Category: Winter

Ahhhh, my favorite time of year for photography has arrived!  February and March is when the snow geese and tundra swans migrate through Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Pennsylvania and I love going to photograph the waterfowl!  During this visit, there were “only” 7500 snow geese, but there can be up to 100,000 or more as the migration continues.  The 7500 that I photographed were very active.  During one of their “blast offs”, the geese swirled in the sky for a long while, providing ample opportunity to photograph them in flight.  In this image, you can see some birds standing on the portion of the lake that is still ice covered, while others are in the air and taking to flight from the water.  Hey, I think I recognize that one on the left from last year!  🙂

Thankfully I was able to drive past this country barn without any cattle stampeding across the road!  Whew!

The lake was mostly frozen at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area over the weekend and yet the top was covered with a thin layer of water.  I am always looking for things to photograph in addition to the waterfowl and this reflection was just beautiful.  I’ve always loved this one particular tree on the other side of the lake and, on this day, it was reflected perfectly in the water and ice.

With temps in the upper 40’s this weekend, it was a nice opportunity to venture out to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area to check the status of the waterfowl.  I need to practice my bird photography in preparation for the influx of Snow Geese that will be arriving soon at Middle Creek.  This is one of my favorite times of the year to get out and photograph!  This weekend’s visit to Middle Creek was interesting since it was the first time I’ve ever been there in winter before the huge numbers of snow geese arrive.  I was fortunate to see 5 bald eagles – mostly juvenile – and plenty of Canada Geese.  Some Snow Geese were also on the lake, but not very many.  It was a beautiful day for a hike and for spending time outdoors!

It’s fun to revisit photos from the past that have never been processed, like this one.  It was taken last year in February as I was scouting around Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in search of an owl.  I love barns and the older and more rustic the better!  This one had tons of character!  I added a touch of Topaz Impression for a painting-like effect.