RECENT RANDOM SHOTS

The last few hours of April are here.Where did this month go to?

This means that I have two more months of work and then two months of summer holidays. YEAH!!!

For today,I picked some random pictures taken over the last week or two.

I can't say that Crows are my favourite subjects,but this one was sitting at the top of the tree on a neighbours yard,so I tried for a picture.

Ring-billed Gulls make some pretty good photo subjects. It was a very windy day and as they flew into the wind,they almost came to a complete stop as they hovered over the water.

An American Coot gave me a chance for a couple of shots before diving under water.

I was trying to catch the Blue Jays as they came for peanuts. Overall,I wasn't all that successful on this day,but I kind of like this shot,where he is just lifting off.

Our Lake Minniwasta usually is good for a picture or two. Here it is still covered with ice,but that should be gone in a few days now.

So that's what is happening in my neck of the woods.Not much of great excitement ,but then life can't always be filled with excitement.

Hope you are all enjoying the beauty around you and take the time to really notice all the details.

SPRING AND THE BIRDS ARE BACK!

Some of the first spring arrivals on my yard are the Dark-eyed Juncos. I love stepping out of the house and hearing their happy twittering all over the yard.

I find that these birds are hard to photograph,because if you don't get that catch light in the eye they look very dull. A sunny day,some fresh food put out and patience,and the rewards came. I did get some decent shots.

When all else fails,put out some peanuts and wait for the Blue Jays.I love these guys. This picture is not cropped,so he was fairly close.

Some days are good and others turn out to be great. Yesterday,April 27,I spent the afternoon with a friend,looking for birds and photos. Action at the local Hawk Watch was slow,but a resident Bald Eagle made several low passes and gave me some amazing photo opportunities.

Sometimes one just gets a lucky shot. No,I did not notice the action in this photo,until I had it on the computer.All I can say is,'I'm glad I'm not the second goose. You may want to click on this to get a better view,then on second thought,you may not want a better view. LOL

The Yellow-headed Blackbirds are back and I love them. What's not to love about that bright pop of colour among the brown reeds? I look forward to many more photo shoots with some of these guys. Here's hoping I can get some flight shots.

 All photos were made using the Canon 7D,with Canon 100-400 mm lens.

 "Remember that life's most treasured moments
         often come unannounced."

MORE BIRDS

To those who don't love birds,I say,I'm sorry,but this is what gets me excited these days.

I love birds and spring is the time for the large birds of prey and others to  show up.

I will start with something other than birds. While waiting for more low flying raptors,these old tree stumps caught my eye.Nothing exciting but to a photographer even this can be beautiful.

And we move on to the subject at hand,birds.

On Easter Sunday we had numerous Broad-winged Hawks come through. This is a magnificent bird with beautiful patterns in the tail.  The Broad-winged hawks are part of the larger family known as Buteos.The Buteos are chunkier with broader wings and a rounded tail.

Seeing a Peregrine Falcon is always cause for excitement. On Sunday we had 11 of these swift flyers pass overhead. Most of them streaked through,giving very few chances for a picture,but this one took his time and allowed me to get several shots. I have still had to crop this image,but that distinctive Peregrine shape is unmistakable.Those sharply pointed wings are a great way to identify this bird,of course if you look closely you can see those distinguishing facial markings.

Back in the Buteo family,this Swainson's Hawk is equally as lovely.I love the coloration of this Hawk. It looks like it is wearing a rufus coloured bib.

Not all birds are Raptors. This pair of American White Pelicans made for a great picture.

And not all birds are equally beautiful. The Turkey Vulture will win no prizes for facial beauty,but they are gorgeous in flight. I love those two-toned wings.The lighter part almost glows silver when the light hits it just right.

I trust that each one will take the time to enjoy the beauty of nature. It is free and most likely readily available wherever you are.
Have a beautiful weekend and don't forget to really 'see' the beauty God has created for us to enjoy.

BIRDS,BIRDS AND MORE BIRDS

Just a word of warning.If you do not like birds,now would be a good time to find something else to look at.

It finally feels like spring and the birds are showing up.I love this time of year.

At my house the Dark-eyed Juncos are busy.I was sitting probably 7 feet away from this feeder,so I was able to get some nice close shots.This picture was taken with the Canon SX50.

A stop at the Kaleida Marsh,gave me many chances at Ring-billed Gulls.In time I will be sharing more of these,but for today,here is one that actually stood on the ice for a few minutes.

This was captured with the Canon 7D and a 100-400mm Canon lens.

Closer to home at a small pond,I found these Mallards and Wood Ducks.They were much too far away for a really good picture,but I still like the natural look of this.Once again I pulled out the Canon SX50 for this image.

Easter Sunday afternoon was spent at the Pembina Valley Hawk-watch.Like I have said before,it is not just hawks that we see.On Sunday we had huge flocks of American Pelicans come over.To look up and see the sky filled with a swirling mess of white and black wings was almost enough to cause one to become dizzy.It was estimated that we saw around 300 Pelicans that day.

Camera used was the Canon 7D,with 100-400mm Canon lens.

Not all birds that pass overhead can flap their wings,nor would we want them to.

This airliner soared through the blue sky,and I had to get a shot,just because that is what Jake would have done. This picture is posted with special memories of Jake.

