Tag: Hey, PhotoFriends!

Part II, Cameras I Have Known: Olympus EM Series

I started with the EM10 beginning in late 2019, during my early days. Although this camera had raw capabilities, I didn’t bother with raw files back then. The jpgs it produced were. . .not bad, really. Besides, I dreaded postprocessing, which I knew nothing about. Besides, it was something (I thought) jpgs didn’t need, not when my Olympus did most of the work for … Read More Part II, Cameras I Have Known: Olympus EM Series

Reminiscing

It’s winter out here in the western/northern Finger Lakes region of New York, which means there’s not much going on. So, I spent a few minutes today looking at all my blog posts. . .okay, more like a couple of hours. Some of my photos downright embarrass me! A few others are so good I can’t believe they’re mine. Most, though, are mediocre (according … Read More Reminiscing

Carnage Continued: Montezuma National Wildlife…Place

Apparently little has changed since 2017, when the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge thought it might be a good idea to devote each spring and summer to cultivating vegetation, hoping to attract large numbers of waterfowl to the refuge during the fall migration. Sounds good on paper perhaps, but in practice this creates a wildlife nightmare. In order to provide sufficient acreage for their duck-food … Read More Carnage Continued: Montezuma National Wildlife…Place

Feeding the Waterfowl, An Update

Well, this blog has definitely been seen, because Ms. van Beusichem has now issued a brochure, Draining the Main Pool, Feeding the Waterfowl, which is available without charge at the MNWR Visitor’s Center. Nice try, but in my opinion it warrants no cigar.  She merely repeats the glib arguments that we have already heard, albeit with a bit more cheerfulness.   “The Montezuma National Wildlife … Read More Feeding the Waterfowl, An Update

Wildlife Dried

Writing on Joseph Karpinksi’s Facebook Page, Birds of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, MNWR spokesperson Andrea van Beusichem advised visitors that Wildlife Drive will be “challenging” this year. I’m not sure if that is the best way to describe it. . .pathetic is more like it. There just isn’t much to see on the grasslands situated where the marshes used to be. But hey, at … Read More Wildlife Dried

Wildlife Drive Is Open, No Foolin’!

Probably the most visited part of the sprawling Montezuma Wetlands Complex is Wildlife Drive, a 3.5 mile loop that allows visitors to take a hike from the comfort of their own cars. And today, April 1st, the gates were opened to welcome birders (and photographers) to the 2020 observation season.  Even CoVID-19 could not prevent this long-awaited event — in fact, it’s one of … Read More Wildlife Drive Is Open, No Foolin’!

They’re Back!

Who’s back?  The great blue herons, of course. There are just a few right now.  Maybe they are the hardy ones who stayed here over the winter, fishing in any open water they could find, or maybe they are the first to arrive after weeks of travel on the Atlantic Flyway.  Who knows, but in any event in a week or so as the … Read More They’re Back!

The Most Disdained Birds in America

They really didn’t do anything to deserve it.  Nonetheless, they are the birds we love to hate — crows, starlings, and mute swans. Actually, they are kind of pretty.  Crows are dark and sleek.  Starlings have such cute little polka-dotted tummies (much like a miniature Kate Spade bag).  They both make a terribly unpleasant noise, but crows are quite useful to the human population … Read More The Most Disdained Birds in America

Rocky Racoon? or maybe a long-lost cousin.

I mean, these aren’t exactly the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota. But this little one didn’t mind at all.  The roadside vegetation — and whatever insects hiding therein — was just fine! A brief but enjoyable stop while on my way to Montezuma. (published October 5, 2019)

There were ten of them!

Saw them near Montezuma today. Such beautiful birds!  Could use a little post-processing, maybe, just to correct the color (these are jpgs, so were processed in-camera), but I think their natural beauty shows through without it.   (published October 4, 2019)

Photos Gone Wild

Wildlife.  It’s all around us.  All you have to do is look 🙂 Well, yeah, that’s true for the easy ones, like squirrels or chipmunks in the backyard.  Hawks are easy, too, sitting atop utility poles, as are turkeys pecking in harvested cornfields, ducks bobbing on the lake, and the occasional deer grazing along the roadside are good practice.  Most of them –except maybe … Read More Photos Gone Wild