Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: birds


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Camping objectives

Sometimes I go camping just to have a few days away from everyday responsibilities. Time to nap and read and snack and daydream.

Just one exit up the road from home.

Sometimes I go camping with a specific goal in mind. I’m hoping to get that perfect Milky Way image, or find a new bird to photograph, or see a part of the state I haven’t seen before.

My favorite site at this campground.

Last week, at the last minute, I got to reserve 3 nights in my favorite campsite at the local state park. It’s a spot where Katie and I camped many times. This trip I hoped to introduce Penny to campground noises.

“Did I hear something over there, mom?”

She’d been there for a couple visits last year, but it was all overwhelming to her, and even with her dad and me right there she was pretty nervous about all the people and cars and noisy trucks with trailers driving by.

“Hey! What’s my tent doing out here in the woods, mom?”

This year she’s older and wiser and a little bit calmer. Though she still looked when noisy things including people with their dogs walked by, she didn’t automatically come undone.

“I’ll just stay real close, OK mom?”

She was only visiting me for a few hours each day, and while she was there we took plenty of walks around the campground, letting her sniff the vacant spots…

“I approve of this one, mom.”

…and moving swiftly past those occupied.

“Nothing to see here, just protecting my bikes.”

She even got to walk past a couple of pitbulls and their flustered dad. She was a rockstar.

See them coming around the corner up there? Penny’s tail was already up in alarm and I didn’t notice them until they were much closer. She knew right away. She never barked, she just heeled with me right by them.

We spent about an hour on her second visit inside the tent as evening fell. I think she would have been fine spending the night in the tent if I had insisted. But she was a little restless after an hour and if I’m honest, I wasn’t looking forward to packing up in the morning with her on site.

“I guess this is OK mom. But daddy has air conditioning and a bed. Just sayin.”

It takes me an hour to pack up without the distraction of a curious dog. But next time, if she’s willing I think we’ll spend the night in the tent. Maybe she’ll begin to understand it’s all an adventure and mom’s got her back.

“Umm, excuse me mother, let me be clear. I’m not taking a shower.”

The other reason I jumped at a chance to camp at this site is the opportunity to photograph birds. Every time I’ve been at site 16 there have been birds flitting around. Their images are hard to capture, they’re not like Kensington birds, posing for treats.

A really poor image of a cardinal that swooped in and then out.

These birds are never happy when they stop by and you’re at their site. I sat for hours, still in my chair, camera ready, and didn’t catch a good look at one bird, though I heard redstarts and vireos and wrens all around me.

Mostly I got bird imposters like these brown leaves.

Then this guy bounced out of the underbrush.

A gorgeous brown thrush.

After looking at me he hopped up on a vine with his back to me. In a moment, though, he turned his head to make sure I got the shot, and then he took off.

“Did you get my good side, lady?”

I smiled, at least I got one decent image of a bird!

And then I noticed this little red squirrel looking a bit worse for wear. She skittered around the campsite and then disappeared.

A skinny little red squirrel.

While I’m looking for her, tossing a few blueberries in the direction she ran, a opportunistic chipmunk showed up, very happy with the blueberry offering.

“Hey lady! You got anything to spare?”

Meanwhile Ms. red squirrel, apparently a tired mom, was up in a tree at the edge of the campsite, happily chowing down on a nut.

Nom, nom, nom…

She was happy until she noticed the chipmunk was feasting on blueberries.

A special treat!

That seemed to make her very unhappy. She watched the chipmunk more carefully. I tossed a few more blueberries. She was conflicted.

“Wait! Those blueberries were for ME!”

And then she ran as fast as she could down that tree and back out into the site where she scored a blueberry of her own.

“That chipmunk got one, but he’s not going to get the rest!”

It all made me smile.

Camping generally makes me smile, even when it rains, which it inevitably does at least one day on every camping adventure. At least this time it was overnight. And in the morning the sun rose again.

Another beautiful morning.

Time to get packing and head home. A little fuzzy girl was waiting for me to provide her next adventure. She’s kind of demanding that way. I don’t mind.

Another adventure in the books.

Till next time, site 16. Thanks for the new memories.

Camping art.


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Backyard shenanigans

A long time ago I promised to show you the shenanigans going on in my backyard. Or should I call it backyardigans?

Waiter! I need a napkin!

These are self explanatory, but if the participants had anything to say I’ll add that as comentary under the offender’s image.

My morning abdominal workout might be offset by my morning snacking.

You will note there is one pictured here that is not like the others. She knows who she is.

I have to ask the help to fill this feeder every single day.

Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done in the house, given all the entertainment just outside my window.

I emptied out that birdfeeder, now my tummy doesn’t feel so good.

Oh wait. I really don’t get much done inside. Please don’t look at the dust covering everything or the dog fur rolling across the floor.

Somebody come help me with these two hooligans!

But I ask you. Which would you rather do?

I’m just going to sit here and watch the crazy in real time.

I thought so.

Me too.

