wildlife Archives • Into the Light Adventures

By Sandra J

Life often teaches us in the most unexpected ways, and sometimes, it takes the simplest moments to reveal profound truths. Recently, I experienced a beautiful metaphor for resilience and grace. I want to share this lesson from a little seed I planted and then forgot.

A few months ago, I planted a few sunflower seeds. I nurtured it for a while, watering and tending to it with hope and excitement. But as time went on, I grew disheartened. The seed showed no signs of life, and eventually, my attention waned. I stopped watering it, convinced that it had failed. I gave up on it completely.

Imagine my surprise when I returned to the garden weeks later. There, midst the weeds and the remnants of my neglect, stood a stunning flower, vibrant and full of life. The colors were brilliant, and its presence was nothing short of miraculous. How could something I had abandoned flourish in my absence?

In that moment, I couldn’t help but reflect on how similar this is to our own lives and faith journeys. We often plant seeds of hope, love, and dreams. However, we sometimes see them wither due to doubt. Despair or the daily grind can also cause them to wither.

We find ourselves overwhelmed, wondering if anything we’ve nurtured will ever bloom. Just like my neglected seed, we feel like our efforts have gone unnoticed, forgotten in the chaos of life.

This experience with the flower taught me a powerful truth. Even when we give up, God is still at work. There are times we feel our prayers are unanswered. We believe our efforts are fruitless. But, like that seed, growth often occurs beneath the surface. It remains unseen and unfelt.

God’s timing is perfect, and His plans are often beyond our comprehension. My flower emerged when I least expected it. Similarly, we find that our moments of struggle and doubt can lead to unexpected beauty. Sometimes, what seems like an end is merely a pause, allowing God to work in ways we can’t imagine.

Autumn Sunflowers

By Sandra J

Graceful Pelican Landing

By Sandra | October 9, 2024 | Comments 16 comments

Graceful Pelican Landing A Mesmerizing Display of Nature’s Precision

Witnessing a white pelican land on water is a mesmerizing spectacle of nature’s artistry and precision. As the pelican descends, its majestic wings spread wide, creating a grand, sweeping arc against the sky. The powerful beats of its wings gradually soften, guiding the bird into a graceful and controlled descent

The air currents interact with the pelican’s wings. This creates a delicate balance. It allows the bird to approach the water with both elegance and precision.

The pelican in the water, glances to its right, clearly uncertain about the landing abilities of the other bird.

As the pelican touches down, the air currents from its landing ruffle the feathers of the second pelican nearby.

This graceful landing is marked by the pelican’s aerodynamic glide. It skillfully uses its feet as natural skis. This is a testament to the remarkable interplay of power and poise in nature.

It’s a moment where every element—from the sweeping wingspan to the delicate touch on the water—comes together. It results in a harmonious show of beauty and precision.

Graceful Pelican Landing

By Sandra J

A Majestic Marvel of Nature

By Sandra | October 8, 2024 | Comments 12 comments

The white pelican is a majestic marvel of nature, embodying a blend of grace, power, and beauty in its wingspan. As it spreads its wings, the sheer expanse is nothing short of breathtaking. With a wingspan that can reach up to nine feet, the white pelican commands the sky. Its presence is almost regal.

The beauty of the white pelican’s wingspan is remarkable. The contrast of its pristine white feathers against the vast sky accentuates this beauty even more.

As sunlight filters through the feathers, they can shimmer with a soft, iridescent glow. When the pelican soars, it casts a striking silhouette against the horizon. Its wings form a dramatic, sweeping arc. This captures the eye.

A Majestic Marvel of Nature

By Sandra J

Cooper’s Hawk

By Sandra | October 4, 2024 | Comments 28 comments

Cooper’s Hawk – here it is. A small hawk, but he can move. He was chasing the blue jays in and out of the trees so fast. It was hard to get a photo of it.

He would chase one and then it would escape through the trees. It would wait for one to move and at it again.

The blue jays are just as fast and can zip in and out of the tree branches as well.

I never did see the hawk catch one bird. I did see the blue jays chase it off many times. But it would come back a few days later and try again.

Nature taking its course. Oh, and when the blue jays are warning everyone around that the hawk is here. All the bird species take cover. The chickadees stay hidden until the coast is clear.

Have a great weekend.

Cooper’s Hawk

By Sandra J

Little Known Fact

By Sandra | October 3, 2024 | Comments 15 comments

Little Known Fact about the Blue Jays, or maybe others do know this about this colorful bird.

