I was caught off guard spotting this crazy colored game bird from a distance. I didn't know what it was. As I approached closer, I was thrilled to see a juvenile pheasant coming into color.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Mama Mink and a Baby
I captured some photos of my first mink on film, which has been an ongoing chase for many years. I would only see one when I didn't have a camera or as they bolted across my path only to disappear as fast as I saw it. This time, with a trusty friends help with a location of a den, I grabbed a few shots as mama swam across a tiny stream, and as a baby sniffed out a bug that seemed quite curious. I only saw them for a few seconds each, but I'll take what I can get!
![Mama Mink and a Baby](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tf5rCp2Qqq8awZo0EuMQNwxZgIa7p5teZlAPow6XmyeaOcA6gFODmQeXHJ_KWo_585Imztxhp6vMjZ97uEbguqYZ-diF1lHsgp12XwQw_vOLwcHC3sDdhDI5Y5OzVqdYI=s0-d)
![IMG_4964](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sRLjE3d5sLPydI6tN6eRlPuaNjBnvIfzVRctBm5w6zMWrHqj5XjpCxo4PWH57UCmQLkfmWsINn_QpvtJd1w1fCgm7lemKF9we0M_947Zi41wAcT5qdFqlCLlOs-9nTKA=s0-d)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Yellow-headed Blackbird- A Lifer!
It took plenty of years to finally find this beauty! An extremely rare sighting in Illinois, I recieved word of a few about 60 miles away. I chose a good day, set out early and was rewarded, but not without a few hiccups/complaints! The directions were simple enough, but the vagueness in terrain became clear pretty quickly. I knew there wasn't a parking lot for this "state owned" property as of yet, so I was advised to park in the neighborhood close by. I did that, walked across the highway, to a sign stating the preserves name, but was questioning the "authorized vehicles only" part of it. I was assured that the sign was there to keep out the kids, so I began my journey. I was looking at a seldom used gravel road, followed by a footpath along a cornfield, to an open area, looking north for a cattail marsh as the directions say...Sounds easy! A half-mile walk! O.K...Let's just stop the drama here and just chalk one up to another place I care not to revisit. The immediate cattail area was awesome though! The YHBB sighting was awesome! He was very photogenic, and had I had a pair of rubber wading boots, he would have obliged me in some really nice close-ups!
![IMG_5838](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uVRw9QtWoiwiPpQ-qwHIun-3jQNY0dMn9Spg9RgBi9MWhoGpkmMeSki3qcBUuKyBYSGDnI4WQp_85BP7RDcOu5T01I1zCdnJNM-WQDvGSBnd0npq3Ap0WmuYKhuAHxoa8=s0-d)
![IMG_5862](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sQfc0Hq8CW34p1akOFGU9_tLqu5-Pe0jwuI-oKP_gF1olRJiQEQn4foX4Fk88QJomRM68akIayPeQxSX6H8-2Cvi40HeYzK8-EOGYcsbZasLSO51LdxneRjd9QZ3xr7Q=s0-d)
![IMG_5665](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uh0yE7xeeM6xdUu-zU1GSiWdt3QMVZjUQbHhKRPgoSF92KsZ-fP7AwjcJZoOBQI1I8ngcDBZfe-OhhfCYPq6tQVhpBL93ZWefgf3YPe6jlDGYG1FbIx5_q9xOFPORtLg=s0-d)
![IMG_5688](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_v35uen7S5nj07z60V_Via5IDxvZHSRU9t3tjdTclq4wFoIDdr8dh5_8kPWqwa5pUdNKVfSgVQTyMsPJOcSgw509jvYINOBsci8y25ucP_Cm3sXrAcbhRTlbmOlfqXL9QI=s0-d)
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Bobwhite: "Call All Ladies!" Video
A very personable Northern Bobwhite Quail whistling for a lady at close range. Plenty of songbirds can be heard in the background, and even a Robin joins his perch!
Bobwhite: "Calling All Ladies!" Video from peggy hanna on Vimeo.