Dec 21, 2014: Northslope - 3 Years, Same Date

 Above, 12/20/14

Above, 12/20/13

Above, 12/20/12 
All photos from Wolf Oesterreich

Dec 20, 2014: This Time Last Year

Sunset over the south lake. 12/18/13 (Kevin Kane)

Dec 19, 2014: Prairie Burn 2

Smoke rises from a controlled prairie burn (NE corner of the Park). Note the family of 5 Trumpeter Swans flying north. 12/19/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 18, 2014: Prairie Burn

A Parks Dept. employee sets fire to a prairie segment. 12/19/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 17, 2014: Central Wetlands

 

A northwest and north view across Pool F to the highlands in the background (on a light rain and misty day).  If you look hard enough you may be able to see the adult and immature Bald Eagles perched in the line of tree on the right side of the image. 12/15/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 16, 2014: Red-tailed Hawk

This Red-tailed Hawk circled over the savannah woods, chasing an immature Bald Eagle. 12/9/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 15, 2014: South Lake

A northwest view across the south lake to the bluff area on an overcast day.  Compared to earlier in the day (and later) only a "few" waterfowl were present.  Approximately 65 to 70% of the lake was ice-free. 12/10/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 14, 2014: Bald Eagle

This immature Bald Eagle circled over the savannah wood and the south lake.  Note that white tail feathers are becoming noticeable. 12/9/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 13, 2014: Cooper's Hawk

An immature Cooper's Hawk has been visiting my yard and the Park.  On the left, the hawk is perched on a deck railing light fixture.  On the right, the hawk starts to take flight. 12/4/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 12, 2014: Trumpeter Swans

Trumpeter Swans have been common the south lake, especially early in the morning and in the afternoon and evening.  Tonight (12/9) I counted 38 (25 adults & 13 juveniles).  These swans were heading out to feed. 12/9/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 11, 2014: Canada Geese

Canada Geese dropping down on the south lake ice. 12/4/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 10, 2014: American Coot

An American Coot walking across the ice.  Note the lack of webbing between the toes.  One reason why a coot is not a duck, but a member of the Ralidae family (rails). 12/4/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 9, 2014: Dividing Line

Canada Geese lay on the ice while Mallards swim in the icy water on the south lake looking west.  Hundreds of birds were on the lake this morning.  12/9/14 (Kevin Kane)

Dec 8, 2014: Common Goldeneye

A few Common Goldeneyes have been found on the south lake.  The photo on the left is a female while, on the right, is a first Winter male.  Note the similarities between the two.  The male has a faint white circular patch behind the bill. [Both photos were digiscoped.] 12/3/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 7, 2014: Bare Trees at Winter Sunset

Trees silhouetted by the setting sun.  (Near Pool F's SE corner.) 12/1/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 6, 2014: Mallard

A drake Mallard in flight over the south lake. 12/2/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 5, 2014: Ice Chunks

Ice chunks coalesced under the bridge to form a sheet. 12/4/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 4, 2014: Resting Goose

This Canada Goose is resting on the ice edge (south lake). 12/2/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 3, 2014: Early Winter Sunset

The sun sets behind the north lake.  A SW view across the partially ice-covered lake. 12/1/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Dec 2, 2014: Trumpeter Swans at Sunset

Trumpeter Swans and their reflection in the lake at sunset. 11/30/14 (LaDan Omidvar)

Dec 1, 2014: Wolf's November 2014 Wildlife Report

This Northern Shrike (first winter form) was found along the Upland Trail on the 23rd.  [A digiscoped photograph.] 11/23/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

A total of 77 avian species (plus 1 sp.) was recorded this month, ranking this month as the highest November (tied with November 2010) among 17 years of records.  The Gray Partridge on the 12^th was #268 for my Park List.

Based on citations in the 3^rd Edition of “The Birds of Story County, Iowa,” by Stephen J. Dinsmore and Hank Zaletel (2001), plus my personal updates to the records, the White-winged Scoters on the 12^th may represent only the 6^th record for Story County.  The Western Grebe on the 14^th may be the 8^th record for the County.  The Hermit Thrush on the 23^rd may represent a new extreme late Fall record (former record set on 31 October 1984 at Brookside Park).

