Watching the Neighbors Eat

I suppose most of the time it would be considered rude if you sat quietly in the shadows and watched your neighbors eat. Inconsiderate or not, that was what I did for a while early this morning on the Wapsie River..

After many hours of darkness the prothonotary warblers along the Wapsipinicon were hungry. I was out looking for green herons that were calling when i…

Looking Around - A Long Trip

Since I had an appointment this afternoon with U of I, I left early this morning to do some exploring on the drive down. Extra destinations for the day were Lake McBride (seen here)…

Critters at the Cabin

Very early this morning I was enjoying quiet time at our cabin. Every now and then the clouds overhead allowed the sun to shine through. Birds were calling from…

How Many See, What Are We Not Seeing, Imagine What We Could See

So often it seems like our lives are moving at a fast-forward pace to the point that I sometimes wonder if we are really living or just existing to get to the next project - whatever that may be. We drive fast, we bike fast, we run fast, and we walk fast. And, I’ve been told we even talk fast. Our fast pace is OK as long as we realize that if we slow down we might see and enjoy more. We might become more immersed in the moment and might live for the “now.” Let me provide a couple of examples.

Moments Along the Wapsipinicon River

After finishing up on projects for the day I spent some minutes along the Wapsipinicon River. Several bird species were seen or…

Traveled and Fought Gnats and Skeeters

The time has come again for me to travel and hike to check a green dragon plant. From the looks of the plant, today was a good day to see the blossom in prime condition. As the photo shows, the spadix appears healthy and hopefully inviting for pollinators. (By the way, my Thermacell did…

Shades of Green, Yellow, and

Today’s photos feature green and violet along with yellow, tan, and brown.

For green and violet we study the seldom seen…

Thank Goodness for Lidocaine

Those who know me well (family and Buttercup among others) are familiar with my fear of needles. I should clarify that I have started many IV’s with no problems. The issue rears its ugly head when it is me who has to be poked or injected. That is when I come quite close to passing out. Needles and me… a mix for anxiety!

Today I had a procedure done that was preceded by a…

Before the Rain

During my early morning exercise time I noticed a couple of wildflowers blooming not far from our house. Seeing the flowers meant I did my route twice - the first time without…

Habitat Improvement #???

Since we moved out into the country we have been in a continuous project to improve wildlife habitat when and where practical. I would have to count how many trees we have planted, we have two plantings of pollinator habitat, and now today our ditch was seeded with native plant species.

New plantings take time to become established, so it may be a while before my second pollinator habitat planting and the ditch seeding are real vibrant. But, we have to start somewhere.

Now, let’s get some rain - not excessive, but enough to get things growing!

It Happened to My Friend - The Story of Our Weekend

Of the many people I have witnessed this happening to, the majority are in denial for as long as possible. Then, as I observed this weekend, I watch them get excited when a yellow-bellied sapsucker appeared. After sapsuckers other birds caused even more excitement. The apprehension of what was next was in the air. My buddy became a vocal birder. It happened!

Their campsite was in an area of perfect habitat - edge cover for a small wooded area with open campground nearby. The little timber held many birds that we watched and I photographed. Two of the most interesting species were the…

Color in the Trees and On the Ground

Today was a day that began with a photo shoot of a “not often photographed by me” woodpecker species. I had been watching a male indigo bunting when a yellow-bellied sapsucker flew into the same clump of trees. The sapsucker did not allow for many clear photos, so I did the best I could.

Since I mentioned a male indigo bunting… here he is.

While we are looking at birds of blue, how about a male eastern bluebird.

I shot a few wildflowers too to wrap up the morning.

Noisy Neighbors

As I was messing around at the cabin this morning my efforts were interrupted by a not-quite melodic honking coming from the water. Based only on sound I knew the source of the low audio notes. A glance toward the river confirmed our trumpeter swan pair was approaching to check what I was doing.

Of course I stopped my project to grab my camera and tripod. As the swans often do, today they…

Tree Fungus

I woke early (again) today so I got up and photographed this fungus growing in the soil feeding our hibiscus tree. I did some editing work to hide the flower pot, but the fungus was real. I suppose this qualifies as a still life and a nature photo.

Nobody Was Home Except for One

During my explorations this morning things were a bit quiet. My first stop was a fox den with no activity. I waited almost an hour while only me and a rooster pheasant were the only movement.

A Flash of Blue, A Glimpse of Movement, and a Bit More

Early this morning as I walked along the shores of the Wapsipinicon River I caught a flash of blue - actually two flashes of blue - as a male and female eastern bluebird flew past. That was all I needed to see to know how I was going to spend my next minutes. I picked a couple of spots that I adjusted as the lighting from the rising sun varied the scene. Then, when it was time, I pressed my shutter release button. Following is a sampling of images.

Two “Peents” and a Find!

As I walked along a wetland this morning, looking for wildflowers and turtles, I heard two tell-tale “peent” calls. I knew right away I was hearing a…

Lookout Leonard! (And much more!)

Seldom do I name healthy wild critters and when I do, there must be a good reason. For this bird - a Northern bobwhite quail - it deserved a name after a friend made me aware of it.

Apparently the bird has been at his home for a day or two and does not appear to be afraid of humans. Through our messaging we are concerned this bird will fall victim to predation. So, if we are going to give a warning the recipient should have a name. A couple names came to mind, but we settled on “Leonard” so it went well in “Lookout Leonard!!!” or “Leonard, be alert before you get killed!!” Hopefully Leonard will survive a while.

Really, I wonder if Leonard is a pen-raised bird that was released to maybe establish a wild population. Leonard did make for a good picture!

Interesting and Cute (Overload) - and Scenic Indecisiveness

It was time again for a family member and I to spend most of a day at the great healing spot to the north. One feature there is the Peregrine Falcon program.

Located on the roof of a building is a hack (nest) box. This year two young peregrines were hatched. Today they were named and banded.

For those wondering - both were females. Their names are “Ryia and Aria.”

Following are photos from the program/activity that was open to the public. What a great time considering where we were!

A Lucky Find But Challenging to Document

As I wandered a timber this morning looking for wildflowers a pale gray tree frog resting on a mayapple leaf caught my attention. I had to photograph the critter, but how? The leaf canopy created a mostly…