Impressions of Mud Lake (part 2)
May 24th, 2016
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Common Grackle. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do own this swamp."
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I think it's just another Painted Turtle, but I found the coloration on this one particularly striking.
A surprisingly colorful Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, and the only migrant (i.e. non-resident of Mud Lake) in this set. I'd never seen one with as bright a shade of yellow on the wings. As usual, I only manage to capture the barest trace of the ruby crown. A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet has to erect its crown feathers to show off the red patch, something it seldom does for more than a moment at a time.
White-Breasted Nuthatch
The most interesting sighting of the day proved unphotographable (it went by too fast and too distantly, and I was standing on an unsteady beaver dam at the time!) Six or seven grackles were perched low on some fallen vegetation, looking down at the shallow water and making scolding notes that sounded almost like hissing. The object of their derision seemed to be a muskrat. As it swam along, they followed above, scolding all the way. I wondered why these grackles were so incensed by a harmless muskrat.
But when it emerged onto land, what I saw was much too lithe and sinuous to be a muskrat. It was a mink! Maybe hoping for a tasty breakfast of grackle chicks? By the time I finished fording the beaver dam, it was gone.
May 24th, 2016
1680x1050 wallpaper
Common Grackle. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do own this swamp."
1680x1050 wallpaper
I think it's just another Painted Turtle, but I found the coloration on this one particularly striking.
A surprisingly colorful Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, and the only migrant (i.e. non-resident of Mud Lake) in this set. I'd never seen one with as bright a shade of yellow on the wings. As usual, I only manage to capture the barest trace of the ruby crown. A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet has to erect its crown feathers to show off the red patch, something it seldom does for more than a moment at a time.
White-Breasted Nuthatch
The most interesting sighting of the day proved unphotographable (it went by too fast and too distantly, and I was standing on an unsteady beaver dam at the time!) Six or seven grackles were perched low on some fallen vegetation, looking down at the shallow water and making scolding notes that sounded almost like hissing. The object of their derision seemed to be a muskrat. As it swam along, they followed above, scolding all the way. I wondered why these grackles were so incensed by a harmless muskrat.
But when it emerged onto land, what I saw was much too lithe and sinuous to be a muskrat. It was a mink! Maybe hoping for a tasty breakfast of grackle chicks? By the time I finished fording the beaver dam, it was gone.
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Mike
May 25th, 2016 at 8:02 am
Great shots!
Common Grackle. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do own this swamp."
..."And what are YOU doing in it?"