The Flying Flicker Circus

While out and about looking for fall colors in McKinley Woods, I heard the distinctive call of the Flicker and spotted him as he chose a new tree to land in. I focused in on him and took a shot.



It was kinda distant, so I knew it was a throwaway shot...










...but as I was processing this thought, he hopped down to a twig and began his acrobatic display.








He found a berry to eat, so his selection of trees was obvious...








He reached down to get another berry when all control was lost!









He swung back and forth and just couldn't regain his balance...











Seeing the bright yellow underparts were a highlight of this chaos...










His wings and tail feathers displayed the gorgeous yellow we almost never see.











He never gave up trying to balance himself on the scrawny lil twig!











I had no idea of what settings I was using, but prayed for the best...










...and although these are not the best quality work I've ever done, I am so glad I got to see this acrobatic display!

Finally... Some Fall Colors!

The blazing autumn colors have finally arrived here in northern Illinois! It took a whole lot of miles and the whole weekend, as I drove from county to county to find the beauty, and trips to parks I haven't been to in awhile, searching for the golds, reds, and orange hues of Fall.


Pilcher Park, Joliet, Il.



Pilcher Park, Joliet, Il



McKinley Woods, Channahon, Il



Pilcher Park, Joliet, Il



Hammel Woods, Shorewood, Il



Hammel Woods, Shorewood, Il



Pilcher Park, Joliet, Il



Tandem Lake (private property), Morris Il



McKinley Woods, Channahon, Il



McKinley Woods, Channahon, Il



McKinley Woods, Channahon, Il



Forest near Mazon Creek

I couldn't find any of the "babbling brooks" we all love to photograph, but...I am still on the hunt!

Hermit Thrush

I've never encountered a Hermit Thrush before, so identifying this type of thrush was difficult. I, at first thought it was a Wood Thrush.



This guy, from a distance looked like a "boring" bird, so I didn't even bring the lens up. As I got closer, I knew it wasn't so "boring", but still didn't have a clue. I was hoping for an Ovenbird, because I have yet to see one, but...



It was a bold little creature, only hopping to another branch if I got too close. I enjoyed my time spent with this little brave guy.

Walking Among Deer

As I explored a new path in McKinley Woods, I thought I might have a good day because of the quality of the trail. It was a soft path of mush and muck, so I figured it was of lesser traffic. Immediately, my wish was granted. I froze in midstep as I caught a glimpse of a deer not 30 feet away. We both looked at eachother with curious eyes. My movements were minimum as I raised my lens after a minute or so. I couldn't believe I didn't get an alarm raise of the tail, typical of deer about to run.



I continued on and encountered another deer just a few strides away, and again, I froze, met his eyes, brought my camera up, shot off a few, and continued on my way. And again, no alarm...I walked parallel to them, as not to provoke stress & my gait was lazy as well.



Guess what happens next? Yep, same thing again, just a few steps down the path. I felt like I was a part of the herd and could join their gang. I couldn't believe it. I had to have seen 20 deer that day, and not one ran. It was an amazing experience to watch them graze on grass without the worry of my presence.



I went back a few days later with Cuttidad, to duplicate the experience, but they were not around. We ended up finding them at a flooded area, and when they saw us, (there were at least 30 of them) they ran.

Blue-winged Warbler

Walking a new path in McKinley Woods led me to this bold and beautiful bird. It flew to a branch just a few feet above me and flicked from twig to twig.


Just as I thought it would see me and fly away, it found a limb even closer than before, and inspected me.


It stayed around for quite a long time, but I'm not going to complain about keeping my head at a near 45 degree angle for far too long...


It was such a gorgeous bird! I eventually continued down the path, but saw nothing as pleasing as this guy.

I Love Surprises!

I was walking a relatively new path in McKinley Woods yesterday, when a skittering in the underbrush caught my eye. I froze in place, focused my camera and waited. Another streak of superhero-like speed crossed my view again, then disappeared behind a rotten stump of a tree. What could it be? I thought either a mouse or a pine squirrel, although it could have been plenty of things. I then wondered, as I crept around, if the rotten cavity hosted this mystery critter? I left well enough alone, continued on, but took mental notes of where this tree was located for further Nancy Drew-ing later...
As I continued down the path, I heard the beeping of a nuthatch that was pretty close, so I stopped and looked for it. As I located it, I heard a softer beeping in another direction, even closer. I turned around and searched with my ears which led me to this hole in the tree:



She (White-Breated Nuthatch) didn't let me look at her long, before she ducked back in, so this is the only o.k. shot I got...
I left the nuthatch to the serenity of her home and turned back down the path. I stopped back at the rotten stump, and to my delite, the mystery critter popped its head out to check me out. It was a Pine Squirrel...I love surprises, and I got 2 in 1 day!

Meadowlarks

The melodious whistles of the Eastern Meadowlark is a familiar and welcome sound across farms and grasslands in eastern North America.


They will sing to stake out a breeding territory. A male Eastern Meadowlark typically has two mates at a time, and on rare occasion, three. I found this one singing in Goose Lake Prairie State Park.





I found this one singing at McKinley Woods/Moose Island.

Interesting Notes:
Meadowlarks have a complex bill musculature that allows them to force the bill open with considerable strength. This allows them to insert the bill into the dirt substance, & pry apart the ground. While this happens the eyes rotate forward slightly and they can see directly between their jaws into the hole they have created. This technique is referred to as "gaping".
Gaping allows meadowlarks to seek insects that other bird species can't get. Starlings also have this ability.

17 Year Cicadas Are Here!

I took a reluctant trip with my friend Pam to see the 17 year Cicadas which she found in McKinley Woods in Channahon. She claimed that they were in huge proportions and the sound was amazing. These Cicadas are not in my particular area, so I eventually said that I would go, as long as I could stay in the truck (I'm very bug-phobic). Well, little did I know, I eventually became more interested in those lil ugly bugs than I did for my own welfare. I did leave the safety of her vehicle for some close inspection. Although I would have liked to use my macro lens, I instead, opted for my zoom, as keeping a 4.5 foot distance was better for my escape, if indeed I needed one.
The best part was watching the birds go after them. We caught this female cowbird snag one, pull off the wings, then gulp it down in one bite! I will definately go back, bug-phobic or not...

Creepy is COOL!!!!