first shot or two I really liked how the clouds made the vastness in the sky appear and enhanced the transition from the horizon to the stars. There are several star clusters and what looked like a possible galaxy which, unfortunately, is not clear enough in this picture to see but it’s the bright light just off center to the right. The light showing in the clouds to the right near the horizon is a rising full moon which I think is also a nice addition to the photograph.

Spruce tree against the night sky

Being near a lake it is only appropriate to attempt capturing this beautiful star filled sky reflecting in the calm water. Bordering the stars with a spruce tree seemed to be a nice contrast as well making for an interesting shot. After spending a little time just photographing the stars and watching them twinkle, doing some light painting seemed like a good idea. As it turned out I had quiet a bit of fun doing this and trying some different angles with a green light.

Painting the night sky

Light painting didn’t actually start out as the objective. Looking at the picture below you can see how I did it. A friend of mine wanted to do some night fishing and had brought along some bobbers with lights on them so I started to take pictures of his actions with a fishing pole and realized how intriguing it was in the photo. The fish weren’t biting so we began setting up some ideas to photograph and this was how it turned out. How do you set up these shots? Once the camera is in place and you can see the range of the landscape in the potential photo you can begin to direct where to cast for the lit bobber to really show up. Since night photography usually involves long exposures you have a little time to work with. Once the shutter button is pushed the model then begins reeling in the line and casting it back out in a different direction to get the light trail where you want it. For one of the photos I used a flashlight to show the process for a few seconds, turned off the light, and continued with the action of reeling in and casting back out in order to show how this can work. It was a lot of fun and something I hope to work with more in the future.

Painting the night sky revealed

Photos, Troy's Blog

Heron’s Hangout

An early morning in July I decided to get up before the sun and take the camera hoping for an amazing sunrise. The sunrise was nice but not as spectacular as I’d hoped so I continued on to another place hoping for a few wildlife shots to make the morning worth getting up for. I decided to peak in at a little shallow pond close by and spotted a great blue heron fishing ahead of me. I think we spotted each other about the same time although I’m sure the heron heard me long before that. Usually this would be the point which the heron would fly off but there must have been ample food here as an incentive to remain even though I was there. Kneeling down and pulling off my backpack as quietly as possible I changed lenses on the camera and got it set up on a tripod for some steady shots of this heron. I’ve photographed herons before but still enjoy watching them move and fish in shallow water.

Great Blue Heron hunting

Fortunately this heron went about the business of getting breakfast while I slowly moved closer and got the camera in place for some better shots. While watching the great blue heron I began to notice another heron moving around. This one turned out to be a green heron. Typically I only see these from a distance before they fly away but this one also stayed allowing me to turn my camera on it. Over the next half hour or so I counted six green herons and one blue heron. It was a heron jackpot! For the next hour or so I remained in this spot photographing as these herons fished and moved around while the sun moved higher having a great time.

Great Blue Heron staring down a Green Heron nearing its territory

At first this little body of water remained shaded from the morning sunlight making clear pictures a bit of a challenge. Any amount of movement during the shot and it came out blurry. Fortunately herons are great at standing still for more than a few seconds so I could get some nice shots in this lower light. Over time the sun continued to rise in the sky illuminating these birds in some nice soft light making it much easier to photograph them and capture clear photos. With all of these herons it was difficult to decide which one to focus on but I would choose one or two closer together and just follow them with the lens snapping a photo when there was some activity to capture.

Green Heron fishing

Before the sun fully spread into this little pond I was near there was a loud crash in a nearby forest like a tree had fallen. There was nothing visible from where I was so I don’t know what really happened but right after this crash there were some loud noises like animals having been startled. Almost a half hour later I heard something rustling around in the cattails and a raccoon popped out. This raccoon started paddling water towards it like it had lost something and was searching for it. After trying this in a few different places it eventually headed off  allowing the herons to return to their fishing. It almost seemed as though the raccoons may have caused a tree or large branch to fall under their weight while climbing and this particular one was shaken up a bit and needed some water to calm down. That’s just my interpretation of what I saw. Probably a long ways from what was really happening.

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As the morning continued these herons eventually caught enough for their morning meal and began to fly off to more secluded places as more people began to stir. I stayed until most of these herons were out of sight enjoying their antics while stalking their prey. They are rather agile birds contorting themselves into positions that seem both unnatural and quite painful. All of their efforts seem to pay off as they appeared to be more successful at catching fish than they missed. I’m always amazed that fish swim right underneath herons in a relatively short time span after those herons have moved to that spot. It seems like anytime there’s a shadow the fish disappear and don’t return for some time. Maybe it’s because people cast a much larger shadow.

