A December To Remember

Earlier this month I realized I was inching ever closer to my record number of visits in one month. That was 13 visits back in May. Since then I set a goal of hitting 15 and today I even exceeded that with 16 visits in one month! -a new record that I doubt I will ever top. And it was a good visit on top of it as I was to see my first Barred Owl of the season. He was perched among the thick trees on the north side after the bridge. This is the area of the park where I'd first spotted a Barred Owl and I've come to look for them here ever since. I was just as amazed today as I was the first time, at how well they are camouflaged in this area. Even though I knew right where he was, I found myself having trouble finding him again every time I took my camera off him. He stayed there a long, long time, long enough for me to have a whole conversation with another bird watcher about Owls and Hawks and winter bird watching. Later down the trail, I spotted just two Deer heading out from the middle of the park. It was one Doe followed by one Fawn through the snowbanks right out onto the trail. The Doe paused for just a second on the trail, allowing this one picture before trotting off with the Fawn trailing behind her. I'd seen and photographed so much this month, including big Bucks, Eagles, Owls, Coyotes and Blizzards and it will definitely be a December to remember!

December Rain

After two days of higher temps, today the weather decide to change yet again -this time to rain. It had been drizzling lightly all morning, accelerating the snow melt to a noticeable degree. I decided to take the wood chip trail again in hopes of seeing the Owl in the same place as yesterday. To my surprise I did find him again a little further in this time. And this time I did walk up behind him, making him fly off within just a few seconds. I only got off three photos and this was sadly the best of them. I think it was the very same Owl from yesterday but looks different only because of the low light. As I continued, the steady drizzle collected in droplets on the trees. In the thick Buckthorn bushes it looked like tiny Christmas Tree lights. I found myself a bit unprepared later on as the drizzle turned into full on rain, then hard rain! After three to four rounds of this I found myself becoming absolutely soaked. I guess I should have chosen my raincoat over my winter jacket today.

Another Warm Day

It was warm again this Wednesday with temps reaching just over 40º in the afternoon. With some of the snow starting to melt it was one of the first times I ventured off onto the south side wood chip trail. About half way in, I looked up to notice a big Owl in the trees not too far from me. Upon not seeing his face, I thought it was the first time I'd ever walked up behind an Owl without him seeing me. As I started taking pictures, his head swiveled around and I realized he was in fact perched with his breast toward me. When he realized how close I was he got visibly anxious and flew off pretty quickly afterward. At the north side I decided to walk down the other trail again where I'd seen the Deer yesterday. Again there were a whole bunch of them near the creek and it was tough to count them all as some were close and other further back. As I stood there getting my camera out, a Doe and two Fawns decided to venture out much closer to me. You can see how deep the snow still is even after two days of melting.

Rare Sun and Warmth

Today was seriously the nicest day I think we've had so far this December. The sun was out in full blast and the temps (in the sun) shot up to slightly over 40 degrees! Considering how crummy this December has been, it was a breath of fresh air. I ended up taking just a couple of pics by the time I was well past the bridge on the north side. I thought I'd heard an Owl down another paved entrance to the park so I went to check it out. Instead I found this male Cardinal that was holding so still I actually thought he was fake for a second. As I wandered further down the new trail I spotted 3 or 4 Deer through the woods near some houses on the edge of the park. It looked like there were at least a couple of Fawns and Does who found something of interest near the edge of the woods. Later I spotted a couple more down in the valley of the creek/drainage ditch that I could only view with my binoculars. As I was watching them, a much larger Deer with a 6 or 8 point rack walked through my long distance view! They were much too far away for a photo but I thought it was cool to see a Buck again regardless. By the time I got back to the parking lot it was nearing 4:30pm and the sun was starting to cast an unfamiliar orange glow on the tree tops. I stopped for one last photo of icicles hanging from a Pine tree -another reminder of how warm it was today.

