Chipmunk in Motion

I hope this short video brightens an otherwise dark April day. It was filmed last spring on Phantom Trail while the chipmunk was busy foraging and was very tolerant of me. The challenge in assembling the clips was finding background music to match its energy and movements.
Dale

Bobcats and Butterflies

When I set this camera up last week it was 70 degrees, I was in my t-shirt, and butterflies were dancing along the trail. Yesterday the wind chill was in the low 20's, there was snow on the ground, and I had three layers on to keep warm. One of my biggest fears with trail cams is theft or vandalism so I usually place the cameras where their is little anticipated human activity. Boy was I wrong this time! In addition to a fisher, raccoon, several porcupines, a couple deer, and this bobcat there was a group on horseback (illegally) and a couple guys in knee boots. The good news is the camera was not molested. The best news is this bobcat stopped for a photo. The wood planks are 2 by 6's and give a sense of size to the bobcat. Earlier in the year one was harvested by hunters and this one moved into the vacated area about a month ago.
Dale

Tundra Swan Migration

Last week thousands of tundra swans were crossing over Crex and the surrounding area. A few stopped to rest along the way and I was lucky to watch this group rest then group up to take off and continue their migration. The whistling chatter was amazing and to me much more pleasing than the raucous sound of trumpeters. This group was on North Fork Flowage.
Dale

Spring, again!

No more false promises, it has finally arrived. The next several days should be peak for early season migrants. A couple of unusual sightings, at least in my experience, occurred yesterday. A golden eagle was sharing a tree with an immature bald eagle providing a unique chance to compare them. As I was ending my day a short eared owl nearly took my cap off. I was too shocked to move when I saw a bird coming at me in near darkness. I must have done something because at ten feet in diverted.

Butterflies have also warmed up. Two hibernators were out yesterday: the eastern comma and mourning cloak. The orange of the comma was a welcome sight as it floated about. For the plant lovers the skunk cabbage are out in the seeps along the St. Croix.

This weekend promises to be a spectacular show of early spring at Crex Meadows.
Dale