Tag Archives: Photography

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, 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.

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.

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.

migration, spring, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Spring Duck Migration is Underway

April 30, 2022 Troy

It was one of the few nice days so far this spring. There was a lot to do at home but my camera kept whispering my name. Ignoring it at first, I continued on with my list of things to do but as the day continued, the call became louder and louder. Admitting I had not really used the camera much in awhile, I finally decided to accept the continual suggestions and head out to an area park. Knowing it would probably be busy as many people wanted to get out and enjoy the beautiful day, I thought through where I would go. After much thinking, I decided on a park a little further away hoping the ice would now be off some of the smaller ponds and wildlife would be starting to make their way north.

Pulling into the county park I had chosen, the parking lot was surprisingly open. There were several vehicles there but people were returning from their hikes and leaving. This should turn out to be a quieter adventure than I was expecting which would be nice. Now parked I switched my shoes to warmer boots since I was expecting to sit in one location for some time and the ground was still cold. Grabbing my backpack holding the camera gear and some warmer clothing should it be needed along with some food, I began my hike to the pond. Along the way I decided to travel through a small forest in search of mushrooms. They weren’t showing a week ago and today was no different. One more stop to the prairie along the way to check for Pasque Flowers. They were beginning to grow now and would be in full bloom soon. Now on to the edge of the pond which I could see the ice was gone and ducks littered the surface.

Meandering through trees at the edge of the pond I found a nice spot to perch in between two larger trees. The camera was set upon my tripod and I was ready. With all of this activity the ducks had moved to the farther end of the pond but I knew they would be back in time. Trying to remain mostly still I just sat and observed these waterfowl for awhile. Eventually they began to venture back to where I was sitting gathering food for their journey to their northern nesting grounds. Ring-necked ducks were the first to work their way closer and I expected to see these here as I’ve seen them a number of times in years past. Mixed in with them were a few Buffleheads which I wasn’t really expecting but happy to see. A couple of Pied-billed Grebes swam back and forth. While trying to capture a few images of them, a Ring-neck pheasant took off from right in front of me. I had no idea he was even there. How could I have missed it? What was even more surprising was it stayed that close to me for nearly an hour before scrambling to the air. That’s not typical for a pheasant. Of course there were the expected Wood ducks and even a few coots. As the sunlight was began to fade, a Sandhill Crane decided to land at the edge of this pond, probably for the night.

I had enjoyed this afternoon out photographing wildlife but the sun was now at the horizon and with it, my light for shooting wildlife. Packing up I was hoping to witness a colorful sunset. I climbed to the top of a nearby hill and watched as the sun continued to dip under the horizon. There wasn’t much of a show except for one small area in the landscape and I wasn’t in a good place to photograph it. Beginning my hike back to the car, the clouds on the opposite horizon began to produce a soft, pink glow. A beautiful way to mark the end of this wildlife adventure.

While walking I began to wonder if the owl I had photographed in this area a few times last year was back. There was no sign if it on this trip. I returned to the car now anticipating the warmth of the engine. Cold had started to return to the air with a stronger breeze pushing it through my clothes. With a slight shiver I began drive home with a smile having enjoyed an increasingly rare afternoon in a park.

Photos, Seasons, Troy's Blog, Winter

A Winter Solstice Treat

December 24, 2021 Troy

On the winter solstice I went out hoping to catch a glimpse of the comet Leonard which is possibly visible just after sunset. Unfortunately I didn’t see any signs of it and became frustrated when clouds began to cover the horizon. It was a cold night with temperatures near 10 degrees F and I was about to head back home when something unusual started to appear. My first thought was the Northern Lights. Quickly I knew this was not the aurora especially since I was shooting towards the south. A brief detour, the bright white dot just above the trees is Venus. Saturn and Jupiter are also in the picture higher up towards the left diagonally. Uncertain of exactly what was happening I continued to photograph the sky. Unfortunately my equipment was somewhat incomplete for such photography. I had a tripod but ended up having the wrong connector on the camera so I needed to figure out a way to shoot long exposure pictures. Using hard surfaces and a timer on the camera, I continued to shoot the sky all around me which you can see in the panorama below as these lights continued to hang in the night sky slowly changing. Sometimes shining brightly and then fading. The size would climb higher in the sky and then become shorter again.

I enjoyed these for about 45 minutes before they disappeared. Finally getting back into the car I could barely feel my fingers and toes. Quickly turning on the heat, I started driving and remembered seeing photos of these sky lights before but couldn’t remember what they were called or what causes them. Once home, the camera batteries went on the charger and I began to search lights in the night sky. Finally the answer was found – they are simply called light pillars. These are caused by ice crystals reflecting area lights and probably moonlight from the nearly full moon almost at the horizon. What an amazing surprise to celebrate this shortest day of the year! From what I can find, since all of the conditions which have to be just right for these to appear, they are more rare than the Northern Lights. Finally, a positive creation from all of our light pollution I guess.