They work together when danger is close by. I have heard others say that blue jays are a pest. Mainly because they kind of hog the bird feeders. Well, they do that, yes. I have seen them, but other birds can be pushy as well, like the grackles and morning doves.

I saw for the first time a Coopers Hawk hanging around my bird feeders this year. It just doesn’t seem right that a bird will eat another bird. Coopers hawks do just that.

We knew when the hawk was in the area because all the blue jays give out warning calls. All of a sudden the hawk is flying after one, as the blue jay gets away. All the blue jays start chasing the hawk.

I will have photos of that tomorrow. I was pretty impressed how these blue jays stuck together to try and chase it off. More tomorrow.

Little Known Fact

By Sandra J

There Are 4 of These

By Sandra | October 2, 2024 | Comments 5 comments

There are 4 species of nuthatches found in North America. They are the red-breasted nuthatch, the white-breasted nuthatch, the brown-headed nuthatch, and the pygmy nuthatch. 

While they have distinct physical features, these tree-climbing birds share habitat, food, nesting, and foraging behaviors in common.

I photographed two of them this fall here at my place.  The white breasted and the red one.

Plus I included some more Chickadee photos. I can’t resist taking their photos when they practically come right up to me.

There Are 4 of These

By Sandra J

Little Birds in Slow Motion Video Link

They May Be Tiny

By Sandra | October 1, 2024 | Comments 23 comments

They May Be Tiny but they are fast little birds. Here’s to some of the prettiest tiny birds this fall from my backyard.

Watch this video on YouTube.
Sandra J's Photography

They May Be Tiny

By Sandra J

5 Ds of Dodge Ball

By Sandra | September 30, 2024 | Comments 9 comments

5 Ds of Dodge Ball – Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge

These blue jays have the moves of the old Dodge Ball Game. Do you remember that game. I do, we played it in gym class. I don’t think they play that one anymore.

I just bought that old movie Dodge Ball, it is a classic for me.

Dodge

Duck

Dip

Dive

Dodge

Watch this video on YouTube.
Sandra J's Photography

5 Ds of Dodge Ball

By Sandra J

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary

By Sandra | September 24, 2024 | Comments 22 comments

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary near Paducah KN. I just looked at the map and saw a green area not far from us. So we took a drive to see what it was.

This area had a nice size man made lake with a road that you can drive all around it. Plenty of habitat for a lot of birds and people out fishing on the lake as well.

We discovered this new bird walking along the shore line.

Dozens of Egrets in the trees and on land. I will definitely be visiting this park again to see more birds.

Discovering the New Bird Sanctuary

By Sandra J

Just One Shot

By Sandra | September 20, 2024 | Comments 14 comments

Just One Shot is all I get of these sand hill cranes. They landed in the field next to our place. You can hear them easily in the mornings, as they make their bird calls.

This particular morning they flew right over my head and landed the next field over. I went out there to get a photo of them and only snapped this one before they took off. They were quite far away as well.

I never realized they have red eyes like the black swans until I looked at this photo.

Just One Shot

Have a Great Weekend

By Sandra J

Shake Shake Shake

By Sandra | September 13, 2024 | Comments 10 comments

Shake Shake Shake. After eating its fish dinner, time to shake off the water.

Have a great weekend. 😉

Shake Shake Shake

By Sandra J

Heron Fishing

By Sandra | September 12, 2024 | Comments 20 comments

Heron Fishing today and this one is having some good luck. Catching big fish and eating them right away.

Before we left the small lake, heron tried again for a fish and came up empty handed. 🙂

Watch this video on YouTube.
Sandra J's Photography

Heron Fishing Video Link

Heron Fishing

By Sandra J

These Little Guys are Back

By Sandra | August 22, 2024 | Comments 24 comments

These Little Guys are Back – and lots of them. They are just so precious and friendly.

I made some holiday cards of this little bird. Chickadees and snow scenes go together so well. 🙂

These Little Guys are Back

By Sandra J

She is Sneaky

By Sandra | August 16, 2024 | Comments 15 comments

She is Sneaky this little fawn, she is just starting to come out of the woods with mom in this first photo, the minute I come out with the camera she high tails it back to the woods.

Everyday she is getting more brave to not run when she sees me, she is curious and mom keeps a close eye on her.

Have a great weekend.

She is Sneaky

By Sandra J

By Sandra | August 9, 2024 | Comments 9 comments

The Sly Fox – I photographed this beautiful animal on the gulf coast. I don’t see fox very often, they are around where I live, but never see them during the day. I did catch one on my trail camera last week passing by.