500 Benchmark

I knew I was getting close lately but today marks my 500th photo published to the Blog! Today's early morning visit was fairly uneventful. The early morning sun made for some great lighting and shadows cast from trees coated in a light overnight hoarfrost. I barely even saw any birds before I rounded the north corner and just happened to look behind me for a second. Down an offshoot of the trail were a couple of Deer right on the path and I couldn't help but think they were there simply because it was easier to walk. It looked like a Doe and one Fawn, making me think more and more that the Coyote kill I'd discovered a couple of weeks ago was in fact the other Fawn. I'm happy that my 500th Blog photo happened to be of Deer :)

Typical Overcast Day in December

This Thursday I visited the park in the afternoon. It was overcast and quiet and I barely found a reason to pull my camera out of it's case. I took only eight pictures total the whole way and even those opportunities weren't too exciting. The first was a Robin -a bird I rarely shoot unless they're doing something interesting or are very close. It was the latter in this case. With as many Robins as I see at the park in I'm really beginning to wonder if the percentage that stay through the winter is on the rise. We've really got a LOT of snow on the ground now and it is putting a damper on my walks lately. I've been avoiding the un-plowed wood chip trails which is usually where I see the most wildlife. One of the most interesting aspects of this winter is how few Cattails are standing after all of the heavy snowfalls. Normally this view of the lake is blocked by tall Cattails and you would have to beat them down just to get to the edge. This year I'd guess that less than 5% of the season's Cattails are still standing, creating wide open views I've never seen before.

Series of Strange Events

On my way to the park today, only blocks from my house I stopped to pull a car out of the snowbank. The brand new hybrid car was completely cemented into the deep and hard packed snowbank and I couldn't begin to comprehend how in the heck the driver managed this feat with the roads as clear as they are. Regardless, my tow strap did the trick and delayed my arrival to the park by only about 20 minutes. I'd brought my snowshoes today and was excited to go off my normal path. Shortly after crossing the creek tributary on the west side I headed out towards the middle of the park, planning to cut all the way across. To my surprise my snowshoes became more and more useless the further out I got. They worked OK while in the cover of the woods, but out in the open I was sinking abruptly into 3 foot snowdrifts. The snow was just too light and fluffy to support any weight. As an added bonus to my struggling, the deep snow easily concealed all kinds of logs and branches underneath that I was tripping on left and right. More than once, I fell full-bodied, limbs flailing wildly into the deep snow. I didn't know whether to laugh or swear but I eventually opted for the latter. There was no way in hell I was gonna make it across the entire park this way so I headed back to the paved trail, frustrated and sweaty. As I'm sure I scared away every living thing in the park, I figured I'd better settle for a photo of this Nuthatch near the northwest side. Despite seeing a good variation of birds, including an Owl, Hawks, Cardinals and Blue Jays, I was always too far away and too late for any photos. My mood became increasingly more grumpy as my cell phone was chiming in with both emails and phone calls the whole way. Eventually I was summoned back home by a work related circumstance. Fortunately I'd stowed my laptop in my back seat this morning -something I only do when my backup person is not available. Just as I was setting up and logging in, I noticed a man standing right behind my truck, looking out over the middle of the park. I figured maybe he was looking at a Deer or something and turned my attention back to my laptop. From my rear view mirror I saw him shift closer and thought I'd better see what was going on. As I opened my door, the man said "you see that Fox out there?" Out loud I screamed "Shit!" and scrambled back in my truck for my camera. I knew even before he got the words out of his mouth that a Coyote was out there somewhere and I caught a quick glance of him through my windshield about the same time I'd finally located my camera. I bolted out of my truck and in a fervor uttered just one word "Coyote!" back to the man behind me. I snapped a first photo much too quickly before the camera had even focused as I thought I'd never get the chance again. Luckily the Coyote was going the full distance across the frozen water, giving me multiple chances for a photo. He was a long ways out but I didn't care in the least as he was clearly visible and was going to be for at least another 30 seconds. As far out as he was, he was keenly aware of myself and the other guy watching stupidly from the parking lot. He paused only a couple of times before coming all the way over to the southeast side and back into the woods on the southeast side. The same area I've spotted them in -only twice in 5 years. Later, I'd realized that if I hadn't hurried back to the truck and decided to flip open my stupid laptop, I would have missed him by just minutes! For me, it was an early Christmas present!

