All posts by Troy

Beavers, Eagles, and the Predator

December 3, 2022 Troy

Friday after Thanksgiving brought a beautiful fall day with the sun shining, warming temperatures, and calm winds all combining to decay the recently fallen snow. I had to get out and go exploring even though I didn’t really expect to see anything as is common late in the day this time of year. While getting my photo gear ready, I noticed another person quickly walking towards a lessor used trail carrying binoculars. His direction suggested he was heading to the same location I planned to visit. Now debating on still heading to my intended spot or pursuing a new direction, I chose to keep going where I’d planned. Getting on the trail, there was only a couple of hours of daylight left so not much time to explore signs of wildlife and also get to a spot for the sunset. There were a few high clouds in the sky which had the potential for a colorful end to the day making it my main subject of this outing.

Arriving to a small stream where water leaves a little pond, there was the gentleman I had seen leaving the parking lot. He was scanning the horizon on this nice afternoon in search of wildlife moving in the open woods. About to pass him without a word, I looked over and decided to say hello mentioning what a treat it was to be out there taking in the suns warmth. He responded and a conversation ensued.

As we were talking about the area we were in and sharing stories of our adventures in this park, I noticed something moving out on the recently formed ice. He quickly brought up his binoculars and said they appeared to be otters. Setting up my camera, I focused on this moving area and saw the two small creatures walking together along the ice. Watching them for a few minutes I noticed they moved slightly different than otters. Then they turned a little and I noticed the wide, flat tail confirming they were not otters but beavers out for an afternoon walk. Could they be out enjoying a warm afternoon reprieve from the cold also? After watching for a few minutes, a visitor joined them .

At first I thought it was a crow looking for a scrap or two from these beavers when my new acquaintance mentioned it was an Eagle. Looking closer I could now see it was a juvenile Eagle. Another Eagle quickly circled overhead coming near the beavers and nudging the young Eagle further from these furry critters. This Eagle was an obvious adult with the signature white head and tail. Was there something there on the ice that these animals were interested in? Eagles and Beavers didn’t really seem like likely companions. We continued to closely watch the interactions to try and figure what may be happening.

The adult Eagle began scolding the younger bird almost like it was chasing it away from these beavers. Was it protecting them? There was no aggression towards the mammals as they stayed almost motionless while these two Eagles were figuring out what they were going to do.

With the juvenile Eagle now further away, the beavers continued on their journey down the ice, passing by the adult bird with a bit of a nod almost as if saying good afternoon or thank you. There was no act of aggression by either animal towards the other. Such a strange and interesting encounter to witness. What was the purpose of these eagles circling and landing near this pair of beavers. Were they planning on attaching for a meal and once they were on the ice decided this was not going to be a successful battle? If you’ve ever been close enough to a beaver to see their teeth, you understand how much of a weapon those can be. One well placed chomp will leave any creature missing a limb.

For some unknown reason, the beavers stopped walking, turned around and started heading back towards the Eagle still on the lookout. This seemed very strange to me. Why did they decide to turn around and head back towards where they came from? Soon this pair of beavers again passed the adult Eagle enroute to the area they started from. I’ve never witnessed something like this before and continued watching until the Eagle left and the beavers were out of sight. Puzzled I began to wonder and just accept this unlikely interaction while searching for a spot to enjoy the nearing sunset. Something to research at a later time.

With the beavers out of sight and the Eagles now back in the air, I settled into my spot to wait for the sunset. Scanning over the landscape, I noticed another animal entering the sheet of ice. Expecting it was probably a deer coming out beginning its search for food, I brought up the camera once again. I’ve seen plenty of deer in this area and thought I would just watch this creature explore the cattails while taking in the last moments of sunshine. Focusing in on this animal as it was meandering near the cattail filled shoreline, I realized it was not a deer but a coyote. This is the exact area the beavers were heading. Could it be possible that the Eagles were warning these two wanderers of danger heading this way? Do animals work together to protect one another like this? What benefit would Eagles have to save beavers from a larger predator? Had the coyote manage to capture one of these beavers, the Eagles may have had an opportunity to snag a portion of this meal. Maybe it was all just a coincidence but my feeling is it was something more.

