Cold Winter Survival

Winter is hitting us this year with ferocity.   Temperatures going down to -10 F (-23 C) have been with us on occasion. Entire weeks of temperatures well below 32F (0 C) have been common. 

This puts a strain on the wild life and creates unique photographic opportunities.  In the national park by my home, the river that runs through the heart of the park will still have open water flowing.   At these frigid temperatures, the warmer water vaporizes as it hits the much colder air and a frozen mist clings to trees, surrounding landscapes and the poor wildlife that use the river as there home. 

These are normally a very annoying bird in our area (Canadian Geese).  But during these frigid mornings, I have sympathy for there endurance and survival.   They hardly want to move and they hover around the open areas of the river as protection from predators. 

During one of these frigid mornings, I spotted one of the birds that was struggling with trying to remove a large block of ice that was literally frozen to its foot.

It struggled and given the temperatures it was unlikely this ice block was going to fall off anytime soon.   This hardship can hamper the bird from avoiding predators or moving easily.   Its chances of survival are diminished.    

It is a harsh reality check to see the conditions the wildlife endures during our cold winter.  I will not complain about being cold when I think of the animals surviving in the cold winter.

Birds in the air

Another sure sign that spring is in the air is bird activity.    The above shot is a blue heron photographed in a large nesting site near my home.   These large birds are fascinating to watch as they build nest, court one another and carry on the species.  

Being so close to my home, I've sneaked out a few times this past week to capture some expressions of the birds in there nests.

During a recent morning snow, I spotted a cold heron waiting for spring and SUNSHINE to arrive.

As I'm apt to do, I explored the expression of these birds with a variety of black and white images.

With the nesting birds, can spring be too far off??

Thawing Snow

This has been a roller coaster winter ride.   After a week of very cold and snowy conditions, mother nature gave us a massive thaw for a few days.    Temperatures well above freezing combined with rain and melting snow.

The combination of warm temperature and rain can form beautiful fog lifting from the melting snow on rivers.    A true breath of fresh air during a cold winter can really inspire the photographic eye.

While out enjoying the morning lifting fog, I was greeted by a timid coyote, a pack of deer and this handsome hawk in a near by tree.

I think this is a red tailed hawk.   Within the foggy trees, the atmosphere really allows the beautiful bird to stand out.    After capturing a few shots for myself, it decided to hunt elsewhere and flew off.

This allowed me to continue to enjoy the beautiful foggy morning in a flood plain near the river.

GORGEous Winter

The gorge locations around northern Ohio can be filled with winter magic.    When the ice forms, certain locations take on a mystical quality of ice and, color and water.

One such area is the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio.   This dramatic scene is right in the middle of a highly urbanized area, but still retains the rugged remote feel of a wild gorge.  

At one time this location was called the 'Niagara Falls' of Ohio.

It is easy to understand why.

When explored by foot, the grand majesty of the torrential water can because a calm and peaceful study of micro ice formations when the water stagnates.

Cuyahoga River Mud Flats

Last weekend we had a cold morning and I ventured out to try and find some nice ice patterns.  I quickly realized that the conditions didn't get cold enough to form the beautiful ice patterns.

I decided to not give up and continued to explore a flood plain near the Cuyahoga River.    As I was exploring, the snow was gently falling and forming some beautiful patterns on the mud flats along the river.  

The snow was only sticking along the tops of the mud flats and melting in the lower parts of the mud flats that were warmer.   Really fascinating to see the formations.

You can see all of my abstract ideas from the mud flats along the Cuyahoga River.

Cuyahoga River Mud Flats and Snow Exploration - March 4