Category: Nature

The cavity in this tree is a perfect spot for a Great Horned Owl to nest.  The coloring of her feathers blends in so well with the tree that she is hardly noticeable.  Hopefully she is sitting on eggs that will hatch this Spring…time will tell!

Sometimes you just have to take a detour.  One morning, as I was on my way to who knows where, I noticed heavy fog hanging low above the water at the lake.  I took a quick detour down to the water and shot a few pics with my iphone.  I still think that the photo quality from a phone is poor (and maybe that’s because I don’t know much about iphone photography), but it was all I had at the time.   You know the saying … ‘the best camera is the one that you have with you’ (Chase Jarvis) and it is so true!  Don’t ever miss the shot just because you don’t have the right camera or lens … just take the photo with whatever you have available!  I like how the outcropping of rocks mimics the shoreline in this shot – a repeating pattern of sorts.

There were several Eastern Bluebirds flitting around the trees near the Lake at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area when I last visited.  They were quite a distance away and nestled among the branches of the leafless trees.  It was hard not to notice their brown/orange breast and vivid blue head, back and tail feathers.  This was my first time ever photographing an Eastern Bluebird and though the setting wasn’t anywhere near ideal, it was fun to try and keep up with them as they moved throughout the brush.

A little snow, a dramatic sky, a pretty barn and some cows in the pasture … I couldn’t ask for more in this photo.  It was shot with my iPhone and edited with Photoshop, Nik and Topaz Labs software.  I remember stopping the car in the middle of the road and pulling out my phone to grab this shot…it was a spur of the moment decision!

The light at sunrise was casting a golden hue across the lake as I watched the day break along with 50,000+ of my favorite snow geese!  It was a beautiful morning!