Me three.

Not me, I’m eating while I can. A mom gets so little time to herself around here!

You are so right! Eat while you can I always say!

I see you lady with the camera! Could you please leave us more peanuts?

She always puts the peanuts at the bottom. Good thing I have short legs.

Seriously, I’m going to go crazy in .2 seconds.


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Searching for the stars. Again.

This time last week I was in northern Michigan at one of my favorite places (You may have noticed I have quite a few favorite places in northern Michigan) intent, once again, on getting the perfect Milky Way image.

Esch Beach, near Empire MI

I had a walk-in site at Platt River Campground, reserved weeks ago, and high hopes that at least one of the three nights would be clear.

My perfect camp site.

The site was beautiful. I knew it would be because I’d camped there once before a few years ago. It’s at the end of a trail, about 1/4 mile into the woods. Along the way are three other campsites, but mine was the last one.

This was my first camping trip of the season. It took me forever to get this tent up.

The good thing about a walk-in site is that there are no RVs near you running their air conditioning all night. (Though I wouldn’t have minded having air, it was 98 F inside my tent most of the first night.) The bad thing about a walk-in site is that you have to carry everything in. So I stayed pretty minimal.

Anyway. I had high hopes for Monday night, thinking it should be clear. And it was hot and sunny when I first arrived.

Before I even went to the campsite to set up the tent I drove the Pierce Stocking drive that provides a number of opportunities to stop and explore.

It’s almost mandatory that you take this image while you’re there.

But gradually, by late afternoon, clouds had moved in and that evening there were no stars to be seen. It even rained late Monday night, which brought the temperatures down. I was conflicted, grateful for the temperature relief but disappointed that I wasn’t out under the stars with my camera.

Looking toward Sleeping Bear dunes from Empire Beach on Tuesday.

Tuesday I explored a few beaches looking for possible places to shoot the Milky Way, if the sky ever cleared. But it didn’t clear that day.

Not very promising for star photography.

So I did the next best thing. I hiked a loop through the woods where there was the possibility of lots of birds. You know how I love taking photographs of birds. I had high hopes again of capturing something special.

Because I was covered in bug spray this was a fun hike.

About 2.5 miles, the trail was supposed to be filled with song birds, particularly warblers.

I took a close up picture of the map with my phone, and I’m glad I did. The trail wasn’t always obvious.

I heard lots of birds, none of them identified by my Merlin app as warblers, but I only saw one bird for a slight second, hidden in the trees, and I have no idea what it was.

I don’t suppose any of you know what this brownish bird is, hiding behind leaves and out of focus.

Tuesday night it rained again. I don’t mind a little rain on the tent, but it meant there was no star shooting that night either.

Wednesday was predicted to be overcast as well, so I made plans to drive about an hour north and meet a couple friends in Northport, another of my happy places. It was time to spend a little bit of time in civilization.

Scenic route through Pierce Stocking park.

That was definitely fun and had a lower mosquito to human ratio, but it deserves it’s own post, so stay tuned.

Taken Monday night, while standing in the rain.


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Favorite Alabama images

It’s been two, maybe three weeks since I was in Alabama. And you know that I took a few photos while I was there.

Arriving after 2 days of driving.

Maybe you’d want to see a few of my favorites?

Every morning I’d take a picture of the lake. Most of the time it was so quiet.

Of course who really defines the term “few?”

That red soil is a dead giveaway you’re in the South.

As it turns out most of the images I took this time revolved around birds. Why do you think that is? And are the birds much different in Alabama than they are in Michigan?

Maybe a king bird, maybe something else. Was sitting at the top of a young oak tree on an island in the lake.

But we weren’t always birders, we also took a couple boat rides on my brother’s lake. One in the middle of the day where we saw the bird above and one to see the sunset.

Sunset from behind the mimosa tree

And on our boat rides we did, of course, see birds. This was a big bird. This is the Osprey that builds a nest every year in the very tall power towers on my brother’s lake.

Osprey parent taking a sunset break from the demanding babies up in the nest.

There were very noisy babies in residence when I visited. They cried all day for mom or dad to feed them.

What are you looking at, lady?

And there was a bluebird couple remodeling the nest for their next brood, hovering around just over our heads as we sat on the back patio.

I keep telling him it’s a total gut job.

They didn’t seem worried about us at all as long as we didn’t move too quickly.

I think it’s fine the way it is. The kids will just poop all over it anyway.

And a brown thrush singing away and then scuttling along the lake shore looking for something good to eat.

I’m pretending to be a speedy roadrunner bird!

And, back at the cabin’s lake, we climbed the mountain and then the fire tower to view the large expanse of Lake Martin.

A small part of Lake Martin.

Actually, you can, even at that height, only view a small portion of this giant lake.

A fisherman was having a quiet moment when suddenly jet skies zoomed by.

And of course I went out in the kayak a couple times, not going too far, just down to the end of this bit of water, or that bit over there.

