Christmas Gift

One of my Christmas gifts, this Red-Shouldered Hawk, was outside for me to find. 
Thanks Avery and Mike for pointing me in the direction!!

Red-Tailed Hawk, Here and There

Cardinal

(For)Ever-green

One of the joyful aspects of the season is choosing and cutting down an evergreen tree.  I hug trees as much as the next guy, but because we choose to go to a farm where trees are grown for this reason, just like the food we eat or the cotton like in the clothes we wear, we continue the tradition of bringing a tree indoors and adorning it with tiny lights and sparkly, beautiful trimmings during the holiday season.  As much as I appreciate them in the ground, I appreciate them in the purpose they now serve as well! 

Walking among the grounds through narrow pathways  (and watching out for previously-cut little stumps) we searched for The Perfect Tree.

When I say "perfect", I mean "perfect for us".  Of course height and width is important in the small space we place it inside our home, but we don't necessarily want it perfectly symmetrical, perfectly triangular, perfectly-spaced branches...  in fact, sometimes we look for imperfections--it is beautiful regardless (even without decorations!  We prefer sparcely-branched trees to allow our ornaments the 'dangle-and-shimmer' factor.  And if it has something on or inside it's branches, such as an old nest or a leaf or something, we regard it as a treasure and a reminder that the tree had it's time and place alive in the natural world and we leave it in as a decoration.

The needles, appropriately named, aid in survival, protecting the tree from drying out during the winter months, and their waxy-coating, besides adding beautiful shine, is water-proof!  To me, they're just gorgeous.

This year's Perfect Tree:

With an old saw that's cut many a tree in it's lifetime by a special tree man himself, our Perfect Tree was removed from the field, soon to be prepared for the next phase of it's life, thus fulfilling it's purpose.

This picture of a beautifully-adorned tree is in memory of a dear friend--exactly one year since his passing.

His beauty lives on forever.

Wild Turkeys in Flight

The sound of loud clucking caught my ear as I drove passed the river the other day.  Initially, I thought the sound came from ducks as they swam in the freezing water but as I got closer, I followed the sound upward.  There in the treetops were dozens of wild turkeys! 

When the flock noticed me, their clucking became frantic!  One by one the large birds, with an air of disapproval of my presence, flapped their big wings and left the trees.  I caught as many turkeys in flight as I could as they came whizzing by.

The Full Moon - December 2011

This weekend's full moon was also a lunar eclipse moon, although in this part of the hemisphere it occured after the moon set below the horizon.  I spent each (freezing cold) morning of the weekend scouting good places to shoot the moon as it set.

A Pair of Bald Eagles

Out for a drive today, we passed a lake.  On the shoreline way across on the opposite side of the lake, a tiny speck of white caught my eye.  I knew at once it was a bald eagle!  We parked the car and got out for a closer look.

Suddenly, with a gull-like squeak, it began to call until another eagle flew into the scene.  After a brief exchange, the birds traded places--the second bird now perched in the same spot and the first eagle flew across the lake and up over the trees and out of sight.

Turkey on Our Minds

While some of us have 'turkey' on our minds, I thought I'd share a few of my Wild Turkey photographs in honor of Thanksgiving.  Here's wishing each and every one of you the very best of a beautiful, bountiful, peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Gobble!  Gobble!

All in a Day's Walk

I started out in the woods.  I passed a small swamp which I've never witnessed any sign of life there before other than croaking frogs in the spring, although I'm sure there must be creatures inhabiting the area as well.  So I was taken by surprise when a cormorant shot up out of the water and flew overhead.  I missed that shot, but promised to stop by this swamp again on the way out to see if it returned.  I did.  No cormorants were there, but I did startle a pair of ducks!  I managed to catch them through my lens.

I couldn't very well leave the swamp without photographing a cattail or two.

Not much was moving around in the woods except for lots of squirrels.  These two stopped from their incessive scurrying to each enjoy a little snack.

This one zoomed in on me as I zoomed in on him!

Later in the day I explored a spot I'd never been to before.  Right away I noticed this Belted Kingfisher, perched on a stick, surveying a pond filled with geese.

A few birds flitted about, but I had my eye on an adjacent vast field.  I hoped to see a hawk or perhaps a fox and went closer to investigate.

Sure enough, there was a hawk waiting for me!  I believe this to be a Northern Harrier.

After a moment or two, I followed it as it flew for cover, giving me a nice view of it's wings and flight feathers.