It seems life rarely goes the way you want it to and the older you get the more detours it seems to throw in front of you. Of late our lives have been full of detours. So many in fact that to tell you the truth I haven’t really had the desire to look at many pictures much less actually pick up a camera and go out and take any. Thus the lack of updates here on the blog.

A little over a week ago though …...



This guy showed up a mile or so away from the pond and I couldn’t help myself. Even though he wasn’t physically at the pond he was pretty close and since it’s rare to see a Snowy Owl here in our area I wanted to share a little bit of the time I got to spend watching him.

It's the second time in the last five years I have seen a Snowy here in northern Michigan. The first time was because the bird had been injured and couldn't complete its migration but fortunately this owl just seemed to have been taking advantage of a good hunting spot and resting before moving on.


After the first Snowy Owl I saw died I was concerned that this one might also be hanging around because of an injury. Not wanting to have another great bird pass away because I failed to realize it was hurt I called the nearest raptor rehabilitator I could find in case he did turn out to need medical help and I got to learn a bit about Snowy Owls. (Thanks a million to Rebecca from Wings of Wonder)

Apparently mild northern winters are usually when these birds will appear this far from their more traditional range. Greater numbers of them survive their first winter and the younger birds (usually males) get pushed further south during their migration cycle. Normal winter mortality rates for first year Snowy Owls run about 75%.


Unlike most of our native owls they are daytime hunters and because of the terrain they usually feed in it is not uncommon to see them on the ground.

While they are not completely unaware of humans their lack of contact with us in their normal home range makes them a little more approachable than most owls. This doesn’t means you should try to see how close you can get to one if you see it, it just means it will probably be less likely to take flight when you first notice it.


Apart from their impressive size and flight skills I think the thing that I find most fascinating about birds of prey is their tendency to display their personalities more than other birds. The eagles at the fish pond all have very distinct characteristics or personalities. As a perfect example from this guy, when's the last time you got “the look” from a Chickadee?


While it was great to get to spend time observing him he has now hopefully continued his migration north. After three days the last I saw of him he was sitting atop a power pole being pestered by a crow which is I’m sure enough to make anything want to head for home.



The complete set of images of this owl can be viewed in the gallery linked below;

http://eaglefi.photoshelter.com/gallery/owls/G0000VOfvvjAofHE

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:
Melinda 'Mel' Majoros, Cancer Survivor - diagnosed September 18, 2007

Almost 25 years ago I spent an early spring day out taking random photos with a friend. I remember him saying that he didn’t like this time of year. With the lack of color and the generally overcast skies he thought it was a waste of time to be trying to take pictures of anything.

I didn’t necessarily agree then and the more I’m out and about in the early spring the less I find that to be true.

While there may not be lots of flowers and leaves there are more photo opportunities than you can count if your into wildlife. Birds are returning and are either busy courting and competing for mates. Some are already sitting on nests. Deer and other mammals are out trying to replenish weight lost over the course of the winter.

Around the pond there is a lot happening. Mergansers and Mallards are busy chasing each other about. No wood ducks yet but I’m sure they’ll be back soon.

I can’t tell for sure yet but the pond eagles act like they might have hatched something. If they haven’t it won’t be long. I saw the male chase off a large Red Tailed Hawk yesterday. Being double the hawks size though it there wasn’t much argument from the hawk.


This Canada Goose has been around for a couple of days. I was looking for a new spot to photograph from and I didn’t realize he was just 60 feet or so from where I chose to sit.


At first he just lowered his head and hid behind a piece of the branch he was sitting on. It was a “If he can’t see me maybe he doesn’t know I’m here” kind of thing.

At any rate it “is” a wonderful time of year to be outside. Pick a spot somewhere to have a seat and enjoy the world around you!

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:
Sr. Kathy Payne, Cancer Survivor - diagnosed

Well, this post will be far from exciting to most. It is certainly exciting for me though!

First, to avoid confusion and save typing time I think I’ll start referring to the eagles that have been coming here for years as the “Lake Eagles” and the newer pair that have been working on the nest near the pond as the “Pond Eagles”. Since the older pair nests near the shore of a local lake it pretty much makes sense.

