The PhotoNaturalist
Adventures in natural history photography with Sparky Stensaas
December 25, 2011
Sparky Stensaas
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Just had to beat Ryan (for once) getting a post from our latest trip up to Instagram. just got back to DULUTH from North Dakota a few minutes ago. Black Tern in Stutsman County North Dakota. #takethatryan[April 26, 2019; Tympanachus WMA; Glacial Ridge NWR, Minnesota] The prairie chicken blinds that most places provide are not set up for eye-level photography so I had to slowly open the door and crawl on my belly to the edge of the blind to get the shot. [Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM; 1/1600 second at f/5.6; ISO 500] #greaterprairiechicken #lekmagic #prairiemorning #sparkystensaas #glacialridgenwr #glacialridgenationalwildliferefuge #tympanachuswma #tympanachusOur buddy! The kids named him “Brock the Log Walker.” This is the guy/gal that tore down all our feeders over Easter weekend and was coming back every day at 7 PM to see what he might’ve left behind. Today was the first day he didn’t come back. Good thing since our honeybees are now in place. [April 22, 2022; Carlton County, Minnesota] Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM lens at 324mm; 1/320; ISO 12800; Lightroom] #blackbear #carltoncountywild #backyardbears #bearhooligans #minnesotawildlife #sparkystensaasFind the Ravens! Maybe this is taking “bird in the landscape” concept too far. What do you think? Tighter crop better? This is from yesterday 4-24-22. I was on my way to photograph the “zillion” ducks on Lake Superior and the Bay off Park Point in Duluth…But then as I dropped in elevation the fog became as thick as pea soup. Change of plans! So I headed home but saw the fog breaking up in the Jay Cooke valley. Maybe a bird like a Trumpeter Swan would fly through the scene. That would be cool. But instead I noticed that there was a nest of Ravens in the pines. I could hear the begging calls of the nestlings. I waited until the adults came back and got this shot. Very moody and of course it looks much better on a giant desktop computer screen but I like it.[Canon R5; Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM lens at 300mm; f/6.3 at 1/800; ISO 1000; Lightroom; Snapseed] #birdinlandscape #jaycookestatepark #carltoncountywild #carltoncountymn #commonraven #minnesotawildlife #findthebird #sparkystensaas[April 9, 2022] One of the nice things about a late winter is that open water is limited and so returning ducks like this Common Goldeneye are forced into smaller patches of water. These “ice out ducks“ provide lots of entertainment. I simply throw some camo netting over myself and tripod and sit on the ice and wait, enjoying the sounds of spring. This goldeneye drifted down river and while I got some awesome portrait shots I actually like this one better with the snow covered ice in the foreground. [Canon EOS R5; Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM at 343mm; 1/1000 second at f/6.3; ISO 125; Snapseed] #commongoldeneye #iceoutducks #sparkystensaas #stlouisriver #minnesotawildlife #springinthenorth #canonr5birds #duluthmn #thephotonaturalist[March 21, 2022; Otter Tail County, Minnesota] There was a near full moon and I was hoping to silhouette some migrating geese against it but clouds came in and obscured the moon. Then I turned around and this opportunity presented itself. Canada and Greater White-fronted geese.Shooting with Sparky Videos
Join Sparky in the field in these short videos from past wildlife and nature photography adventures.
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3 responses to “Happy Holidays”
Nancy Haugen
December 25th, 2011 at 11:30
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Sparky.
Nancy & Jim
Lonni Skrentner
December 25th, 2011 at 12:28
What a phenomenal picture. Of course you only publish the phenomenal ones. The photographer in me wants to know how many hit the cutting room floor before this one!
Merry, Merry,
Lonni Skrentner
Sax-Zim Bog Festival 2011
Julia
December 28th, 2011 at 11:35
Have a very Happy New Year filled with God’s Blessings!
Julia & Tom