I skipped the wood chip trail today in favor of the pavement as it's seriously just too wet and muddy lately. On a part of the paved trail I would have normally passed, I noticed this odd looking, down covered bird high up in a tree. The only thing really recognizable was the fat, red beak which means it must be an adolescent Cardinal.
I still can't tell whether male or female, though there was a hint of red in it's wings. Though it wasn't raining today, everything is saturated with moisture from our persistent rainy weather. I don't know why but water droplets seem to stay nice and neat on the tall wild grass even long after a rainfall. On the south side I stopped to take some more pictures of another squawking Catbird when I noticed a little fur-ball scurrying around on the wood chip trail.
It was winter time when I'd last seen a Vole so it was kind of cool to see another in late Spring. Like last time, I was able to quietly walk right up to him and get some closeups as he quietly munched upon some dead oak leaves from last season. I get the feeling they hear or sense movement better than see it. Just reading in my Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide by Stan Tekiela that there are at least 3 kinds of voles -and this is likely a "Meadow Vole."
I skipped the wood chip trail today in favor of the pavement as it's seriously just too wet and muddy lately. On a part of the paved trail I would have normally passed, I noticed this odd looking, down covered bird high up in a tree. The only thing really recognizable was the fat, red beak which means it must be an adolescent Cardinal. 
I still can't tell whether male or female, though there was a hint of red in it's wings. Though it wasn't raining today, everything is saturated with moisture from our persistent rainy weather. I don't know why but water droplets seem to stay nice and neat on the tall wild grass even long after a rainfall. On the south side I stopped to take some more pictures of another squawking Catbird when I noticed a little fur-ball scurrying around on the wood chip trail. 
It was winter time when I'd last seen a Vole so it was kind of cool to see another in late Spring. Like last time, I was able to quietly walk right up to him and get some closeups as he quietly munched upon some dead oak leaves from last season. I get the feeling they hear or sense movement better than see it. Just reading in my Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide by Stan Tekiela that there are at least 3 kinds of voles -and this is likely a "Meadow Vole."
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