winter | Change Is Hard

February 11, 2023
by dawnkinster 28 Comments

Searching for a barn-ican

Wednesday I suddenly found myself with a few hours free in the afternoon. And we had sun with the rest of the week predicted to be cold and rainy. What should I do?

What would you do?

*On the road looking for interesting barns.*

I decided I should head out in search of a few photogenic barns. I wasn’t sure where I’d be going, but just going in search of barns felt great. I told myself it didn’t matter if I found any. I had a full tank of gas and nowhere I had to be.

*The barn’s kind of boring, but the tree is nice.*

But after a couple of hours I wasn’t thrilled with what I’d found. I seemed to be in familiar territory and hadn’t seen anything new. Then I turned one more corner and found this one. It was perfect.

*This was exactly the kind of barn I’d been looking for.*

Maybe I wasn’t going to find any more great barns, but it was still early, going on 3:30. I knew I wasn’t far from Overlook Park in Midland, where another photographer had seen pelicans this winter. I’d been there twice before, searching for the pelicans, but hadn’t seen anything more interesting than geese and ducks.

But she’d told me, just recently, that it was always dusk when she saw the pelicans. Would it be worth it to hang out there until the sun went down? I decided to go see.

*Can’t get too close, but it was fun to watch the ducks.*

Overlook Park, located in Midland, Michigan, is basically a parking lot perched on a hill looking out over the retention ponds of DOW Chemical. I’ve seen eagles and hawks and geese and ducks and deer there. But never pelicans.

*Most of the action was happening way over there.*

When I first arrived there was one other car parked there, somebody with binoculars scanning the ponds. I pulled in and immediately saw something big headed our way. It landed in a tree on the outer edges of the park, not so far from the parking lot. I thought maybe it was a juvenile eagle. But I was wrong.

*Do you see it in the top of the tree on the right?*

It’s a hawk, I think, though I’m no expert on differentiating between hawks. As soon as I got out of the car he (or she) spotted me and I knew right away it was going to take flight. I wasn’t wrong about that!

I tried to keep it in the frame, but that was just about impossible.

It flew off to my right, into the woods where it could have some privacy. I sighed and returned to my search of the water, looking for pelicans.

I wondered if the pelicans were way over on the other side of the pond, with the hundreds of geese and ducks over there. If they were, there wasn’t a chance I’d ever see them. Even as I considered what else I could shoot, hundreds of geese lifted up, at once, in groups of a dozen or two and flew overhead.

*I’m always fascinated by how nature just settles right in next to industry.*

The noise was amazing. I don’t know if they were headed to their night roosts, or just stirring up trouble because they could. After they moved on I hunkered down to wait some more. The sun was going down and it was getting colder.

*A steady parade of deer headed out to the end of a peninsula and settled down for the night.*

I wondered if I’d be lucky. I had no idea from which direction the pelicans would come or where they’d land. So much of the water was far away from where I waited. I reminded myself this wasn’t Disney World, the pelicans weren’t on the clock. There were no guarantees they’d show up at all.

Meanwhile I was entertained by some adorable diving ducks. You’d see them swimming…

…and then suddenly they’d disappear, leaving only a ring of ripples to show they had ever been there.

Then they’d pop back up again somewhere else. It was so fun to watch.

Still…I was there for pelicans. Would they come in as the sun went down or arrive under the cover of darkness? Would it be at the other end of the pond? Had they migrated on to somewhere warmer? Were they even still in the state?

Would they show up at all? How long should I wait?

How long would you wait?

Backyard – what’s for lunch?

February 9, 2023 by dawnkinster 15 Comments

Watching Wordless Wednesday

February 8, 2023 by dawnkinster 21 Comments

February 4, 2023
by dawnkinster 45 Comments

Deer reader

When I left you and the birds last I was headed to the back regions of Kensington Metropark in search of deer. It’s almost guaranteed to find one or two back there if you’re quiet. If you’re not quiet you won’t see any. But they’ll be watching you.

