Another Fawn Sighting

Surprisingly there are still some Monarch Caterpillars to be discovered. I noticed this one right on top of a milkweed leaf down by the water overlook near the parking lot. He wasn't all that big so he probably has a week or more of eating to do before making a chrysalis. I met a friend at the park tonight and I was telling him about the fawns I had seen two Saturdays ago. As we walked round to the east side, sure enough there they were again in the very same spot! And again they were just inside the woods but eventually came right out into the open near the street corner at 73rd & Penn Avenue. As they wandered out into view the mother Doe was eating leaves from the treetops as the fawns were grazing on the grass. The fawns eventually played a little bit, running forward and weaving and bouncing. I wonder if maybe the mosquitoes get to them enough in the evening to drive them out into more open areas.

More Winged Wildlife

It's close to two months ago now that I spotted a Humming bird in the park. I saw another one in the very same tree some time later but today I saw one a bit closer in a different part of the park. This one was on the northwest side but still perched high up in a dead tree. I'm used to seeing them only at feeders hovering in flight so it's neat to see them just sitting there on a branch out in the wild. You really get an idea of just how small they are. A lot of people jogging or biking by must have wondered what in the world was so interesting as I'm sure they didn't even notice it. Each time I've spotted one I thought it was just an old leaf still clinging to a branch. I'm not sure if the sun is making their colors hard to see or if maybe I'm only seeing females. I figured their bright red and green colors would be a bit more noticeable -but maybe I'm still to far away. These pics were still taken at maximum zoom. Only once did it buzz around for a bit before landing again. One thing I did notice this time is that their eyes seem to be situated kind of weird compared to other birds -more near the top of their head I would say. Later on the east side I had my first decent opportunity for a photo of an American Goldfinch. Though a common bird I see often, they just don't sit still for very long. There were two males bouncing around inside some thick bushes -which actually allowed me to sneak in closer without scaring them away. Again today, I saw another large Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Since getting a decent photo yesterday I watched only for a short time before moving on. When I did I spotted two Yellow Swallowtails together. These were both attracted to a muddy patch left by recent rains so I was able to walk right up behind this one for a quick pic.

Flutterbys

The temps have been hitting the mid eighties and higher every day now but the mornings are a bit nicer. This morning was less humid so that was a plus itself. After deciding not to cut through the first wood chip trail, I noticed this fuzzy/spiny caterpillar on the paved path. He made for an interesting closeup but I have yet to learn the exact species. A jogger came by on the north side and scared up a male Pheasant but I was unable to get a picture. Shortly after I saw a Hawk and another Fledgling Cardinal which also eluded my camera lens. Finally on the south side I managed to capture a few items of interest -all of which fit into the same category even. I was convinced at first that this Monarch-looking butterfly was actually a Viceroy. It had just a hint of that dividing line on the lower wings that Monarchs don't have. But upon closer inspection of the pic, I guess it must be a Monarch. His wings were in rough shape but didn't hinder him any. There's always tons of these pure white butterfly's around and I usually don't even try for a photo as they just don't sit still. For whatever reason, this one actually stopped for a split second as I snapped a pic. Shortly after this I was coming up to the lake overlook and noticed the biggest butterfly I'd ever seen! At first I really thought it was one of those huge moths that you might only see at night. This one would actually stop periodically here and there so I followed him, trying to keep a distance and not scare him up again. He finally landed right out in the open off the trail in a sunny patch of leaves. When he opened his wings fully flat I recognized it as a Black Swallowtail. It was indeed a big butterfly, easily one and a half times larger than your average Monarch. I'm not sure if this their normal size or not but it made for a great photo.

Bad paddle, good walk

So ever since I went Kayaking up the creek in May, I've been itching to do it again. With June being such a wet month and water levels surpassing that of May, I figured I'd go again this morning. I arrived early again just before 7am and put in at the water overlook just down the trail. Apparently I waited too long as I think the recent hot-spell has evaporated much of the water. I also didn't account for all the weed/scum growth in these warm summer months and I was struggling to find water deep enough to paddle in. The further I went, the more my ass end was dragging through murky mud and my paddles were not accomplishing much at all. I didn't actually paddle through anything this thick but this is a photo of pond scum that I took later on in the southern end of the creek. I did get to paddle right up to within inches of a big snapping turtle but I had to just call the trip soon afterward. If I got seriously stuck in this muck, there was no way I was gonna get out to get myself un-stuck. I headed back to the landing a proceeded on an unusually early walk instead. I know I take a lot of pics of snails but this one was kind of cool as the sun was showing right through his body and shell. As I was coming down the east side I just barely noticed a doe quietly eating leaves. As I took out my camera I spotted a small fawn behind her and I got really excited. Then I spotted a second fawn a bit further in the woods! I started taking tons of pics but the three were quite hidden in the thick and dark woods and my pics were just not turning out. This doe was surprisingly way less apprehensive and protective of her fawns than the one I saw last year. She would sometimes be way ahead or way behind of her fawns but at one point she caught up to stop and groom both of them. Then for a while the fawns even groomed each other! After a following them for long enough, I got to a turn in the path where I figured they might actually pop out of the woods. Sure enough, mom came out first then the two fawns. They followed her across the paved trail and along the edge of the woods until coming to an open clearing where they grazed along side her on the short grass. This is where I finally got some decent pics of them in clear view. A guy walking his dog on a leash came around the corner and the dog started growling and barking at the deer. Surprisingly the whole group stayed put as the growling dog passed. The fawns seemingly intrigued even ran wildly towards the dog to take a look before abruptly spinning the other way and bouncing off into the woods. Even as more and more people came by I watched the fawns act completely crazy for a while running crazily into the open space and then hightailing it back to the safe woods. It was like they were testing the waters to see what they could get away with. I like this last shot as it shows how their white spots almost look like racing stripes down their shoulders and across their backs.