Typically a warm, late fall day is pretty quiet with wildlife relaxing and basking in the warmth, but this turned out to be an active afternoon out on the newly iced over lake. The sun was now at the horizon providing a beautiful end to this afternoon in the park with a colorful sky. Eventually I convinced myself to pack up and find my way through the woods to my car as the light continued to dim making my path difficult to follow. Leaving the park, the clouds hung on to the pinks and reds refusing to concede to the night sky. A great way to spend one of the last warm days of the year.

Exploring, fall, State Parks, Troy's Blog, Waterfalls

Searching For Fall Colors

October 15, 2022 Troy

With a few days off at the end of September, it was time to head to Northern Minnesota in search of fall colors. Getting on the road for our three hour road trip, my wife and I got going before sunrise to drop our dog off for the day with a family member allowing us to spend most of the day on the North Shore. While driving, the clouds above us sent out a flash of lighting with thunder quickly rumbling. We both looked around for the storm as there weren’t a lot of clouds above when rain began to land on our windshield. It must just be a small could burst that produced a crack of thunder also just above us. As daylight began to reach across the horizon, we could see areas of spotty showers interspersed with clear skies on this early fall morning. It was a fairly warm morning with sunny skies in the forecast for most of the day making for some bonus shorts weather. Soon the sky began to light up with amazing pinks, reds, and purples making it more difficult to concentrate on driving without staring off into the colorful rising sun.

Eventually the sun breached the horizon sending its warm rays across the sky. As I looked in the opposite direction, I noticed a bright rainbow arching across the sky from the small rain showers. What more could we ask for to start this beautiful fall day? A non-threatening thunderstorm followed by amazing sunrise colors only to be capped off by a gorgeous rainbow. The rain continued to move east and sun moved higher in the sky making way for a nice day to do a little hiking in hopes of finding some beautiful fall colors which are often making their way by now in the northern part of the state.

Reaching Duluth, there was the grandest of the Great Lakes – Lake Superior reaching out across the landscape. A quick stop to use the bathroom and look out at the scenery in front of us and we were back in the car continuing north. Gooseberry Falls State Park was coming up and we decided to make a brief visit since it had been awhile from our last time here. There was definitely less water crashing over the cliffs as dry weather from the summer kept the river lower than usual, but it was still a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Superior.

Now satisfied with seeing some North Shore waterfalls, we climbed back into the car and made a short drive to Split Rock State Park. We had been anticipating colorful foliage to start appearing for much of our travels north and really didn’t find much. The landscape appeared to be pretty green and vibrant as if it was in the middle of summer. A small shrub or tree here and there produced something other than the deep green leaves but that was it. We looked along the shores of this Great Lake hiking several miles and saw very little as far as colorful trees were concerned. Fortunately it was still a beautiful day with great scenery along our way.

With really no colors along the shore, we hiked up on top of some cliffs to see if there were any changing leaves further inland. Sometimes the large lake tends to moderate temperatures keeping these leaves green longer while the inland trees experience different conditions and change a bit earlier. With clear views for miles and miles inland, green prevailed everywhere we looked. A little defeated in our goal of finding some colorful scenery indicating that fall is making its way, we enjoyed our time together and the opportunity to do some hiking on quieter trails. The morning was nearing the end indicating it may be time to start making lunch plans. We had a few miles to hike to our car which would take a little time and then some additional time to drive to a place to grab some delicious food.

On our way back to the car we talked about the disappointing fall colors from this year and some of the spectacular views from the past two years around this same time. Who would have guessed the colorful portion of our journey was right away at sunrise? Still a great day to enjoy with my wife. Here’s a photo from a year ago in the same area.

Exploring, mushrooms, Troy's Blog

Late Summer Mushrooms

September 3, 2022 Troy

As late August arrived, we planned a family camping weekend. It was a cloudy and wet weekend at times making it more challenging to get out and photograph nature. While hanging around the campsite preparing breakfast, I started wondering around and came across these small mushrooms popping out of a mossed covered log laying across the forest floor. Looking through the camera lens, the lighting was very nice creating a soft image perfect for these delicate little fungi.

The next weekend brought a trip to the North Shore to help my daughter move in to her new place for the winter as school gets back underway. While in the area, I got up to watch the sunrise which ended up being a bit dismal. After the light began to spread across the landscape I headed for a nearby trail to explore the north woods. Walking all alone into these beautiful trees, I came across a large rotting stump. Examining closer I could see coral mushrooms. And then red capped mushrooms. Continuing to walk around I found brown mushrooms. So much to capture all in one piece of wood.

