Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

UPDATE: After the images where viewed by experts it had been identified as a Ruby-throated hummingbird. While not a rare hummingbird for this area it is still unusual to find in the area at this time of the year. Leave out those feeders and help those stragglers on their migration.

The temperatures and snow are falling in Cincinnati, Ohio where one of the smallest birds in the United States has found herself far from her winter migration grounds in Mexico. This little female Calliope Hummingbird needs your help. If you are a bird lover living around the greater Cincinnati area, please consider putting out your hummingbird feeder. Please consider sharing this story if you happen to know a birder in the Cincinnati area. Help me get the word out. This 0.1oz feathered friend could use some Christmas love.

Approximately 11:45 AM on Friday December 22, 2017 I found this little lady hovering outside the window where my silver Christmas tree sits. She rested on the rose bush long enough for me to run and grab my camera. This image was shot hand held 300mm w/ 2x extender through a window. I am a casual birder, so I looked to my trusted birding source, Connor, at my local Wild Bird Unlimited store. He identified it as a female Calliope Hummingbird. A rare find for Ohio. I had my feeder out within 30 minutes but I have not seen the hummingbird since I photographed her yesterday. After speaking to Connor today I have decided to share my rare bird find in hopes of getting the word out to local birders, so they can put out their feeders to provide a food source so maybe this humming bird can make it through this cold front and hopefully find her way back to a warmer climate.

Dance of the Crane

Sandhill Cranes mate for life.  Selecting partner by their dancing abilities. The dancing display is elegant to witness as the they gracefully leap into the air after stretching their wings and bowing. Would you have picked you life partner by the way they dance?! 

Cold and Snowy

I spent my entire Sunday with this beautiful snowy owl. Seven hours I stood under gray skies and in intermittent rain waiting and watching. Then the light starts to break through the clouds low in the sky. Excitement grows as the clouds thin in anticipation of the pending evening light. My eyes a fixed on the snowy watching the light. Suddenly the owl takes flight. Fast reaction grants me images of the departure. The day has been bitter sweet. Observing a snowy owl in Ohio is a remarkable opportunity only to have the disappointment of the snowy’s departure just before the long-awaited light arrives. This is how life goes in the field. I can spend hours or days with one species waiting for everything to come together for that perfect image. Many times, I leave empty handed. Sometimes the imagery is mediocre. Then there are times everything comes together; the light, location, weather, animal behavior, reaction time. Those days are pure heaven. No matter the photographic outcome I always leave with a full grateful heart. Knowing I am fortunate to have witnessed nature in motion and one step closer to a greater understanding of life.