I spent a long time in the kayak trying to get these two glowing trees.

We have martin gourds at Lake Martin and this year the birds have taken up residence in at least one of them.

Incoming!

Babies there too.

You’re not my mama!

So all in all it was a good trip. I’m glad I went and I’m hoping to get down there again before this summer is over.

An orchard oriole in my brother’s back yard.

We’ll see.

Home away from home.

Oh…you ask…on my trip back to Michigan did I see anything interesting?

Well…what do you think?

Mom! That lady’s looking at me again!


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Bird bath part deux

Keeping in the theme of birds enjoying a bath, one afternoon this week I noticed two orioles in the bird bath.

By the time I got my camera and returned there was one in the bath and another observing. As you can see, Daddy was busy out on the feeder stuffing his face with grape jelly.

I don’t know if these two are this year’s juveniles or last years young ones, or maybe two females just enjoying a relaxing spa day.

But it was sure was fun to watch the one in the bath splash around.

So I’ll share the rest of these without comment. Enjoy.

I have other photos of this week’s shenanigans in my back yard, but those will have to wait for another day.

Edit: I was just outside to hang the oriole feeder up after cleaning it and refilling it with grape jelly. One of the two bathers was back, standing on the railing. He (or she) started flapping it’s wings at me, supposing that maybe I had something to feed it. So I think these two really are juveniles, and not adult females. So cute!


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The heron baths

Have you ever seen a great blue heron? (I feel like I should capitalize the heron’s name, anything with “Great” in it’s title seems like it should be capitalized, don’t you think?)

Do you see him out there?

We have lots of them around here, and I’ve taken you out to Kensington to see the heron rookery more than a few times, so of course you’ve all seen a Great Blue.

Here’s a closer image.

But have you ever seen one take a bath? (I think this would make a great children’s book title; Have You Ever Seen One Take a Bath?)

I wonder if he blows bubbles or holds his breath when his head is under water.

I was sitting, a couple of weeks ago, on my brother’s patio looking out over his lake. He has a wonderful view down the lake, but what I was focused on was the tip of his peninsula where a heron appeared to be standing or sitting up to his chest in water while flapping his wings. Or her wings I suppose. But I’m going to assume this was a he.

Coming up for air.

I had my camera in my lap so I started shooting pictures, trying to figure out what he was doing. Was he fishing? Was he caught in fishing line? Was he dancing to some song only he could hear?

There was much flapping.

No, he was taking a bath! Unfortunately many of my images are terribly out of focus, but I’ve found you the best of them so you can enjoy what we wittnessed.

He was a very enthusiastic bather.

He flopped around and preened in the chest deep water for quite a long time, and then he moved over to a sunnier spot and did what all well behaved herons do.

He’s a very proud and regal bird.

He stood, spread his wings and dried himself in the sun.

Because there’s no nicer way to end a warm bath than to dry off in the evening sunshine.

A little grooming never hurt any heron.


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At last, the little birds

I took myself out to Kensington, a favorite park for bird photography, on Easter Sunday morning because I figured it would be empty.

There appears to be a lack of breakfast servers this morning, lady! – Mrs. Red Winged

And, in some ways, it was. There were no families enjoying barbecue, and no busloads of school kids enjoying a field trip.

No one was feeding the little birds.

We’ve been waiting for you! – Mr. Red Winged

But photographers? Oh yea, photographers with their long, heavy lenses are not going to let a beautiful spring morning get lost in a holiday!

My royal self does not come down just because you have food, madam. – Red Headed Woodpecker

Still I bet most of us out there that morning managed to get at least a few (dozen) great shots.

We’ll get our own meal, thank you. – TWO Red Headed Woodpeckers!

And long ago, on a previous post I promised I’d show you more birds.

I am not too proud to accept a free peanut! — Nuthatch in flight

So here you go. I’ll try to limit this to some of my most favorite from that early morning walk in the woods a month ago.

Excuse me, if everyone else has had enough, I’d like to approach the hand. — Titmouse

But it’s hard. I have so many favorites.

I’m a little shy, but I’d really like a bit of breakfast, lady! — Chickadee

As I study each of these I’m transported back to that cool morning, surrounded by hungry birds, the deer watching from further back in the trees, the squirrels hurrying so as not to be left out.

Thanks lady! Sometimes we get overlooked cause we can’t fly. — Black Squirrel

The chipmunks hoarding, the sunlight shifting.

I’d like a little more please! — Chipmunk

It’s always a magical time at Kensington, no matter what part of the park you visit.

Too busy to eat, I’m building my future family a new home! — Mrs. Red Belly

But if you want to experience wildlife in a more intimate manner, get there in the morning on a weekday before the crowds and walk the trails at the Nature Center.

It’s the interior decorating that takes the most thought.

Or early on a holiday morning. That works too.

You got to really get in there for the deep spring cleaning required prior to babies’ arrival!

So tell me, which image is YOUR favorite?

I’ll ponder that question. — Sandhill Crane