Cedar Waxwings…and frustration

 Yesterday, K and I went show shoeing at Hidden Lake Gardens.  On every trip I carry my camera and binoculars.  I try to capture bird close-ups whenever possible to use in my art.  When it comes to Cedar Waxwings I learned that it’s best to let them come to you and not go out to actively search for them.  Flocks come and go.  When they show up they show up in large numbers.  As my luck happens to be…they usually show up in very large numbers when I dont have my camera with me.  But yesterday I was ready.  And, still I only ended up with one usable photo.  Is it frustrating…perhaps.  I recently read a blog by a fellow artist about frustration and wondered how I deal with it personally.  In art, photography, or flyfishing I can control the many fine details of the craft to the best of my ability.  But sometimes there are things I have no control over.  Sometimes things happen the way I want them to, but most often they do not.  Is the search for perfection a fruitless task?  Is the end result what means the most?  Or is the means in which we get there more important?  I’ll probably ask these questions the rest of my life.  But, whether I can capture a Cedar Waxwing, or catch a Smoky Mountain Brook Trout is not up to me completely.  God has given me the tools and I can chose to use them to the best of my ability or not.  But God controls whether a Cedar Waxwing lands in a tree facing into the sun or away from the sun for a photo.  Had I not gone back to look for K’s lost pedometer I may have never seen the flock.    My point is that there are too many variables in life to say that we are in control.  I try to deal with frustration by simply accepting what God gives me and thanking him for allowing me to do the things that bring me joy.

Mexican plants and new project

 In preparation for my next project I’ve been collecting photographs of Mexican plants from the Arid Room at Hidden Lake Gardens.  This one is Palmer Agave.  It’s one of my favorite plants in the arid room.  I love the subtle squiggle which adorns the center of this plant.  I love a lot of the plants in the arid room.  Some people race through the conservatory like a Nascar race.  I like to take my time.  I like to pick out patterns in nature.  I use these patterns in my artwork.  I recently picked out about 10 Mexican plants in the arid room to feature in my next project.  I’ll talk more about this project in the weeks to come.

Horned Larks

  I recently joked with a fellow birder about driving long distances to see birds…only to see them when you get home in your own yard.  Well that happened to me today.  I went snow shoeing this morning at HLG but didnt see any new species.  On my way home I bought a new shovel at ACO Hardware.  Of course I had to try it out when I got home.  While shoveling I heard some birds fly over that I’ve never heard before.  They landed in the field next to my house.  I ran inside, grabbed the camera and walked right up to these guys (after identifying them from a distance with binoculars).

Hoppy New Year

 On my last visit through Hidden Lake Gardens this year I was greeted by two Wood Frogs in the Conservatory.  Since they both look pretty much the same I’m only showing one here.

To learn more about Michigan Frogs go to the Michigan DNR website.

It’s easy being green…for some

I started doing some work on a woodcut this morning but the smell of 60 degree air was too much to resist.  After a quick lunch in Tecumseh I took off to HLG for a quick walk.  I had my camera with me and stopped in the conservatory to see if the Cacao tree had any flowers (for my woodcut project)…it did not.  As I stood there looking up at the tree I glanced to my left and noticed this little fella hanging out by the fountain.  I quickly changed lenses and took a slew of photos.  I’m glad he stayed put because it took me a while to set my camera correctly.  I knew there were frogs in the conservatory because I heard one not long ago from the outside.  Frog calls are a little unusual in the middle of winter.  I’m not real sure about the species.  I vaguely remember his call since I wasn’t expecting to hear it.  I just know that Green Frogs have that little fold running down their back, starting from the ear.  Anyway, whatever kind of frog this is….it’s living the high life.

Christmas Bird Count at Hidden Lake Gardens

 Yesterday, a friend of mine and I spent the day counting birds at Hidden Lake Gardens for the Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count.  We spent the entire day, from sunrise to nearly sundown seeking out and counting birds in all corners of the property.  By the end of the day I was Jaded (hence the photo of the Jade Plant)…exhausted and overworked but also refreshed and relaxed from all the fresh air.  I didn’t see as many species as I had hoped.  But we had fun nevertheless.  

