In Broad Daylight

Timberdoodle, bogsucker, night partridge, brush snipe, hokumpoke. 

Most commonly known as the American Woodcock.

A funky little bird with some funky aliases. 

A black-sheep member of the Sandpiper family of shore-birds, for some reason the Woodcock long ago strayed away from the water and found a niche for itself in the woods and timber of the world. That formidable beak turned out to be a perfect utensil for earthworms and insects. 

For the most part, woodcocks fly under the radar of most peoples avian awareness, even though the male's Spring courtship flights can be pretty conspicuous and colorful - if you know what to look for. It's a weak frequency for the attention of the eye since the bird in flight appears small, and the birdsong--although unmistakable--can be faint. Once you tune in to them though, they start appearing everywhere in Spring. In fact, they're back in the open fields right behind my house. What makes them particularly difficult to see though is the fact they perform all their courtship at dusk as the light is quickly fading.

All this makes them particularly difficult to photograph. They've become somewhat of a personal holy-grail for me as a photographer. Every Spring I hear their "peents" and whistling, aerial song, but surrender to the impossibility of a photo.

Well, during my recent trip up to Sleeping Bear Dunes (I had to pick up some photos from an exhibit up in Petoskey) I was driving along a road just off M-22, in an area with open fields and patches of woodland, and right in the middle of the road was this guy strutting across the road. He was doing the strangest, funniest kind of bobbing as he walked. Contrary to what one might think, it's not about attracting the ladies but rather it's how they usually walk for stirring the earth and triggering earthworms to move. It's all about hunting.

What contributes to their funky appearance is the way the eyes are situated really close to the top of the head, perhaps an adaptation for detecting predators as it hunkers down in the grass during the day or when nesting. And you can see how the beautiful patterning makes for superb camouflage.

The only reason I was able to snap this second photo was because I watched it walk into the grass off the road and freeze, the whole time keeping my eyes on it. Every time it flew away and landed, beyond my sight, and I went looking for it, I only saw the thing when it flushed and flew away. Then I'd go looking for it, only to have the same thing happen all over again. That could go on for ever. 

It's possible I may never photograph another Woodcock like this again in my lifetime. Time to count my blessings.

Osprey BLOG

In case you haven't seen my new blog on the Kalamazoo River Osprey, check it out. It's been stealing time away from my blog entries for Little Piece of the Wild. Click HERE to see it.


So much wildlife, so little time.

Lotteries & Grants

Last Saturday I was tempted by the sheer insanity of the half-billion lottery that was seducing the nation. That's enough money to launch you into Forbes magazine. Not that I have any desire to be in Forbes Magazine, but I  couldn't resist the fantasy of all that economic freedom - so I bought a ticket. It was my very first mega-lottery ticket ever.

In case you hadn't heard, I didn't win.

However, that very same day I received a letter in the mail from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. A letter I was eargerly anticipating because I was waiting to hear whether I was awarded a Kalamazoo Artist Development Initiative (or KADI) grant.

This is the kind of letter where you only have to read the first sentence to know exactly where it's going. If it's a rejection letter, they always start by saying "This year the competition and number of applicants was particularly high..." and by the end of the first paragraph they incorporate a "however, we regret to inform you...". This is all to console the rejected.

If it's an acceptance letter, they cut right to the chase with an emphatic exclamation or affirmation.

After "Congratulations!" I just stopped reading. That's all I needed to know. Well, I did read on to see if I was awarded the grant in full. And yes, I was!

You can also tell if it's a yes or no by the thickness of the letter. If it's a rejection notice, it's a one page letter. Nuf said. If it's an acceptance letter, it's usually a little thicker because of a contract or some kind of formal business that comes with being awarded the monies.

The grant is to fund the printing and framing of an upcoming exhibition at the Glen Vista Gallery in the Kalamazoo Nature Center in June/July. I'll be featuring my wildlife photography and some fresh new digital collages that I'm terribly excited about. They're photographic portraits of people and their spirit animal, or animal that represents them. This body of work has never been exhibited and is getting some great feedback from friends.

The grant and the show is also an opportunity to exhibit my work in a large format. Some of my wildlife and landscapes will be 3x4 feet and larger, which is an exhilirating concept for a photographer. To be able to gaze at a life-size whitetail buck, with incredible detail, will be incredibly moving.

Big thanks to the Arts Council and the review panel for deeming my work as worthy. Although one might see granting as a form of lottery, they're really quite different. Lotteries are all about luck. The winner doesn't have to do or prove a thing. Grants are all about merit and are actually a contract. I'm really looking forward to delivering the goods on this deal.

Blossoming Curiosity

My first photograph of Spring. 


There is nothing more intriguing to me than a shot of an animal looking at something. Curiosity is the hallmark sign of intelligence, and when a bird or animal looks at something, trying to understand what it is, I can just imagine the synapses firing inside, "what is this thing?"


Well, my own curiosity is piquing when I look at our premature Spring: "what's going on here?" 