One Day Until Winter

It's hard to believe that with all this snow, the official first day of winter isn't even here yet. Apparently we're well on the way towards the snowiest December on record with another 5 to 7 inches predicted for this evening. Every time now I pass the big group of Mallards still keeping the water open, I look for the white one. I usually spot him if he's out in the water but I'd probably never see him against the snow. The park was pretty quiet today with more snow flurries in the air. Near the north side I spotted those spiky looking seed pods I photographed once before. This time they were still clinging to a vine that had crept up a tree over the summer. I've never even noticed them in spring or summer time but I guess some people refer to them as wild cucumbers. Towards the end of my walk I saw this crazy looking chunk of snow somehow suspended in the trees. It's pretty amazing the shapes that snow and ice can form due to ever changing freezing and melting conditions. I've heard people call these formations "snow snakes." This one I call a "snow squirrel" for obvious reasons.

Common Minnesota Birds

Sunday morning was another cold day and I took just a handful of pictures. Surprisingly enough, after reviewing my field guide, 2 of the 3 bird's I'd photographed were new species (as per listed on the right hand side of my blog). This first one high up in a tree I took for another Downy Woodpecker. Fortunately for me, another Woodpecker was hammering away down below at the bases of some cattails. Only because I'd photographed both of them within minutes of each other did I notice the subtle difference later. The larger one up in the tree clearly had a much longer bill, tipping me off that he was in fact a Hairy Woodpecker. Later, I spotted an odd looking bird sitting right alongside a Robin up in a tree. Though almost the exact same size, he was dark and spotted on the breast. Based on the photo in my field guide from Stan Tekiela, I believe it might be a European Starling. There was not a whole lot more to see other than this lone Crow who was cackling loudly up ahead on the trail. Though one of the most common birds I see, I rarely get a decent photo of one as they tend to stay far away. I will have to get a better photo soon.

Winter Hunger

As I started my walk this Saturday afternoon I stumbled upon the aftermath of a fight between two large birds. Or maybe it was between just one bird and something else. Regardless there were feathers everywhere and it looked like maybe an Owl. I took a few pics but they didn't turn out real well. Towards the north side I finally saw a group of 4 deer. It was already starting to get dark but I managed a couple of photos that show just how deep the snow is now. In previous winters I've watched Deer plunge their snout into 5 or 6 inches of snow to reach the ground but that seems like less of an option for them now. This Fawn was up to it's knees as it wandered around in search of food. Only minutes later up the trail I noticed something odd laying up along the banks of one of the drainage ditches. With all the Deer I see in the park I've always thought it odd that I've never seen a dead one. Well, here indeed was the first dead Deer I've discovered. It had clearly been eaten away at for several days at least as there was barely anything left but the 4 legs and head. It was kind of strange that the spine was whittled down to almost nothing and showed almost no signs of any attached vertebrae. I tried to make out whether it was a Doe or Fawn but I really couldn't tell. As I was examining the teeth marks on the spine, another guy walked up and told me that Coyotes had got this one and one other Deer in the past couple of weeks. They must have had a feast. As it was nearing dusk I was tempted to hang around and wait to see if any other Coyotes would come back but I was only half way back to the parking lot so I headed off. Shortly after I noticed an odd break in the overcast winter sky. I actually ran back to the south side just in time to catch a very brief winter sunset. It's such a treat to see as it accentuates the colors on the ground and makes the snow cover seem almost a blue color in comparison to the sky.

