Before the last available light of the afternoon disappeared, I was able to make a quick trip down to Como Park during the peak of the record-breaking storm. I spent more time trying to keep snow off the front of my lens than I did taking pictures. NOTE: You can enlarge any image on the blog simply by clicking on the image.
While I might still marvel at a scene such as this…
I am really ready to experience a scene such as this…
Both scenes are from Como Park – click on either image to see it in a larger size.
If this is winter’s last stand then it certainly is going out like a lamb. While it didn’t rival some of our classic spring blizzards and the long range forecast doesn’t look all that scary, I wouldn’t mind just one more mega storm for the season. But the below zero wind chills can go away anytime by me.
A few images from around the Midwest from our last month of travels – in order, Lake Superior at Cove Point, Como Park in St. Paul, and Bond Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Friday, my son and I (thanks to a neighbor’s tip), got our first glimpse of the new kids on the block – two Great Horned owlets. I returned this morning to snap a few quick pictures so as not to draw too much attention although a half dozen spectators were in attendance. The owl on the right appears especially unhappy with having spent the night out in the rain.
The owlet appears to be going through a major growth spurt – compare last weeks photo (April 25) versus this most recent one taken last Thursday evening (May 3). Its fledgling flights also appear to be more extended as it moves among the tree tops in the Como Park area. I’ve yet to see much interaction between the female and the owlet as far as feeding – perhaps that’s more of a nighttime activity.
A couple of days ago while walking the dog I stopped in an open area of Como Park to take a picture of a Flicker that was on the ground. As I was photographing, the bird rolled on its side and before I could think of a reason for such odd behavior, my viewfinder was filled with the explosion of a life and death struggle. I now realize the Flicker was trying to make itself small so as to be less of a target for what followed – its demise from a strike of the talons of a Cooper’s Hawk.
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