Category Archives: Wetlands & Wildlife Michigan
Bevy of White-Tailed Deer – Michigan, Does & Fawns
Bevy of White-Tailed Deer – Michigan, Does & Fawns
Odocoileus virginianus
Deer Royalty – Young Bucks
Off in the Distance – Bevy of White-tailed Deer
Off in the distance–a group of deer, on the northern passage of Jimme’, hidden deep within Kensington forest, I heard a soft rumbling noise. I was standing behind the trunk of an old dead cottonwood tree. My attention was regularly focused in that direction because it is common for animals of all kind to enter in and leave this section of protected wetland. Animals follow the terrain even if it means walking in water, birds follow the terrain even when floating on the water’s surface or flying overhead.
As I patiently remained hidden behind the tree, the noisy splashing got louder and closer. Suddenly, a small bevy of white tailed deer came rumbling along the trail right down the center of the narrow, shallow entry-way giving the appearance they were running on water.
The herd of white-tailed deer resembled an excited family on an exploratory road trip. The larger matriarch was in the rear looking like a drill sergeant barking commands to the troop of does & fawns. The tightly formed troop of deer looked like they enjoyed following the commands of their group matriarch. I remained motionless as the small bevy of white-tailed deer thundered passed my concealed location never knowing they were being observed.
————————————————————————————
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Wildlife in the Wetland – Michigan Bullfrog
Wildlife in the Wetland – Michigan Bullfrog
Bullfrogs, Amphibians, Tadpoles Oh My!
Lithobates catesbeianus
The Green Goblin of the Wetland
Early one cool summer morning in a Michigan Wetland, in the hidden forest of Jimme’, There sat an olive green, greenish, yellow yellowish, loud, billowing, king of the wetland sitting in the midst of milkweed, giant lily pads, moss-covered tree branches; in the forefront of edge of the wetland’s edge. It took me over an hour to slowly sneak up on the Bullfrog so that it would not jump into hiding. After sliding down a large fallen tree stump, I looked out and spotted the Bullfrog at approximately 20-30 feet distance. Unaware of my presence, the Bullfrog started it’s booming, resounding mating call. The side of its head and lower chin swelled filling with air and in the next second, it exhaled, echoing a boisterous trademark sound.
Michigan Bullfrog
Green skin, darker green, green about the tympanic ear, brown bumpy pimple of green, black emerald eyes, green ear lines, yellow chin if male, white chin if female, yellow chest, yellow breast, green legs, yellow with darker lined backside.
NATURE ART GALLERY
Wildlife in the Wetlands Art Related Resources:
View the entire art collection gallery – Wildlife in the Wetlands
Read about the careful art handling process – Art Process, Shipping & Handling
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
National Geographic
2011 Editors Choice Winning Photo
Select your favorite photo to be printed, mounted and framed.
E-mail: iaustin@daystarbooks.com
Wildlife in the Wetland – Michigan FlyCatcher
Wildlife in the Wetland – Michigan FlyCatcher
Phoebe, Kingbirds and Willows, Oh My!
Sayornis Phoebe
The Flying Insect Flycatcher
Late one humid summer afternoon in a Michigan Wetland, in the hidden forest of Jimme’, I saw small olive green-ish, yellowish bird land on a dead, moss covered tree branch; under the canopy of a willow tree. I slowly raised my camera and snapped a photo. I was approximately 20 feet distance and to my amazement, the FlyCatcher paused and looked directly at me. It had lived up to its legendary name “catching insects”, holding a green and yellow grasshopper in its beak; which also gave the Flycatcher a typical portrait pose for this shot.
Michigan FlyCatcher
Grey covets, grey tail, grey head, grey ear line feathers, greyish white chin, yellow chest, grey breast, black legs, grey with white lined tail feathers.
NATURE ART GALLERY
Wildlife in the Wetlands Art Related Resources:
View the entire art collection gallery – Wildlife in the Wetlands
Read about the careful art handling process – Art Process, Shipping & Handling
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
National Geographic
2011 Editors Choice Winning Photo
Select your favorite photo to be printed, mounted and framed.
E-mail: iaustin@daystarbooks.com
Great Horned Owl – Michigan
Great Horned Owl – Michigan
Bubo virginianus
Far back off the beaten path, in one of Michigan’s Metro Parks, I spotted a Great Horned Owl departing from its well concealed nest of 4 owlets. ThirdSon and the River’s Sky Saga
————————————————————————————
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
National Graphic 2011-2014
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Michigan Eastern Bluebird – Bird of Red, White, and Blue
Michigan Eastern Bluebird – Bird of Red, White, and Blue
Sialia sialis
Framed by blue skies, and deep patriotic red, white, and blue colors; sitting colorfully looking out in serious contemplation, the Eastern Bluebird adorns the casual observer with a pleasing sight of beauty.
Looking like a royal flag staked on a branch, high above the wetlands, found all across the state of Michigan.
With its unique red, white, and blue plumage, only the Eastern Bluebird can boast colors that represent patriotism found is so many flags of nations.
————————————————————————————
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Wood Duck – Michigan
Wood Duck – Michigan, Nature Photography
Aix Sponsa
The question is answered…
Wood Ducks and Creation
If Creation were racist—as all religions on Lower Earth secretly hope—the plumage of this Wood Duck would be all one solid color.
Instead; there are colors of brown, beige, blue and teal,
speckles of burgundy, red, and black, solid greens, with strips of white, patched together, making one quilt of a sight.
For those true sons that have eyes to appreciate, to see more beauty in diversity.
“Plumage of many colors,” “coat of many colors,”
“people of many colors,” represent a deeper truth – Dialog With Nature.
