Fontenelle Forest - September 1

The Fontenelle Forest Wetlands looked different today.  Summer is turning into fall.  Birds are beginning to flock.  The backgrounds of some of my photos are turning into shades of yellow and orange.  Birds are more difficult to identify as the youngsters mix with the older birds.  Sunrise is arriving later every day.

A Ruby-throated Humming bird visits a flowering Bull Thistle in search of nectar.

A sparrow searches for another bug.

A Raccoon  searches for food along the back of the pond.

A young Cardinal  is learning to live on his own.

A Red-winged blackbird watches from a Maximilian Sunflower plant.

A couple of young Red-winged Black Birds enjoy a September morning.

Fontenelle Forest - June 9 2012

I arrived before sunrise today and was rewarded with a glance at a distant deer waling through the foggy forest.

A raccoon was searching for food along the shore. He glowed in the light of the rising sun.

Buffalo-bur doesn't normally bloom until July.

A Killdeer enjoyed the early morning light.

If this is a Swamp Aster, it is blooming early as well.

This Black-capped Chickadee was searching for lunch.

Wild Turkeys have become fairly common but truly wild ones are difficult to photograph in the wild.

This mother Wood Duck was followed by eight ducklings.

The Raccoons are Back . May 10 2012

I've seen evidence of raccoons on my previous visits this year.  Today I photographed the real thing.  This raccoon was up in a Mulberry tree feasting on berries. 

When he noticed me, he hid behind some branches to take a better look.  He didn't like what he saw so he immediately climbed down the back side of the tree and disappeared into the woods.

This Cat bird is enjoying mulberries as well.

A tiny butterfly flies among the tiny white flowers.

A male Orchard Oriole is looking for a lady.