Trumpeter Swan Restoration in Wisconsin

I happened to see this interesting article and thought I would share it with you as Crex Meadows and the surrounding areas played an important part in the Trumpeter Swan reintroduction program in Wisconsin.

Click here to read the article 

Kathy J.

November Crex Photo Club (photos submitted by Bob Irish)

Trumpeter Swans take off into the mist, from the south end of Phantom Lake, passing over a small raft of American Coots.

A thick fog obscures these three Sandhill Cranes, as they begin to take off to join the rest of the flocks in the farm fields surrounding Crex Meadows.

A conversion to black and white, and a bit more "tweaking" in Photoshop, and more detail is revealed of the "Foggy Cranes".

A thick fog blankets Crex Meadows and leaves it's traces as frost on the grasses.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes stand near the road,  offering the photographer a striking pose.

Cllck here for more information on the Crex Photo Club 

An Evening at Crex

As I have said before, I am probably the world's worst writer so I will let this video I made do the talking for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did being there to witness this incredible experience in person.

Click here to watch "An Evening at Crex"

Kathy J.

Caught in the act...

A  macro lens can get you up close and sometimes a little too personal as in this photo of 2 Banded Flower Longhorn Beetles ensuring the future of their species. 

Kathy J.

Peaking

I'm always intrigued by plant and insect interaction.  The pollination of plants by insects is just one component of this.  Frequently insect predators lurk on the flower as well.  The whole food chain on a 2 inch flower.

Milkweed

I was intrigued by this insect's legs and the "sap" on them.  This link explains what it is and how it got there.  It also gives more information than you might want to know about milkweed plants.

Milkweed Details

This young guy was a backyard visitor last week.  It was constantly on the move avoiding flies and exploring.  The milkweed gives a sense of size.

Staying Clean

This spring was fantastic for some common warblers.  The birders may have seen some of the uncommon ones as well.  In addition to singing I'm fascinated by their daily activities.
Dale

Water Shrew

Crex has a variety of unique wildlife and this is another one, not rare but rarely seen. The water shrew spends most of its time under water or along creek edges. This video is slowed to 1/10th the original speed to show how the shrew swims and get a better look than the original 1/10 second view. Captured while filming minnows for an assignment. Dale

Prairie Magic

Snow yesterday and 18 degrees today, it is the middle of April isn't it? The prairie light was magical after sunrise this morning. The rainbow of color rarely happens and is usually in the dead of winter. The challenge is to get the camera position and aperture aligned to show this effect. A beautiful day to be alive.

Crane Count Sunrise

This year we had a calm, clear morning to count cranes. It started with a song sparrow, woodcock, and bittern leading the early morning chorus. Our area had a single pair of cranes that called frequently, reminding us of our real purpose for being out. While walking the perimeter of the assigned area we came across fresh bear tracks and this beautiful sunrise.

Wings of Spring

Most of us think of spring with returning swans and sandhills. More colorful wings are also silently floating around Crex. The overwintering butterflies are now active in the woodland areas. This mourning cloak was feeding on aspen sap earlier in the week.


A couple orange butterflies are also out like this gray comma sunning itself.

Eye to Eye

I have been noticing our cold blood friends recently, perhaps because it's so unusual to see them in March and now in early April. On many days their movement seems dependent on clouds moving through the sunlight. This one didn't have the energy to even move its tongue.

Sandhills preening

 Ever wonder why Sandhills are gray when they leave here in the fall and are rusty brown when they return? 






When Sandhills leave this area in the fall their feathers are gray. As they begin their migration back in the spring their gray feathers slowly change to a rusty brown. They preen themselves with daubs of mud and the mineral content in the mud, such as iron, stains their feathers. This is thought to be their way of camouflaging themselves while nesting.

Kathy J.

Salamanders on the Move

During the last week I have seen tiger salamanders, Blandings turtles, and this guy on the move; a big difference from the foot of snow on the ground a year ago at this time.

Spring Peepers

I'm finally convinced spring has arrived after watching it slowly advance but still anticipating one last snow storm. Hundreds of these guys were calling in a small pond so I decided to find was was making all the noise. Despite the loud, raucous calling notice the size of the frog compared to a catkin.