Listed below, following the species’ names, are the date(s) of sighting(s), plus the occasional miscellaneous information regarding numbers, gender (♂=male, ♀=female), age (im=immature, ju=juvenile, abp=adult breeding plumage, ad=adult, anb=adult non-breeding), color phase (b=blue, w=white), and location (BY=back yard).  ).  The order follows the 54th Supplement (2013) to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds and the 13^th Supplement to the 7^th Edition (1998).

AVIAN

     GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 27-28 (1)

     SNOW GOOSE: 22 (~60)

     ROSS’S GOOSE: 22 (1)

     CACKLING GOOSE: 12 (2), 13 (4), 14 (1), 15 (6+), 16 (20+), 17, 18 (5+), 19-25, 28 (5+), 29

     CANADA GOOSE: 1-3, 5-30

     TRUMPETER SWAN: 12 (2), 15 (2 ad + 4 ju), 16 (2 ad + 2 ju), 17 (6 ad + 6 ju + 18),

                                    18 (11 ad + 6 ju), 19 (5 ad + 3 ju), 20 (9 ad + 7 ju), 21 (10 ad + 12 ju),

                                    22 (26), 25 (17 ad + 7 ju), 26 (4 ad + 6 ju), 27 (1 ad)

                                    [female “7K4” was observed on the 17^th, 18^th, 20^th, 21^st, & 25^th]

     WOOD DUCK: 1, 8 (1♀), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 20 (4♂ + 1♀), 21 (1♂ + 1♀), 27 (3♂), 28 (2♂)

     GADWALL: 3 (26), 5 (17), 6 (3), 8 (6), 9 (16), 10 (5), 11 (13), 12 (4), 13-14 (3), 15 (2), 16 (1),

                                    17 (3), 18 (1♂ + 1♀), 20-21 (2), 25 (1♂ + 1♀), 27-28 (1♂ + 1♀)

     AMERICAN WIGEON: 3 (1♂), 5 (5), 6 (2), 11 (2♂ + 1♀), 13 (1♀), 14 (2♂ + 1♀),

                                   17 (1♂ + 1♀), 18 (1)

     AMERICAN BLACK DUCK: 21 (1♀)

     MALLARD: 1-3, 5-30

     NORTHERN SHOVELER: 1 (5), 2 (6), 3 (34), 5 (6), 6 (5), 7 (4), 8 (14), 9 (5), 11 (10), 12 (6),

                                    14 (1), 15 (9), 16 (14+), 19 (1♂ + 2♀), 20 (1♂), 21 (1♀)

     NORTHERN PINTAIL: 3 (24+), 11 (1♂), 13 (1♂), 15 (1♂), 21 (1♂), 22 (1♂ + 1♀), 24 (1♂),

                                    28 (1♂)

     GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 1-3, 5 (58+), 6 (25+), 7 (102+), 8 (84+), 9 (73+), 10 (100+),

                                   11 (29+), 15 (5), 25 (1♀)

     CANVASBACK: 13 (1♂), 15 (1♂)

     REDHEAD: 12 (44), 13 (1♂ + 1♀), 15 (1♂), 21-23 (2♂ + 1♀), 25 (2♂), 26-29 (2♂ + 1♀)

     RING-NECKED DUCK: 3 (6), 6-8 (1♂), 10 (3♂), 11 (2♀), 12 (1♂), 14-16 (1♂), 17 (1♀),

                                    24-25 (1♂), 27-29 (1♀)

     LESSER SCAUP: 11, 12 (13), 13 (12), 14 (6), 15 (3), 16 (7+), 28-29 (1♀)

     WHITE-WINGED SCOTER: 12 (2)

     BUFFLEHEAD: 10 (1♂ + 6♀), 11 (5♀), 12 (24♂ + 15♀), 13 (7♂ + 6♀), 14 (2♂ + 3♀),

                                    15 (5♂ + 1♀), 16 (17), 28 (1♀)

     COMMON GOLDENEYE: 13 (2♂ + 1♀), 14 (3♂), 17 (1♂), 18 (4♀), 21 (3♂), 22 (3♂ + 2♀),

                                    23-24 (1♂ + 2♀), 28-29 (5♀)

