A Gaggle of Goslings

The highlight of my Fontenelle Forest visit was watching several Canadian Geese and their goslings.  They were nibbling on the tender shoots of new grass.  The  proud parents were cautious but willing to show off their brood to me.

I had another opportunity to photograph a Yellow Warbler today.

The Common Yellowthroat Warbler nests in Fontenelle Forest.  This is the first one that I've seen this year.

The Yellow Rumped Warbler was moving from log to log near the stream.

This Northern Waterthrush was hunting for bugs in and near the water.

This Lesser Yellowlegs looks like it is standing on a giant toadstool  It is actually a stump that accumulated debris in the 2011 flood.  The Fontenelle Forest wetlands are still recovering from the flood.  In some places 90% of the trees are dead.

Before the flood, mink lived along the stream.  They were rarely seen.  Their habitat was completely flooded for months and I was afraid they was gone for good.  This morning, I spotted one again.  I wasn't able to get a photo.  When I do, that will be the highlight of another visit.

Dark, Cold and Damp

It was tempting to remain in my warm bed this morning.  I got up, dressed, and put on a heavy coat and boots that could handle the muddy trails.  Early morning is a great time for nature photos.  This morning was an exception.  Fontenelle Forest was dark, cold and damp.  

The sun didn't penetrate the heavy overcast so I had to increase my ISO to have any chance of stopping motion.  My 800mm lens has an aperture of f8 wide open and doesn't focus very quickly in the darkness.  The birds on the water were too distant and the birds in the trees were silhouettes. 

 

I was able to take a series of photos of a Lesser Yellowlegs.   There were more than usual out this morning. 

This male was continually calling out.  I'm not sure if he was calling for a mate or warning the other to stay away.  He wasn't very social. He chased away every other Yellowlegs that approached. 

April Showers Bring May Snow?

Fontenelle Forest was treated to an unusually late snowfall.    At least 2 inches fell, but the ground was warm enough to melt most of it overnight.

 

A pair of Blue-Winged Teal take flight as I approach.

 

A little Yellow Warbler was hopping from branch to branch looking for bugs.

 

A Lincoln's Sparrow watches me pass.

 

This Lesser Yellowlegs scurried off to a safer spot up the stream.

 

The late snow appears to have caused little damage.  If the tree leaves had been a little farther along it would have been different.  The snow was very wet and heavy.  Trees with larger leaves  would have been bent and broken.

Conditions were slick and muddy today.  I exercised caution and used a 400mm lens instead of the much heavier 800mm I normally use.  As a result, I had to decrease the distance to my subjects by several feet. 

Help From a Birder

I check NEBIRDS occasionally to see if any birders in the Omaha area have seen anything interesting.  Fontenelle Forest is a popular spot so occasionally a birder will report on the same day that I photographed there.  If I returned with photos of a dozen birds, the birder will report seeing at least 50 different kinds.  I have room to improve.  

Canadian Geese are common in Fontenelle Forest wetlands.  This one was resting next to the stream.

I continued  walking down the trail without any special images in my camera, when Phil Swanson walks up.  Phil is one of the best birders in the state.  Apparently the birds flock to him because he always sees more birds in one visit than I do in a dozen. 

I mentioned that I had seen a White-throated Sparrow.  Phil mentioned that he had already seen at least half a dozen different kinds of sparrows.

Phil's magic worked well today.  While we were talking, a Lesser Yellowlegs decided to pose for us on a mound of grass. 

 

I think some of Phil's magic rubbed off on me today.  I have never seen a Northern Bob White in Fontenelle Forest.  I enjoyed meeting this one a few hundred yards from the spot that I talked to Phil.

Spring Has Finally Arrived

Last year Nebraska had the earliest spring on record.  This year it is extremely late.  Now that we've had several days in a row without snow, I'm confident that  spring has finally arrived.  

I thought I was ready for the warblers to arrive.   Apparently not!  My ability to spot and focus on warblers before they move on is rusty.  I thought I saw a warbler but it was long gone I had a photograph.  

I spent some time photographing a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs.

This Swamp Sparrow was singing on a branch near the water.  The branch still is partially covered with mud from the 2011 flood.

There were several kinds of duck in the water.  Several wood ducks flew out of a tree before they in camera range.  The image above is an American Coot coming in for a landing.  

A Harris Sparrow was searching for food among the newly sprouted plants.