Big Winter Birds

Today ended up to be a great visit to the park although it started off slow. I arrived at about 9am and it was about 7º above zero. This was not too bad considering the last few days have been below zero in the mornings! Picture opportunities were slim for the first half with just a couple Woodpeckers and 3 or 4 Blue Jays. Then on the northeast side I scared up a Pheasant who flew upwards to roost high up in the trees. This was actually the first time I've seen a Pheasant up in a tree before. This Rooster flew waaaay up in a Birch tree so I decided to off-road it through the snow for a better angle. In the process I scared up a couple of Deer -on both sides of the trail. I think both were pairs of Fawns who were bedded down in the snow. As I neared the south side near Shingle Creek, I noticed another large bird high up in a large Oak Tree. There were 5 or 6 Crows surrounding him and squawking relentlessly. Even from a long distance I could tell that it was a Bald Eagle. I watched the Crows roost within only feet of him and squawk loudly at him. As I neared closer for a photo, the Eagle took off with all of the annoyed Crows following behind him. With all the ruckus of the Crows, I could kind of make out where they landed just up the trail a ways. As I walked closer I could again hear the loud squawking and I figured I might be able to get another, better picture of the Bald Eagle. Again I ventured off the plowed trail but this time found myself knee-deep in 2 to 3 foot snow drifts! Heading towards the sound of the Crows, I trudged stupidly through the deep snow, only to find no signs of any Eagle. Though I could now see the Crows only half way up in the tree tops, I was dumbfounded as I could not spot the large Eagle. Then right there in front of me was a gray shape, large but almost invisible against the white and gray background. -the first Owl of the season, a Great Horned Owl! I am always excited to see them as they normally are only apparent in the winter time and are one of the few birds who will sit nice and still for my camera. Aside from his huge yellow eyes, you might never know this bird of prey was even there. Apparently the Crows knew he was there as the stopped bothering the Bald Eagle in favor of him.

Mid December Blizzard

Towards the latter part of this week the weather forecasts were predicting a major snowstorm so I thought it would be fun to visit the park. Despite 7 to 8 inches of snow I got to the park fairly easily but by the time I was about 1/4 mile in, I was having second thoughts. Strong winds were driving icy snow sideways right into my face and glasses. It was building up so fast that even the Ducks in the pond were starting to get covered up. I actually walked backwards at times where the path would cross an open field. I couldn't wait to get into the woods just to avoid the sideways snow. The first 1/3rd of the path was actually plowed but the rest wasn't. The latter 2/3rds was terrible walking and I found myself sweating under all my layers of winter clothes. Deer were not moving at all today but I did see one Pheasant early on. Later I spotted a group of 4 or 5 Cardinals eating berries up in the shrubs. I walked off the path to get closer to this female and soon found myself in snow up to my knees! Everything was so white that it was hard to tell where the trail even was at times. The snow kept on piling up as I went and showed no signs of letting up. This is about the closest to a real "Blizzard" the Twin Cities area has gotten in years and they are already comparing it to the Halloween Blizzard of 1991. When I finally got back to the parking lot, snow drifts were already creeping up the tires of my truck.

Fourth Day in a row in December

This Tuesday morning was my 4th visit to the park in as many day. It's a great start to December considering I visited only 4-6 times in previous months with a lot nicer weather. The cloud cover from the last few days had dissipated, making it even colder today. Today was December 7th (Pearl Harbor Day) and oddly enough I took only 7 photos my entire walk. I'm guessing the temps were just too low yet for much wildlife to be active. I saw no deer and barely even any birds. Interestingly one of the birds I did see was a Blue Jay, who have been eluding a good closeup from my camera lens for a long time. I settled on a long distance shot as there was no way I was going to wait around for him to get closer in these cold temps. The creek was serene today with a blue sky and blue shadows on the snow. I did stop here briefly to watch for wildlife, but again nothing was moving. It was just quiet and cold everywhere. With 4 visits now this December, maybe I can beat my 7 visits from last December. Still have not seen any Owls yet this winter but it shouldn't be long.

