Phantom Trail

I was walking down Phantom Trail early one morning last week and found these tracks of fellow wanderers. The bear which had been heading toward me turned around and left the trail. The wolf continued on its way ahead of me. Male bears are starting to look for partners and young wolves are dispersing looking for a new family to join. I was enjoying the early morning sights and sounds.
Dale

Realistic or Impressionistic

For the last couple weeks I have been exploring Phantom Lake Trail. While looking for signs of spring to photograph earlier this week I walked along the hilltop at the Phantom overlook and spent an hour looking for photos. The sun was just breaking through the trees and the white flowers were brilliant against the grays and greens. Dale

First Adventure

I look forward to the emergence of fox kits each spring. There innocence and curiosity is tempered by a strong instinct to return to the den at the slightest unusual sound.
Dale

On to the birds

The spring ephemerals are on the decline and babies are starting to show up. Goslings are on the roads and fox kits are peaking out of the den. Warblers, those tiny birds that don't hold still, are starting to come through following the path made by the yellow rumps. Whippoorwills start their 3 AM serenade to alert the rest of the bird world to impending dawn. This is the time of year when the Crex orchestra is at its most diverse. Go for a walk and enjoy spring.
Dale

Sweet Tooth

This yellow-bellied sapsucker is enjoying a sugar fix. Later in the year it will drill tiny holes to attract insects to the leaking tree sap. Earlier a red squirrel was on the same tree licking up the sap. There's something universal about sugar cravings. Bring on the chocolate!
Dale

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