New stuff

It's been a while since I've visited the park 2 whole days in a row. This was the first since mid June. Today I saw some different butterfly's than yesterday. I opted for a long distance photo of this one as it was the only one of it's kind around. I didn't see any deer this time -maybe it's getting too hot lately. Someone I'd talked to on the trail said that there were fawns around again this year so I am keeping my eyes peeled. I did manage to spot and finally photograph a bird though of which I'd only caught a quick glimpse of last year. At the time I really didn't know if it was an Indigo Bunting or a Purple Martin. It was a long ways away and high up in a tree but looked mostly blue or blueish purple. One thing I did smartly was to take some video -with sound- that I could later compare against recorded sound from my favorite bird website: http://www.allaboutbirds.org. From there I easily realized it was indeed a male Indigo Bunting. I wish I'd caught a better of him cause they seem to be pretty rare in the park. On the south side at the lake overlook I noticed a big fat Monarch Caterpillar, probably only a few days away from starting a cocoon. I used to find these by the hundreds as a kid but now I tend to see maybe one or two here and there. Though maybe the park is a little on the wet, swampy side for Monarchs. Regardless it's nice to see them.

Colorful Monday

It's funny just how long cattails last before they finally seed out, die and sprout new new cattails. I'd say the process takes almost an entire year. I'm just now starting to notice new ones taking shape in the form of tender green stalks. At the top is a weird looking gold outer shell that is seemingly shed somehow. I'm really not sure to be honest but I thought it was a sight you might not see to often. Closer to the north side I came upon a field of flowering thistle plants that were attracting butterflies by the hundreds. There were so many you could see about one butterfly for every 2 or 3 purple flowers. They were all the same species -of which I have no idea so I will need to look up. It's an extremely common one for sure as I see these all the time -just not in the vast quantities I saw today. Just a while later I noticed one lone doe just on the inside of the trail. She was busily munching from the tree tops and it was kind a funny sight. She'd stretch as far upwards as possible to reach the green foliage. I was so hoping I might witness her stand up on her hind legs. I just witnessed a deer do this for the first time ever this spring in a different park near the Mississippi River Valley and boy was that neat. You'd never think they could that but they'll stand right up on two legs and reach leaves nearly 6 feet up! This one apparently had no need to perform such a feat however. Later on the south side I tried taking a few pics of these tiny, blue dragonflies that were latched on everywhere in the tall weeds. I was amazed at how bright blue they were and it was easy to spot them because of their color.

Park purchased by Three Rivers?

It's been a long time since my last update as I've been out of the state. Then there was lots of catching up at both the office and at home so it was nice to get back to my favorite park. Though a very nice and sunny Saturday, there were very few people around today probably due to the July 4th holiday. Near a commonly busy area at the north bridge, a deer stepped out and walked right down the trail behind me. There are lots of wildflowers starting to come out now and I even spotted a few touch-me-nots. After coming back to the south side I just barely noticed that the recently constructed shelter/kiosk thingy actually had information on it now. It sat bare for months but as I got closer I immediately recognized the familiar Three Rivers Park District logo! I am an avid fan of these parks as they are all well maintained, clean, and have great hiking & biking trails. I couldn't believe it, the park must have been sold by the city, or maybe now it will just be staffed and maintained by Three Rivers while still owned by the city. It's anybody's guess at this point as I've found no information online about the new ownership. I do like new the full-color overhead map of the park along with info on other local bike trails. My very first thoughts were hopeful thinking that Palmer Lake will finally receive the attention and stewardship that it deserves. Hopefully this comes in the way of more frequent cleaning and better trash facilities. When I kayaked up Shingle Creek you wouldn't believe the amount of plastic bottles just stuck along the banks. Later near my favorite spot at the lake overlook the Milkweeds had enormous clusters of pink flowers that sort of resemble fireworks. They have very unique and intricate petal designs that are easily overlooked because of their small size.