Beautiful animals, have a wonderful weekend.

This is AI’s version of my fox photo painted. I kind of like it. In any of my digital work, I always list it as digital. I am a photographer before being a digital artist. But I always use photos I take to get this look with the help of technology.

The Sly Fox

By Sandra J

Spring Bird Family Vacations

By Sandra | July 25, 2024 | Comments 10 comments

Spring Bird Family Vacations – or lets call it the bird resort here at our place. This is the baby update of these 4 birds who have nested around our place.

The Raven is here every year all year. This couple had 2 babies this year. I have been trying to get a photo of all 4 of them together, but not easy to do. The 2 babies follow mom and dad everywhere still wanting to be fed by them. I just love watching how birds take care of their families.

I had mentioned in an earlier post that the Eastern Bluebirds had 4 babies. They have all left the nest and I am really going to miss these because they eat a lot of bugs. One baby somehow landed in a bucket I had outside, I took him over by the bird house and he wondered out of the bucket and than flew off.

I hope they come back next year.

The beautiful Tree Swallows had 4 or 5 babies. It is hard to count these because they fly so fast. They have all left as well. I looked up on the internet to find out where do they go after fledging. It said they usually find a group of their own and all hang out together until they fly south for the winter.

My northern Flicker residence are still here and they had 2 babies as well. I still see them flying around as a family for now.

If I can get any new photos of the kids, I will surely share them with you.

Spring Bird Family Vacations

Love of Bird Photography

By Sandra | July 24, 2024 | Comments 19 comments

Love of Bird Photography – Some of my favorite shots this summer so far.

Eastern Bluebird on the Fly, update on these birds nesting in my purple martin house. They had 4 babies and I saw one fly out of the bird house with its parent. The other 3 would take turns coming out of the nesting box and sit on the little porch. That is a small space for 4 baby birds so they are all probably about ready to test their wings and fly to a tree.

Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird stopping by the feeder.

Shore bird after a dip in the water

Oh and my favorite, the White Pelican in flight. Nothing I love more than photographing these beautiful birds as they fly right over top of me. It is very hard to hold the camera in a complete vertical position but so worth the efforts. 🙂

Love of Bird Photography

By Sandra J

What’s Up

By Sandra | May 22, 2024 | Comments 13 comments

What’s Up – with a little head tilt up as this heron fly’s by looking at me. I can just picture it doing the heads up nod that people do to say hay.

That is what I did to him. 🙂

You know what the head nod is? We do it a lot when driving out on country roads. When a car approaches and the person waves at you, you either raise your first finger up as a wave back or the head nod. The shorter version of a wave.

What’s Up

By Sandra J

The Blob

By Sandra | May 20, 2024 | Comments 14 comments

The Blob – did you ever see the movie, the Blob, I think it came out back in the 70’s. This first photo reminded me of that movie as these little birds are trying to run away from the foam in the water.

These little sand pipers are made for running, they are such a fast little bird running on the beach.

These feet are made for standing, knobby knees and all. The gulls don’t do a lot of running on the beach. They can stand for a long time, just watching and looking for a an opportunity to find some food.

The Blob

By Sandra J

Patience is a Virtue

By Sandra | May 10, 2024 | Comments 16 comments

Patience is a Virtue, The Eastern Bluebird – this colorful bird seems to be all over the Midwest, but I have only recently started seeing it more and more.

This first photo I took of this colorful bird over 10 years ago as I was on a walk and it just happened to land on this sign. One takes a picture no matter what the background is or the perch the bird is sitting on, when you get to see a new bird like this one.

Well, over the years of practice and improving my photography skills. I have learned to be more patient and learned more about birds and their behaviors so I can work at getting just the right shot to highlight the species and not have to many distractions in the photo, when possible.

That is not always possible with wildlife. But we do get lucky now and then.

I kept an eye on this Eastern Bluebird as it went from branch to branch. It was perched deep in the tree at first, as new leaves on the branches were blocking my view from getting a nice clear photo.

UNTIL

It finally landed on a branch that was hanging low under the tree. This is what I was waiting for, a clear view of this beautiful bird on just one branch.

I love it when my patience gives way to a beautiful photo like this. Showcasing the beauty of this little bird. 🙂

Patience is a Virtue

Have a great weekend.

Patience is a Virtue

By Sandra J

Hooded Merganser & MouseBird

By Sandra | May 9, 2024 | Comments 6 comments

Hooded Merganser – Last of the birds from the Mississippi Aquarium. I almost missed these two. The Hooded merganser you can find at many places throughout the states. Such an interesting duck, it is a fish eating duck.