Nature is the unedited word of “the God” of creation.
—ThirdSon, Quilts by Nature
Nature Photography – Michigan Bird Identification
Photo Taken: Kensington Metro Park, Michigan
About the Wood Duck
Aix Sponsa
Appearance: The Wood Duck is a colorful bird. At times the Wood Duck is very skittish and glides near the edge of lily pads, along the rim of grassy wetland, and watching for the slightest movement or something out of place that wasn’t there before. Other times the Wood Duck can stare you down with those large red eyes. The Wood Duck like most ducks is a swift flier. Wing span can can extend to 3-4 feet.
Adult: Male is multicolored, its covert and wing bars quilted with vivid patches of plumage with bright metallic feathers on its head.
Flight Characteristics: Swift and quick wings in flight and typically flapping their wings as they rapidly lift and fly off. Wood Ducks prefer open wooded marshes, and wetlands.
Mating Habits: The Wood Duck start courtship during the fall and winter at migration spots. The female Wood Duck selects her mate and are usually monogamous for life.
Migration: Fall migration southward, the Wood Duck returns to northern regions early spring.
Nesting: Will construct a nest open tree cavities as high up as 50 feet. Incubates 10-12 pale white eggs for appx 25-35 days. Young are generally shown where to find food(vegetation and nuts) and gain independence in as little as 30-35 days.
Off Spring: (Called Ducklings)
Feeding: Day hunter. Some diet food includes; vegetation, nuts, and grasses.
Call: Very low squeaky sound.
About the Photography
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Birds of Michigan Series
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
For an interesting, imaginative, new awareness view about life and attitudes… read the book below.
ThirdSon and the River’s Sky | |
|
|
Visit the photo gallery to request prints, photos or screen savers you feel you particularly enjoy.
Nature Photography By Ike Austin
Michigan Birds Dialogue with Nature
The decisions of one, affects all—ThirdSon and the River’s Sky
Michigan Cedar Waxwing – Oil Dipped Wing Tips
Michigan Cedar Waxwing – Oil Dipped Wing Tips – Sitting on a Branch
Bombycilla Cedrorum
The most beautiful, handsome, colorful, mysterious, portrait, pose, of a Cedar Waxwing Michgan bird.
Black masked eyepatch, autumn tinted bronze mantle, gradually, softly fades to grey. Master painted, oil dipped blood red, dapped on tips of secondary wings. With brightest lemon yellow nature could find artistically stroked at the tip of the tail. To capture and hold, briefly those that behold… mesmerizing beauty sitting on green.
————————————————————————————
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Ancient of Days – Snapping Turtle – Michigan
Of Ancient Days, I happened upon this being…
Ancient of Days
Appearing in the forest of Jimme’ at the edge of the southern province, I happened on what I could best describe as the living ancient of days, the old one, the one who slowly… expressed itself…saying…”I am very, very old, and, very, far away.”
I slightly turned, tilting my head, and narrowed my eyes to the thinnest slits so I could covertly peak to see if anyone was standing nearby; but, nobody was present.
After a long enough pause the being continued speaking… “‘I hear you”, it said to me in a low, slow, drawn out voice.
Then, there was a spell of silence.
I stood in astonishment because I could see the bi-present being right in front of me, yet, I felt a great distance unlike ever imaged, an incomprehensible gulf between me and the entity other consciousness. The ancient being was here in my presents and at the same time its second consciousness resides elsewhere (as I’ve said, in the mystical forest of Jimme’ powerful beings often present themselves as inconspicuous forest creatures.)
The bi-present entity knew of my personal turmoil and concerns over the past several days and spoke directly to my mind saying…
“Nature is the mind and the mind is Nature.
Nature can be in turmoil, or calm.
But, it is the calm that heals the body.”
I took this to mean…
It takes a period of time, maintaining three things in sustained condition to germinate a healthy seed/soul; heat, light, and moisture; any one element in scarcity, instantly the seed is ill-fated.
Within a few moments after this most inspiring dialogue with nature began, I sensed the presents of the ancient one diminish.
The turtle, then raised its head higher and spoke one word saying… “Archie!”
I interpreted that word to be related to…”remember the daystar.”
Nature is mind, mind is Nature
Calm images of Nature held in the mind, are healing the soul.
The mind that holds scenes of Nature, germinates healing the body.
—ThirdSon and the River’s Sky
Red Fox – Michigan Wildlife in the Wetland
Red Fox – Michigan Wildlife in the Wetland
Foxes, Raccoon, and Minks Oh My!
Vulpas, Vulpas Fluva
All Decked in Red Fox
Early one cold winter morning on a Michigan Winter Wetland in the hidden forest of Jimme’, I saw a four-legged creature trotting across the frozen surface leaving a long trail of paw prints in its travel. I raised my camera and snapped a photo. I was approximately 150 feet distance and to my amazement, the Red Fox stopped turned its head around and looked directly at me. I guess those legendary big ears are in fact head mounted sonic radars; giving the fox super hearing.
Michigan Red Fox
Red furry coat, red tail, read head, read ears, white chin, white chest, black legs, black paws, white tipped tail.
Redhead Winter Duck – Michigan Wildlife in the Wetlands
A swift & agile Redhead winter duck came streaming onto the lake for a hot landing into a social crowd of already wading-in-the-water winter ducks.
NATURE ART GALLERY
Wildlife in the Wetlands Art Related Resources:
View the entire art collection gallery – Wildlife in the Wetlands
Read about the careful art handling process – Art Process, Shipping & Handling
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds
National Geographic
2011 Editors Choice Winning Photo
Select your favorite photo to be printed, mounted and framed.
E-mail: iaustin@daystarbooks.com