Photos, Troy's Blog, Winter

Digging Into a Snow Drift

December 19, 2021 Troy

Recently we had several inches of snow in the forecast and I wanted to get some great photos of it. The next morning called for cold and clear skies so I headed out to a nearby park to capture images of the fresh snow before the days sunlight began to melt it away. The sky was less interesting than I’d hoped with clouds covering the horizon and clear skies above meaning no color in the clouds or sun at the horizon. Eventually the sun rose above the clouds to shower everything in warm, bright light. What I did find were patterns in snow from winds blowing strongly during the snowfall. It created some dramatic drifts carefully carved with each flake driven into the ground by forceful winds. Why does the snow remain in one streak while the rest of it was blown away?

What fascinates me is taking a closer look at these drifts and seeing the patterns and layers. Imagining what was happening while they’re being created. In this case, how did the snow go together in each layer? What I also find amazing is the same forces that create these drifts are also factors in how stone and sand are naturally carved – especially sandstone in the desert Southwest of the United States. Only snow drifts happen much faster so we can witness it in a matter of hours.

As the snow was falling, I took some time to capture a few of these and photograph them. It was a challenge for several reasons – the temperatures were near freezing so they melted quickly once under the camera, they were small as far as snowflakes go, and the crystals formed in all directions which is unusual.

In the picture above the blurry bright area on the lower right is a toothpick. This gives you something to compare how small these individual snow flakes were. Knowing how small these were makes me question what impact that had on the drifts created? If these ice crystals had been bigger, as they often are, the drifts would have formed differently with different patterns and shapes. In the top pictures there’s a very narrow drift. I’m certain it would not have been possible with larger snowflakes as they can get picked up easier by the wind, whereas these smaller ones are probably more aerodynamic allowing them to stay in place. What protected that little strip of snow? I didn’t look at that at the time of photographing the imagine so I’m not sure.

During the snowfall, these were the types of flakes falling. With each crystal appearing to be in a random direction, there were lots of interesting shapes to look at as they began to melt. One of the pieces that amazed me was how thick each of these crystals were compared to their overall size which is easier to see with larger images. One of the questions I had was did each of these snowflakes form this way or were there many small crystals that collided together to form these? It’s intriguing to think about and try to solve this question in an effort to learn what conditions are needed for such a ice crystal to be made.

Flowers, Photos, Troy's Blog

A Little Summer Flower Abstract Photography

November 21, 2021 Troy

From time to time I enjoy photographing things at a magnified rate showing details that can often show a different view. The photo above is from a tropical hibiscus flower. I really like how colorful the photo is even though much of it is out of focus. That limited focus was intentional to show all of the hairs on each stigma which bring out interesting textures. The blurry background compliments these stigma providing some great contrasting colors brought out by the right lighting to highlight those colors. It can be a fun challenge to get a shot set up at this magnification determining what to focus on, how to compose the shot, and how to use existing lighting or add lighting in certain places. Once these are put together you can produce some interesting pictures.

While out enjoying a public garden I noticed this agave plant and was intrigued by the colorful margins outlining each leaf along with the sharp tip which produced a nice color gradient. Crouching down to find an interesting view to highlight these features I noticed something quickly scurry out of view. With a little patience, a spider slowly revealed itself among these sharp leaves. Clearly well protected. Once the spider was in sight I began snapping away, capturing the contrasting red leaf margins and the brown with green fuzzy spider among the nice green leaves of the agave. Sometimes there’s a nice bonus to add another element to a composition. In this case it changed what my focal subject was, making the agave secondary instead of the main subject. Being able to adapt to opportunities like this can be a positive thing and sometimes a distracting thing if you only have few moments to capture your subject with the perfect light.

Taking a stroll through some gardens revealed a mix of two colors of celosia. I liked the contrast of this red bloom surrounded by gold flowers and spent some time annoying others as I blocked a nice portion of the path so I could find a composition to bring out these contrasting colors.

The photo below is of a kale leaf. I liked the texture of the ruffled edges along with the color of the leaf against the background. The background is actually a hibiscus flower which provided some great contrasting colors. The shadows created from having light coming from the side also create some interest for me. All of the characteristics cause me to want to explore the photo more. Paths created from all of the curves that are both in focus and out of focus in this leaf just ask to be visually followed up and down and to the right and left. There is no visible pattern to be found in the direction each turn takes.