     HOODED MERGANSER: 8 (2♂ + 1♀), 9 (2♂ + 6♀), 10 (2♂ + 16♀), 12 (1♀), 13 (4♀),

                                    14 (1♂ + 4♀), 15 (1♂ + 8♀), 19 (2♀), 20-21 (4♀), 22 (1♀), 25 (1♀)

     COMMON MERGANSER: 15 (4♀), 16-17 (2♀), 18 (3♀), 19 (4♀), 20 (7♀), 21 (2♀),

                                   22 (1♂ + 1♀), 23 (1♂ + 3♀), 24 (1♂ + 4♀), 25 (1♂ + 1♀), 26-29 (1♀)

     RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: 13-14 (4♀), 16 (1♀), 18 (2♀)

     RUDDY DUCK: 2 (1♀), 5 (3♀), 6 (2♀), 11 (10), 12 (67), 13 (9), 14 (13), 15 (11), 16 (10+),

                                    23 (2♂ + 1♀), 24-26 (1♀), 28-29 (1♀)

     GRAY PARTRIDGE: 12 (1)

     RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 1-3, 5-6, 13-16, 17 (21+), 18-19, 20 (8+), 22 (15+), 23-24, 29

     PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1-2 (4), 3 (2), 5-6 (3), 7 (5), 8-9 (2), 10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (4), 13 (6),

                                    14-15 (5), 16 (4), 17 (3), 18 (5), 19 (4), 20 (3), 21 (5), 22-23 (4),

                                    24-26 (2), 27 (3), 28 (1), 29 (3)

     HORNED GREBE: 11 (2), 12 (4), 13 (2), 25 (1), 27-29 (1)

     WESTERN GREBE: 14 (1)

     AMERICAN BITTERN: 5 (1), 7 (1)

     GREAT BLUE HERON: 1-2 (1), 3 (2), 5 (3), 7-8 (2), 9-13 (1), 14 (2), 15-16 (1), 19 (1), 21 (2)

     BALD EAGLE: 8 (1 ad), 11 (1 im + 1 ad), 13 (1 ad), 19 (1 4-year-old), 21 (1 im),

                                    22-23 (1 ad + 1 im), 27 (2 ad + 1 im)

     SHARP-SHINNED HAWK: 1-2 (1)

     COOPER’S HAWK: 23 (1 im BY), 24 (1 im), 28 (1 ad + 1 im)

     Accipiter sp.: 1 (1 BY)

     RED-TAILED HAWK: 2-3 (1), 5 (1), 7-8 (1), 11-12 (1), 13-14 (2), 16 (1), 17-18 (2), 19 (1),

                                    20-21 (2), 22 (1), 23 (2), 24 (1), 26 (1), 29 (2)

     AMERICAN COOT: 1 (15), 2 (2), 3 (13), 6 (12), 7 (12+), 8 (6+), 9 (7), 10 (14), 11 (52+),

                                    12 (10), 13 (9), 14 (12), 15 (14), 16 (11+), 17 (6+), 18 (14), 19 (15),

                                    20 (2), 21 (13), 22-23 (9), 24 (7), 25-27 (3), 28 (5), 29 (4)

     KILLDEER: 2 (1)

     WILSON’S SNIPE: 10 (2)

     RING-BILLED GULL: 12 (5), 15 (5)

     FRANKLIN’S GULL: 14 (1)

     MOURNING DOVE: 1, 3, 7 (75+), 9, 11-12, 15-17, 19-20, 23-24, 26-29

     GREAT HORNED OWL: 4 (1)

     BELTED KINGFISHER: 3 (1♂), 13 (1), 16 (1), 18-20 (1)

     RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 2, 7, 9, 12, 16, 21, 28-29

     DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1-3, 6-12, 15-29

     HAIRY WOODPECKER: 1, 19, 22-23, 28

     NORTHERN FLICKER (Yellow-shafted): 2 (1), 9 (1)

     MERLIN: 22 (1♀)

     NORTHERN SHRIKE: 9 (1), 23 (1)

