Mount Horeb Wildlife
I've now seen my very first American robin, (Turdus migratorius) of the 2017 Spring season! It's silly I know, but I always feel so relieved when I see the first one. #robin #americanrobin #Turdusmigratorius #firstrobinofspring #wisconsin #wisconsinlife #midwest #travelwi #travelwisconsin #stewartlake #stewartcountypark #hiking #hikingtrail #midwestliving #oakforest #danecountyparks #naturalarea #natural #oaksavannah #grassland #midwestmoment #themidwestival #discoverwisconsin #conquer_wi #midwestisbest #goplayoutside #greatnorthcollective #wildernessculture #letsgosomewhere #keepitwild
The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, nonmigratory, North American songbird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. It is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts in the United States, and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada. It is well known for its capacity to lower its body temperature during cold winter nights as well as its good spatial memory to relocate the caches where it stores food, and its boldness near humans (sometimes feeding from the hand). #chickadee #Poecileatricapillus #wi #travelwi #discoverwisconsin #wisconsin #wisco #madisonwi #madisonwisconsin #wisconsinphotographer #driftlessarea #wisconsinlife #birding #birds #bird #birding #Audubon #birdsofinstagram #birdstagram #wildlifephotography #birdphotography #igbirds #birdlover #bestbirds #bestbirdshots #your_best_birds #instabirds #wildlife #wildlife_shots #ornithology
American crow
American crow
American Crow After yesterday's photo of the iron hawk under an oak (check my feed) I coincidentally got one of an American Crow today. I was getting out of the car, camera in hand when I heard it call out from the walnut tree in our yard. I reconfigured my camera to try capturing it and stepped into the driveway already camera to my face. I didn't spot it at first as there was another tree between us. I no sooner focused on it when it launched into the air. #crow #Corvus #Corvus_brachyrhynchos #naturalwisconsin #wildernessculture #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutstayout #getoutthere #naturelover #lifeoutdoors #Karmaphala #loveoutdoors #outdoorsy #outdoors #nature_perfection #midwestisbest #travelwisconsin #explorewisconsin #theoutbound #ventureout #in2nature #thegreatoutdoors #getoutdoors #wisconsin #wisconsinlife #discoverwisconsin #madisonwisconsin #madsionwi
"Driftless Sanctuary" by John Pahlas
It was another fun hour-long photo shoot with John Pahlas. We took his metal hawk, that's part of his "Driftless Sanctuary" piece to nearby Cave of the Mounds. We quickly hoisted into a tree just at the ever gray skies began to actually open up. It's not often we've seen blue skies these past few weeks. I am really enjoying this collaborative effort. I wonder where else we'll find this hawk over the next few months?
White-tailed Deer #forest #naturalwisconsin #wildernessculture #throughthepines #hikiginadventures #walkingtrail #bestshotz_tree #tree_magic #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutstayout #getoutthere #naturelover #lifeoutdoors #optoutside #loveoutdoors #outdoorsy #outdoors #nature_perfection #midwestisbest #travelwisconsin #explorewisconsin #theoutbound #ventureout #in2nature #thegreatoutdoors #naturewalk #getoutdoors
I had a free hour today so I jumped in the Jeep and meandered to the SW of our home. As I wound around through the little valleys I happened upon a large flock of turkeys. There had to have been at least 40 all together. I rolled down my window and was able to snap a couple of shots, though not perfectly sharp I liked this photo. It was at this time I also discovered I was at another isolated pocket of prairie land. This time it was Shea Prairie I'm adding to my list of places to explore in more detail.