 I share the following verse for no special reason,except that I like it.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Easter Blessings

The Easter weekend is upon us.Yes,on Good Friday we feel a sadness as we think of Jesus suffering for us,BUT we can rejoice,Sunday is coming.
I want to start this post by sharing a video.Of course I am choosing my favourite group,Legacy Five.
The main reason I chose this video,is because of the words of this song.
Take a few minutes to watch and listen as these guys share,through song,the death resurrection,ascension and coming again of Jesus Christ.
I get chills each time I hear this song.It is powerful and encouraging.




Because this is a photo blog,I must show you some pictures.
Since it is the Easter weekend,I thought we needed to enjoy some flowers,so back into the archives I went  to pick a bouquet for you to enjoy.
I will not fill your mind with my words,but rather suggest that you let the song in the video fill your heart and your mind as you look at these flowers.

Wishing you a Blessed Easter!

What an Awesome God We Have!

This post is a mixture of photos so bear with me.

On Saturday April 5,I was on my way to the Raptor Awareness Festival.My friend and I were a little early so we drove around to the ski area in this town.I made her stop so that I could get some pictures.

It looked like the runs were freshly groomed and I liked the patterns this had left on the slopes.

Here is a wider view of the La Riveire ski area.This is a popular spot for ski enthusiasts.

Slowly but surely the birds are making their return north and I welcome each one.

This American Tree Sparrow was foraging for food right close to my house.

Here is one of the early spring birds which I not only enjoy seeing,but I look forward to the bright songs of the Western Meadowlark,each spring.You can see that I am being serenaded as I take the photo. 

The angle is not good,as he was at the top of a hydro pole.

 Sitting on my deck,enjoying the warm sunshine,my eyes were drawn to the pine cones at the top of the tree.I know they are nothing that special,but I thought they were pretty.

I must include one picture of the lunar eclipse.I was not sure that I wanted to get up for this,so I didn't set an alarm.My thought was that if I woke up,it was meant to be.Well,I did wake up at the right time and got out of my nice warm bed.I had already figured out that I could open a window and shoot through there,so that is just what I did. I handheld the camera,but tried to stabilize it by resting on the side of the window frame. Not a perfect picture,but I'm happy that I got it.

 From seeing snow patterns on a ski slope to the spring birds  and finally the eclipse of the moon,all I can say is.'What an awesome God we have.'

FLOWER OVERLOAD

Saturday,April 12th I woke up to a fresh layer of snow on the ground. This was not unexpected,but it sure slows down the arrival of spring like weather.By today,Sunday,most of that snow has melted,but we are back down to below freezing temperatures.
I thought this would be a good day to load this page with flower pictures.
All of these are taken with my phone,so keep that in mind if there is some quality lacking.

I will keep the words to a minimum and allow you to enjoy the flowers.



I have held many things in my hands,and I have lost them all;
but whatever I have placed in God's hands,that I still possess.
Martin Luther

When God saw you,it was love at first sight.

Have you thanked God today?

Beauty: an act of God

Nature does not hurry,yet everything is accomplished.

My profession is always to find God in nature.

Henry David Thoreau

Happiness is an inside job.

When the solution is simple God is answering.

Where love is there is God also.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say 'thank-you?'

RAPTORS AND MORE

A day spent at the valley during spring raptor migration can yield all kinds of surprises.

This trio of Canada Geese came by in perfect formation.They must have known that I wanted to get a good picture,just look at that perfect spacing.

Later that same day,while watching the sky for raptors,this pair of Great Blue Herons flew over.It is not unusual to see one of these at a time,but to have two come over together is a real treat.

If for a moment there are no birds to photograph,my eyes catch the soft light of the moon in the daytime.

How does it feel to soar in the sky like this? Sometimes,I find myself wondering about that. It looks so effortless and graceful.This Red-tailed Hawk's wings have  highlighted edges,thanks to the warm sunlight.

Another Red-tailed Hawk.These are magnificent birds,and we see so many of them each year.It is not uncommon to see between 1500-2000 Red-tails pass through the valley on any given day,and each bird is a beautiful sight to see.

As humans we worry and fret about so many things,but God tells us in His word that He will take care of us.

Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds of the air;they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

And yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Here Come The Raptors

Here come the birds,but not just any birds,the raptors are here.

I love this time of year,snow is melting and hope of new growth is beginning to appear and the annual spring migration of hawks,eagles and falcons has begun in ernest.

Of course,seeing a mature Bald Eagle is always a thrill.

The birds coming through our valley is the reason we go there,but it is so much more.

This is an immature Bald Eagle.

Meeting friends at the valley,who may only see each other once a year is one of the highlights of this time.

The majority of birds which use the valley to migrate are Red-tailed Hawks.I love seeing these birds soar in that blue sky.

The friends I have made through this activity are very special to me.True,I may not be going for coffee with them,although that too would be enjoyable,but when we meet we share our common interests.

As cameras and binoculars are trained on the bird in the sky,we notice little details.This particular hawk dropped its feet for a moment and I was able to snap a picture at just the right time.

Most of the birds have their legs and feet neatly tucked up against their tail.

 This is a Harlan's Hawk,a sub-species of the Red-tailed hawk.

The coloration and patterns on the wings are a treat to see.

It is wonderful to be there and watch the excitement that this hawk generates.

As we share these experiences,our friendships deepen and for that short period of time during migration we almost become like a family.

I am so thankful for each of my birding friends,people who share one of my interests.

Some of us also share the interest of photography and the two go hand in hand.

I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts,

for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.

Francis Farmer.