After not being able to visit the pond for a while I was glad to get outside for a visit. I was really excited to see that the Pond Eagles were not only still around but that the female appears to be sitting on eggs! Since March 20th was the first date I observed her down on the nest I am going to guess that, with luck, sometime around the third or fourth week of April they should hatch.

After seeing her I forgot all about walking back to the pond and I drove to the spot from where I can see the Lake Eagles nest. At the distance I was from the nest it was hard to get a decent picture but with binoculars you can see that one of them was down flat on the nest and being very still. That was the second thrill of the day since it indicates they may also be sitting on eggs.

If they both are successful at hatching a couple of eggs it could get very crowded around here in the fall. I hope it does!

Get outside and discover something new! Its springtime and its easy to do.

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:
CAROL LEMMEN, Fighting Cancer, Diagnosis Date Unknown

Ok, I’ll admit it. After going out to shoot for the blog again I was selfishly thinking “now I remember why I don’t do this very often this time of year.” “Its cold, its wet, the light is usually terrible and there are lots of ducks. Not usually too much else, but lots and lots of ducks.”

Of course just as I’m walking towards the pond and thinking that, one of the ponds new eagles flies right over my head. “Crap, now I have to get excited about being here again.”

Its seems surprising that seeing a Bald Eagle fly over my head still gives me a thrill but it does. Of course it doesnt hurt that this female is very large which makes her very impressive. By large I mean, if you imagine the size bird it would take to carry off a small dog you would be thinking about her.


I guess the cold weather snap must have made the pond one of the most attractive places on all of northern Michigan for every type of bird within 50 miles. Yes there where lots of ducks. At least 50-60 Mallards had found their way to the pond this morning. Not that Mallards are all that exciting, well not until they all decide to leave en masse I guess, but mixed in with them were several Gadwall and Mottled ducks that are not often seen here. They are probably making their way north and the fact that the sun was actually shining today meant that there was great light for getting pictures of them. Now I have to get even more excited about being here.

Then, for the first time this year, I see one of my favorite pond residents, the Belted Kingfisher. I didn’t get any pictures of him but it was fun just to hear his loud chatter as he flew back and forth across the pond.

Ok, so now I’m glad I came out today.

One of the birds that I have been unable to get a good shot of is the Pileated Woodpecker. So this morning when one flew across the trail in front of me it was neat to see but I certainly didn’t think it would sit still long enough for me to photograph him or her. Not only did it decide to be kind to me and land somewhere I could get a shot of him once but it actually gave me two chances. Call me boring but I’m starting to think this day is awesome.

But wait! What else did we find visiting this morning? Mute Swans.

The swans don’t find their way here very often, maybe two or three times a year, but the open water and the hills around the pond that block the wind probably make it one of the warmest spots in the county on a chilly morning. The male was fun. He saw me approaching the water and decided to show me how tough he was. He would swim back and forth along the far side of the pond and then turn and swim directly at me, building speed until he realized I wasn‘t going anywhere. Then he would sit floating with the breeze and staring at me. Almost like he was challenging my presence. The female could have cared less that I was there. She just swam back and forth dipping her beak into the water to grab a bite.

Regardless of their disposition they are very beautiful and graceful birds.

So now I am really, really glad that I came today. I thought maybe it was because there was so much to photograph and new things to see but it really wasn’t either. I guess its because, like every year, the pond knows spring is coming. Larger groups of birds and new varieties of waterfowl passing through. Old friends like the Kingfisher and the Woodpeckers busily making their way from tree to tree in search of breakfast and, even though there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground, the sunlight just seems warmer.


Whether your a fan of the snow or can't wait for spring to arrive get outside. Even if you think you've seen it all there is always the possibility that your wrong!


THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:
SANDRA MEYER - Cancer Survivor - Diagnosed February 7, 2003

The wonderful thing about a typical northern Michigan spring thaw is that it reassures us that sooner or later the snow will melt and the world will once again turn green. It certainly doesn’t mean that winter has come to an end. There is plenty of snow and cold in the forecast.