Caught part of breakfast

After lunging into the water after a meal it’s entertaining to see the herons reaction. Usually they appear as though they accidentally fell into the water and begin drying off in disgust. Maybe they’re just irritated they had to go all the way into the water in order to catch the fish closest to them requiring more effort instead of a quick jab with the beak and food is served. Once they emerge from the water they hurry for a place to dry off by shaking and twisting their whole bodies. Nearing the completion of drying they fluff their feathers creating this big fuzz ball vaguely resembling a heron. They then work for the next few minutes preening and placing all of those feathers back into place before continuing to hunt for the next portion of their meal.

All puffed out

Eventually all of the herons either left or moved out of sight so I packed up my gear and left as well. Besides there were getting to be too many people moving around for me also. The sunrise may have been a bust for photographing but the herons made if a fun time and worth waking before the sun on a Saturday in July. Hopefully there will be more opportunities to capture a beautiful sunrise.

Photos, Troy's Blog

Staring Back at You

Dragonflies are such interesting insects often darting here and there riding the air currents as they hunt. Occasionally they land for a moment or two allowing a photo to be taken. This one seems to be looking back wondering what this big eye (camera lens) looking straight at it is doing. The colors and details of dragonflies are quite diverse and fun to look at when you get an opportunity. I believe this one is called a 12 spotted skimmer due to the spots on its wings all of which are not visible in this photograph. I was surprised by all of the hair covering the main portion of its body. Almost like a bumble bee. A fun subject to photograph.

Photos, Troy's Blog

Pansies Close Up

Pansies are a beautiful spring flower showing off their vibrant colors when many people want to see flowers in bloom. They are striking flowers so I spent a little time photographing them and was fortunate enough to encounter some wildlife while doing so. Well, if insects can be considered wildlife. While really looking into these flowers I was setting up to take some close up abstract photos when a fly decided to enter the picture.

A fly decided to get in front of the camera for a photo

Already set up I quickly snapped a few photos while it was in focus under the lens just for some added interest. Below is the photo I was attempting to get before the fly flew into the frame. Seeing pansies this close makes me wonder how insects see them. Supposedly the veins, which are the darker lines, draw them into the center part of the flower where the pollen is so they can exchange this pollen in hopes of creating new seeds. But then why is the center yellow? Does that attract the insects once they are on the flower enticing them to the pollen? I like how this photo shows pollen grains sitting on a flower petal shaken from the stamen either by insects or wind. A nice contrast to the purple.

Abstract close up of a purple pansy

Photos, Troy's Blog

The Next Generation of Monarchs

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Every night as I walk into the house there have been a couple of monarch caterpillars munching away on the leaves of milkweed which we let grow specifically for them. It’s always amazing how fast these caterpillars grow. They become noticeably larger each day. There’s some debate as to if we should put these into a protected place so they can cocoon and turn into butterflies or let them find their own hiding place to cocoon and risk something eating them. Looking forward to seeing the butterflies soon floating around the neighborhood.

Another monarch caterpillar

Photos, Troy's Blog

Capturing The Great Blue Heron

With the late spring this year migrating birds such as the Great Blue Heron were restricted in places to find food. This gave me an opportunity to get closer and get some great photos of this skittish bird. Several days earlier I was walking through this area and was only able to catch a glimpse of this heron as it flew away before I really even knew it was there. A couple of days later the same thing happened only allowing me to get a blurry photo as it few away.

And down it goes

Finally, the next day being a Saturday I ventured out again before sunrise. As I got closer to this little stream, which was beginning to open up after the winter, I moved more cautiously and tried to appear as though I wasn’t even paying attention to the stream by looking the other way. After a bit of surveying the landscape in the opposite direction I caught this heron out of the corner of my eye so I now knew it was there and hadn’t taken flight yet.

Surveying the surroundings

Returning my attention in the opposite direction from this bird I would glance back from time to time to find it was going back to its business of fishing. Slowly I retrieved my camera and attached a larger lens before turning it on this Heron over a downed log. The more I just relaxed and continued my normal movements from this distance the more comfortable this bird seemed to get even allowing me to slowly move closer over time getting even better photographs and observe its behavior. Occasionally a pair of wood ducks would swim by since the Heron deemed the area safe with me their. I had a great time and stayed there until the Heron stopped fishing and departed with another one passing by.

Heron fishing while a wood duck drake looks on

Photos, Troy's Blog

Emerging

Once spring arrived plants began to return to life rather quickly. I took a little time to capture some of the surrounding trees as their leaves returned to life bringing green back into the landscape. In the above photo is a silver maple extending new leaves into the warming air to capture the power of the sun creating energy for life.

Emergence of oak leaves

Oak leaves expanding with their tiny lobed leaves while still perfect in form before the tribulations of summer take its toll on them.

Gingko leaves unfurling

Here are Ginkgo leaves emerging from a long winter unfurling into the bright sunlight as they stretch out of the bud. Below are the flowers of an oak tree getting ready to create new acorns. The beginning of another oak tree?

Flowers of an oak tree