This one is decked out in its breeding colors. The white areas are so bright, it really catches the eye of the females.

This one is the Speckled Mousebird.

This family was named for their soft fluffy, mousy grey-brown plumage and long, thin tails, and their mouse-like habit of scurrying around in brush as they search for food.

Due to their low-calorie, fruit-based diet, these birds go into torpor (temporary or semi-hibernation) on cold nights to conserve energy. During this time, their heart rate slows down, their body temperature decreases and they remain in a so-called “suspended animation” until it is time for them to wake up and feed again.

The only other groups of birds known to go into temporary hibernation are hummingbirds and nighthawks. These mousebirds generally roost in tight groups of 20 or more birds to prevent heat loss and also to deter nocturnal predators.

Speckled Mousebirds occur naturally in Africa – from Cameroon east through the Central African Republic, southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and south Somalia, south through Kenya (except for the arid northern and eastern lowland areas of Kenya), eastern Africa to southern South Africa.

Hooded Merganser & MouseBird

The Red Headed Woodpecker

By Sandra | May 3, 2024 | Comments 22 comments

The Red Headed Woodpecker – I am still working on getting a good photo of this bird. I only see this one when I am in Illinois. They are a fast bird and easy to spot with the bright red and white feathers.

Of course, I was walking one morning, without a camera, which I have always told myself never to do. This woodpecker landed on a tree right in front of my at eye level. I can only shake my head at how that would have been a great shot.

Normally I am pointing my camera straight up into the trees to photograph this bird. Birding is always a challenge, a fun one at that.

Have a great weekend.

The Red Headed Woodpecker

By Sandra J

The Ibis Group

By Sandra | April 30, 2024 | Comments 11 comments

The Ibis Group – There are a number of different birds belonging to the ibis group spread across the planet. In each place where they dwell, ibis make a lasting impression. Their distinctive decurved bill shape sets them apart from similar wading birds and makes them an instantly recognizable artistic motif.

The Ibis Group

By Sandra J

Good Ole Song Birds

By Sandra | April 29, 2024 | Comments 10 comments

Good Ole Song Birds, lets start the week with some good ole song birds from the mid west here. One can never go wrong with the cardinals. Spring time means bright red colors for these male cardinals. I have taken many, many photos of these birds, so what keeps me taking more of him?

Well, trying to find a different background to add to the photo. The bird looks about the same in every shot, but it is the background that can be a challenge to change up the photo.

There are lots of different trees these birds land in, so I look for a shot where the trees or branches will make for a new and interesting print.

By Sandra J

The Scarlet Ibis

By Sandra | April 26, 2024 | Comments 19 comments

The Scarlet Ibis

The scarlet ibis, sometimes called red ibis (Eudocimus ruber), is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its remarkably brilliant scarlet coloration makes it unmistakable.

This picture below is a photo that I took in Louisiana, the white Ibis. My first time seeing an Ibis bird.

Have a great weekend.

The Scarlet Ibis

By Sandra J

The Saffron Finch

By Sandra | April 25, 2024 | Comments 12 comments

The Saffron Finch – probably the prettiest yellow with a touch of orange over the eye. What a bird this one is.

The saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola) is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin.

By Sandra J

Pied Imperial Pigeon

By Sandra | April 24, 2024 | Comments 37 comments

Pied Imperial Pigeon

The pied imperial pigeon (Ducula bicolor) is a relatively large, pied species of pigeon. It is found in forest, woodland, mangrove, plantations and scrub in Southeast Asia, ranging from Myanmar and Thailand, throughout Indonesia and east to the Philippines

Pied Imperial Pigeon

By Sandra J

Nicobar Pigeon

By Sandra | April 23, 2024 | Comments 13 comments

Nicobar Pigeon – the most brilliant colors I think I have ever seen on a bird.

One of the most beautiful breeds of Columbidae, the Nicobar pigeon is the only remaining living member of the genus Caleonas.

This might not mean anything to a casual bird lover, but it means that the Nicobar pigeon is believed to be the closest living relative of the dodo, the extinct bird that has come to be a symbol of extinct animals all over the world.

The Nicobar pigeon, as the name suggests, originated in the Islands of Nicobar.

These islands are a union territory of India along with the Andaman Islands (home of the rare Andaman wood pigeon) and lie in the eastern Indian Ocean.

The Nicobar pigeon is known not only in Nicobar but also Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Nicobar Pigeon