AUTUMN PALETTE

Another reason the Carolina Wren is a symbol of fall for me is because it's colors match the hues of late autumn: tans, browns, rust, and a splash of white for the early snows.

Oh, by the way, this little guy was photographed at the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy's Bow In The Clouds nature preserve off Nazareth Road.

SIZING UP THE RACKS

I scouted these bucks earlier in the season, looking for a bruiser I could follow for some prime photos. Not all bucks are worth following.

BROKEN

STUNTED

PERFECT

I'm keeping an eye on this guy.

THINGS ARE HEATING UP!

You know the rut is right around the corner when you find your deer target decapitated and thrown down to the ground by an irascible buck in the middle of the night.

Bucks are revving up for the chance to breed a doe (the rut) and starting to challenge the local competition, even the fake ones! I had the same thing happen with a fake tom during turkey breeding season. He got pretty torn up as well.

Check out the bend in the stake that holds up the deer. That's almost a 45 degree bend in half inch steel. That's some serious fury!

YOU KNOW WHEN...THE CAROLINA WREN...

In my experience, I know Autumn is peaking when I hear the clarion call of the Carolina Wren, slicing through the morning fog of a chilly, October morn.

Ever since I first heard, and filmed, my first Carolina Wren down at Kleinstuck Marsh, that piercing call has become the signature bird song for my favorite time of year. It serves as a life affirming siren when the air is still and the decay of Autumn lays down an eery silence.

In my wildlife doc, ANIMALS AMONG US, the little wren has a small but starring role in the big buck scene where I begin an obsessive quest for Karl, the alpha buck of Kleinstuck Marsh. He's in the opening part of the scene, setting the mood for Autumn's classic, ritual hunt for whitetail bucks.

Producing and editing a documentary has a way of etching sights and sounds into the memory banks, causing them to spontaneously surface in life and add meaning to a moment. Well, two days ago, the bold little Carolina Wren did just that, bringing all the fond memories and sensations from that indelible moment some six or seven years ago to the fore. Just like the scene in the film, he signals the beginning of a mad search for a massive rack, "worthy of a good shot". And just like the film, you'll be seeing, and hearing, more about my pursuit.

ME AND THE ANIMALS...

...want to thank everyone who came out for the opening at Water Street last Friday. Your presence contributed to a steady stream of people flowing in and out of that beautifully tiny coffee joint. It all made for a good buzz, a lot of good will, and plenty of mini-reunions of friends and family.

(Unfortunately, there are no photos from the night of the "event" because we were too busy living in the moment)

I was personally thrilled to see photos that were living in my computer screen for months, if not years, finally hanging on the wall in front of satisfied eyes. The images seemed to pass the test: people REALLY liked them.

That's why I want, and need, to thank some others for my first wildlife photography exhibit: my parents for all their love and support; Kirsten Field for curating Water Street; Brent Spink for inspiration and insight into my new stomping ground, Schipper's Crossing; my dear friend Michele for supporting me in my craft; all the others who offered feedback and support; and of course, big thanks to the wildlife, the land, creation and the mysterious life force that crafted all these masterpieces I only mine with my lens.