Impression Evergreen

Last Light on Bergen Peak Bergen Peak’s high summit has been streaked with eternal snow all year long and the mountain’s east face is displayed like a silver facade. Ribbons of gray clouds fill the sullen sky, creating a forbidding flyway. During the transition between seasons, a mighty wind is funneled down through the foothills’ many drainages. It’s as if the powerful breeze banishes the current, lingering season and brings forth the stubborn, new one. After such a cold and stormy winter, the still frozen lakes and ponds have delayed the arrival of our feathered migrants. Despite harsh conditions, the first birds I’ve seen were a flock of famished American robins. The long flight apparently infused the red-breasted marauders with a voracious appetite. The birds were observed on the rocky slopes plucking blue berries from the fringes of a fresh juniper bush. The robins’ signature calls betrayed their frantic activity that added some color and interest to an otherwise dull...

American Robin The American Robin has become so common that his classical beauty is often overlooked and his mere presence taken for granted. By the end of February, males of this species show up here looking to establish territory. The identity of this Proclaimer of Spring is unmistakable with his bursting, brick-red chest, gray-brown back, charcoal head and pale throat with dark streaks. The bird’s sharp eyes are ringed with white and the yellow bill is tipped with black. He prefers to nest up high in the bough of a healthy ponderosa pine but he spends most of his day scampering about the meadow searching for insects and earthworms. While on the ground, he’s ever cautious as he keeps a wary eye out for any approaching birds of prey. He is an industrious bird that is first to rise in the morning and last to roost in the evening all the while singing a cheerful song. During the summer, his nightly lullaby serenades the forest dwellers with a peaceful melody. There are a f...

Courthouse and Jail Rocks On a wintry morning in western Nebraska, I wandered around Courthouse and Jail Rocks, photographing the countryside in bad weather. The megaliths were like ghosts of the Great Plains as they were barely visible during an extreme whiteout. It was no easy task trudging through a foot of deep snow but any type of moisture is a blessing for the parched prairie. The blizzard could only be truthfully documented in black and white because there wasn’t even the slightest hint of color. During a cautious approach across the bleak landscape, the formation was a gray apparition that flickered in and out of view. Just as resilient as the first settlers, a solitary tree was somehow still standing fast in the face of fierce, northerly winds. The return to the roadside was a gloomy venture provoked by bitter cold. Along the way, a cheerful robin singing in the tangled brush was a surprising ray of hope that brightened the dreary day - spring may actually be closer...

A most unpleasant spring storm On Mom's special day, Mother Nature unleashed her fury. In the middle of May we got hit with the most unpleasant storm of the year. After an unusually dry winter, the snow came in waves of large, moist flakes that poured down from above like rain. The surprise blizzard disrupted a holiday, soccer games and nest-building. There were angry birds perched in the cold, white meadow. Irritated robins became feathery puff balls waiting patiently for better weather. Meanwhile, agitated red-winged blackbirds sought refuge in the surrounding cattails. Native conifer trees and budding aspen remained defiant as they were well adapted to handle the barrage of heavy snowfall. In the distance, the softened edges of mountainous contours melted into the misty atmosphere. Volatile weather offers the artist an opportunity to experience nature in a more interesting way. Dark storms produce rare lighting effects that can't be found on a perfectly sunny day. Y...