Sunday, November 22, 2015
Winter has set in with a harsh reality as our overnight
temperatures have dipped into the single digits the past few nights, creating a
hard frost on everything. The biting
cold of the morning was in sharp contrast to the warmth of the eastern sky as the
sunrise lit up the sky and silhouetted a large tree across the road with brilliant
shades of red and orange.
As the morning progressed however, it transformed into a
reasonably pleasant day; enough so that a sweatshirt was sufficient for short
trips outdoors. Birds apparently stayed
under cover for I heard or saw none at those times I was outside.
A quick trip to Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge late Saturday
afternoon revealed slim pickins’ for birds, but some wonderful lighting from
the setting sun. There were the usual White-tail Deer, and a large flock of wild Turkeys.
I also managed some nice shots of the Trumpeter Swans, of which there are quite a few that seem to be content to winter over, rather than to have joined their brethren in the fall migration.
A pair of the swans took flight as I was photographing them, and circled over me before heading to parts unknown. I was fortunate to capture them in flight, with the fading sunlight over the mountains behind them. 
And the lighting was absolutely perfect for a final shot as I left the refuge - that of one of my favorite barns, which I believe was part of an old homestead settled long before the refuge was established. I've taken many photos of this barn over the years, but I have to say that this one is now my favorite! 
