… yesterday was epic … we released a very young American Kestrel back into the wild and I captured the first quarter of a second as she rocketed into the air and freedom with all the joy and risks that go with being alive in the wild.
The first-year survival rate for American Kestrels is between thirty and forty percent and each successive year after the first they have a little better than fifty percent chance of making it another year.
Pictured in the photo from the left are my friends Donna Michaels on whose ranch we released the Kestrel and Michele Losse the falconer (International Raptor and Falconry Center) who rescued and rehabbed the bird and finally “Michele” the American Kestrel who was rescued at about the age of thirty days and after four weeks of care is experiencing a second chance at life. We know she made it through the first day as Donna saw her in a field hunting this morning … we also put up a Kestrel box for her … we’re rooting for her!
Today was a day devoted to faceting and tomorrow cabbing and finishing off three pendants with gem silica that were promised a long time ago.
Into another beautiful day … share a smile with those you meet and greet today … life is fantastic!
Cheers,
Ted
Though I know I shall sometime no more open
my eyes to the light of the day,
I am one who looks at the stars when unchained from
the work-bench at nightfall.
They are a sign that I am not ephemeral, nor you, nor
you, whoever you are.
The dawn comes and the dark and the sign sparkling
in the brooding night forever and forever.
At Nightfall by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …
