Spring Sightings

The last few days have felt more like summer than spring.

I has been gorgeous.Being outside is all I wanted to do.

Granddaughter Kai and I made some peanut butter pine cones for the birds.

It didn't take very long for the Pine Siskins to find these treats.

The Blue Jays are very active as well.

This one perched at the very top of this evergreen and waited for me to put out more peanuts.

Of course i have spent hours at the Pembina Valley Hawk Watch.

When there are few birds in the sky,I look for other interesting photo opportunities.

This marshy area is on the side of a hill.It is kind of strange,but it gave me  a picture. 

Just for a change,I am adding a couple of rose images.

One of Jake's cousins dropped off a rose for me at Valentine's Day.

She is a sweetheart.Of course,I needed to get pictures of this special flower.

I had some fun with some of these pictures.

Here I added a soft colour filter.I really like how this turned out. 

Thought for today:

Flowers don't worry about how the're going to bloom.  They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.

Happy Days Are Here Again

The excitement has begun.

Raptor migration is on and the numbers are climbing.

I look forward to this time of year.

Who wouldn't get excited at this kind of view?

When a Bald Eagle comes over fairly low,the excitement builds very quickly.

It is very early in the migration season,but already 555 bald Eagles have passed through the Pembina Valley and more are coming.

This is a Golden Eagle.

The numbers for these birds are much lower,but that is very normal.

It is a beautiful bird to watch as it soars through the sky.

This was one of those special moments when a bird is so low that no cropping is needed. This picture is SOOC,no editing.

Although we always love seeing a mature Bald Eagle,this immature bird is no less beautiful.

When we have a moment of no Raptors in the sky,we turn our attention to the other birds.This little Downy Woodpecker came to check out the action and also look for some food in the tree.

A moment later this is all we saw of him.

Wings lifted straight up,ready for take-off.

 Spotting the first Canada Geese come by is also thrilling.

It is somewhat unusual to see only two at a time and they were silent.

I still love how they looked in that beautiful blue sky.

As it is time for the weekend,I will be spending time at the Pembina Valley,watching for Raptors of all kinds and hopefully getting lots more pictures.

It is exciting to see the counts for the Red-tailed Hawks slowly climbing.We are now at 148 birds,but that should climb into the thousands before the migration is over.

To date 803 birds in total have been counted and those numbers should be climbing on a daily basis.

I can't wait to get out there and be a part of this thrilling event.

Stay tuned for many more pictures in the weeks to come.

In this post I want to take a look back at some of the snow we have had.

I almost hate to do this,because as I am getting ready to post this it is 4C or 39F here,and that is early in the morning. I believe we will have a beautiful day.

 We have had a few snowy days and since I had been waiting for snow and photo opportunities,this was exciting to me.

As I was getting ready to head off to work,I decided to take a moment and get a night shot of the snow.This is taken right outside my door. I used a flash and like how it shows the snow as it is coming down.

A little later that same day,I took this shot of the lattice around my deck.

I love how the snow sits on each little piece.

Looking up at the tops of the evergreens,you can see the grey sky and also the snow.To some this may look gloomy,but to to me it is beautiful.

Just one more look at the heavy load of snow on the branches.

Somehow this is a look I don't ever get tired of.

On Tuesday of this week I woke up to see my world shrouded in fog. I knew that it would be a photo kind of day.As soon as I was off the bus,I grabbed my cameras and headed out.

This is a spot I see every day on my way to work.It is in the Morden Research Station.To me these trees are so photogenic and on this day as the fog hung in the air,the trees were beautiful.

After spending some time at the Research Station,I headed west to our lake,Lake Minniwasta. This is a small lake,but large enough to supply my town with water.On a road leading to the back of the lake this is what I saw.

I wish I could convey the feeling of that moment.All was calm.not a breath of wind,no sound,not even a bird anywhere.

As I was walking down this road,I felt like it was God and me alone in the stillness of the moment.I loved being up there and did not want to leave,except that my feet were getting cold from getting snow in my boots.

When having a moment like that all I can say is:

Then sings my soul,my Savior God to Thee,How great Thou art,how great Thou art.

A Bouquet of Tulips For You

We finally got the snow which usually come around mid-December.

I have had to do quite a lot of shovelling,but I refuse to complain.

The snow creates a beautiful landscape.

For today I want to look ahead to the spring season and the Tulips it brings.

All of these were photographed on my own yard,by me.

Tulips come in so many different shades and each of them beautiful

I do not have names for the various flowers as they have been in the ground for quite some time.

Each colour and shade has its own beauty.

I am thankful I don't need to pick a favourite ,as that would be nearly impossible.

