PERCHED ON A COTTONWOOD TREE BRANCH COMMON LOON (GAVIA IMMER) The fog has an ethereal

The fog has an ethereal feeling about it and photographing it in black and white really brings out that feeling

I was pretty excited about the encounter

An early morning dusting of snow in Northern Illinois brings a beautiful winter scene to this prairie landscape with a charismatic peachleaf willow tree standing tall alongside the trail and among the wetland cattails at Wildflower Park

other trees and bushes in the area are engulfed in crystals from the freezing rain at Wildflower Park

PERCHED ON A COTTONWOOD TREE BRANCH COMMON LOON (GAVIA IMMER) The fog has an etherealA friendly red winged blackbird decides to let me get close enough while it perches on a branch from a cottonwood tree during an early spring morning walk through Wildflower Park. (558 34)