     BLUE JAY: 1-3, 7-13, 15-17, 19, 21-29

     AMERICAN CROW: 1-3, 5-29

     BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE: 1-3, 6-29

     WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 7, 9-10, 16-17, 20-22, 25, 28-29

     GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 1-2 (1)

     RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET: 1-2 (1)

     EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 21 (3), 29 (3)

     HERMIT THRUSH: 6 (1), 23 (1)

     AMERICAN ROBIN: 1-3, 5-14, 17, 24 (1)

     EUROPEAN STARLING: 1-3, 7, 10-18, 22-24, 26-29

     CEDAR WAXWING: 10 (1), 29 (1 BY)

     YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle): 1-2 (1)

     AMERICAN TREE SPARROW: 1-3, 5-29

     FOX SPARROW: 1 (3), 18-19 (1), 21 (1 BY + 1)

     SONG SPARROW: 1-3, 5-13, 15-16, 20 (1), 21 (2), 23 (2+), 25 (1), 29 (1)

     SWAMP SPARROW: 9 (2), 20 (1), 25 (1)

     WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1 (1), 3 (2), 8 (1), 11 (1), 26 (1 BY)

     HARRIS’S SPARROW: 2-3 (1), 11 (2)

     WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: 23 (1)

     DARK-EYED JUNCO (Slate-colored): 1-3, 5-29

     NORTHERN CARDINAL: 1-2, 5, 8-29

     RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD: 1-3, 5-9, 12, 14, 17 (1♂), 21, 25, 29 (1♀)

     RUSTY BLACKBIRD: 5-6 (1)

     COMMON GRACKLE: 12 (2), 18 (1)

     HOUSE FINCH: 2, 10, 12, 14, 16-18, 20-29

     AMERICAN GOLDFINCH: 1, 5, 8-12, 14-16, 18, 21-23, 25-26, 28-29

     HOUSE SPARROW: 1-3. 5-29

Unless indicated otherwise, the White-tailed Deer were antlerless.  The yearlings were just about the same size as the adults.

MAMMALIAN

     WHITE-TAILED DEER: 5 (1), 6 (3), 7 (5 + 1♂), 8 (3 BY), 9 (1 + 1 8-pt ♂), 10 (2),

                                    12 (3 + 1 8-pt ♂), 13 (5), 14 (3 + 1♂), 15 (2 + 2 BY), 16 (3),

                                    18 (2 BY + 6), 20 (9 + 1 BY), 21 (1 + 1 12-pt ♂), 25 ( 5 + 4 BY),

                                    27 (1 + 1 BY)

     FOX SQUIRREL: 1-3, 7-11, 15-16, 20-29

     THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL: 10 (1)

     EASTERN COTTONTAIL: 1, 3, 6-7, 9-15, 17-18, 20-21, 23, 25-29

REPTILIAN

     EASTERN GARTER SNAKE: 2 (1)

LEPIDOPERTA
     ORANGE SULPHUR: 2 (1)
     WOOLLY BEAR (Isabella Tiger Moth): 1-3, 5, 6 (1), 8 (1), 9 (4), 10 (7)

ODODNATA
     SAFFRON-WINGED MEADOWHAWK: 2 (1♂)

ORTHOPTERA
     CAROLINA GRASSHOPPER: 2

Wolf. Oesterreich

Nov 30, 2014: November 2014 Photo Collage

November 2014 photos from the blog by Kevin Kane, Wolf. Oesterreich, and LaDan Omidvar.

Nov 29, 2014: Swans Landing

Trumpeter Swans. 11/29/14 (LaDan Omidvar)

Nov 28, 2014: "Wolf" Tracks

"Wolf" tracks in the snow on the bluff spur. 11/27/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 27, 2014: Bridge in the Mist

Mist rises from the north lake, with the bridge and water tower in view. 11/27/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 26, 2014: Snowfall on the Wetlands

A north and northwest view across Pool F towards the highlands (obscured by the falling snow). 11/15/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 25, 2014: North Wetlands on a Sunny Cold Day

A composite view across the north wetland complex, from the northwest corner of the Upland Trail. 11/25/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 24, 2014: Erv's Field Notes #76

Geese on the south lake (looking north). 11/23/14 (LaDan Omidvar)

Sunday, November 23, 2014, 2:00-3:30 pm, Cloudy, no wind, Temperature 51 degrees F.