Here is our final tally for the day…

Mourning Dove-1
Red bellied woodpecker-4
Downy WP-6
Blue Jay-18
American Crow-17
Black Capped Chickadee-43
Tufted Titmouse-10
White-breasted Nuthatch-6
Golden Crowned Kinglet-2
Eastern Bluebird-4
Cedar Waxwing-170
Dark eyed Junco-8
Northern Cardinal-8
Pine Siskin-13
American Goldfinch-5

Evening of Lights, Hidden Lake Gardens

Last nights display of lights at Hidden Lake Gardens was a photographers dream.  I could have easily spent the night in the Gardens.  I’ve always loved this fountain in the Conservatory, so the fountain at night with candles was the highlight of my night.  I laid down on the floor to take this photo.  I’m not a “photographer” so to speak.  I take pictures.  And sometimes I do unusual things to get the shots I like.  Since I didn’t have a tripod with me I placed my camera on bricks to steady the camera for a long exposure.  I like to keep it simple and frequently use signs, rocks, fences or trees to steady my camera for night shots.  Anyway, I want to thank all the HLG volunteers for all the effort they put into their Evening of Lights.  It was incredible!

Junco yard

Yesterday I goofed off and went to the Toledo Museum of Art to see Winslow Homer.  Today, I had to get some much needed yard work done.  The sun was shining and there was very little wind.  I couldnt ask for a better day to rake leaves.  So I put on my iPod and headed out the door early.  I listened to Edward Abbey that I converted from cassette to digital for a friend.  Around mid-afternoon I noticed a lot of birds around the feeder.  Since I was due for a break I went inside, downed a glass of water, grabbed the camera and headed for the trees around my feeder.  It doesn’t take long for the birds to come back to the feeders with me sitting quietly among the trees.  I sat there for about 20 minutes before my sweat started to chill.  In those twenty minutes I snapped some nice photos of a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Titmouse, and a bunch of Juncos.

Waiting for Snow

A few years ago I did a painting of thistles at Ramsdell Park.  Ramsdell Park is supposed to be a Pheasant preserve but I have to admit I’ve never seen a pheasant there.  But that’s not to say they are not there.  The meadow is THICK!  When I think of Ramsdell Park I don’t think of Pheasant really.  I think of Thistles.  Thistles are thick throughout the meadow.  In the summer it’s a great place to photograph butterflies if you can brave the mosquitos.  There are some bogs in the park where Red-winged Blackbirds rest on Cat-tails, which never looks very comfortable to me…but that’s where they sit.  My favorite time to visit Ramsdell is in the winter.  I take my cross country skis and make a few loops around the meadow.  If it gets too windy I can hide out in the woods for a while.  I’m patiently waiting for the first good snow to get out and ski some trails.  Even though I do most of my skiing at Hidden Lake Gardens now I still enjoy the rolling meadows of Ramsdell when I get a chance.

A Reason for Singing

 The Trumpeters are singing…and for good reason.  Hidden Lake Gardens received their new male swan (shown on the left).  He’s a tad spunkier than the last male swan.  He bobbed his head in agitation as I approached to take these photos.  I think it’s a little easier to identify this male.  His neck is thinner and longer than the female’s neck.  The only way I could tell the last pair apart was by their leg bands.    

K and I took the dog for a walk around Hidden Lake Gardens on Sunday.  In addition to seeing these birds, I spotted a few birds along the way that I dont normally see.  For some reason I’ve been seeing a lot of Red Bellied Woodpeckers lately.  I saw a few on Sunday and one has been hanging around my house lately.  I also spotted what I think was a Coopers Hawk.  It was perched above the road when I saw it.  Before I could get the camera up it flew about 50 yards away.  It figures when I forget the binoculars I’m bound to need them.  When we finished our walk in Hidden Lake Gardens we decided to go for lunch and then head to Ramsdell Park near Devils Lake.  The day was perfect with little to no wind and sunny skies.  Ramsdell Park can get chilly since it’s just a rolling meadow and there’s very few trees to block the wind.  The Killdeer were active in the park.  And, so were the Chickadees.  We stopped for a few minutes to watch a pair eat seeds and berries only a few feet off the trail.