*This little guy was the one that got my attention by his incessant whining as I was walking through the woods.*

As I worked my way toward the back a woman coming the other way said she had seen two beautiful does in the furthest back corner of the longest loop. Since I was headed that direction anyway I smiled my thanks. I knew they wouldn’t still be there when I arrived, but I also knew there were some back there.

*This guy chimed in, so I had to stop and feed them for awhile.*

Somewhere.

On the way I had a few birds begging for treats, so I stopped and tossed them a few peanuts. I was busy doing that when a guy came up the path. He apologized for interrupting my bird photo shoot. I said no problem, there would be lots of opportunities to get more pictures.

We talked for awhile. He said there was a thicket to the right around the next corner where he often saw multiple pairs of cardinals. I thanked him and got back to work shooting my birds.

I had only seen a couple of deer far off in the woods so far, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t see many more. But a whole lot of cardinals? That would be fun!

*She was pretty far away, but I was glad to see at least one deer that morning.*

And then I rounded the corner, and saw the guy down at the end of a long slope, taking pictures with his phone of several deer that were standing around quite close to him. I stopped so as to not startle them.

*There was a group of about six does hanging out together.*

At first they were focused on him, hoping for a handout. Then they noticed me.

*She decided to smell the air to see if I was a threat.*

The guy moved on and now I was the main attraction.

*There was a buck too, but he wasn’t interested in me.*

I know they wanted something to eat, but all I had was seed for the birds. Not nearly enough to feed the herd. I moved on trying not to startle them, until I came to the thicket around another corner, quite a ways from the herd of dear, where the cardinals lived.

*She could flip one ear back to listen for things behind her, while keeping one ear and her eyes focused on me.*

There was only one that I saw that morning, but he delighted me by flying up to a sunlit branch.

I had the camera up to my eyes, trying to figure out the best shot when I heard footsteps. I thought maybe another person was coming along the trail so I pulled off a few shots of the cardinal, knowing he’d fly away.

And then I lowered the camera and glanced back to see who was coming.

*The whole herd was coming down the trail, following me.*

I guess they hadn’t given up on me. I felt even worse that I had nothing to give them. One in particular was out front. I thought he was a youngster, less wary, perhaps more hungry.

*She was asking with her eyes. I imagine some people do feed them, but I don’t think very many people walk this far back in the woods.*

I stood and watched them as they gave up on me and wandered a bit looking for something to eat.

*I’m sorry, girl. I hope you made it through this cold snap out there.*

Then I moved as swiftly as I could away, climbing a hill and making a couple turns as soon as I could to put some space between me and them. I found myself next to another thicket that had all sorts of birds, including a cardinal couple.

They were interested in me but not interested in getting too close. In fact, Ms. Cardinal took great delight in not giving me a clear shot to a great image.

*Yep, that branch across her face was deliberate on her part.*

She flitted from here to there.

*She moved and her face was showing, but now the branches covered up her beautiful body.*

Always making sure there were twigs and branches between her and me…

…while making sure she showed enough of her beautiful colors to keep me intrigued.

*She had a lot of spots to hide, but she couldn’t hide her beauty.*

She let me chase her down the trail, always keeping something between us.

*Yep, she won the game, bet she’s still smiling.*

After awhile I just gave up and went on down the trail. It was getting late and I was a long way from the car.

But there were a whole lot of birds waiting for me, so it wasn’t a fast trip back to the car.

No, they dropped out of trees and flew around my head as I walked, landing on my camera lens if I ignored them.

*Missed the bird, but I liked the image anyway.*

They were everywhere. I was surprised because usually that far back in the woods, where fewer people walk, the birds are not as eager to engage.

As I got closer to the parking lot the birds because more assertive. I emptied my pocket of seed, sharing some with a squirrel or two along the way.

*Pretty sure he knew I had seed in my pocket.*

Eventually I made it out of there, completely stripped of all treats, but with a full card of wonderful images, and great memories.

Even though I didn’t gain an audience with the Queen of the Boardwalk.