I set up my spotting scope on the south lake this afternoon to watch the waterfowl. I estimated there were about 3100 Canada Geese on the lake. Among them were a few Cackling Geese, Mallards, Common Mergansers, Redheads, Goldeneyes, Coots, and Pied-bill Grebes. The goose flock was smaller than yesterday when I estimated more than 4000 plus Trumpeter Swans. No swans today.

About 3:30 the sky got darker and a rain shower moved through behind a strong west wind. Although I was wearing a rain coat, I got very wet from the waist down by the time I reached the car. Now is a good time to view waterfowl at the park. I hope you can find time to take advantage of the opportunity.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to view an immature Northern Goshawk in my back yard. Goshawks are infrequent visitors to Iowa in the winter. I don’t see a big variety of birds in my backyard because of where I live in the central part of Ames. Mostly House Sparrows visit my feeders along with a few Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers and Bluejays. If I’m lucky, once or twice a year, I might see a resident Coopers Hawk or a migrant Sharp-shinned Hawk swoop in and catch a House Sparrow. Both of these birds of prey, as is the Northern Goshawk, are in the family Accipitridae and the genus Accipiter. Accipiters prey primarily on other birds. I first caught a glimpse of the hawk perched on a large brush pile and I saw that it had the characteristic long tail of an accipiter. I quickly ran to get my binoculars and moved to the sun room for a better view. The hawk then made a pass at a fox squirrel that was scavenging sunflower seeds on the ground below the bird feeder. This provided a good close-up view and I could see that it was much larger than a Coopers Hawk. It would be highly unusual for a Coopers Hawk to go after a squirrel. I thought, immature Red-tailed Hawk? No, the spotting on the breast and the markings on the tail were not right. I got good views of the bird from several angles as it tried several more times to catch a squirrel. Every time, the squirrel was too fast and dove into the brush pile. I was able to make out a faint white line over the eye, characteristic of the adult of this species. I consulted three different field guides that I had on hand and decided that it was definitely an immature Northern Goshawk. After about five minutes, the young bird gave up and flew off toward the north.

Erv Klaas

Nov 23, 2014: Reflections on First Ice

Bare trees lining the central pond are reflected on the north lake as the first ice of the season develops, looking southwest.  11/21/14 (Kevin Kane)

Nov 22, 2014: Ring-necked Pheasant

A male Ring-necked Pheasant was flushed from the Harrison Rd spur during the early evening hours. 11/20/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 21, 2014: Water to Ice

As the temps continued to fall this week the north lake finally froze over.  This is a view along the north shore showing the boundary between open water and ice. The south lake was still open with more and more geese and ducks congregating daily. 11/21/14 (Kevin Kane)

Nov 20, 2014: Erv's Field Notes #75

Monarch butterfly. 9/13/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Thursday, November 20, 2014, Sunny, 100 percent snow cover, Temperature 26 degrees F.

Aging and weather have reduced my ability to walk at the park as much as I would like, so I have been catching up on my reading. "Cultivating an Ecological Conscience—Essays from a Farmer Philospher" by Frederick L. Kirschenmann is a book I have been putting off reading far too long. Early in the book, Fred says that farming with love and respect for the land and its healthis similar to the quandary that a naturalist such as Barry Lopez experiences. He writes, “Immersed in nature, the naturalist experiences the loss and pain of the damage we have done to nature. But science demands that one remain detached. How, then, does one ‘manage emotional grief and mixed indignation in pursuits so closely tied to science, with its historical claim to objectivity’? Lopez observes that ‘the modern naturalist, acutely, even depressingly, aware of the planet’s shrinking and eviscerated habitats, often feels compelled to do more than merely register the damage. The impulse to protest, however, is often stifled by feelings of defensiveness, a fear of being misread…Almost every naturalist has borne the supercilious judgments of various sophisticates who thought the naturalist a romantic, a sentimentalist, a bucolic—or worse; and more latterly, the condescension of some scientists who thought the naturalist not rigorous, not analytical and detached enough.”