Thin Ice

This was yesterday morning's scene, today there is even less ice. The spring sounds and early migrants are everywhere. Phantom and Grettum still have ice, most of the other flowages are open.

Getting Closer

Birds are getting more active with the warm up and melting ice. Music is returning to Crex. The downside is a little mud but who cares, it's a small price to pay for the beauty of early spring.

Returning Swans

It was almost 50 degrees yesterday and this morning the temp started at 44, open water will follow soon. Several pairs of swans were on the flowages yesterday with territorial disputes taking place on North Fork flowage. The roads are developing their spring character but most are drivable with a the road on the south edge of Phantom being a notable exception.

Hoarfrost

I have been gone for a couple weeks and it was quite a surprise to find 15 inches of snow when I returned. This week the temperatures should be well above freezing during the day and drop below it at night making for some great hoarfrost opportunities. Maybe the ice will open some and we can find an otter or two. A couple swan pairs are anxious to start the season and the horned larks are arriving, otherwise still quiet.

Winter Color

Winter is usually a time for pastel colors with beautiful pinks and blues. The color this winter has been intense at sunrise and sunset. Day colors are not much to talk about but getting out for a late afternoon walk has been great on several occasions. This was taken along Stolte Rd one day last week.

Common Redpolls

Lots of redpolls coming into the feeder at the cabin. There are two active feeders at Crex. The busiest is at the West Marshland garage just off Cty Rd F. It's tucked the short drive to the Crex parking lot. Another active feeder is on the drive behind the visitor center. Both locations offer photography from the comfort of your car. Bird seed is donated and feeders are maintained by volunteers. We are looking into year around feeders.

Trumpeters in the Air

I heard the familiar call of trumpeters flying over the refuge extension this week. A trumpeter family and a flock of geese has been spending the winter on the open water of Trade L. just waiting to get the first shot at open water at Crex. This photo was taken last March.

Still Waiting

Snow cover is still minimal but deep enough to follow some tracks. With the warm weather normally sleepy wildlife has been active. A porcupine walked over a mile on N. Refuge Rd this week. I followed what looked like possum tracks the other day. Wolves are on the hunt day and night trying to find a winter stressed deer. Single wolf tracks are being seen wherever there are deer tracks.

A Den

Another afternoon was spent exploring, this time around Grettum Pines. I was hiking with a college student from Chattanooga, TN and we were looking for tracks and other wildlife signs. On one of our track explorations we came across this den.

"Who is going to be the first to look in it?" I asked. Getting closer eliminated any mystery of its owner, not a bear, wolf, or bobcat, just a common porcupine. Porcupines live in their excrement. Is it possible that their droppings make good insulation for them. The floor of the den was covered with these droppings, definitely not the best housekeepers in the animal world.

Burnt Ridge

No snow means easy walking so I spent yesterday afternoon exploring recent additions to Crex Meadows. Last year over 300 acres of relatively untouched land were added. In contrast to the wetlands of Crex it is composed of oak savanna and sand dunes. The other notable difference is the number of easily walked trails. Stop at the visitor center and ask about Burnt Ridge when you are in the area.

Winter?

This is a tough winter to keep the creative juices flowing. Usually the cold dampens the creative spirit, this winter it is the constant November/March appearance of the landscape. I cautiously ventured onto Fish Lake last week to look for something at sunset. As I was checking out the ice at my feet some interesting patterns were discovered.

Best of 2011

For the past 4 years I have been using trail cameras to document predators on Crex Meadows. Relevant images are either donated to the WDNR or used for educational presentations. This year there was more variety with bobcats making several appearances. It is hard to determine unique individuals so there may be only one or two that are active. Wolves have changed their pattern during 2011. There appears to be a pack of 4 in the northwest corner of Crex and a pair that use the rest of Crex for their range. This is a drop in numbers from the two packs of 4 in previous years. Last winter there was lots of coyote activity but they are very wary and rarely photographed. Although I hear reports of gray foxes everywhere none were photographed this year. This may be related to my technique. Cameras are placed without scent attractants although occasionally placed on a carcass. The best of 2011 can be seen at: http://dbphotog.zenfolio.com/