February 3, 2023
by dawnkinster 22 Comments

The birds tell it like it is

It was sunny yesterday. Cold, but sunny, and there’s no way I wanted to waste a sunny day doing laundry. Plus I figured the birds would be hungry. So I headed out to my favorite park, dressed in layers, with cleats on my boots, and a long lens on my camera.

*The heron rookery waiting patiently for spring.*

I visited the boardwalk first, to see if I could garner another audience with the queen, but though she was in the thicket, she didn’t deem me worthy. It was early, but other small birds were more than happy to jump aboard the hand for breakfast.

*This little one glowed in the morning light.*

Ms. Redbelly, however, would only eat from the railing. Though she seemed very interested in what I was doing out there on such a cold early morning.

*“If I hurry I can come back for seconds!”*

I spent entirely too much time out there trying to coax the queen in, and finally my frozen toes and fingers insisted I move on or go home. I moved on.

*“No time to lose, the queen could snatch up the rest of breakfast if I don’t move fast!”*

I specifically wanted to hike the trails at the back of the park, looking for deer. But I think I’ll let the birds tell you the story.

*“Bout time you got here, lady. We’ve been waiting.”*

*“I’ll just let everybody else know you’re finally arrived.”*

*“My private dining table is at the top of this tree.”*

*“Hey! I’m wearing my red badge, I was supposed to get preferential treatment!”*

*“Those woodpeckers think they’re all that.”*

*“Yea, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. She drops plenty of stuff for all of us.”*

*“But she didn’t leave ANYTHING in my favorite feeder!”*

*“You silly little Titmouse, you didn’t look hard enough!”*

*“I’m TELLING! You always get the good stuff!”*

*“Seriously lady, I’m very disappointed in you. And I bet you don’t see any deer either, if you don’t get going.”*

And did I see any deer? Well, these demanding birds have taken up all my time.

You’ll have to wait and see.

January 26, 2023
by dawnkinster 39 Comments

How to enjoy snow

Once upon a time I lived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where snow arrives early and stays late. You learn how to enjoy it or it will beat you down.

Your choice.

Of course I was younger then.

I learned how to use a U-per Scooper to clear my parking place, and how to snowshoe and cross country ski. It was all self defense, of course, but I learned to love most of it. Maybe not the U-per Scooper so much.

*The back yard looks more exotic with snow.*

I’ve lived in lower Michigan for 37 years now, my bones have become more brittle and I’m more careful when choosing my adventures. Lucky for me we don’t usually get snow in the amounts I remember from up north.

Even luckier for me I’m retired.

*“One picture one treat, lady. I heard that was the rule around here.”*

Yesterday, during our all day gentle snow I didn’t have to be anywhere. Husband cleared the driveway multiple times.

My only responsibilities involved keeping the birdfeeders full. In return I got to watch dozens of beautiful birds all vying for a spot to grab a snack.

*The feeder looked Victorian with it’s cap of snow.*

At one point I counted 8 male cardinals in my shrubs, on the deck railing, and on the feeders at the same time. There were lots of females as well, they’re just harder to see. I couldn’t count all the blue jays, titmice, goldfinches, chickadees, starlings, nuthatches, ravens and woodpeckers.

*“I guess I’ll share my favorite tree with the others. This time.”*

Today looks like more of the same, in the bird world anyway. It’s stopped snowing, but it’s still wildly beautiful.

I even took a walk down the road, wearing grippers on my boots, for a little look see.

*Didn’t have to go far to see I liked the yellow against the white.*

Yep…beautiful down there too.

I wish you all could experience it from a lazy-boy chair inside a nice warm house with big windows and a lot of birds to entertain you.

Winters in Michigan. Be careful, or they’ll get the upper hand.

*And then the sun showed up for a moment or two.*

But if you can learn to enjoy them…well…then you win.