This little red capped fungi stood out against the more natural tones of the forest floor bringing fantastic color on such a small scale. It was such a picture perfect mushroom to enjoy. Walking to the other side of this stump, coral mushrooms were coming out of the ground. These are definitely one the most unique mushrooms I’ve seen. I remember reading about them in one of my magazines but had never seen one to know a mushroom like this existed. A few years later I finally saw one and now I find them from time to time enjoying it each time with their interesting branching structure. I had a saltwater tank with coral in it and these always bring back positive memories of that aquarium.

The first coral mushroom I saw was fairly large but in a difficult spot to get a nice photo of it. Searching the area I saw this one surrounded by birch branches bringing a little more interesting background to the photo. When I look over this picture, I always think it should have water droplets hanging off of it to soften up the image and make it more inviting. There was no rain that morning so it wasn’t an option. Moving on to one more of the fungus growing out of this decomposing tree stump, I wanted to show a different moss surrounding these mushrooms. These were fun to capture because there are several stages of opening present from the rounded to top to becoming flattened to having a cup forming in the top of the most open stem. This brown was a nice contrast to the brilliant green moss growing around them completing the earthy tones often associated with a forest in late summer.

It was getting to be time to rejoin my family for breakfast and one more day of exploring together before needing to return home. My little adventure had been a successful one with some great mushrooms along a beautiful north woods trail near Lake Superior and I was ready to get back to my car. Almost…. While walking back towards my car I kept stopping just to take in these surroundings and the plants making up the woods. At one point I bent over to examine some plant leaves and berries growing from them when I looked closer towards the ground and noticed a bright yellow mushroom. I had seen one of these earlier but it was not in great shape. A little too old to capture. As I continue to get closer to this one, there was a snail climbing around it. Watching it for awhile, I moved around with the camera to get an interesting picture as it worked its way over the top of this next meal. That was really fun to witness and a great send off from the trail as I returned to my vehicle to meet my family.

Orchids, Troy's Blog, Wildflowers

Orchid Hunting

August 21, 2022 Troy

During the summer, there were a few weekends available to get out hunting for wild orchids that I’ve never seen before. A couple of them were successful, while others come up without an orchid sighting. On my first outing, the Ragged Fringed Orchid was my goal. I set out for a bog where this orchid had been listed during the time of year it should be blooming. When I arrived, the bog was mostly dry as there was little rain so far during the summer. Would this orchid be blooming without ample moisture? I searched and searched back and forth along the trail winding through this typically wet area without spotting an orchid. After getting to the end of the trail, I figured there would be no success on this hunt and just enjoyed a warm, summer day in the middle of July. There were other plants in flower and butterflies floating from one flower to another. With the afternoon turning to evening, I turned back towards my vehicle. Along the way I continued to search for this orchid just in case I missed it when walking through here the first time. Taking in the habitat surrounding me and the wildlife living here, I noticed a plant just off the trail. Amazingly it was the Ragged Fringe Orchid I had been searching for. I’ve come to realize that finding the first one is the most challenging. Once you’ve seen the first one, you know what you’re looking for and can spot others. After enjoying this orchid and it’s flowers and structure, I soon spotted another one. Before leaving this area, I saw several of these hardy orchids showing off their beautiful blooms.

With this first successful search, I decided to go for two successful days in a row and went in search of another new orchid. With rain and storms in the area, I stayed a little closer to my vehicle but still searched for another orchid. Eventually I ventured further and further from the car as the search for another wild orchid became too interesting. Besides, I came all this way. Carrying an umbrella, I searched and searched for hours while walking miles keeping an eye on the sky. From time to time it would rain, sometimes harder with a clap of thunder but nothing more. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful and came up empty.

The next weekend I was eager to continue my search but needed to stay closer to home. Fortunately there was an orchid spotted in nearby parks I’ve visited before so I had an idea of where to start looking. There was only a few hours before I needed to return home so it had to be quick. Getting to the park, I grabbed the camera and began walking. About a half mile into the trail, I spotted what appeared to be the orchid I was searching for. Going closer it was confirmed. It was the broad leaved Helleborine. Snapping a few photos, I continued searching for others. This one was not in the area I expected to see it and wanted to find out if it was also growing where I thought it would be. Nearing my initial planned spot, there was another Helleborine. This one is not actually native to this area but was brought from Europe and escaped into the wild. It is now an established hardy orchid. Another successful orchid hunt bringing a smile and sense of accomplishment to the day.

