Máistir Nádúraí: Spring Loons & Grebes

4.20.2013

Spring Loons & Grebes

I might have had new collection of songbird images today, but I forgot to remove my camera battery from its charger this morning and left home without it. Instead, after lunch and a nap, I went to the pier at the end of Lake Street near Captain Bill's to photograph loons and grebes on Lake Mendota. I was hoping to get a decent shot of an Eared Grebe that was reported by Rick Terrien, but the bird didn't come close enough for close-up portraits. Still, I'm content with the images I was able to get today. Watching Common Loons is always entertaining and they make excellent photographic subjects.

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.