Wildlife in the Wetland – Michigan FlyCatcher

Wildlife in the Wetland – Michigan FlyCatcher

Phoebe, Kingbirds and Willows, Oh My!

Sayornis Phoebe

 

FlyCatcher - Photo by Ike Austin

FlyCatcher – Photo by Ike Austin

 

FlyCatcher Michigan Wildlife in the Wetland

The Flying Insect Flycatcher

Late one humid summer afternoon in a Michigan Wetland, in the hidden forest of Jimme’, I saw small olive green-ish, yellowish bird land on a dead, moss covered tree branch; under the canopy of a willow tree. I slowly raised my camera and snapped a photo. I was approximately 20 feet distance and to my amazement, the FlyCatcher paused and looked directly at me. It had lived up to its legendary name “catching insects”, holding a green and yellow grasshopper in its beak; which also gave the Flycatcher a typical portrait pose for this shot.

Michigan FlyCatcher
Grey covets, grey tail, grey head, grey ear line feathers, greyish white chin, yellow chest, grey breast, black legs, grey with white lined tail feathers.

 

Wildlife in the Wetlands

Fly & Catch

NATURE ART GALLERY

Wildlife in the Wetlands Art Related Resources:

View the entire art collection gallery – Wildlife in the Wetlands
Read about the careful art handling process – Art Process, Shipping & Handling

 

Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds

nature photography - michigan

Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul 

Michigan Birds

 

National Geographic

2011 Editors Choice Winning Photo

Birds Photography Night Heron

National Geographic 2011
View Entry on NG website… NG Contest Winners
To purchase Photo Art… DayStarBooks Gallery
To Purchase the I can Make It Fine Art Print… Dialog With Nature
S
elect your favorite photo to be printed, mounted and framed.
E-mail: iaustin@daystarbooks.com

 

Michigan Eastern Bluebird – Bird of Red, White, and Blue

Michigan Eastern Bluebird – Bird of Red, White, and Blue

Sialia sialis

 

Framed by blue skies, and deep patriotic red, white, and blue colors; sitting colorfully looking out in serious contemplation, the Eastern Bluebird adorns the casual observer with a pleasing sight of beauty.

Looking like a royal flag staked on a branch, high above the wetlands, found all across the state of Michigan.

With its unique red, white, and blue plumage, only the Eastern Bluebird can boast colors that represent patriotism found is so many flags of nations.

Eastern Blue Bird

Eastern Blue Bird

 

 

 

Eatern Bluebird

Eatern Bluebird

Nature Photography Eastern Bluebird

Nature Photography Eastern Bluebird

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Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds

nature photography - michigan

Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul 

Michigan Birds

Wood Duck – Michigan

Wood Duck – Michigan, Nature Photography

Aix Sponsa

 

The question is answered…

 

Wood Duck Michigan

Wood Duck Michigan

 

Wood Ducks and Creation

If Creation were racist—as all religions on Lower Earth secretly hope—the plumage of this Wood Duck would be all one solid color.

Instead; there are colors of brown, beige, blue and teal,
speckles of burgundy, red, and black, solid greens, with strips of white, patched together, making one quilt of a sight.

For those true sons that have eyes to appreciate, to see more beauty in diversity.

“Plumage of many colors,” “coat of many colors,”
people of many colors,” represent a deeper truth – Dialog With Nature.

Nature is the unedited word of  “the God” of creation.

ThirdSon, Quilts by Nature 

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

 

 

Nature Photography – Michigan Bird Identification

Photo Taken: Kensington Metro Park, Michigan

About the Wood Duck

Aix Sponsa

Appearance: The Wood Duck is a colorful bird. At times the Wood Duck is very skittish and glides near the edge of lily pads, along the rim of grassy wetland, and watching for the slightest movement or  something out of place that wasn’t there before. Other times the Wood Duck can stare you down with those large red eyes. The Wood Duck like most ducks is a swift flier. Wing span can can extend to 3-4 feet.

Adult: Male is multicolored, its covert and wing bars quilted with vivid patches of plumage with bright metallic feathers on its head.

Flight Characteristics: Swift and quick wings in flight and typically flapping their wings as they rapidly lift and fly off. Wood Ducks prefer open wooded marshes, and wetlands.

Mating Habits: The Wood Duck start courtship during the fall and winter at migration spots. The female Wood Duck selects her mate and are usually monogamous for life.

Migration: Fall migration southward, the Wood Duck returns to northern regions early spring.

Nesting: Will construct a nest open tree cavities as high up as 50 feet. Incubates 10-12 pale white eggs for appx 25-35 days. Young are generally shown where to find food(vegetation and nuts) and gain independence in as little as 30-35 days.

