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Welcome to the Pine River Review. Our sight is dedicated to our little homestead located along the Pine River tucked inside the Chippewa Nature Center's 1400 Acres of wild in Michigan's lower penninsula. We love to share our pictures, video, comment, and our own homespun music. Step inside our world as we celebrate this beautiful nook!


Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Roadside Raptors WBW VI

Winter in the North, I am coming to understand, means reduced chances for the bird photographer to gather pictures because of the limited daylight hours and the monotonous, dreary cloud cover that blocks the sun so often. The light that animates and injects color into our lenses is in short supply these dismal days but all is not lost to the season. Certainly the bare lacy branches of winter reveal more of a trees crown than we would ever hope to observe in summer. So on my drives to and fro between Detroit and my home on the Pine River I am now taken with keeping a watchful eye on the naked tree tops that boarder the highway looking for birds of prey. My camera lays next to me on the passenger seat  fitted with the ungainly 400mm L ready to shake off its electronically induced trance. There is no telling where on the drive my peripheral vision will pick up the sight of a feathery protrusion and so begin the reckless maneuvers that will bring my little red car to rest on the shoulder of the road in position to aim the lens and breathlessly try to gain focus. 18 wheelers whoosh by at orbital speeds and I rehearse my explanation to the cop that will one day come to assist me as the Canon clicks away at the befuddled bird that generally tolerates my erratic behaviour for about one minute tops before flying off. My friends congratulate me on having found the cure for normal.

Buteo jamaicensis [Eastern Red-tailed Hawk]

In my Red Tailed musings I chanced upon this brilliant Smithsonian site!  

   And now it's time for World Bird Wednesday VI!

This is the home of "World Bird Wednesday." It is a place for bird lovers from around the world to share their photo-blogs and birding experiences. The Blogosphere connects like minded people from around our planet like no other technology can do. World Bird Wednesday will be open for posting at 12 noon Tuesday EST North America through noon on Thursday.


You are invited to link your blog with other bird photographers in a weekly celebration of these most diverse and beautiful of Earth's residents, the BIRDS!


                                                

Three easy steps!


#1. Simply copy the above picture onto your W.B.W. blog entry. It contains a link for your readers to share in WBW. Or you can copy this link on to your blog page to share W.B.W. http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/


#2. Come to The Pine River Review on Tuesday Noon EST through Thursday Noon and submit your blog entry with Linky.


#3. Check back in during the course of the next day and explore these excellent photoblogs!

The thumbnails below are links to our contributors blogs where you can view their beautiful posts. The idea of a meme is that you will visit each others blogs and perhaps leave a comment to encourage your compadres.

                                                        
                Please in your linky discription give a clue to your location like U.K. or Bolivia.
                And hey, it's okay to link one of your older posts that you worked so hard on.
                              
                                                    Come on, it's your turn!
                 

21 comments:

  1. A nice Eastern Red-tailed Hawk, SEND ONE TO ME??????

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  2. If the cops ever stop you, will you ask them to take a photo of you taking a photo of the birds. I'd like to see this :-)
    Great photos!

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  3. Gorgeous bird and terrific captures as always, Springman!

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  4. Fantastic as always, Springman! Gorgeous bird!! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year!

    Sylvia

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  5. Great images Springman. Best wishes for 2011.

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  6. A real treat to see one of those driving to work.

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  7. I feel much the same as you----the dreary days do not make for great captures. I too travel with my camera by my side. Although I don't have any great added lens I do what I can. Nothing looks better with the Eagle than the bright blue sky as background.
    I like your Hawk pics.
    I will post my birding shot later in the day. MB

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  8. Great photos of some very fine predators. Boom & Gary of The Vermilon River, Canada.

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  9. Adored your story of winter birding adventures! I am always on the lookout for any photos! Amazing where you can be and how you need to struggle to park the car just to get a shot!

    Great photos! They're worth it all!

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  10. Springman, despite your travails and the dangers you braved - or perhaps because of it - you've come up with a couple of brilliant images. One tip: I would paint a small highlight, just a couple of shades lighter than what you've got, in the first RTH's eye. You may have to experiment around a bit, but once you've got it really makes the eye come alive. Thanks for the link the RTH site - great info!

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  11. What a gorgeous bird! Your captures are brilliant and, I notice that you are quite the poetic writer as well! Completely enjoyed the pix and the words.

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  12. lol, I recognice what you are saying. My camera is also located on the passenger seat. Just be careful. Don´t brake to hard before checking back of your car. :)

    You did capture a real beauty. :)

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  13. I take your point about the light etc (having lived in the rainy Pacific Northwest, where it is probably even worse). But all that being said, your pictures are terrific!! One of my New Year's goals is to take even one bird pic that is good enough to share on your lovely meme!!!

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  14. We are back to gloomy wet weather now that the cold snap has passed so I feel your pain with relation to low light levels. Great pictures.

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  15. Your red tail photos is terrific!! I know what you mean about the cops---not long ago I had parked by the side of the road and took off into the woods to get a shot of the moon over the water...A park Ranger was peeking in my windows when I arrived back at my car...he said he was Just Checking--yikes!!

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  16. Great shots of the hawk. I agree with you about the lack of daylight! It makes it difficult to find the time during the week. But, the bright side is that we'll get a little more daylight every day for a while!

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  17. Beautiful shots of the Red-tail Springman! I can totally identify with you on the driving. Winter is the perfect time for finding those birds in the trees without all those troublesome leaves in the way but please be careful. I know, I have almost driven off the road a couple of times doing exactly what you describe.

    My camera also lives on the passenger seat of the car. It's the only way to drive ;-)

    Thanks for starting this great meme by the way. I hope to visit every blog listed every week. You have a great group here!

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  18. You always gotta see things from the bright side & you have perfected that I see ;)
    That's one thing I loved in autumn - Spring, that you could finally see some of the birds.
    I love your patient birdies!
    And no, I'm not the slightest bit envious for your 400mm *sigh* ;-)
    Cheers from Kuwait!

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  19. It's 9:49 WBW morning and I've got my cup of coffee after a relatively peaceful night at the firehouse. How wonderful it is to read through all these great comments and to visit everyone. I will be up on the Pine River a lot during the next month. I am excited at the prospect of getting some great captures to share with everyone. I hope to be on the cross country skies more than in the car that's for sure!
    ;-)WBW

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  20. This is one of my fav birds.Great shots!I too have been traveling with my camera by my side,so glad you started this www,I am learning alot from fellow birders,happy new year!phylliso

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