The first stage of migration in Northern Michigan is a wave of a few sparrow species. For the past week or so, the fox sparrows have been bouncing about on the forest floor near my yard. I photographed this guy straight out of my living room window. The green background is a single spruce tree about forty feet back.

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I concluded my day looking for the Snowy Flight Shot by finding this gal resting in a small piece of abandoned farming equipment--no idea what it is. The owl was resting within this piece of debris as it scanned the expansive field to the front. It was low enough for the bird to look over it and perhaps also feel a little bit of shelter. I like how cozy this bird looks as it awaits its next meal. While I didn't find a shot of a Snowy in Flight, I was happy to preserve the warm gaze of an owl looking directly at me. A beautiful day!

Tags:   snowy owls

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A few pairs of Pileated Woodpeckers also nest in Oak Openings Metro Park outside of Toledo, OH. This shot happened within a couple of minutes. Mom came flying from the right and landed on a tree. Dad came out, flew away. Mom went inside, and I saw neither for the rest of the evening.

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An ultra-common bird. However, as I walked up on this goose, he looked so cool from behind with the sunlight glazing his face and neck.

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I have been trying to get a decent photo of a Pileated for some time now. I found out two pairs of these birds were living in a forest area not far from where I work. In a somewhat open area within this forest, an older couple lives, and they feed the birds that come by, including one pair of the Pileated. One afternoon, I sat for nearly three hours waiting for them to appear. My efforts were for naught. Yesterday, I returned. Four minutes after arriving, both flew by, chasing each other through the woods. The female perched on this tree next to me. Within a minute, she was gone.

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