Having found two native orchids and the summer winding down, I didn’t expect any further opportunities to get out and search for more orchids. Even with this expectation, a third hardy orchid was spotted. While moving my daughter back to school for another year in college, we spent an afternoon exploring a spot along Lake Superior we had not been to before. Taking in the waves crashing into the rocky shoreline, I was walking along the beach and ventured a bit off trail when I spotted something in flower. Getting a bit closer, here was a surprise orchid marking my third one this year. What a fantastic surprise! The orchid is shown in the top photo above. It was already an enjoyable day that just became even better as I added a third surprise orchid to my tally for the year. This one was a bog orchid now included on my list of orchids found in the wild. There’s still a little time left in the year to possibly locate another one but most likely others will need to wait until the next year.

Exploring, Monopoly Traveler Reflections, National Parks, Nebraska, Troy's Blog

Monopoly Traveler Reflections–Agate Fossil Beds

August 13, 2022 Troy

After a long, enjoyable week of exploring in the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota with a few days in Rocky Mountain National Park, there was one more stop from our Monopoly Board for this trip. The next destination was Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. We only left a few hours in our schedule to visit as it’s a smaller National Park and focuses on fossils. Great! More dirt formations that require the requisite paintings to portray what might have been roaming at one time millions of years ago. Not my favorite thing to see and learn about. In addition, it was another museum covering the importance of Native American History, which also wasn’t very interesting to me. With all of the exciting places we had seen over the past several days, I was not real enthusiastic for this park. Let’s pull in, see the must items, get our board signed, snap a few photos, and get back on the road. Trying to convince myself this would be a worthwhile stop, I tried to emphasize the positive things about this area to myself. The vast prairie, a bathroom break, and an opportunity to get out of the car and stretch our legs.

The vast prairie was beautiful with green grass waving in the breeze which could be seen for miles and miles. Agate Fossil Beds would be a great learning opportunity for our children…. and myself. Pulling into the park, we stopped for the necessary picture by the sign and headed towards the visitor’s center. Here we picked up packets for our future Junior Rangers and looked at the displays beginning to learn some of the history in this Western Nebraska place. Talking with the rangers and reading some of the plaques, I began to be more interested in the animals which once roamed here a long time ago (at the same time, I was smiling as my kids where learning about history also). Having walked around the visitor center and museum, we pulled out the National Parks Monopoly board for the required signature and presented it to the ranger. As he looked at it, he laughed because the picture used for the board was a photo he took years earlier of Fossil Hills in Agate Fossil Beds. Pictured above is Fossil Hills Trail with University Hill in the center, Carnegie Hill on the right, and the ranger, who signed the board, on the trail on the left side of this picture.

We decided it was time to get out and do some hiking. A short trail would be a good fit, before entering the car for several more hours, so we explored the Daemonelix Trail which led to a fossil of an ancient dry-land beaver which created these spiral dens. It was nice be outside hiking with my family surrounded by this beautiful landscape on a warm summer afternoon. It was early July after all. Arriving at the end of the trail, there was this box surrounding a corkscrew formation. We read the plaque describing what this was and the creature that created them. I could envision this ancient animal creating its den through the soil from this display made by the park. I began to wonder what else was hidden in these hills from long ago and why these creatures no longer existed?

Walking back towards the parking lot, I gazed out over the prairie and buildings and began to think about the Native Americans and how they used this land and their cooperation with people coming from different lands. Since this time I’ve become a lot more appreciative of the Native Americans and their importance in the history and development of the US. This was one of the parks that began to signify what these people mean to our country and how they helped shape where we are today for me. Since Agate Fossil Beds, I’ve learned quite a bit more about Native Americans and how they worked with the each other, the land, and other people from National Parks. On this walk back, we encountered this different plant which I thought was really interesting with these yellow and orange pouches. I still haven’t been able to identify what it is though.

Climbing back into the car to continue our journey home after our junior rangers received their badges, I was really glad this was on our Monopoly board so we could learn about this place. Seeing the bones of animals that roamed the area a long time ago was interesting. Dinosaur bones from a far off place are what I think of when hearing about skeletons being found. Here there were animal remains discovered in Nebraska. I would never have guessed that. This was one of the parks that surprised me the most with how much I enjoyed my time here and what all I learned. That’s the point though, isn’t it?

With our last signature captured for this trip, the game board was safely stored back in it’s place for the rest of the trip home and we continued east once again. Shortly after driving out of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, there was a rattlesnake coiled up in the middle of the road. We were warned of these in most of the parks we visited on this trip, but this was the only snake we saw. Thankfully it was from the safety of our car while we drove by!

Butterflies, Insects, Troy's Blog

Butterfly Season

July 31, 2022 Troy

One of the joys of summer is to watch butterflies flit from one flower to the next. They can be frustrating for a photographer trying to capture these beautiful bugs since they don’t stay still for long. Butterflies can look so different when their wings are closed than they do with open wings. One such example is the common blue butterfly in the photo above. On the outside, their wings are white with little orange spots but once they relax and open up, they have beautiful blue wings. After watching them dance through the air, it’s easy to see why there are butterfly collectors and so much inspiration comes from these little insects.

Usually an adventure does not begin by searching for butterflies but they make the adventure more enjoyable. While the opportunity to watch butterflies float through the air has been very limited, those I have seen have brought moments of peace and joy. Many times the caterpillar form is less than spectacular, but there are some that have great colors and patterns as they crawl around in search of food. One of those is the monarch. Unfortunately these are becoming more of a challenge to find. It seems like any time I see one on my milkweed plants, the next day they’re gone. My family use to collect them off a plant and raise them to see the change into a beautiful butterfly. Once they emerged with their colorful wings, they would be released to find nectar and lay more eggs.

Off to find more colorful ornaments of the air.

Camping, Troy's Blog

A Few Days in Northern Wisconsin

July 16, 2022 Troy

The summer solstice had just passed saying goodbye to spring and welcoming the long days of sunlight. What better way to begin these summer days than camping in Northern Wisconsin? Earlier in the year, one of my old college friends had reached out to see if I would be interested in joining him at Lost Lake. A place we have visited a number of times over the last few years. With great memories of fishing, exploring the numerous lakes in around the Chequamegon National Forest, and relaxing by the fire under a star filled sky, I couldn’t wait to return for a few days. Having spent a lot of time working over the last month and a half, my goal was to spend my time relaxing and catching up on sleep when possible.

The best of plans… My first morning I tried to stay in bed enjoying the cool, fresh air with great difficulty. I even tried reading for awhile to put me back to sleep. Finally I slipped out of bed as quietly as possible and walked to the shores of Lost Lake to welcome the day. Soon the sun was shining into the forest and the lake started to come to life with loons, osprey, and fish jumping above the water. With my cup of warm tea, I sat at the waters edge just watching the calm lake and all of the birds fluttering from branch to branch in search of their morning meals. In time, I was joined by others taking in the morning sun before heading back to the cabin for breakfast. Through the day there was exploring and fishing to be done. Not a lot of success on the fishing portion of the day however I did come across a few bogs to examine. These are fascinating landscapes with sphagnum moss covering nearly everything in these low pH environments surrounding by water. Not a lot of plants can survive in these places.

Night once again returned while cooking smores over the mesmerizing fire as the flames danced around our marshmallows. In the darkness the stars littered the sky like glitter dancing in the air. What a calming and humbling sight to end this beautiful day in a forest of Northern Wisconsin. On one my last trip to the bathroom, there was a large moth just hanging out under the outside light. It was a Cercropia moth remaining motionless allowing me to grab a couple of photos before saying goodnight. Moments later I was crawling back into bed, more calm and relaxed than the night before. There’s nothing like a day hanging out with friends in the north woods to feel life’s stresses float away….if even only for a few refreshing moments.

Orchids, Troy's Blog, Wildflowers

Ladyslipper Season

July 2, 2022 Troy

Orchid season is once again under way. My cold hardy ladyslippers are in full bloom bringing their beautiful colors and fragrance to the back yard. Every spring I wonder if they survived and get really excited once they begin to grow. I continue to try and capture these orchid blooms from different perspectives each year to bring out their interesting features as the flowers can be quite complex. This is yet to be accomplished but I’ll keep trying.

This year I had a surprise return from one of my orchids. This ladyslipper above did not grow last year so I thought it was no longer alive. To my surprise it emerged again after the past winter and even had a bloom. Orchids have been known to do this on occasion and is not really understood. I’m just extremely happy it’s still alive and growing. Thankfully I still protected it for the winter. It rewarded those efforts.

