Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Bird
Sandhill in a Farm Field
This Sandhill Crane was foraging through a northeast Wisconsin farm field, with its companion. This photo was taken in the fall, when their plumage is mostly gray. In the spring an summer, they appear more brown.
Sandhill cranes became regular inhabitants in our area of rural Wisconsin. I took this photo while walking along the road near my house. It was common in the fall to have dozens flocking and foraging in the fields around our house. Very shy birds in that setting. They were hard to photograph because they would take to flight if I tried to get close. I caught these two with a 300mm lens and had to enlarge the digital image quite a bit to be able to see any detail.
You can see a full screen version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Death Warmed Over
A turkey vulture is perched and poised, with outstretched wings, to dry in the sun after a dip in a nearby creek at Stockstill Park in Branson, Missouri.
I had just seen a dozen or so of these vultures in and around the rocky creek bed. My efforts to photograph them near the water didn’t go well due to the distance and the bright sunlight, making them seem more like dark silhouettes. And, of course, as soon as they spotted me, they flew off.
A little further on our hike I tried to approach the creek from a different direction, where the light might be better. As I made my way through the woods I came upon this and another vulture, holding their wings wide with their backs to the sun, to dry off from being in the water. If you look closely, you can see this one is still quite wet.
They held their pose and position long enough for me to get close enough to get a good shot.
You can get a better view of this big bird by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Bluebird Babe on a Branch
This is a fledgling bluebird perched on a tree branch, bathed in the warm glow of early morning sunlight filtering through the leaves. At this age, the bluebird isn’t very blue, with muted brown and white plumage.
This is an image I captured in the yard of our rural Wisconsin home in the spring of 2023.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Duck Duck
Here are a couple of colorful, male mallard ducks. They were two of the hundreds of ducks that congregate at the lagoon at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There are always a variety of ducks and geese and assorted other birds and wildlife.
You can get a better view by clicking the photo. When you do, a larger version of this image will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Phoebe and Fly
This small and feisty Phoebe seems proud to show off its next meal. This is a photo taken in Missouri during the busy month of July; while they are raising their young.
You can get a better look at this cutie by clicking the photo. When you do, a larger version of this image will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
The Wild Bunch
These guineafowl remind me of gang of miscreants looking for trouble. While out on a drive in our area of rural, northeast Wisconsin we turned around in a small farm yard at the end of a road and these birds were quick to check us out.
The guinea is a bird that emanated from Africa. I hear they make a good pheasant-like meal, but I’ve never attempted to eat one. We used to have a number of them on our small rural homestead in Missouri. We enjoyed them for the variety they added to our flock of fowl (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, etc.) and ease of care, because they pretty much take care of themselves. They are prized for eating ticks and other insects. They also make good “watch dogs” because of their tendency to make an annoyingly, loud racket when something or someone new is entering the yard.
You can get a better view of the beautiful polka dot plumage below the ugly heads by clicking on the photo. When you do, a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Phoebe Feast
This little bird was planning on a big lunch. This is an Eastern Phoebe that had captured a large flying bug and seemed intent on showing it off before taking it home to the family.
I’d been watching this little bird fly around the yard. It would often land on the chain-linked fence post not far from me. I decided to position myself as close as thought I could be without scaring the bird from landing again. Then I simply stood and waited with my camera focused on the top of that post. It took a little while, but it finally landed and, to my delight, had a huge bug in its beak. (In the near future, I’ll share a profile photo of this bird; where you can see the bug a bit better.)
On the website All About Songbirds, they share about the Eastern Phoebe – “The Eastern Phoebe is a plump songbird with a medium-length tail. It appears large-headed for a bird of its size. The head often appears flat on top, but phoebes sometimes raise the feathers up into a peak. Like most small flycatchers, they have short, thin bills used for catching insects. The Eastern Phoebe generally perches low in trees or on fencelines. Phoebes are very active, making short flights to capture insects and very often returning to the same perch. They make sharp “peep” calls in addition to their familiar “phoebe” vocalizations. When perched, Eastern Phoebes wag their tails down and up frequently.”
I snapped this in a shaded area and I was still far enough away it required quite a bit of cropping to get this view.
This is one image you’ll really want to view full-screen. To do so, simply click on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Stately Stance
This sandhill crane seemed to strike a pose when I snapped this photo. It is standing at the edge of our homestead, next to a recently harvested wheat field.
We have a lot of sandhill cranes around our home this time of year. Unfortunately, they are very shy and the moment I get anywhere close to them, the take off. I happened to snap this photo by just cracking the door or my garage and poking my lens out. Even my stealthy strategy did not go unnoticed. They were alert (a pair of them) and quickly on the move. This was take some distance away using a 300mm lens…and then cropped in quite a bit to provide this view.
If you are viewing on a large screen, you can see a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Rock Dove on the Rocks
These common birds can have some uncommonly beautiful blends of blue, purple and gray hues. This is one of the residents we found at Fayette Historic State Park on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There is a healthy colony of rock doves living among the old buildings of this once bustling iron smelting industrial community.
These birds are commonly referred to as Pigeons but their official name is Rock Doves; also known as Rock Pigeons. According to Wikipedia, “Wild rock doves are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, whereas domestic and feral pigeons vary in color and pattern. Few differences are seen between males and females. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.”
You get a better look at this dove, click on the image. When you do, a larger, more detailed version of this photo will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Keeping a Tiny Eye On You
This ruby-throated hummingbird paused for an instant stare down.
This image was taken in August of 2012 through the window to my back yard. That was back when I had a less capable camera (Sony SLT-A55V). I happened across some files from this shoot and decided to try and process one of the shots I had neglected back then.
I spent a good deal of time that year trying to capture hummingbirds up close. It was a daunting task – they are so small and move so fast – but I managed to get a few good shots. (Out of thousands of attempts.) Experimentation, patience and perseverance can pay off.
To see a larger, more detailed version of this image, click on it. When you do, a new browser tab will open.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.