Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Days 348 to 350: Frozen Fingers Photography!

January 8, 2015Year 2MN North: Amity, MN North: Canal Park, MN North: Old Vermilion Trailrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Each morning for the past few days the weather has dawned with temperatures of -10F and worse (plus 20 to 30 mph winds for even worse chill factors). Birding has been tough, both of me and the birds. I still try to get out shortly after sunrise as birds are most active right after the long cold nights as they search for feed to replace energy expended keeping themselves warm. Thus, here are a few photos from the last three days where I braved the elements, and often got extremely cold … finger hurting cold.

For the last photo, I can not resist …

Would you like to swing on a star,
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
Or would you rather be a duck?

My apologies to Bing Crosby … here is the classic tune.

View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size / resolution)

Day 348: White-Breasted Nuthatch

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Day 349: Blue Jay

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Day 350: Goldeneye during an “Alberta Clipper”

Day 346: Hairy Woodpecker

January 5, 2015Year 2MN North: Amityrichardhoeg@gmail.com

It continues very, very cold. Spending a lot of time outside is not too much fun. Thus, for today’s bird I was a bit lazy, and photographer this hairy woodpecker right in my own yard. I’ve also included a photo I took of a ore boat departing through the seasmoke in the pre-dawn light. All the mist evaporating from the lake makes for a mystical image!

View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size / resolution)

Hairy Woodpecker

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Twilight Departure

Day 344: Chickadee and First Impressions of the Sony NEX-5T

January 3, 2015Year 2MN North: Amity, Northern Lightsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Today’s decent light rapidly evaporated as northern Minnesota awaits the arrival of an Alberta Clipper and a winter storm. By the time I got around to bird photography today, the light was dim and the world was gloomy. Thankfully I can almost always count upon a black-capped chickadee to be present and allow me to continue my 365 bird photography project.

While I took today’s bird photograph with my Canon SX60, which I love given its zoom telephoto capability (see my review of this camera), I now also head out on my birding rounds with a second camera also in tow … my new Sony NEX-5T mirrorless camera.

My initial impressions of this camera are very favorable. My goal in the purchase of this camera was to have a device in my kit which would excel for landscape and low light / night time photography. Sony’s mirrorless systems have been noted for excelling in the low light arena. While I am still learning the camera, and have not had the opportunity yet to photograph the Northern Lights, I am pleased with the results.