During my career as a scientist and a naturalist, I was often troubled by the tension between the need to be objective and the emotional desire to defend the natural world. The scientist side of me wanted to know and understand nature but the naturalist side saw the beauty and mystery. What a pleasure it was to hear Richard Dawkins speak in Ames last Monday night and defend the art of observation, reason and deduction as a legitimate scientific endeavor. My graduate research was guided by this approach which, at the time, was very acceptable.

With a doctoral degree in hand I was hired to determine how pesticides in the environment were affecting reproduction in birds. To do so, required quantitative data and laboratory experiments followed by objective analyses that could be published in peer-reviewed journals and even stand up in a court of law.

Now, that I am retired, I find that it is more enjoyable to be a naturalist again and to be content with just observing and describing the beauty of nature. But how can one not object to the loss of the passenger pigeon or the potential loss of the monarch butterfly and the polar bear?

Erv Klaas

Nov 19, 2014: From the Archive, 2012

From 11/19/2012:
The blue of the sky and the oranges and rusts of the sunlit grasses play off one another over the western prairie area, looking northeast, 10/21/12. (Kelly Poole)

Nov 18, 2014: Sunset

The sun sets while on the Upland Trail... 11/18/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 17, 2014: Trumpeter Swans

Two adult Trumpeter Swans and their 4 cygnets were present on the north lake during the snowfall.  That is, until an unethical kayaker from Boone County scared them off.  (He has a history of harassing migratory waterfowl!)  The swans settled down on the south lake, but were gone on Sunday.  Instead, another couple, with only 2 cygnets, had shown up. 11/15/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 16, 2014: Ice Formations

Ice formations hanging from tree branches adjacent to the south lake's shoreline. 11/16/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 15, 2014: Outflow Channel

The outflow channel from Pool F during a light snowfall. 11/15/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 14, 2014: Fog and Frost

A Frosty morning on the south lake.  11/14/14 (Kevin Kane)

Nov 13, 2014: Ducks in the Fog

Waterfowl numbers are starting to increase each morning as the temperatures continue to dip.  This view shows the fog over the south shore of the south lake. 11/14/14 (Kevin Kane)

Nov 12, 2014: Winter Fog

The rapidly dropping temperature is producing morning fog from the south lake which blows in and freezes on the surrounding landscape.  11/14/14 (Kevin Kane)

Nov 11, 2014: Pine Needles

These ice- and snow-encrusted pine needles were found along the west Upland Trail. 11/11/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 10, 2014: New Friends Brochure, Part 2

Please consider a donation to Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park!

Nov 9, 2014: New Friends Brochure, Part 1

Part 2 coming tomorrow!

Nov 8, 2014: Hope to Hang Onto

From Todd Burras' Ames Tribune Column, 10/11/14
http://amestrib.com/blog/woods-wildlife-and-wanderings/hope-hang.html

The tiny white fragments of shell weren’t exactly what I was hoping for, but as evidence goes, they’d at least provide some.

This was my second trip to Ada Hayden Heritage Park in the past couple weeks to check the two mallard hen houses (photo above) I placed on a pair of wetland cells on the west side of the park several years ago. I was unprepared the first time, wearing knee-length boots rather than chest waders. Today, I was prepared.

- See more at: http://amestrib.com/blog/woods-wildlife-and-wanderings/hope-hang.html#sthash.xLDCNImr.dpuf

Nov 7, 2014: "Three"

Rebar reflection = "3".  (Located in north lake's small cove, just west of the bridge.) 11/7/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 6, 2014: Rising Moon

A full moon rises in the east, over the south lake. 11/7/14 (Wolf. Oesterreich)

Nov 5, 2014: Last Harvest?

View of Jensen Pond looking south from the county highway.  The field in the foreground may have just been harvested for the last time as it is the field north of Jensen Pond where the new development will soon be built. See http://adahaydenpark.blogspot.com/2014/09/sep-10-2014-council-moves-ahead-with.html. 10/25/14 (Kevin Kane).

Nov 4, 2014: Balancing Goose

South shore, south lake. 11/1/2014 (Kevin Kane)