MILL POND HABITAT

 At the base of the Dune Climb sits the Mill Pond, a wonderful habitat for birds, especially during migration.  I headed there early yesterday morning, hoping to catch some action.  Right away, I saw a great egret standing tall.  It didn’t seem bothered by my presence, and continued searching for food in the water and mud.  A striking pair of wood ducks swam nearby.  At the backside of the pond, almost out of camera range, I spotted a great blue heron.  But the egret was my favorite.  I loved watching it preen its beautiful white feathers.

 

 

  

 

WIRES: A PHOTOGRAPHER’S BANE

 My friend Don Burton and I headed toward Glen Arbor and the Miller Hill Outlook to take pictures.  It’s not the easiest place to get to with narrow, winding dirt roads all the way to the top.  But the view is spectacular, except for a huge power line that runs through the middle of the scene.  We tried to work around it by taking pictures of Sleeping Bear and Alligator Hill/Glen Lake from the furthest ends of the outlook.  But the best view is the sweeping panorama of Sleeping Bear Bay with Sleeping Bear Point on the left and Pyramid Point on the right.  Tucker Lake is in the foreground.  As you can see, poles and wires degrade the scene.  Part of modern digital photography is learning how to edit your pictures using software, such as Photoshop or Lightroom.  This technical stuff is not what I love about taking pictures, but I’m learning.  I worked on this same image and took out the poles and wires.  It’s not perfect, and I may have another go at it sometime, but I think it’s much improved without the wires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMER WANES

 

 

POINTY HYDRANGEAS

 They caught my eye late this summer, these conical-flowered shrubs that I assumed were hydrangeas.  When they started turning pink as the summer waned, I took pictures and submitted them to Google for identification.  Turns out they’re called PeeGee Hydrangeas.  Hmmm.  Maybe they would look good in my new yard.  

 

 

WEATHER-BEATEN

 

CATCHING UP

 I’ve been in my new house for two months now and I’m pretty settled.  The backyard is fenced, I have a nice lawn coming in, and the bird feeders are up and filled.  First the dog:  Gracie loves having a backyard to roam.  I thought she’d be more into running and playing frisbee, but right now she prefers walking the border and sniffing her new surroundings.  Onto the birds:  Goldfinches are the most regular visitors at my feeders.  I’ve also had a hummingbird (but no feeder for it) and a Downy Woodpecker.  The birds like sitting on the fence too, especially Mourning Doves and this Eastern Phoebe.  Now, me:  I love my new home.  It’s 864 square feet, which may sound small, but is actually perfect for me to maintain, especially after a thorough decluttering of stuff before I moved.  Mine is the fourth house in the new section of my neighborhood and my backyard faces East, so I get beautiful sunrises, even on foggy mornings.  Since there are yet no homes built behind me, it feels like I have my own personal sand dune.