On Trail With Nibi Mocs

A brief visit back to last year… On December 28, I headed up to Hudson, WI since I’d heard there were Trumpeter Swans along the St. Croix River there. I wasn’t disappointed. An area of open water there was full of just enough birds and close enough to photograph. The light was very good too. The only problem was, most of the birds were backlit and they mostly faced away from the sun so there were some exposure issues. I spent a good 2 hours happily clicking away.

Here’s a trio of the swans.

It was tough timing a wing stretch. They didn’t do it for very long.

These 2 seemed to be gossiping about something occuring further away… or, maybe they were talking about the crazy photographer on shore on such a cold day.

Two cleared for takeoff

Time for a drink.

A little squabble

In flight.

Ducks and ice shelves.

A squadron takes off.

Anyone for curling?

One of these things is not like the others.

Looks like the Concorde taking off

More take offs

The light really got nice as the sun was setting.

All too soon it was time to pack up and head for home. A good day at work

On Monday, November 10, Gordon and I drove up for the annual lighting of Split Rock Lighthouse to commemorate the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. On the way, we took a side trip to Crex Meadows, located in NW Wisconsin, mostly to see the Sandhill Cranes. Thousands of them congregate each fall in preparation for the migration to their winter homes. We arrived around dawn, early enough to catch them leaving their roosting areas, ready to head out to the fields for their morning feed.

There were plenty still in the roosting areas, looking like they’re waiting in line for clearance to take off.

Some flew close enough for individual shots.

This was my sharpest, in-flight shot.

While driving around the refuge, we spotted this hawk in a tree. Gordon identified it as a rough-legged hawk.

After we left the refuge, we came across a lot of the cranes feeding in the surrounding cornfields.