Great Day!

My day at the Fontenelle Forest wetlands didn't start out great.  I hiked to the lake and found it relatively empty.  There were a few Northern Shoveler Duck at the far side.  I checked out the prairie area.  It was quiet too - only a couple of Redwinged Blackbirds. 

As I hiked in the forest on the way to Stream Trail, I could hear birds but couldn't see them.  I spent some time trying to get a Ruby-crowned Kinglet photo but it remained deep in the branches.  I spotted several Brown-headed Cowbirds high in the trees.

 

I noticed a large bird fly away out of the corner of my eye.  I thought it was an owl.  I hiked near the area it had flown to and discovered a big hole in a huge cottonwood tree.  I thought I saw something move in the hole so I decided the owl was about to fly out.  Elliott Bedows walked by.  I told him about the hole and the owl.  Elliott said that Great Horned Owls don't live in holes.  He did point out that it was in plain sight several trees away.  Sure enough,  I was able to photograph it there and in a couple other places as it moved around.  I wonder if the lack of ducks on the lake had anything to do with their fear of the Great Horned Owl.

As soon as I started walking down Steam Trail, I saw many more birds.  There is more cover for them along this trail.  A group of Blue-winged Teal flew by.  It isn't easy to focus on little ducks when they are in front of trees - the camera's autofocus always picks the trees instead of the ducks.   I panned the camera and was able to get a shot of the flying ducks.

 A Redheaded Woodpecker was on a fallen log.  I seldom get to photograph them at eye level.  They are usually high in the trees.

As I proceeded down the trail, I ran into Elliott again.  Elliott had found another great thing for me to photograph - a Great Egret.  Apparently all I need to do to get great photos is to follow Elliott around.

A couple of male Cardinals were chasing each other around.  I watched them for awhile - but they didn't stay in any place long enough for a photo.  The only image I got isn't very good but it reminds me of the chase.

Canada Geese are so common in the wetlands, that I usually ignore most of them.  Today was different.  This shot is my favorite image of the day.  It isn't just a photo of geese, it shows behavior, action and the interaction between them. 

No Sign of Spring

The winter of 2013/2014 was long and bitter.  Today, March 10, the lake is still completely covered with ice. 

Winter is nearly over.  The ice that covered the stream is melting  Other than some melting ice, there is little evidence that Spring is imminent.  I didn't see any flowers, leaves or insects.  The Spring migration will not start until food is available.

This female Cardinal spent the winter in the forest.  

The Red-headed Woodpecker is searching for insects that spent the Winter in dead trees.

Spring Continues With A Warm Day

This marsh wren was searching for insects next to the water.

This white-throated Sparrow spent most of his time hidden on the forest floor.  I was able to capture this image when he jumped up on a fallen branch.

I'm not sure what this bird is called.  It moved like a warbler, but seemed a little too large.   It was searching for hidden bugs.

 If you enlarge this image, you can see exactly what this Spotted Sandpiper likes to eat.

This Red-headed Woodpecker is checking out one of the hundreds of dead trees that were killed in the 2011 flood.

Red-headed Woodpeckers Frolicking In Fontenelle Forest

Spring 2013 has been slow to arrive in Fontenelle Forest.  Today was the nicest day of the year and a pair of Red-headed woodpeckers were making the most of it.  I took a series of 5 photographs of them frolicking high overhead.

I used a Canon 800mm lens for these photos.  According to the data recorded by the camera, this sequence only took 4 seconds.

My Trouble With Bird Names - May 13 2012

I am in awe of the experienced birders.  They can identify and count birds a mile off before I can focus on a single one of them. If they hear a couple of notes, they don't even have to see the bird.  I don't share this ability.  I have four different bird books and still can't positively identify some of the birds that I photograph.

 I'm also not sure what kind of Warbler this is

This little bird is some kind of Flycatcher.

The Common Grackels were beautiful - their iridescence reflected in the sunlight.

This may be a Great-tailed Grackle.

I was able to photograph a pair of Hooded Merganser by shooting through some branches.  When I tried to get a better view, they were gone.

A Red-headed Woodpecker seemed to appreciate all of the extra dead wood this year.

The advantage of being the first to arrive at the wetlands is that you get to see a scene like this.  A pair of Great Blue Herons and a Wood Duck.