The thaw at the Fish Pond means that the ice begins to retreat, the taller grasses start to reappear, and the wildlife begins to “get in the mood” so to speak. There are lots of ducks around now. Suddenly it seems like there are four or five drakes for every hen. This means there are almost continuous squabbles between the males who chase each other away from hens who look as if they would rather just stay away from the whole mess.

Many of the types of ducks that do not summer here will soon disappear as the larger lakes begin to open up. I actually saw my first Canada Goose of season while driving to town this afternoon. That’s either a sign that temperatures south of here are getting warmer or one mixed up goose.

The neighborhoods new eagles don’t seem to be too worried about hunting these days. Adding to their new nest seems to be their primary concern. This might be a sign that they will soon be sitting on eggs.

Like with every season, there are always loads of new details around the Fish Pond to photograph and enjoy. The kind of things you only notice if you stop and look for them. Interesting formations in the melting ice, and plants beginning to sprout up through the snow.

Don’t put away the winter coat just yet, but feel free to get outside and enjoy the weather. A good brisk walk is a sure cure for cabin fever.

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:
NOLA SUE SNOW PERKINS - Cancer Victim - Diagnosed June 10, 2010

About the only thing that seems to remain the same at the fish pond is the constant flow of water that makes its way from the hillside springs and stream. Other than the steady sound of water making its way into and out of the pond everything else seems to be in a constant state of evolution and change.

While most change around the pond happens slowly every once in awhile something sudden happens that adds just the right amount of excitement and creates a new opportunity to learn and explore. Sometimes it’s a little thing like the falling of a tree that adds an interesting new light pattern in the woods or provides a new perching spot for the birds. Sometimes it can be something out of the ordinary and unexpected that takes you completely by surprise and adds new life and interest to the entire area. The newest excitement at the pond these days, which falls into the unexpected category, is the appearance of a new set of birds. Eagles to be exact.

Late last fall a new pair of Bald Eagles decided to stake a claim to the area surrounding the Fish Pond. They are not the same pair that I have photographed here in the past. Neither of them appear to be banded like the pair that visits here from their nest 3 or 4 miles away and they are noticeably different in size from that pair. The female of this set is significantly larger than her mate and although I am making my comparisons based on my memory of the older pair I would say she is probably larger than any of the eagles I have seen frequenting here over the years.

Over the winter they have been building a nest near the pond. Whether they actually try to use it remains to be seen and will probably depend on how much can be done to protect them from being disturbed. If they can tolerate the human traffic in the area and if the older pair doesn’t return and drive them off it will be very interesting to watch and study them as they make the fish pond their home and raise their young.

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO:

LOIS B. LUEB - Fighting Cancer - Diagnosed April 24, 2006

Yeah, yeah I know, you’ve heard me say I plan to update more often and I haven’t actually done so, so I won’t say it again. Sorry about that but to be quite honest I was getting pretty bored with the whole blogging thing. I had three or four of them going at one time, there was very little feedback from readers and newer things seemed to required my attention.

That doesn’t mean that I haven’t visited the pond, I have, on quite a regular basis just not with a camera. It is a place that continues to amaze me almost every time I visit.

Recent events in life have forced me to re-examine many things including the work I do on my blogs. More specifically, my wonderful wife has been diagnosed with lung cancer. I am dedicating the entirety of this blog to her and her very brave and inspiring fight to conquer this disease.

I could probably sit here for hours sharing with you all of the things I’ve learned over the last several months but I’m not a physician and nothing I could say would come close to accurately describing just how devastating and terrible this disease is. The most important things I have learned really have nothing to do with the disease itself. They are lessons about the wonderful and incredibly brave people who fight it, both as patients and as caregivers.

I have no idea of when or how often I will be able do add to this blog in the future but each time I do I will be dedicating each post to a person who is bravely battling, has survived or has fallen victim to cancer.

If there is someone you would like to have included in this blog by way of a post dedication please let me know. I only ask that you have their (or their families) permission to publish their name in the post and that you provide, in addition to their name, their current status and if known date of diagnosis. Dedications will be made in three catagories - Fighting Cancer, Cancer Survivor, Cancer Victim.


THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO:
LENORA JOHNSTON - Fighting Cancer - Diagnosed October 1st, 2010