8 Point Buck in Velvet

As a good part of my exercise program, I like to go on nature walks. I can't stand doing laps anymore, or care about beating a time standard, but I do enjoy just going out in the fresh air for an hour or more and keeping my eyes and ears open. Yesterday, as I was stumbling out of a wooded trail, probably swatting mosquitoes in a low blood state, I quite literally almost fell over this gal just as I hit the clearing. As she was busy getting a whiff of my smelly self, I calmly reached into my pocket and pulled out my little point and shoot camera for some up close and personal portraits before she slowly wandered off to her deer framly.


This morning, in a different location. (A Milwaukee County Park), I caught glimpse of this deer. "Oh, another deer" I thought, so I pulled out my point and shoot once again and took a snap shot.  Wanting to see how close I could get, I quietly started to talk to her and when I reached the breaking point, she split.

THEN, I saw what I really had in hand! An eight point buck in full velvet! 

I had pulled out my Canon DSLR with 400mm telephoto now, but kept taking to him, slowly following his trail. I finally got to within probably 40 yards when I took this final photo before he split for good. A trophy photo suitable for framing.

Grobschmidt Park 3 - Red Neck Picnic

Yesterday I had an impromptu picnic at Grobschmidt park on the way home from the store. A cool front had just passed taking the fairly high humidity with it, so it was about 75 degrees and partly cloudy. Very few mosquitoes or ticks as well, so it was quite pleasant.

Mud Lake - Grobschmidt Park

The brush and reeds around the lake are really getting taller now, making access to the water more difficult. I have a feeling that the waterfowl are starting their early summer molt now, spending much of their time hiding in the reeds, so few ducks are to be found anyway. There was a Great Egret out on the island, but that was about it out there.

'The Pier'

The 'pier' is underwater ... simply a plank some fishmen brought out here to help gain access to the water. Other than this, the 'beach' on the other side is the only easy access to the water without getting your feet wet, and the 'beach' isn't much to talk about either. Bad for people, great for wildlife!

View from the 'pier'.

Painted Turtle

I ride my bicycle to here, but once here, I try to walk everywhere. Sometimes I ride the trail, but if I do, then I WILL miss things ... such as this midland Painted Turtle laying eggs right next to the path. I noticed a number of similar holes along here and had I not seen this turtle, I wouldn't have known what they were for. So, according to Wikipedia, come August, I'll have to start looking for little ones!

After lunch, I packed up and slowly walked up the trail towards the two marshes to see if I could find any other turtles. Down at marsh level, there is a trickle of water that crosses the path. It runs most of the year, and here's what I saw there.

Mushroom

So, when you're riding your MTB through the woods, splashing through the streams, and you think you're soaking up all this nature ... think again. You're missing more than you think!

Other sightings included a Baltimore Oriole, but few other notable birds. This cool mushroom (looks like a great place to hide in a rainstorm if you're a bug).

Speaking of bugs, here's a yellow Bumble Bee I was able to capture, and I also saw two Monarch Butterflies. First of the year for me, perhaps they just hatched? I dunno.







Lastly, here's a few more wildflowers seen along the way. If you can help identify any, post your comments below!

Protected Birds

"SLOWLY BACK AWAY FROM THE POND!" Well, I'm sure that's what they WANTED to say.

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) - Oak Creek. Classes have been over this week, so the place is pretty quiet. I stayed 100 yds away from their buildings and their parked cars, but I 'did' walk around their frog ponds. "You didn't!" I DID! and I had two (2) security cars watch me do it. I stayed on the mowed grass, and just kept my eyes on the birds. Even with all this intimidation I saw 2 Wood Ducks, some pretty big turtles, heard some frogs, and got some shots of their highly protected Canada Geese!

THEN, you know what I did? I went to Mitchell Airport Park "Did you say AIRPORT???? Shut up!" Yup. It's labeled "park", it's ACROSS THE ROAD from the airport and it belongs to the public, and I walked across it! Despite three (3) federal security cars watching me (one unmarked and 2 marked with their lights flashing) I came out with a photo of one of their Savanah Sparrows. I did! Then when they weren't looking (they probably were) I even got a photo of their Meadowlark! As I rode my bike towards home (my big 12 mph get away), the unmarked car followed me. Hope he got good photos of me. Society has gone NUTZ! I give them credit for none of them actually stopping me and asking what I'm doing (I'm pretty sure it was obvious), but it won't be long before they will.  Really? It takes 3 security cars to watch me take photos of birds in a marked, public park, across the road from the airport? Is everyone looking for the BIG BUST? What an interesting day to say the least! 

Savanah Sparrow

Eastern Meadowlark

Little ones of Nature

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Sitting here, waiting for the rain to stop, so I thought I'd revisit some of the young critters I've encountered the past few years.

These Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were 10 feet of the walking path at Greenfield Park. I heard a faint 'peep peep' and there they were (while dozens of people listening to their iPods walked right by).

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Horicon Marsh - Auto Tour. "This gravel is the BEST!"

Canada Geese goslings Horicon Marsh

Grant Park - South Milwaukee at the old mill pond.

Canada Geese gosling Grant Park South Milwaukee

Horicon Marsh - Dike Road

Canada Geese goslings Horicon Marsh

Horicon Marsh - Auto Tour: Hooded Merganzers

Hooded Merganzers Horicon Marsh

Horicon Marsh Auto Tour
(driving through here at 25mph is too fast! Go S-L-O-W)

Robin's nest Horicon Marsh

Scout Lake - Greendale, WI

Mallard ducklings Scout Lake Greendale Wisconsin

Fox River Park - Waukesha, WI

Sandhill Cranes Fox River Park Waukesha Wisconsin

Root River Parkway - Greenfield, WI

Whitetail Deer fawn Greenfield Wisconsin

The End

Canada Goose goslings Horicon Marsh

Furry Critters

So, flowers are pretty easy to take pictures of. Sure, it takes some practice to get pleasing angles, but they can't run away from you. Birds are harder. To get 'a' bird isn't so tough, to get THAT bird may be very challenging.

Then come four legged animals ... it depends on where you live. You may have some in your backyard that will eat out of your hand, while those out in the woods can be quite elusive.

 I just happened to catch this mink late in the morning at a nearby pond late one morning. A few people come here to fish, but other than that, it's a pretty quiet area.

I was a good 50 meters away from him, yet he did not like me being in his yard and when I looked away for just an instant, he was gone. It sure was a treat finding him though. Maybe our paths will cross again one day.

 I found this pair of coy-wolves just a mile from home in a park that's so small, I usually forget that it's there. It was a cold morning (-5F) just after a light snowfall.  What caught my eye was all the tracks in the fresh snow that had just fallen only a few hours before.




They were laying in those reeds at the edge of this pond and I didn't see them until one got up to stretch, then wandered off. Shortly followed by the second one who has something going on with her fur! I went back a number of times, but no new tracks, never saw them again.

Deer are always fun. Found these two right along a very busy walking trail at the local nature center.  Person after person walked right by this pair, oblivious to their presence. They were quite accommodating to me and when I left them, I met a group of 3rd graders and their teacher. I showed them where this pair was, and to be very quiet. Oh were they happy to see this pair of deer on their nature walk.

Farm animals can be fun.
These I found just while out driving.

Of course pets are a great subject as well.

Just remember, where ever you are, keep shooting!

Voila! ... Irises in Bloom!

This morning the irises bloomed! A few had been trying for the past few days, but late this morning we had a spring rain shower, followed by bright sun and VOILA! You can still see the rain drops on the pedals.