changes at Leica

Leica is updating its binocular line; the most interesting changes, however, are in spotting scopes. You will find the details on the Leica Birding Blog.

more from Big Stone NWR

In my Aug. 29, post I described the foggy, drizzly conditions during my stay at Blue Cloud Abbey and my trip to Big Stone. Yet the muted colors were beautiful.

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Eastern Kingbird

spider webs & tree mushrooms

from my trip last month to Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

an oval one

a square one

a triangle

Lake Superior palegic trips

There's still time to sign of for one of the several trips Mike Hendrickson has scheduled this month. Check out his web site!

a really BIG bird at the MN State Fair

birding at the Minnesota State Fair

new Nikon

The Nikon P5100 is the new flagship camera in the COOLPIX range, offering 12.1 megapixels, 3.5x zoom (35-123mm) and the EXPEED digital image processor. It will be available next month. What makes this camera interesting is that the model it replaces, P5000, was reportedly very good for digiscoping.

Wow!

How many frames per second do you need on your digital camera? 60 enough? Casio is working on just such a model.

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

While I was at Blue Cloud Abbey last week, there was one morning that looked promising. No fog -- sun shining -- so I took off for the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. The fog returned by the time I got to Millbank. The Refuge is just south of Ortonville and the fog lifted a little by the time I got there. Even without sun and blue skies, the 9+ auto loop through the refuge was entertaining as I hope you will gather from these photos.
I was greeted by this duck with an itch and a Belted Kingfisher who kept his suspicious eye on me.

Do you suppose this is why they call it Big Stone?
(more pictures to follow)

don't bug me

Has anybody else tried the Don't Bug Me! patch? I'd be interested in your experience. Mine was mixed the several times I used it. The first time was an early morning at Springbrook Nature Center when it seemed quite effective; but then, how do you really judge? -- maybe there weren't that many bugs around. Several nights later, when I took one of my telescopes out to the driveway to look at Jupiter, I was nearly eaten alive -- patch or no patch.

lethargy, cats & photographers

Often I would rather vegetate in front of the TV -- yet I have this irresistible urge to take photos. How to understand this? Read John Mikes' analysis on his Weekend Shooter blog.

new Canons

Read about the new Canon 1Ds Mark III -- priced out of sight but with a full-frame 21.1 megapixel sensor shooting at 5 fps and 45 focusing points. More reasonably priced is the new Canon 40D with a 10.1 mg sensor and capable of 6.5 fps.

turtles at Blue Cloud Abbey

info on new Nikons

From The Online Photographer.

more from Blue Cloud Abbey: it ain't just birds

feral kitty

feral mama cat

more from Blue Cloud Abbey

a rare glimpse of the Blue Cloud Abbey bell tower through the fog

chilly & wet sparrow

chilly & wet warbler
(more to follow)

foggy days at Blue Cloud Abbey

Each day at Blue Cloud Abbey was enveloped in fog and drizzle this week. Of course, that didn't stop me from taking pictures. I discovered that fog made correct exposure difficult and the drizzle was a challenge to my cameras and lenses. Although my Canons (20D & XTi) do not have the water resistant feature of the much more expensive professional bodies, most of my lenses are of the L-series which are sealed to protect against moisture.

one of the several wild sunflower fields

pine needles busy trapping fog

Eastern Kingbird
if you look carefully, you may see the very light drizzle

I'm back!

It's good to be home!
As much as I always enjoy my retreats at Blue Cloud Abbey, the return home to real life was welcome -- particularly when refreshed and strengthened by praying the Daily Office and fellowship with the monks.
My picture taking was another story. From Saturday through today we were blanketed by various degrees of fog which from time to time turned to drizzle. I only saw the sun was for a brief time yesterday morning. As I headed towards the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, even that brief ray of light disappeared and I was again enveloped by the ever-present gray and wet.
These two pictures will give you a little glimpse of what I kept seeing in the camera viewfinder.
But all was not lost -- I did have fun -- I did get some shots I liked.
More to follow as I progress with my editing.