Wildlife in a Wild Year - My 2020 Nature Journey by N. G. Carlson

 

Beginning in March of 2020, I was on the island of Hawaii as COVID-19 started to initiate the closing down of the country and the rest of the world. I spent time taking photos of the wildlife close to where I was staying before leaving. 

Back in Minnesota, my early mornings were spent taking photos at Silverwood Park, Long Lake Regional Park, Elm Creek Park, and Bassett Creek Park. Other photos were taken at locations throughout the Minneapolis and St. Paul area at locations similar to my 2019 book Photographs of Minnesota Wildlife. 

This year I was able to watch birds raise their young and take photos of the parents and juveniles. Deer followed me around this year and kept popping up in unexpected places. Muskrats were a late season addition to a year of photographing wildlife. Birds make up most of the wildlife photos with the focus on waterfowl, woodpeckers, songbirds, and shore birds. 

This time in nature proved to be an excellent way to shift the focus away from the difficulties of 2020. I hope you find the photos a welcome distraction. Wildlife in a Wild Year is available from Amazon in paperback and kindle. You can also see more of my photos at https://zaphodmirror.picfair.com.

Wood Ducks in a tree (similar to those in the book) - N. G. Carlson

Yellow-billed Cardinal from Hawaii (similar to photos in the book) - N. G. Carlson