I love the red,but I also love the soft colours.

For me it will be a while before I get to see the Tulips push through the ground.In the meantime I can look at these and dream of the flowers yet to come.

I think this one is the same kind as the first one,but taken from a different angle.

I love that bright colour on the inside.To see this means I have to stop and actually look at the flower. I am trying to develop the habit of slowing down and really enjoying nature and all it has too give.

Thought for Today:

Today feel the awe and wonder of God's creation.

Raptor Migration Is On

Spring is right around the corner and that means the Raptors are beginning to come through the Pembina Valley.

It starts slowly but the momentum builds up.So far the numbers are low and that is to be expected.

The pictures I am sharing today were taken during last years Raptor Migration.

I apologize if some of these pictures have been seen on my blog before.

Nothing is quite as thrilling as to to see a mature Bald Eagle flying in a perfect blue sky.A lot of different raptors come through each year during migration,but undoubtedly the Bald Eagle draws the most comments and smiles.

Red-tailed Hawks are the most numerous with a total of over 10,000 bird counted in 2011.I love to see the Red-tailed Hawks as the sun highlights the feathers like this.

Of course when both a Red-tailed Hawk and an immature Bald Eagle show up that is a special treat. It is not often that a scene like this presents itself,so when I can capture it with my camera that is even more special.

 Let's get up close and personal with an immature Bald Eagle.

This one was interested in me and kept on coming lower and closer with each circle.I loved the moment and the only thing better would have been a mature Bald Eagle,but I am not complaining about this photo opportunity.

We don't just have raptors at the valley.I took the time to photograph this Eastern Bluebird during Raptor Migration.

Bluebirds nest in this valley,in the nest boxes provided for them.

I am pumped and ready to be a part of this years migration spectacle.

I just finished doing another presentation for A Rocha,and spoke about the migration and shared many pictures of it.

Hopefully in a few weeks I can share images from the 2012 migration.

Snow At Last

Many of you already know that I happen to love winter and snow.

This winter has been so mild and vary little snow,so when we got a few inches the other day,I couldn't wait to get out with my camera and get me some pictures.

I spent about 1 ½ hours outside and had a wonderful time.

Allow me to share a few of my pictures from that morning.

When I see a fresh layer of snow,I get excited like a child at Christmas.

My cameras and I headed over to the Morden Research Station for some quality time with nature. Before leaving my yard I was able to capture a few images at home,

This is the seed head of a Purple Coneflower,all decorated with snow.

Using the Macro lens I was able to get up close and personal with this one.

 I found a trio of trees that had these golden fronds on them.

I do believe that these trees are suffering from some sort of disease or from lack of moisture in fall.Whatever the case this bright colour made for some great pictures.

Here is a close-up of one of the fronds. I just loved that gold against the whiteness of the snow.

The snow had crowned each dried flower stalk and turned it into a piece of art.

By the time I was about ready to leave it was once again snowing hard.

I loved being out in this weather.It was not cold and seeing the snow falling all around me was so peaceful.

 I had to stop and get a shot or two of the old cabin which is in the Research Station.

I don't think this cabin serves any other purpose,but to be a decoration and a wonderful backdrop for a photographer.

I have had many a strange look when I tell people that I love snow.The first question usually is,don't you drive school bus? I guess because I need to be out in all kinds of conditions they figure that I have to hate snow.NOT SO.

As I am driving I notice all the beauty around me,and snow covers that drab brown of winter and makes our world look clean and  new.

Thought for today:

Whatever the season of life,

Attitude makes all the difference.

I think the same could be said about the weather,attitude makes all the difference.

Works of Art

Works of art are often priceless treasures. We will go to great lengths to save them and protect them.

Today I share with you some works of art which are free to us,all we need to do to enjoy them is to slow down and look.

An overnight frost paints a world of beauty.

Frost clings to each little twig.

Just how much would a stem like this cost in a florist shop?

I am sure that it would be more than I would be willing to pay.

How much did this one cost me?

The total cost was a little bit of gas to drive out of town and then the time to stop and take note of the beauty.

Another priceless treasure,just waiting for me to capture it's picture.

I am in awe when I see this kind of beauty,and then realize that no human hand could create something this delicate and pretty.

As the sun peeks over the frost covered trees,I am rewarded with a beautiful star burst. Here a simple row of trees becomes a place a peace and beauty.

As I was standing on the roadside,I could hear the gentle tinkle of the ice falling from the branches.This was sweet music as I drank in the scene.

In summer this tangle of brush would perhaps not draw my attention,but now,covered in frost each branch glows in the morning light.

