Good question!

I'm still trying to figure out the results of this photo. It was taken with my new Ho..Ho..Ho santa loves me "Image Stabilization" lens. I might need to re-read the manual. I like it .......but. Let just call it art.

American Crow. Corvus brachyrhyncos

Or...."Bird on a Wire"? Goldie Hawn movie circa 1990

Front yard visitor.

Carefully watching me while searching for lunch or at least a mid day snack.

Last Christmas cactus of 2005

First blogged photo with an "image stablized" (IS) lens.

Evening Grosbeak male.

Compliments of coldH2O wildlife area.

Evening Grosbeak. Males and female.

Compliments of coldH2O wildlife area.

Red Breasted Nuthatch.

Compliments of coldH2O wildlife area.

White Breasted Nuthatch.

Compliments of coldH2O wildlife area.

Female Downy Woodpecker

Compliments coldH2O wildlife area.

Christmas.

KIYI Lake Superior USGS research vessel.

KIYI winter berthing on the west side of Ashland, WI. oredock.

Bald eagle at open water's edge

Washburn shoreline island.

This shot is looking south toward Ashland.

Lifeflight departing local hospital. Liftoff!

The arrival and departure of these Lifeflights is both sad and at the same time heart warming. A wonderful services for rural areas. Many area residents owe their lives to these wonderful air crews.

Lifeflight departing local hospital.

Rising over the light pole in the hospital parking lot.

Lifeflight departing local hospital.

Headed SSW to Duluth MN.

Open water pothole along highway 13.

This little pothole had six ducks in it when I pulled up. They didn't stick around long enough for me to get a shot (picture).

Opening weekend at Mt. Ashwabay.

Made a trip up highway 13 today headed to Mt Ashwabay's opening weekend. Mt. Ashwabay brought back great memories of Scott and Jennifer ski racing. I think I'm going to try and spend time up there this winter vistiting old friends and watching the young kids learn to ski. Tim O. is still teaching and can still race with the best of them. Miss watching 302 race.

Although the numbers were small on Sunday, Saturday was the largest opening day numbers since 1967 according to Jerry. Sunday is football day. Nice to see Tim O.

Sioux flats beach.

Brown trout.

Twenty seven inch 7 lb. brown trout caught by Mike Bietka Ashland on the Washburn side of Chequamegon Bay.

Merlin not a Gyrfalcon. Thanks Ryan B. for ID

This shot and the shot below were "photoshopped" to enhance the features. The third shot in the series is for perspective. I wasn't sure how close I would be able to get before spooking the bird. All the shots were taken with a 75-300 lens as I was approaching the perch.



Interesting day on the bay today. I met a birder (Dave) from the Manitowish WI area. Dave had driven over to Ashland to see the Gyrfalcon that has been spotted along the shoreline. The Gryfalcon has been spotted on or near the oredock by several of Ashland's more experienced bird watchers Tim O. and Ryan B. (see their postings on Birdingonthe.Net website. After some birding talk Dave and I went our separate ways. As luck would have it I managed to find what I believe is the Gyrfalcon on the west side of the oredock. I have posted the photos hoping one of the pros will confirm the sighting. Thanks for the tip Dave enjoyed the visit. Email on the way.

Update:Via Ryan B.
The bird in your photos is NOT the Gyrfalcon, but rather its smaller
cousin...a Merlin.  Merlins are small falcons that are doing really well in our area by breeding in conifers downtown and then feeding on Starlings, pigeons, house sparrows and other birds.  Most of them head south for the winter but usually one or two overwinters in town.  I saw one on the oredock the other day, so perhaps yours is the same bird. Merlins are much, much smaller than the Gyr would be.  The Gyr is also very unlikely to perch so low in the middle of a tree like this Merlin.  Gyrs rarely sit in trees and if one did, it would likely be at the top or on a big exposed branch.  They'd much rather sit on structures like the oredock, power plant, power poles, or the ice.  Here's the best shot I have of the Gyr so far (with four three others that follow): http://www.pbase.com/rbrady/image/53099285

Waiting slips.

Growing winter village.

Each day this village will get larger and larger. Most of these shacks will move around the bay chasing fish. This village will last until March 15th when all shacks have to be off of the ice.

For N & A in Minn. MN.

This jade plant is in full bloom. It spends it's winters in this great sunlit room and it spends it's summers on the sunny oustside deck visable through the windows. Obviously it likes it's world. It's the only house plant I know that falls under the protection of the National Forest Service. Lumber scalers would measure this in board feet. It's BIG!

One brave thing for the day.

BT.......and running.

Safe ice travel.

Now this is the way to travel on 'first ice'. Ashland fire department on windsled winter shake down cruise.

'Hard water' sailing.

This is not a very common sight on the bay. Most ice sailing needs to be done in early cold season before the snow flies. Tomorrow maybe too late as a winter storm is forecast for the area.

Remnants of days past.

Pilings from old waterfront docks.

Mt Ashwabay.

This shot is cross posted with the Mt Ashwabay Ski Area website.

First ice fishing on the bay.

Brave souls! Local fishermen call this 'first ice'. This is too 'first ice' for me. I like my ice a little thicker and a little older. No, actually, I like my ice a lot thicker and a lot older.

Ice sheets.

Water's edge