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.

First New Chicks of the Season

The goslings are here!
The pictures below are of 1 day old chicks. There are 5 of them and the Canada Geese are excellent parents. I took pictures from the car, so as to not upset them. If I were to step out of the car, the male most likely would have shouted obscenities and chased me away. The car was of no concern to them, as long as I didn't approach too fast or too close. I have learned this from experience. When I was a bright and shiny new wildlife photographer, I didn't know the unspoken rules, but learned them fast. I had greater success from the car as my blind, then from walking around. I prefer to leave with a whisper. Let's keep nature a peaceful place!


I don't know about you, but I am always excited to see the first hatchlings of Spring!





The adorable fuzzy yellow goslings can put you in a great mood, watching them pull on grass and walk awkwardly...





They tested the waters with mom and dad just a few inches away, bobbing their heads underwater to experience a whole new world...





They play so hard, that when sleep comes, they seem to be just a little crabby...




Mom and Dad keep a close eye over them as they learn about the world...





Exploring is very tiring...





Mom and Dad show them where the good tasting grass is...

They grow up so fast, and turn from a cute and fuzzy bright yellow to a tall and lanky gray in just a few days. I love the cute and fuzzy yellow stage the best!

Tree Swallow Territory

As their name suggests, tree swallows spend little time on the ground, preferring instead to perch. They spend much of their time in flight and tend to glide more than any other species of swallows. In order to bathe, swallows swoop down over water. They lightly brush the water and then begin to fly upwards, shaking the water off. They also bathe by preening extensively during rainfall, using it as a shower. They are strongly territorial during the breeding season. Both sexes defend an area around their nest, usually a 10 to 15 m radius, against other nest site competitors. Competition for nest sites is thought to be the underlying motive behind much of tree swallow behavior, including sexually selective infanticide, frequent copulation, and strong aggressive responses to nest site competitors.


Tree Swallows are interesting characters. While guarding their homes, they can get pretty comfortable with you near by. I set up a chair at Goose Lake Prairie State Park and waited for various shots. Watching them ward off potential intruders is a sight to see. They are extremely animated in behavior. You will witness one giving another a piece of their mind when they get too close.





There are plenty of birdhouses surrounding the lake for Swallows to occupy, which means sentry duty goes on 24/7.





The irridescent deep blue coloring makes these swallows such a handsome bird!

Broken Wing Distraction Technique of a Killdeer

The Killdeer is the largest of the ringed plovers, and the only plover in its range with a double breast band. Killdeers have brown upperparts, white underparts, and orange rumps. Adults and juveniles look the same year round, but young, downy chicks have a single breast band. In flight, the Killdeer's long, slender wings have conspicuous white wing stripes.
During the breeding season, Killdeers are easily observed vocalizing and performing broken-wing displays to distract intruders away from nests and chicks. Pairs defend territories, and individuals spread out while foraging. Killdeers have a 'running-stopping-bobbing' gait. Killdeers are extremely vocal and respond to disturbance with sharp alarm calls.


This particular Killdeer was very good at the fake broken wing display. (Click photo to enlarge for detail.)




For some reason, I liked this shot with the goose.




This is the only flight shot I have managed to get that was decent. I liked the sky.

The Flight Display of the Common Snipe

I went out to Goose Lake Prairie State Park to capture some Tree Swallow shots, and set up near a birdhouse. I was taking plenty of photos of them, and suddenly heard a weird sound. I didn't know what it was, and couldn't zero in on a location, but it was definately close. It sounded like a monkey call if I had to describe it. Every time I heard it, it seemed to ride the wind. I attempted to get closer to where the sound was coming from, but just as I go in 1 direction, it seemed to be behind me. My partner Cutti pointed into the sky and saw the bird that was making the noise. I knew right away it was a Snipe or a Woodcock doing their aerial display. (After referencing my field guide, it was determined that snipes were displaying.)


Beautifully striped with a very long beak, these waders nest in dense vegetation and tend only to be seen when accidentally put to flight. That is unless their display flight is witnessed. During the breeding season, snipe display above the pastures in which they breed & Goose Lake Prairie is a prime example of excellent habitat. They first fly up high and then plunge downward vibrating their outer tail feathers to produce a curious whirring sound, called drumming.




To watch this display in action is amazing...Watching the sky when a bunch are up there is awesome...




It is so weird that the sound they make comes from their feathers vibrating instead of their throats.




The snipe flight behavior reminds me of aerial combat maneuvers of a fighter jet.


(These last 2 photos were taken 2 years ago, because I did not get any ground shots on this day.)

* Also known as Wilson's Snipe

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

I now know why they call this little guy a Gnatcatcher. I saw him for the very first time, while standing at the entrance to the wooded trail at Gebhard Woods. I go there often, with hopes in seeing different colorful migrating birds. Why? I am not a birder, but am starting to understand why these winged creatures are so addicting.
I have been drawn to nature for a long time now, and most anything can inspire an awe in me, but never have I felt drawn in particular, to birds of the smaller variety, although I have a special place reserved for any owl. Birds have always been easier to shoot than mammals, because they are everywhere, so I take alot of bird shots. I can't always go out and find, say, a raccoon. Thats not the way it works. But, it is why it makes each encounter unique and special. I can probably remember every single occasion with every single raccoon I have ever found. I am always telling stories to friends about this or that, and the memories are always amazing and I am so glad I have them.
I loved finding this teeny tiny bird. It flew in, and flitted around from tiny twig to tiny twig. There were 2 of them, so my chances just increased for attempting a shot. I noticed the white ring around their eyes right away. I then observed their extra long tail. What could this little creature be? I am no birder, so visual I.D. is the only thing I have. I thought, long tail, hmmm....flycatchers have extra long tails, so maybe this lil guy is 1 of those gnatcatchers I have read about, since it is so small? I went home, looked it up and voila...a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher.
After referencing this bird, I found the size to be a fooler to the eye. The book says it is 4 1/2" long, but that includes their extra long tail, so I would say, body only, the size of an almond in its shell. I loved that I saw one. I loved even more, that I kinda-knew what it was. I think I might be becoming a "Birder", but... without the list. Is that the next step in my addiction? Time will tell...
This guy is a "Gnatcatcher" because of its small size...Gnats instead of flies because of proportion...Cool!