The best summation I've heard so far is that the body loves it but the mind is afraid to contemplate it. 


I see no reason not to link it to global warming. It's impossible to say with certainty, but to suggest otherwise would be foolish. The best analogy I've heard so far comes from a climate scientist who equates it to a baseball player on steroids: if that player hits a home run, you can't say with certainty that it was a result of the drugs (it could have been sheer skill and ability), but it's pretty hard not to think that steroids provided that extra "umph".


The planet is warming, and this Spring is simply outa' the ball park.

Pledge Marathon

I realize my blog has been inundated with posts regarding my fundraiser for HOPE HATCHES, making it like those pledge drives on NPR and PBS that keep interrupting programming. And I know you're wondering when the heck it's going to stop and return to pictures of wildlife. Well, we're almost there folks!


In case you hadn't heard, I decided to go with the $10,000 in theoretical pledges we raised during our unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign. That's a sufficient amount of funding to keep the project moving along.


So, I'm asking the people who pledged through Kickstarter to re-donate directly to HorsePower Pictures. That way we can tap the tremendous amount of support we generated without launching another Kickstarter campaign and losing critical production time.


To donate directly to HorsePower Pictures, click HERE and you'll be directed to our new WHEN HOPE HATCHES blog with steps on how you can contribute either by check or PayPal. If you pledged through Kickstarter, you won't be donating twice since your Kickstarter contribution was never withdrawn from your account. Your donation to HorsePower Pictures will be your only contribution.


Thanks so much for your time, patience and hopefully, contribution. I've got some posts coming real soon about the Osprey project. So stay tuned!

The "SOMETHING" in All-Or-Nothing

Well, we did not reach our funding goal with Kickstarter. Which means we didn't receive any money. However, we did generate nearly $10,000 in pledges, which is no chump change! That's still a lot of "virtual" money, and a lot of generated interest and support for the project.


So, the eggs are still incubating and WHEN HOPE HATCHES can still hatch.


One plan is to have an old-fashioned fundraiser and have all those backers simply re-contribute with a check made out to HorsePower Pictures. Many people said they'd be more than willing to do that. In fact, we found a fair percentage of people who just weren't open to the Kickstarter process. Either because they "won't use their credit card online" or they simply couldn't figure it out. 


A lot of good came out of the entire Kickstarter. Hope is alive and well for our doc.


I'll be making a decision any day now, and will notify the public very soon about our plans.


Thank you to everyone who pledged, voiced their support, helped out, and generally believes in the project and my work. I am eternally grateful. Thank you!

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLEDGE

- KICKSTARTER -

If you've been following my blog or website, you're well aware that I'm trying to raise the funds to finish an exciting new doc on a nesting pair of Osprey down on the Kalamazoo River. 

Well, the countdown has begun. In a matter of hours, minutes, seconds, our campaign will come to a close. If we don't raise $25,000 by 11pm, March 1st, we won't receive a single cent! That's the way all-or-nothing funding works. 

Will we reach our goal? Is it worth the time to pledge? The answer is potentially YES! But only if everybody kicks in now, in this final stretch. 

And don't worry about the risk. If we don't reach our goal, your credit-card will not be charged. You'll get your money back.

So, seriously consider supporting this entirely home-grown documentary about our own family of Osprey and our dear Kalamazoo River.

Our hopes are in your hands. Let's hatch this doc!

Aldo and the Stewards

The Stewards of Kleinstuck are hosting a screening of the documentary Green Fire, about the legendary environmentalist, Aldo Leopold, this Saturday, February 25th at 5 & 7pm at the Little Theater in Kalamazoo.

Aldo's Sand County Almanac inspired me greatly during the making of my urban wildlife documentary, ANIMALS AMONG US. That's why I'm especially interested in seeing this doc and learning more about the man behind the words and thoughts. 

I highly recommend this event to anyone who considers themselves green or an environmentalist. Actually, I recommend this event to anyone alive. Because, to be alive is to be a part of the landscape.

PLEDGE PARTY SUNDAY

This Sunday, February 26th, we're having a pledge party for anyone interested in learning more about the documentary and the Kickstarter fundraiser. 


It's geared specifically towards people uncomfortable or unfamiliar with pledging online. So, if you're a self proclaimed luddite, or just plain uneasy about using your credit card online, we can guide you through the entire process and make it an entirely painless experience. 


We can also address any questions people have about the fundraiser, Kickstarter, or the documentary. There is a lot going on with the project.


The event is at the Kalamazoo Nature Center from 2-4pm and is totally free. We'll have coffee, cider, cake AND a gift basket from Kalamazoo's own Nature Connection, located down in the Epic Center on the Kalamazoo Mall. That basket will be gifted to whoever makes the biggest pledge during our event, in addition to the regular pledge rewards!

The Word is Getting Out - Pledges Coming In

Second Wave of Kalamazoo just ran a nice piece on our project and fundraiser. You can read it HERE.