What was that?

I'm a hunter by nature. It's in my genes and every fall I hunt deer, well actually I hunt year round. I haven't killed an animal in at least 15 years but I still head out with a camera when everyone else is in the woods with a gun. Last week I went out looking for deer and came upon this unsuspecting little guy. I'm sure his mother is in the processing plant and he is getting by on instinct.

August Monarchs

 

I spent a few mornings watching monarch butterflies earlier this month. In the past I have always felt the third week of August was peak migration in southern Minnesota. This year it was the end of the first week. I don't know if I just happened to be there or if the change is real. The good news is that I saw more butterflies than I have seen in years.

Dandelion Fields Forever

Most of us work hard at getting the last dandelion out of the lawn and overlook their value to insects or ignore their beauty. This unused pasture was filled with them which made for a great morning of exploring possibilities. My daughter found an apt quote "A weed is but an unloved flower." by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Learning a new technique

I have had a time-lapse feature on my trail camera but never used it until now. There are still some technical issue with camera motion but I like the technique and will be working on it more. The concept of seasonal transition intrigues me and this might be a way to represent it in motion.

March Clouds

When I looked at this morning's temperature of 6 degrees it was hard to recall the 70 degrees  on Mondaywhen this photo was taken. These clouds preceded a thunderstorm and extraordinary winds.  Is this the new March in Minnesota?

Technical: 1 stop graduated ND used in Lightroom

The Real January

A Quiet Winter Morning from Dale Bohlke on Vimeo.

 This video is from a couple weeks ago when it was a really January. The near zero temperature was great for camera work but not so great for my toes. I have bike riding the last few days pretending it is March. Who needs to go south in the winter with weather like this?

Technical: sequences shot on two successive mornings

Weasel and Rabbit

 

It's camera trapping season again! This location was good for skunks and rabbits last spring so I thought I would try it again. No skunks so far but the weasel was a real surprise. This a summary of a week's worth of activity. Hope to have more when I check it again. I usually wait at least a week between visits to minimize my scent.

Technical: slow motion at 50% was used for a couple short intervals of weasel activity

Hovland - Past & Present

When visiting Hovland, north of Grand Marais, I stopped at the waterfront. I was struck by the well-used buildings and dock that represented the past. Clearly I was a few decades late for the frenzy of activity. I also saw remaining vibrancy of the current residents in their colorful buildings. Each of these images tells the different stories that I saw that afternoon.

 

Summer Water

Mound Creek Falls usually dries up during the summer leaving only a rock ledge but the recent heavy rains have created the opportunity for some waterfall shots. Exploring the stream as it flows into the lake highlights the brilliant orange lichen on the rocks. 

Prairie Sky

Back to sharing Minnesota images. June is a slow month for wildflowers on the prairie but sky drama makes up for the lack of flowers. 
Technical: Dialing to f16 and looking for a sunburst anchors to the sweeping clouds.

Turtle Turf War?

It is tempting to call this an action video about turtles battling each other for the best place on a log. However, there is a problem with calling this an action video. These are turtles, "action" is carried out at turtle speed, only slightly faster than snail speed. At the end of the day this is just another interesting observation in the life of a wildlife photographer.

The creative process

How did I get to this video? I saw a small stream leaving a woodland pond after a recent rain. I heard it. How do I show what I'm seeing and hearing? Still, video, and audio are available but where to start? Still shots show black water, no sound or movement. Video is the way to go. First the establishing shot. Now to show flow and movement, zoom in on the bubbles. Can the bubbles be shown bursting, fire up the slow motion video option.  Wow, look at the reflection in the bubbles, let's work with them. The stream is flowing, show it leaving and re-establish the scene. The video ends.  Now to the finished product.

Snakes in the Leaves

This was the unofficial start of spring photography after a long March. I have been out shooting so much that this piece has been on the back burner until now. I considered different titles: Snake Orgy, Reptilian Rhapsody, Sex in the Spring, etc. but settled on something a little more tame.  There was so much happening at my feet that I forgot to take an establishing shot and had to come back the next day. The fearless snake was recorded at that time. 

If snakes make you squeamish this is not the minute for you.

Fearless

For some reason fear and snakes go together, at least for me. Garter snakes typically slither away as fast as possible when surprised by a six foot giant walking past them. I have had a couple experiences during mating season when the snakes are curious and actually advance toward the camera lens. I don't know if this is because of a reflection in the lens or the lens looks like an opening to explore. It was much more relaxing recording this behind a tripod than using a 100 mm macro while laying on the ground trying to get a still shot.

April Shower

What does an intelligent, rational nature photographer do with a new camera? He goes out in the rain to test it. I have been waiting for an opportunity to test the slow motion video features on my Sony RX10ii and this was a perfect opportunity. I have previously tried filming frogs jumping, it worked but I didn't get enough material for a story.

Technical: The camera had some problems in the rain. The LCD would display an error message but the electronic viewfinder continued to work. After thoroughly drying it all is back to normal. An eye dropper will also be used to place the water drops within the frame. The four raindrops in this piece took half an hour to capture.

Woodland Robins

I see robins in our yard but rarely think about their lives in the woods.

Great Horned Neighbor

Sometimes a bird comes to you. This great horned owl spent an afternoon resting in our backyard last week. It was tempting to go outside but he definitely was paying attention when we opened the patio door. As darkness fell he edged out to the edge of the branches and was gone the next morning.

A Morning at the Rookery

I've shared still images from the morning but I thought I would share this nature minute to give a feel for the entire experience. I hope to be back in a few weeks to watch the chicks being fed. 

Home sweet home

A pair of great blue herons enjoy the morning sun while at their nests in a rookery. 

Home at the rookery

Home is where the heart is and these nests are definitely home for great blue herons. I had a chance to visit a rookery for the first time last week and watch these ungainly birds nest building. The amount of effort placing each stick was a marvel to watch. Non stop activity made choosing a bird to watch challenging. It was a great morning seeing something new for me.