Off Spring: (Called Ducklings)

Feeding: Day hunter. Some diet food includes; vegetation, nuts, and grasses.

Call: Very low squeaky sound.

 

About the Photography

nature photography - michigan

Nature Photography – Michigan by Ike Austin

Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Birds of Michigan Series
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul 

 

For an interesting, imaginative, new awareness view about life and attitudes… read the book below.

ThirdSon and the River’s Sky
images of birds

 

  • As a kid, I spent an enormous amount of time down by the river. I was drawn like a magnet to the many sounds of nature that filled the air-the tides rumbling ashore, the faint call of seagulls echoing in the distant background. I would remain there all day under the pretense that I was fishing. I would walk the long river shores for miles, moving from one spot to the next (from bridge to bridge – Ambassador to Bell Isle). I later discovered that the sky above this river was alive. 
    Read More 

 

 

 

 

 

Birds Photography Night Heron

 

 

Visit the photo gallery to request prints, photos or screen savers you feel you particularly enjoy.
Nature Photography By Ike Austin

Michigan Birds Dialogue with Nature

The decisions of one, affects all—ThirdSon and the River’s Sky

Exquisite Art

 

 

Wind and the Rain – Storms are Good

Wind and the Rain

 

Wind and Rain

Wind and Rain

 

During loudest thunder, and mightiest of storms, I feel most at rest.

Rumbling wind, trembling earth, bring calm to my soul.

Incessant rain feels, good.

 

Volcanic heat, puts me at ease.

Sharpness of thorns, and painful truths; painful, yet invokes humor.

 

Comfort a-nerves. Aches sooth.

I gather fear and causes of pain, piled into heaps,

I lay atop both and sleep.

 

Storms disturb not my peace,

Wind and Rain, comforts me.

 

Michigan Cedar Waxwing – Oil Dipped Wing Tips

Michigan Cedar Waxwing – Oil Dipped Wing Tips – Sitting on a Branch

Bombycilla Cedrorum

The most beautiful, handsome, colorful, mysterious, portrait, pose, of a Cedar Waxwing Michgan bird.

Black masked eyepatch, autumn tinted bronze mantle, gradually, softly fades to grey. Master painted, oil dipped blood red, dapped on tips of secondary wings.  With brightest lemon yellow nature could find artistically stroked at the tip of the tail. To capture and hold, briefly those that behold… mesmerizing beauty sitting on green.

 

Cedar Waxwing Michigan

Cedar Waxwing Michigan

 

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Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul
Michigan Birds

nature photography - michigan

 

Nature Photography by Ike Austin – Michigan
Photography that is Therapy for the Soul 

Michigan Birds

Ancient of Days – Snapping Turtle – Michigan

Of Ancient Days, I happened upon this being…

Ancient of Days

 

Ancient of Days - Snapping Turtle

Ancient of Days

 

 

Appearing in the forest of Jimme’ at the edge of the southern province, I happened on what I could best describe as the living ancient of days, the old one, the one who slowly… expressed itselfsaying…”I am very, very old, and, very, far away.”

I slightly turned, tilting my head, and narrowed my eyes to the thinnest slits so I could covertly peak to see if anyone was standing nearby; but, nobody was present.

After a long enough pause the being continued speaking… “‘I hear you”, it said to me in a low, slow, drawn out voice.

Then, there was a spell of silence.

 

Old Snapping Turtle

Old Snapping Turtle

 

I stood in astonishment because I could see the bi-present being right in front of me, yet, I felt a great distance unlike ever imaged, an incomprehensible gulf between me and the entity other consciousness. The ancient being was here in my presents and at the same time its second consciousness resides elsewhere (as I’ve said, in the mystical forest of Jimme’ powerful beings often present themselves as inconspicuous forest creatures.)

 

The bi-present entity knew of my personal turmoil and concerns over the past several days and spoke directly to my mind saying…

“Nature is the mind and the mind is Nature.

Nature can be in turmoil, or calm.

But, it is the calm that heals the body.”

I took this to mean…
It takes a period of time, maintaining three things in sustained condition to germinate a healthy seed/soul; heat, light, and moisture; any one element in scarcity, instantly the seed is ill-fated.

Within a few moments after this most inspiring dialogue with nature began, I sensed the presents of the ancient one diminish.
The turtle, then raised its head higher and spoke one word saying… “Archie!”

I interpreted that word to be related to…”remember the daystar.”

 

Nature is mind, mind is Nature
Calm images of Nature held in the mind, are healing the soul.

The mind that holds scenes of Nature, germinates healing the body.
ThirdSon and the River’s Sky

Monarch Butterfly – Michigan

Monarch Butterfly – Michigan

The Most Beautiful Stained Glass Hand Crafted Sculptured Monarch?

