A wonderful scene of bright sunlit color from the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan. Photography by Christopher Kierkus.

A Red Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) floats along the Grand River channel at Grand Haven, Michigan. Photo by Stacy Niedzwiecki.

“This is really what the inner range light in Grand Haven looked like at a few minutes after 6:00pm. The photo is essentially straight out of camera, and required very little digital manipulation.” – photographer Christopher Kierkus.

A Dark-eyed Junco captured in the photographer’s own backyard in Ottawa County, Michigan. Image by John Dykstra.

A view along the Grand River channel at Grand Haven State Park on a very cold evening after sunset. Photography by John Dykstra.

A lovely winter farm scene captured in Ottawa County, Michigan by photographer John Dykstra.

The frost-covered heads of a Common Teasel plant in Ottawa County, Photo by John Dykstra.

“Another shot of my favorite lonely tree at Holland State Park, taken about 20 minutes after sunset.” – photographer Christopher Kierkus.

Geese gather in the early morning at Grand River Park in Ottawa County, Michigan. Photography by John Dykstra.

This stunning image of the pier of Grand Haven during a winter sunset won First Place in the Spring 2010 “Pure Michigan” photo contest. Photography by Christopher Kierkus.

A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perched high on a tree top in Ottawa County, Michigan. Photography by John Dykstra.

Old Man Winter has firmly established his dominion over the beach in Grand Haven, Michigan. Photography by Christopher Kierkus.

A male Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in Ottawa County, Michigan – photographed by John Dykstra.

A row of autumn trees fading into the landscape along a foggy dirt road in Ottawa County, Michigan. Photography by John Dykstra.

The sun illuminates a dew-covered Dragonfly in Ottawa County, Michigan. Photography by John Dykstra.

Photographer John Dysktra captured this Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) at Crockery Creek County Park in Ottawa County, Michigan.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) photographed in Ottawa County, Michigan by John Dykstra

“Grand Haven boaters flee for cover as the gust front from a massive thunderstorm approaches. This same storm dropped a 3″ and a 5″ thick branch on top of our house this afternoon. Thankfully, no one got hurt, and damage was only minor.” ~ Christopher Kierkus

A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) wading, photographed by John Dykstra in Ottawa County, Michigan.

Dragonfly On Purple Loosestrife at Grand River Park in Ottawa County, Michigan – photo by John Dykstra.

Photographer John Dykstra says of his image, “I liked how the old, ragged barn wood complimented the windmill silhouette against the early morning sky. I also saw the barn as a filler of dead space and for framing.”

Great White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) in Aman County Park, Ottawa County, Michigan captured by photographer John Dykstra.
Share via: Share on bebo Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share on Orkut …

An American Bison reminds steadfast, despite the rapidly falling snow in Ottawa County, Michigan in this image captured by John Dykstra.

The sunset after the big blizzards of February 11, 2011 at Holland State Park, by photographer John Dykstra.

Photographer John Dykstra said of this image, “I have had about 50 – 60 wild turkeys coming to my backyard woods all winter. To take advantage of this opportunity, I cut a hole …

A Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) on its winter perch in Ottawa County, Michigan – photographed by John Dykstra.