Family Ramblings, Monopoly Traveler Reflections, Troy's Blog

Monopoly Traveler Reflections–Driving Out West

June 12, 2022 Troy

Heading west always meant getting on an airplane and landing on the West Coast. Because of our determination to visit every National Park on our Monopoly board, we made plans to begin our adventures by driving to bordering states to explore those parks on our board which were closest. This seemed like the best opportunity to experience how this was going to go for our family. If it didn’t go great we could head home early since we drove. I had been as far west as Sioux Falls, South Dakota but that was as far as I had ever driven. I was excited to see the open prairies of the west but not certain were the west really started. Our first day brought us to Sioux Falls where we spent the morning getting breakfast and exploring. By late afternoon we made our way further west to Wall, South Dakota were we stopped for the day. A few days later we continued on to the Black Hills and then ventured into Wyoming. The vast openness was stunning watching the tall grasses sway in the breeze for hundreds of miles.

Once reaching the western side of South Dakota, we kept seeing attractions depicting the Old West. I always thought Wyoming would be the beginning of the west. The Prairies seem to begin around Wall, South Dakota though which start to transition from the Midwest to the West. While driving in Western South Dakota we saw critters not found in the Midwest such as Prairie Dogs and Pronghorn Deer. It was fun to see all of these pieces of the west and experience these low, rolling hills. Many people consider this a boring drive but I was just enthralled with the landscape. Almost mesmerized by it. The only thing that would have made it complete would have been to watch storms roll over the grasslands of the west.

As we continued west, the scenery began to subtly change. The prairies continued on for miles and miles around us but off in the distance, hills began to pop up. A few hours later, which felt like less than an hour, larger hills became visible as we reached higher points on the road. It became clear we would soon be entering the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Another area I was excited to drive through. The day continued on as we drove through the prairie moving west. Eventually we entered Wyoming and soon after turned south. While we were still in the Prairie, larger hills were getting closer. After a short time we entered Colorado, still in the western prairies with the Rockies definitely making their presence seen.

After driving for a little while in Colorado we once again turned west. The mountain foothills were now all around us and the excitement to begin climbing higher into the mountains increased. The drive continued to be beautiful watching the landscape slowly transition from the vast prairies to mountains just in front of us. Soon we began going up at a fast pace. We had definitely entered the Rocky Mountains. For the next hour and a half we climbed higher and higher with steep cliffs next to us, sharp corners to drive around, and raging rivers pouring down the Mountain all while the temperatures transitioned from summer to spring. It was all so breathtaking. Seeing this all for the first time from the windows of our car was incredible. Soon we reached Estes Park, our destination and as far west as we would travel on this adventure. What a great experience and amazing views during our entire trip.

Birds, Troy's Blog

Watching a Forester’s Tern

June 5, 2022 Troy

The weekend was here and it had been a long week at work. I decided to grab the camera and enjoy the morning light by the lake. Maybe there would be something to photograph. Maybe there wouldn’t. The idea was to take in a nice late spring morning. The sun periodically made an appearance as clouds and rain were moving in from the west. I was hoping for something practice with as I wanted to test my long lens which had tipped over the previous weekend due to one leg of my tripod collapsed. Soon after getting set up I noticed a white bird flying back and forth over this lake. It seemed like a gull but that would do for testing the lens.

Unfortunately there were more clouds than sun which doesn’t work very well with a long zoom lens. Especially since I have an extender on it also. I’m not able to get a very fast shutter speed in lower light but why should that stop me from trying. Aiming towards this bird, I got it in the crosshairs and began firing away. The photos kept coming back blurry so I made some adjustments and kept working with it. Eventually I captured a somewhat sharper image and could see this was not a gull but likely a tern of some sort. Turning the camera to a family of geese I captured a few shots. These were nice and sharp. The lens seems to still work well.

Back to the white tern, I continued taking photo after photo and managed to get some sharper imagines. Not great photos but decent captures. The bird was so far away that even with a long lens I wasn’t able to zoom in enough. Even so, getting a shot of the tern taking a drink (top image), catching a fish (above), and looking straight down into the water (below) made for a fun early morning. Soon a second tern joined in and they both fished for awhile. After catching several fish they flew off ending my session with them. About to pack up I spotted something larger flying overhead and quickly sat back down behind the camera. It was an Osprey. This larger bird just did a quick flyover and was gone. By now the dark clouds of rain filled the sky reducing my light even more. I decided it was time to head for home before the thunder and lighting made it’s way overhead. Still a fun way to start the day.

Gaining Life Experience