In one of my many excursions into the hidden forest of Jimme’ I would often find myself taking a turn and walking down an unplanned path. The path I chose this day was narrow, with tall grasses and loose foliage hanging along both sides of the ever narrowing trail.

It was a dull lit day with a sustained overcast due to endless clouds that covered the sky. As I continued further my attention was drawn just up the trail to some movement on my left. Slowly moving closer, I noticed a small repetitious fluttering motion, I could see that it was a Monarch Butterfly (the trained eye would identify this butterfly as a Viceroy-distinguished by the black line across the bottom wings.)

 

Monarch Butterfly Michigan

Monarch Butterfly Finger Pointing Toward the Sky

 

I immediately began snapping as many photos as I could because it was rare for a Monarch/Viceroy to allow me to get so close and not be spooked by my presents.

Occasional sun-rays would penetrate the clouded overcast and provide  periods of  welcomed sunlight.

After returning home and starting to review the photos, I did not  notice anything striking about the butterfly. However, when my wife looked at the photographs she got rather excited. She asked… “doesn’t this branch look like a hand and the butterfly are sitting on the tip of the index finger?”

On my second look at all the photos, yes indeed, the branch does look like a hand and it does look like the Monarch was perched on the tip of a finger pointing skyward.

The whole scene, with the sunlight serving to back-light the butterfly wings, looked more like a handcrafted, stained glass artist sculpture.

A Most Beautiful Monarch Butterfly Scene

Earth Nations – Dialog With Nature

Earth Nations – Dialog With Nature

Other Nations, Other Kingdoms – Geese and Herons

Messages From Nature | In the Silence
A sunny, but rather chilly morning with a slight breeze… I stood in the hidden forest of Jimmie’ on a small knoll looking out pass several large trees. My sight fixated on a large gaggle of geese off in the distance, numbering in the hundreds, some on land, others waddling about on the seashore.

My attentions drifted further down the shoreline, where I noticed an equally large gathering flock of herons. I observed both colonies of birds the geese and herons, for several moments as each group interacted among themselves. Both groups of birds with vary different characteristics are sharing and occupying the same space, time, and resources without laying claim to territory.

 

diversity earth nations1

diversity earth nations 1

 

Then as a common  occasion, the voice of silence speaks directly to my mind. Such times the River’s Sky takes such opportunity to dialog on undiluted truths… “these are kingdoms, different kingdoms side-by-side sharing the same water, yet they seek not to exterminate each other.”

 

 

diversity earth nations2

diversity earth nations 2

 

I understood this statement to mean these birds are representations of kingdoms that are not of earth, but, the kingdoms are of another place much different from the volatile kingdoms of earth.  In my many descent-level travels, I witnessed such a diverse kingdom once. Its empire stretched beyond its solar system and the inhabitants occupied every planet, asteroid, and moon. They were benevolent and conciliatory in their actions; the most powerful toward the lesser; the musk-ox thunderously stomped along the outer edge of galactic devices in its movement, kept a keen eye on the lowly prairie dog to be unharmed.

Here, kingdoms of earth are quite the opposite; forged by size, shape, and color of men. All religions, all kingdoms of earth and their proposed treaties for peace represent covert continual deceit, declaration of silent murder genocide, a perpetual existence that seeks to exterminate all other kingdoms fueled by religion and color of men? In testament to this statement is countless glorious ruins, ancient & modern, from the bottom of the sea, and found on every continent. Here in plain site, across eons of time, lay all the evidence… that only cannibalistic kingdoms inhabit earth, all the plundered ruins of past and pillage of current nations (the stronger pillaging the weak) support this claim.

Stolen Titles – All earth kingdoms proclaim the title of “Nation;” but does the historic blood signature bare this out? Or, following a long trail of earth’s blood signature we can conclude… earth is not the place as some claim it to be. This place called earth, bares a stolen title in resemblance only of another far away place also known as… “The Earth.” In this far away place, the geese co-exist with the herons.

All earths are not equal.

In silence I hear deeper truth

— ThirdSon and the River’s Sky

 

Nature Photography – by Ike Austin

Nature Photography that is Therapy for the Soul

ThirdSon and the River’s Sky
images of birdsThirdSon and the River’s Sky

 

  • As a kid, I spent an enormous amount of time down by the river. I was drawn like a magnet to the many sounds of nature that filled the air-the tides rumbling ashore, the faint call of seagulls echoing in the distant background. I would remain there all day under the pretense that I was fishing. I would walk the shores for miles, moving from one spot to the next. I later discovered that the sky above this river was alive. 
    Read More Here