These are considered abstract pictures for a reason. They can be interesting to one person while others find them distracting or lack enough to spend any time looking at. I enjoy looking at plants and other subjects from this perspective because I see things and learn about them in ways I would not have expected. Additionally, we don’t often seek out this level of detail which can be fascinating. Hopefully they are interesting and enjoyable to others as well.

fall, migration, Photos, Seasons, Troy's Blog

The Sandhill Crane Migration

November 7, 2021 Troy

It’s the time of year again when Sandhill cranes gather in large flocks to begin their migration for the winter. It’s a scene that is always magnificent with cranes filling the sky while calling out to each other as they locate their perfect spot to spend a night. Thousands of these pre-historic birds gather for several weeks during the fall to gorge on area corn fields in preparation for the journey south. It’s an event amazing to witness and one that I try to participate in every year and thankfully had an afternoon, although last minute, to check out their return from the local fields to their roosting place.

I arrived as the sun was nearing the horizon requiring me to hurry as it’s almost a 2 mile hike to where I was headed. The cranes were already heading back and as I got closer I could hear their unmistakable calls going back and forth. Finally coming into view of the wetland area I could begin seeing flocks of cranes already landed with more overhead coming in. I still had almost a mile to go and continued on my brisk pace stopping occasionally to enjoy these birds as they flew by. Finally I arrived at the spot I had scouted out a few years back and took out the camera. I wanted to set it on my tripod but didn’t give myself enough time to set it up without spooking a lot of cranes so my photos required hand holding into the decreasing light. Even if it didn’t turn out as desired, I had a great time and enjoyed watching as these birds gliding against the setting sun while listening to their familiar sounds.

With darkness filling the landscape I returned back to my car ready to call it a night. Arriving to the area I had parked, I was greeted by a couple of DNR officers inquiring about my activities. It was hunting season and they were looking for my license had I been out participating. I quickly showed my weapon of choice on this night – my camera, and was dismissed to head out with little more said. Another fun hunt for pictures on a nice fall day.

Adventure, Camping, Minnesota, Sunrise, Troy's Blog

Catching a Beautiful Summer Sunrise

October 24, 2021 Troy

There are days when photographing the beautiful landscape around you comes at a cost. Often that cost is sleep. On this particular morning I wanted to capture the sunrise over Hayes Lake. A manmade lake surrounded by forest created from a small river flowing in that has been damned off. The challenge with being awake for the sunrise was that I had spent much of the night photographing the Milkyway rising from the horizon over this calm lake. And before that, the day included searching for Minnesota’s native orchids of which several were found, but that meant little rest during the day (and night). The conditions just presented the opportunity I was looking for for each of these possible photographs.

During the day, several orchids were in bloom and there was no rain expected (although passing showers popped up) making it a good opportunity to search for them. Along with spending hours in search of as many orchids as I could find, there were other native plants in bloom along with areas to explore all day long. Food? Not sure how important that really is. A few bites of something should be enough and on to the next area needing to be seen. After a day of adventure it was time to return to the campsite for a brief meal. Once this was complete, the sky continued to clear so out to do a little scouting for nighttime photos. An advantage of giving myself time was being able to enjoy the beautiful sunset. With just a few clouds floating across the sky, the colors provided a great end to the day.

With a little time before it would be dark enough to capture the night sky and a few potential places to set up the camera, I returned to the campsite and enjoyed an evening fire. As I started to relax I began to question if I really wanted to go back with the camera. My pillow was started to really call after a day of exploring and the time nearing midnight. As darkness engulfed the landscape, the stars shown brightly with not a cloud to hide them. A great situation to photograph the night sky with very little light pollution. One of the darkest skies I’ve had the chance to spend the night under. How could I possibly pass up this situation? Dragging myself into the car I returned to the lake where I was earlier and set up the camera. As those first pictures lit up on the screen I was re-energized and kept shooting away trying different things and different compositions. As the night wore on, fog began to develop across the lake making it more challenging to capture sharp pictures.

It was now after 3am and the sun would begin filling the horizon in just a few hours and this fog could make for some great sunrise photos. Do I just stay awake and enjoy the quiet morning hours? I decided to go back to the vehicle, turn on the heat to at least warm my hands and feet which were now pretty cold and see if I could get in a brief nap. Sleep could come back at the campsite once the sun made it’s way higher in the sky. At least that’s what I convinced myself of. I woke to a small amount of light entering the area and a few minutes later was back out at the lake setting up for the imminent sunrise. Just as I had hoped, the fog continued to float across the glass like surface I had left a short time before. Continuing to shoot away, I was enjoying the world waking up around me welcoming a new summer day and eventually capturing the image at the top. Returning to get some sleep? A new day had arrived and there was more exploring to do. Maybe an early night to catch up…..

Gaining Life Experience