Hawk chasing

With a couple extra days off from work, I was planning to visit the park again this Monday morning. Today however I didn't see a single Deer and the temps were even colder than yesterday. I think it was roughly 6 or 7º above zero. As I was coming around the north side I was looking out way in front of me, generally looking upwards for the first Owl of the season. I realized how well I've come to know the park as the tree branch up ahead of me had one too many bumps on it. I quickly got out my camera to take some long range pics and realized it was the odd looking Hawk I'd seen yesterday. What made him odd looking was that his head and shoulders were mostly light colored, almost white, giving him the appearance of a Bald Eagle. I always have a hard time identifying Hawks as I think they're all so similar. According to my field guide though, a bird of this size would likely be a Red-tailed Hawk. It also says they can have a wide variety of colors ranging from dark brown to nearly all white, so maybe that explains the head. Knowing he would spook easily I walked slowly and as quietly as I could on the loud snow covered path but eventually scared him off again before getting too close.

Quiet & Cold Sunday

After taking 135 pictures yesterday, I took only 12 today -and even these 12 aren't too interesting. The park was just all around quiet today. There were still flurries in the air, adding to the already heavy branches of pine trees and any thick shrubs that caught the snow. For most of my walk it was the only thing I noticed. It definitely makes the woods seem thick again even without leaves. I did end up seeing a few deer, but all Does today. They were generally far off and I had a hard time catching one decent photo, especially as the snow started falling harder. They were already looking higher up for food versus trying to find anything beneath the 6-7 inches of snow on the ground. Later I spotted an interesting looking and very large Hawk but he would scare off anytime I got within a hundred feet.

White Duck and Two Big Bucks

On Friday afternoon it started snowing like crazy and it continued through the night. By the time I arrived at the park on Saturday morning we had a fresh blanket of at least 6 inches. Though walking was tough, it was a great visit with a surprise around every corner. I'm not sure if it was because of the snowfall but everything in the park seemed to be active. I know for sure that I almost doubled my previous record of most photos per visit, taking 135 pictures today! After taking in all the beautiful scenery, I noticed an odd-duck, literally among all the Mallards in the water near the southwest side. This Duck was pure white with a bright orange bill and it stuck out like a sore thumb. I don't know if it's a different species or maybe an Albino. It seemed to be accepted and get along just fine with the other Mallards. Right before the bridge on the north side I spotted a couple of Deer on the other side of the Shingle Creek, along the high banks. They definitely spotted me too when I hit the un-plowed bridge which echoed loudly under my steps. There was a Doe and a Fawn that seemed cautious at first until I stopped mid-way on the bridge. I watched them for only a minute or so before the Doe jumped was startled forward by something other than myself. I thought this strange and until I realized what was coming up behind her. From behind the hillside of the creek bank, a massive Buck suddenly appeared and held motionless. Though I'd been solid as a statue while watching the Doe and Fawn, he was obviously aware of me and made little to no movement after first appearing. After I decided to move closer he trotted off behind the other two but reappeared as I rounded the corner after the bridge. Here I got a straight on shot him and his enormously wide antlers. Seconds later he trotted back towards the high creek bank where he immediately found interest in something tasty up in the trees above him. He was half on the hillside already, angled upward but eventually leaned back to stand up on only his two hind legs. I've only seen deer do this one other time and it's kind of funny looking -but to see a big Buck do it was a real treat. He must have been near 8 feet tall -especially with his massive antlers. I watched for a long time but only after looking at my photos on the computer did I realize that he must have been after the black berries above him. After he lost interest in those, he actually started heading my way again, stopping here and there to paw at the snow. Eventually he walked as close as he got to me and posed for some better pictures. When I saw him in the park I was sure he was roughly a 12-pointer. After studying the photos more closely the rack has a defined 10 points for sure. After taking my share of photos of this guy, I was plenty satisfied and went on my way. Only about 3 minutes later down the trail I spotted another single Deer. Thinking I'd already seen my only Buck of the day, I didn't even slow down at first until I noticed yet another set of decent antlers. It's such a rare occasion to see 2 Bucks in one visit that at first I thought it had to be the same Deer. But unless he was walking right behind me, it could not be. This one though had a distinctively symmetrical 8-point rack. I watched him for while as he made his way through some thick brush, even closing his eyes to avoid poking his own eye out. Eventually he walked right out into the open and crossed the field near the drainage ditches on the north side. I can only think of one other time that I've seen 2 Bucks in the same visit. Be sure to click on the photos for a larger view!