Category Archives: Year 5

Morning on the Ridge!

Yesterday I started to head to my favorite wetlands in Wisconsin, but when I reached Lake Superior (only 600 yards from my house) and looked across the lake, it looked like fog had socked in NW Wisconsin. Not wanting to leave my beautiful clear blue sky area, I quickly adjusted. For ten minutes I watched six Common Mergansers at the Mouth of the Lester River, and then headed up to Hawk Ridge.

Early Morning Mergansers

While Hawk Ridge is known for its raptor migration, in the Summer it is a great place for songbirds. Two birds which rarely come out of the deep cover, were kind enough to pose for my camera. Both birds first attracted my presence by their early morning song.

Common Yellowthroat

Catbird

My good luck continued this morning during a trip to Sax-Zim Bog. While I have no photographs, I saw my first ever Black Fox. I did not even know this coloration of a red fox existed. I needed to talk within someone who had more knowledge that me to confirm what I had seen with my eyes. I measured exactly the distance to a particular landmark such that I have this foxes territory now defined! Cool!

Yellow-Shafted Flicker Chick Supper Time!

I own a  big round of thanks to one of my local crows. Nine days ago this crow was attacked by a pair of flickers. The commotion caught my attention, and after they drove the crow away my patience was rewarded when after a 20 minute wait the flickers revealed the location of their nest hole. Over the intervening period I have waited and watched, and two days ago the chick appeared! I am actually surprised there is only one young flicker. Normally when I find a nest hole there are at least two chicks, often three. I wonder whether the crow did eat one of the young?

Regardless, here is the dinner hour from yesterday evening at the Yellow-Shafted Flicker residence!

Dinner Call!

I want supper NOW!

Down the hatch!

All Done! Not Happy!

Bring more food!

Common Loon Family Feeding Time (videos)

I spent a delightful long family weekend at our remote cabin on Northstar Lake near the Canadian Border. In describing the location to friends it is cool to note we are the first lake in the Hudson Bay Watershed … no Mississippi River water donation from us!  I have been monitoring three particular loon families near us, and two have just hatched their chicks. The third family is still incubating. Saturday morning was calm and beautiful, and this one family let me be part of their morning breakfast! I floated near by for over 30 minutes and enjoyed a fantastic time! It is interesting when one realizes that Common Loon chicks eat plants, not fish when they are very, very young. Take a look … no minnows were on the breakfast menu.

Enjoy! (videos follow still images)

My Friends, the Common Loon Family!

Feeding Time (creature from the dark lagoon!)

First Yodel

Hitching a Ride

The Dad!

Videos: (in this order)

  • Wing Climbing
  • Feeding
  • Hitching a Ride