A hawk for Christmas
I am in Virginia, where there are naturally a lot more trees than in Wisconsin. And it’s a bit warmer, though not by much this week. The different environment means different birds for me! Read more …
Animals
Today I’m thankful for buffleheads, goldeneyes, tundra swans, mallards, Canada geese and ring-billed gulls—and for figuring out what’s wrong with my camera
I saw so many birds today, but almost all of my photos of them ended up blurry. This has been a recurring issue. But I finally figured out the problem! Read on for the solution, plus not-atrocious photos of buffleheads. Read more …
Critter of the Day: Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
I saw a fox today while I was waiting for the bus! Read more …
Bird of the Day: White-naped crane (Antigone vipio)
This beautiful bird is the white-naped crane (Antigone vipio), an Asian crane that breeds in northern Mongolia, northeastern China, and neighboring parts of Russia. The eastern members of the species winter in Japan and Korea, including the Korean demilitarized zone. Japan and Korea play important roles in my family history, so maybe that’s why this particular pair of cranes were so cooperative in letting me take their pictures.
Bird of the day: Demoiselle crane (Grus virgo)
The demoiselle crane is not a Wisconsin bird. But I photographed this individual in Wisconsin, thanks to the International Crane Foundation having its headquarters in Baraboo, Wis. It’s the only place in the world where you can see all 15 extant crane species. Read more …
Bird of the day: American coot (Fulica americana)
I don’t often get a chance to see coots up close. At the lake, they tend to congregate out in the water and swim away if I walk toward them. And they are fast swimmers—at least it seems to me that for every step I take toward them, they move three steps farther away. Read more …
Bird of the day: Female mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
Most domestic duck breeds are descended from mallards and classified as the same species, Anas platyrhynchos. So it can be hard to tell if a white duck is an escaped domestic or a mallard that lacks feather pigments. Whatever the case may be, this one is pretty cute. I took a lot of pictures.
Bird of the day: White mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Most domestic duck breeds are descended from mallards and classified as the same species, Anas platyrhynchos. So it can be hard to tell if a white duck is an escaped domestic or a mallard that lacks feather pigments. Whatever the case may be, this one is pretty cute. I took a lot of pictures.
Bird of the day: Young ring-billed gull in its first autumn
I saw this cutie a few days ago while walking by the lake. It’s younger than the previous juvenile ring-billed gull I wrote about last week, just a few months old and getting ready for its first winter. Read more …
Bird of the day: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Today is a photo post in praise of the great blue heron (Ardea herodias), the largest heron in North America. It can be found from southeast Alaska and southern Canada down through Mexico and the Caribbean to Central America. Wisconsin is toward the north of its winter range.
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