January 25, 2023
by dawnkinster 25 Comments

Wordless Wednesday

January 21, 2023
by dawnkinster 35 Comments

Wise soul

I went for a walk this morning, down a neighborhood road I haven’t ventured since Katie left. The road we took our last walk on that day. She and I went up to the first neighbor’s mailbox and then turned around at our usual spot, I remember she met a snapping turtle laying eggs that morning and I let her watch for a bit.

So many memories on that short piece of asphalt.

I went past our turn-around this morning, unleashed from an elderly dog, up the road further and around the corner where she and I had rarely ventured.

“Oh sweetie-girl” I thought.

“It’s OK, mama,” she replied, “next time it won’t hurt so much.”

She’s a wise one, that Katie-girl. Yes she is.

Wordless Wednesday – all fixed

January 18, 2023 by dawnkinster 20 Comments

January 16, 2023
by dawnkinster 23 Comments

The struggle is real

No, not that kind of struggle…the struggle to capture the night sky image I have in my head. Sometimes I think I should just get another head.

*See that shadow hump in the foreground? That’s me hunkered down behind the camera, due to my neighbors GIGANTIC light hanging over her garage. Sigh.* *And the lights on the right are from my house.*

This week we finally had a clear night. I swear, we hadn’t seen the sun in weeks here in Michigan, but one day this week the sun graced us with her presence and I excitedly watched the weather guy to see if we were going to keep those clear skies overnight.

Well…sort of…but it was the best we’d had in forever, so I figured I’d run over to a local park where I thought the skies would be darker than Katie’s park here in town. I was going to go over around 9 p.m., figuring it would be true dark by then. But I’m older now and was already yawning at 8. And it looked pretty darn dark to me even that early.

*I moved, so it’s somewhat better. And you can see a couple stars if you look carefully, so it’s all good.*

So off I went, camera on the tripod, settings already entered. Remote shutter thingy attached. Extra batteries in my pocket. Handwarmer in there too. It was 17F out there.

As I drove the few miles to the park I didn’t see another car. Good. I don’t really want anyone to know I’m at the park after dark. I just want to grab a few practice shots and get out of there and back to my nice warm house.

But just as I got to the park entrance, beginning my turn in off a narrow country road, a car came up over the hill from the other direction, bright lights glaring. We both stopped for a moment, and then I continued on, not wanting them to see me pull into the park. I drove about half a mile away, turned around at the next road and went back.

*WordPress always shows images darker than I’ve edited them. Lots of light over there.* *Plus some clouds moving in.*

All was still. I texted my husband that I was there, and was reaching for my camera when a car, possibly the same car, pulled into the parking lot and parked at the other end.

Well. I’m not getting out of my car. In fact I locked the doors and waited a few minutes. I’m pretty sure they were doing the same thing. I couldn’t think of one good reason for anyone to be out there long after dark unless, of course, they too wanted to shoot the stars. And what were the odds of that?

So I backed up, shot out of the parking lot, and went home. I think I was gone all of 20 minutes. I was so frustrated I decided to at least take a picture of the tree in our yard, still decked out in lights. I figured the camera was on the tripod, might as well get something.

When I walked into the house husband said something like ‘That didn’t take long.” and I explained the story, and he said he’d go back out with me in a little bit.

So we did. I felt much happier sitting out on the pier knowing he was in the car just behind me. I got a few images…but there was lots more light out there than I anticipated in a Bortle 4, I think I was shooting over the next small town. I need to go further away.

Still it was fun trying to remember all the things I needed to do to get the stars. I struggled with my tripod a whole lot too. Good things to practice before the Milky Way is back up. I really want that shot that’s in my head

*There were a LOT of planes that night.*

Today I tried stacking a series of 10 images from that night. That’s supposed to take things that aren’t consistent between the images out and improve the noise level in the results. I think I need to figure something out, because this is what I got.

*9 images of the airplane at 8 seconds each. Sigh. And another little one down near the horizon too.*

Ah well, my classmates will help me with that…and meanwhile I had a midwinter adventure close to home and have another story to tell!

PS: I think you need to be looking at these images when you’re sitting in a dark room with no glare. 🙂

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: winter