I had a few hours to explore my local area. I randomly picked traveling to the Yellowstone Wildlife Area. Along the way I meandered along ridge lines of the Driftless Area. I saw a number of interesting locations but the best was when suddenly a juvenile Bald Eagle appeared in my windshield view. It was about 15' in front of me, and just above the top of the Jeep. I had been driving along the ridge slowly so we ended up keeping pace with each other for a while. Every so often it would glance back at me and I swear we made eye contact. It wasn't the only eagle I spotted either. In all I must have seen at least five in all. The last was this beauty settling onto an oak. #BaldEagle #raptor #birdofprey #Haliaeetusleucocephalus #eagle #wisconsin #wisconsinlife #midwest #travelwi #travelwisconsin #midwestliving #midwestmoment #themidwestival #discoverwisconsin #conquer_wi #haugelogchurch #madisonwi #midwestisbest #Eagles #Birds #ExploreOrg #Birding #BirdWatching #America #BirdsofInstagram #Audubon #igbirdwatchers #your_best_birds #igbirds #birdingwi
Deer Park Buddhist Center and Monastery - Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey #wisconsin #wisconsinlife #midwest #travelwi #travelwisconsin #midwestliving #midwestmoment #themidwestival #discoverwisconsin #conquer_wi #mounthoreb #madisonwi #midwestisbest #danecounty #onwisconsin #goplayoutside #greatnorthcollective #wildernessculture #letsgosomewhere #keepitwild #turkey #wildturkey #tom #meleagrisgallopavo #wildlife #wildlifelover #naturelover #wildturkeyreport
Snow Bottom State Natural Area - Turkey Tracks
I found myself with some truly alone time today and with no real direction. My wife & daughter are off with a small group of girls and one of the other mothers. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to be outside. Somewhere new to me. Randomly opening the map to the Driftless Area just west of my home I noticed a tiny little, lite green square. A leisurely trip down the winding "back way" took me to my new, favorite place! Snow Bottom State Natural Area is a "pine relicts forest" that dates back to the ice age when mammoths and giant sloths made their way through their evergreen boughs. The only sound was my footsteps, an occasional woodpecker, a slight murmuring of the stream, and the silent brooding of the stone overlooking the valley. It was exactly what I needed today. Yesterday I spent some time following the tracks of a huge, heavy turkey. When I'd circle around the low lying obstacles it was very easy to pick them back up. While I didn't see the bird it's tracks alone occupied my breathing as I made my way through the Sugar Bottom State Natural Area. #wisconsin #wisconsinlife #midwest #travelwi #travelwisconsin #hiking #hikingtrail #midwestliving #naturalarea #natural #midwestmoment #themidwestival #discoverwisconsin #conquer_wi #Iceage #midwestisbest #goplayoutside #greatnorthcollective #wildernessculture #letsgosomewhere #keepitwild #pine #pines #pinerelicts #biom #dnr #snowbottom
“Crow's Theology” - Ted Hughes
Crow realized God loved him- Otherwise, he would have dropped dead. So that was proved. Crow reclined, marvelling, on his heart-beat. And he realized that God spoke Crow- Just existing was His revelation. But what Loved the stones and spoke stone? They seemed to exist too. And what spoke that strange silence After his clamour of caws faded? And what loved the shot-pellets That dribbled from those strung-up mummifying crows? What spoke the silence of lead? Crow realized there were two Gods- One of them much bigger than the other Loving his enemies And having all the weapons.
Apparently I have a knack for spotting perched hummingbirds, and running into neighbors on the trail of our local park. The last time I went for a photo walk I caught a shot of a perched hummingbird and then met a fellow that lives near us. We spoke for a while and was kind of pleasant. Today I took the same walk, caught two perched hummingbirds and spoke to a different neighbor at just about the same spot as last time. Again, it was a very enjoyable experience. I should walk in the park more often... #hummingbird #bird #Trochilidae #birding #stewartlake #stewartcountypark #danecounty #danecountyparks #wisconsin #wisconsinwildlife #wisonsinbirding #birdingwi #hike #park #trail #mounthoreb #wisconsinlife
Hummingbird It's an almost normal Sunday. Suddenly I found myself all alone with an hour or two on my hands. I grabbed my camera, a 100-400mm lens, a flash, and some bug spray. It's been weeks, heck maybe longer, since I've walked in Stewart Lake. As soon as I entered the park I spotted a hummingbird, but couldn't get a shot. As I slowly made way along the trails I noticed a number of them throughout the park. It wasn't until I was way down by the lake that I finally captured this image. As soon as I took this I ended up meeting a neighbor, for the first time, on the trail and we BSed for a while about our families, kids, hiking, etc.. It also turned out his college aged son earned his black belt from Infusion. I'd say small world but it's more small town living. Sometimes it can be really nice. #hummingbird #bird #Trochilidae #birding #stewartlake #stewartcountypark #danecounty #danecountyparks #wisconsin #wisconsinwildlife #wisonsinbirding #birdingwi #hike #park #trail #mounthoreb #wisconsinlife
White-tailed Deer
Instead of really moving around to a lot positions for shooting today I tried a little patience. While I sat comfortable on a hill over looking a wide, prairie restoration, thin clouds veiled the sky casting a soft glow. I enjoyed an apple as I sat there, just watching and looking at the scene before me. Knowing that's how many wildlife photographers capture an image I figured I'd give it a spin. It wasn't as strenuous as some of the hikes I've taken, but it gave me a chance to really think as I waited for something to happen. Feeling relaxed, and happy with another photo I'd taken, I was just thinking it was time to walk home. Then this little guy perched in front of me.
