Stepping into a stiff wind from the north and blasted by blowing sand, a male Great Lake Piping Plover looks for an afternoon meal. Weather conditions are anything but stable as these tiny birds return north to their breeding grounds.
•
#plover #your_best_birds #raw_nature #raw_birds #usfws
Love is in the air- Great Lakes Piping Plovers are migrating back from their southern wintering grounds to find homes along the Great Lakes shorelines. I was told more than 30 had been seen passing through the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore this April. Some like this pair, have started their bonding and mating as they found suitable territory to raise their young. While most I saw have been males, I did see two females this past week.
•
#your_best_birds #Pipingplovers #GLPP #Audubon #NationalAudubon
A Common Grackle fearlessly harasses a Red-shouldered Hawk, escorting it across the Torch River. Prime nesting areas are being defended and are at a premium this year due to high water.
•
#your_best_birds #audubonphotographyawards #hawk #raw_allnature #raptorsofinstagram
I spent an hour or so clearing my head, lying flat on my back at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. The numbers were a bit sparse, but some birds are arriving and others passing through on their migration routes. The sky was cloudless and light was just getting nice as four Sandhill Cranes made their way directly overhead.
•
#migration #your_best_birds #sandhillcrane #crane #birdsphotography
Sunlight highlights wintering Buffleheads at Reeds Lake. Soon they’ll head north, but for now they pair off and show breeding plumage.
•
#your_best_birds #bufflehead #duck #duckhunting #audubon
Coming Out Party- I understand the wood duck has become the state duck of Michigan after passing the Michigan Senate, and being signed by Governor Whitmer yesterday. Not a prettier pair of ducks in my opinion- Such nuance in their plumage. This is a file image from my Reeds Lake Project.
•
#your_best_birds #woodie #woodduck #reedslake #PureMichigan
As we head into the final days of the exhibition, we’re taking a moment to highlight the work of photographer Steve Jessmore. @sjessmo
Steve’s images capture what he describes as “Birds Doing Stuff”… quiet, often fleeting moments that reveal how birds move through and respond to the landscapes around them. His work reflects years of patience, return visits, and close observation.
An award-winning photographer, Steve’s work has been featured by National Audubon, Michigan Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, and Smithsonian Magazine, and has received multiple National Audubon Photography Awards.
We’re grateful to have a special “exhibit within the exhibit” featuring his work, including photographs connected to National Audubon’s recent Great Lakes piping plover story.
His photographs are presented as high-quality metal prints, and the detail, color, and depth really need to be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
Don’t miss the opportunity to take home one of his spectacular pieces at special show pricing. Special show pricing is available through the final days of the exhibit.
Stop by before the exhibit closes on March 31, or join us this Saturday from 1:00–3:00 PM for the Artist Walkthrough. Check out website for hours and gallery location details.
#audubon #audubongreatlakes #naturephotography #visitlakecounty
Rare Michigan winter sunshine highlights a drake Bufflehead as it takes flight from the Torch River.
•
#your_best_birds #bufflehead #duck #ducksofinstagram #kuiu
A crayfish flies after a claw is snapped off by a drake Hooded Merganser after catching it on a dive in the Torch River. The claws are removed before they swallow.
•
#your_best_birds #ducksofinstagram #migratorybirds #kuiu #kuiunation
Chicago area friends- I'll be at the Opening Reception tonight, Friday Feb. 27. I have two-dozen large metal prints on exhibit including "Territorial Dispute" (pictured) on display 4' x 2'. Love to meet you! Details:
Friday, February 27
5:00–7:30 pm
Robert T. Wright Gallery of Art
College of Lake County, Grayslake Campus (L-Wing)
•
The exhibit title is "Through the Eyes of the Piping Plovers: The Flora, Fauna and Communities of the Lake Plain". I have a selection of Piping Plover images in the exhibit too.
•
#Chicago #birds #birdphotograhy #kuiu #kuiunation
A Pileated woodpecker pauses its search for ants as a Downy woodpecker flies by. An hour of slowly creeping in camo got me extremely close.
•
#kuiu #kuiunation #your_best_birds #woodpecker #pileatedwoodpecker
A Mallard wakes to a blanket of fresh layer of snow and begins moving upstream along the Torch River, pushing into the current like it’s just another winter morning. This stretch of open water provides critical habitat when much of the surrounding area is frozen. This sure made me grateful to be warm and dry, layered up and thankful for the gear that makes mornings like this possible.
•
#kuiu #kuiugear #your_best_birds #ducksofinstagram #birdphoto
