Turtles, Swans and Ducks!

 

My favorite wildlife photos from the past week. I especially love the turtles! 

Moon Rays over Lake Superior

The moon peeks out from behind the clouds on a sublimely calm August night over Lake Superior in Grand Portage, MN. 

Partial Lunar Eclipse - August 27, 2026

 

Northern Lights on August 19, 2026

 

What a beautiful night last night! The space weather forecast was calling for a slight chance of northern lights, so I decided to head out for a few hours and see if anything would materialize. At first, there was no discernible glow of aurora in the sky, but the stars looked amazing! I found a nice spot by a local stream and set up my camp chair for a while to just sit and take in the view. It was unbelievably calm. Not a lick of wind, not a single mosquito, and absolutely no noise coming from anywhere in the surrounding forest. It was so calm and quiet it was almost spooky. 

After a while I drove to the location seen in this photo, overlooking a small lake with a nice pine tree in the foreground. It was 2:00 AM when I made the photo. The aurora was visible to the naked eye, but was very faint. The high sensitivity of the camera sensor and the exposure length of 15 seconds made for a very nice image. Things have been pretty hectic and busy lately so it was nice to get out and spend some quiet time with the water, forest, and sky. 

Sandhill Cranes near Thunder Bay

 

What a special treat it was to be driving to the movie theater in Thunder Bay yesterday and randomly see about 100 sandhill cranes hanging out in a farm field just minutes away from the city! 

A Lazy August Afternoon

 

That little turtle is definitely living his or her best life!  Check out the outstretched rear legs... looks like a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon!

R/V Kiyi - Grand Marais Harbor

 

While in Grand Marais this evening, I was excited to see the research vessel Kiyi tied to the breakwall near the lighthouse. There was some fog floating in and out of the harbor which really made for some interesting photos.