I find that in a case like this  a picture does not adequately show the beauty,but unless you all come to visit me,this is the best I can do.

These pictures were taken on February 3rd.The last few weeks have been so mild that there is no frost around.

Thought for today:

Each season has its own joys to treasure,

to lift one's spirits and bring pleasure.

Some Of My Favorite Things

I have been feeling a little sentimental,so I went back into the archives for this post.

I decided to show some of Jake's pictures which were initially on slide film and have been scanned into the computer.

Some of you may remember seeing these pictures in previous posts,but consider this as taking another walk through a garden of beauty.

The title of this posts says it all.The flower pictures I have chosen to share are definitely some of my most favourite of Jake' slide scan flowers.

I absolutely love this tulip's shape,and the raindrops just add to the beauty.

Columbines have such a delicate beauty.I think here Jake captured that beauty very well.

The simplicity of this shot bring out the beauty of the flower.

You have to also remember that these pictures were taken many years before the digital age.

I know he owned a Pentax camera  at one time and these were probably taken with that.
I do not remember what kind of lenses he owned.

The sunlight streaming through the flowers is spectacular.

I have always known that Jake had an eye for beautiful pictures and these images certainly prove that.

I love the soft edges on this shot,and no they are not Photoshopped in.

Back in those days you needed to see just how the picture was to turn out before you pressed the shutter button.

I have tried many times to get a good picture of Blue Flax,but have not been very happy with the results.

I can see by this picture that Jake had no problem getting the right shot.The flowers are crisp and the cold is true.

Some more Tulips and again with those beautiful raindrops.

The angle of this shot is lovely. Again I have to say that Jake was an amazing photographer.

I love how he framed those Painted Daisies with the white ones.

And here is my favourite photographer chatting with a friend of ours.

This picture has a lot of memories associated with it.

This was the day we participated in a Bio Blitz. A variety of people with skills in identifying plants,animals and birds were on hand.We spent 12 hours combing a small park in Morden.

Jake and I had been invited to come as photographers,and tried to capture as many images as possible of what we saw.It was a fun day together with the man I love and many other friends.

The lady in this picture passed away just over a month before Jake,so it is a very special shot.

Thanks for allowing me to share  my heart filled with memories.

Thought for today:

Sometimes being strong and moving on is the only choice you have.

The Pembina Valley

I have often mentioned the Pembina Valley and the Hawk Migration which takes place there.

I took a drive to the Valley last Sunday and now I have a few pictures to share.

Before I got to the valley,I stopped at a place known to have Bald Eagles there frequently.

I was not totally disappointed.I did see this one in the tree,but much too far away to get a really good shot.This picture is heavily cropped to be able to see the bird decently.

I also three Eagles on a field,but none of them wanted to have their picture taken.They left the minute I stopped and even after waiting  while they did not return.

I approached the valley from the north this time and this is the scene that greeted me.

You can see that we have very little snow and this is a real concern.

We depend on the spring run-off to fill lakes and ponds and generally bring the water table up.

This is looking in the opposite direction.At this time of year this valley should be  mostly white with snow,and we should be seeing huge drifts on the sides of the road.

It is still early and March and even early april can often bring the largest amounts of snow.

If it is to come,I hope it comes in early March and that we have spring come April.

The air was very hazy so this looks almost washed out.I do believe this is what it really looked like.

I kind of like the soft look and the way one can look into the valley,even though it is not very deep.

As I got closer to the part where the Hawk Migration is monitored,I did find a few small drifts in the ditch.

These may only be about 24 inches tall,if that,but the shadows caught my eye.

With the lack of snow this year I find myself looking for some snow to photograph.

I guess it is a little dangerous to talk about the lack of snow and wishing for more.

Should we get a real dump of snow,I am sure someone will remind me of what I wished for.

On another note,Hawk Migration monitoring will begin on February 23.

I hope someone tells the Raptors about this,so they actually show up.

Thought for Today:

Let every creature praise His holy name
Psalm 145:21 

First Bald Eagle

Today was a very special day for me.

I was on my way into the house when something prompted me to look up.

As I did I spotted a mature Bald Eagle circling over my yard.

I had on dirty shoes and had to get them off before I could get my camera.

I managed to do all this,while dropping my bags on the floor.

Unfortunately the bird had drifted further away,but I still got several shots.

This image has been cropped,but I am still very excited about getting it.

This is the first time I have seen a Bald Eagle from on my yard and it is the first one for 2012.

Spring Raptor Migration is happening soon,so perhaps this is a start.

Seeing this bird has got me primed and ready for migration to begin.

Thought for today:
Dare to soar - how successful you are is determined by your attitude.