Messing With a GoPro and Plants To Know

During my paddle this morning I was not seeing too much. The gray sky even made typical “from the seat of the canoe” pictures boring. So, to pass the time I pulled out my GoPro to play around.

Video from a GoPro is usually pretty good. Still pictures often….

Autumn Moments on Wapsipinicon River

Ready or not, the seasons are changing. Blistering heat is slowly giving way to cooler temperatures and even cloudy skies that hint of rain.

I spent some time this morning documenting the ongoing transition. Some of the images…

Scary Snorts

While walking through a nearby timber today several loud, aggressive sounding snorts stopped me in my tracks. The first sound made me think I was in the presence of a large, defensive whitetail buck. Subsequent snorts confused me as their source seemed to be from high in a tree. Then I saw the source…

3-Miles or 103-Miles

As someone who is always watching for nature or outdoor photography opportunities, it is very easy to get into the “grass is greener” mindset. By that I mean I could believe that to see things I need to travel. Yes, for some subjects that would be correct. But, for wildlife I am blessed to have an ever-changing variety to enjoy just 3-miles away.

This morning I put my canoe on the water on the Wapsipinicon River at Frederika and enjoyed numerous wildlife encounters. Most remarkable was…

Urban Wildlife Sanctuary

This morning I explored from the seat of my canoe one of my favorite urban wildlife sanctuaries - Big Woods Lake in Cedar Falls. Not only did I see what I would consider “normal” wildlife for the area most times of the year, but I also found a very curious…

Do Great Blue Herons Belch After Gorging?

Unexpected splashing and movement caught my attention this morning when I found a great blue heron rendering a good sized sucker (fish) quiet and breakfast-worthy. The heron knew I was nearby in a canoe, but did not chance losing this meal.

I did not realize how aggressive a heron could be until I watched this action. First the heron skewered the sucker. Then it…

Exploring Maquoketa Caves State Park

Wow, what a weekend! Kristy and I spent the last couple days with family exploring Maquoketa Caves State Park. From crawling through tight, muddy passages to hiking miles of trails, to Dutch oven cooking… what fun!

One Loop Around

Time limitations and a personal agenda meant I allowed myself one paddle around the island on the Wapsipinicon River near our cabin. With a short duration outing, I did not expect to see much, but I did.

One highlight was a…

Then She Was Gone

I have seen this whitetail doe so many times this spring, summer, and now fall that I almost expect to see her each time I drive this road. Lately, maybe for the past two weeks, neither of her fawns…

“What Were You Doing in the Dark?”

During the very early morning hours of today Kristy mentioned we had fog. With those words I headed to the cabin so I could experience the phenomenon from the seat of my canoe.

Once on the water I quickly realized there was less fog than I anticipated, but I remained on the water for a pleasant paddling experience.

I shot a number of pictures while paddling. Some will be shared below. If time allows I may put together a video of the outing.

From a Distance to Up Close

As I approached a building near Otter Creek today I noticed, from a distance, an interesting plant I have seen only a few times. Later I approached closer, documenting the plant from far away to very near.

This is “pokeweed,” a plant touted as being toxic…

Paddle, Paddle, Pause, Watch

During my morning outing on the Wapsipinicon River I traveled slower than normal. I would paddle a couple of times and then pause to look around. I did not see anything I have not seen before, but what I did find was…

Two Views of Clear Lake and Discouraging View of Sweet Marsh

Kristy and I joined friends to camp at Clear Lake State Park this weekend. I knew headed up there knowing that the lake is very popular for fishing and boating - meaning there was plenty of big water. I, on the other hand, prefer shallow water or marshy conditions. I just see so much more where there is habitat for wildlife to hide.

Friday evening I scouted…

Be Glad You Weren’t Following Me

Early this morning, as I was headed to go out on the water, I noticed a flock of wild turkeys on a hillside. Behind them was a fast rising sun. I stopped, backed up, moved forward, backed up, inched forward and finally found a composition I liked. Without easily seeing details…

A Brush With Fame at the Great Body Shop to the North

Much of today I spent time with a family member at the great body shop to the north. You take your worn, your tired, your challenged body to that shop and if there is anything that can be done, they will do it. Sometimes the results are not what we want and other times the results are more than we deserve. Such is medicine and faith.

While there I met a fellow as I was walking out of a rest room. We were both sharing how our day was going and how much traveling we had left before nightfall. When he told me he was from Northern Wisconsin I asked about the Porkies (further to the north) and other areas where I have explored or backpacked. One thing led to another and he revealed he was a curler. “A curler? Like they…

Practicing Patience

I have mentioned in the past how my wife and I have planted some ground in CRP pollinator habitat. In essence, we are trying to do something I have wanted to do for years - create a prairie.

This summer may not have been the best timing for prairie planting. We have had very little rain, temperatures have been hot, the ground is hard as a rock, and nothing is promoting germination. I would be lying if I said…

Me and Not Quite Kermit

It is not often a frog makes me smile and almost laugh out loud, but that happened this morning.

I woke very early, before sunrise, and began watering our windbreak trees and shrubs. Timing was perfect for me as I made my way to our east border. It was there, as the sun was now trying to burn through clouds and mist to light the landscape, that I…

Grow Before You Squeeze Me

If you are comfortable around snakes, this might bring a chuckle.

This morning I was in an office where staff told me about a snake being found in the building and relocated. That was interesting… how did the snake get into the building, how long had it been there, and other questions run through your mind.

As I was leaving I passed through the entry way between the outside and the offices. Wouldn’t you know it, there was…

A Fen Walk - Wildflower Photography

This morning I tried to beat the heat when I went on a walk in a fen. As expected, temperatures warmed quickly and the fen walk - while enjoyable - was challenging.

I wasn’t sure if or how our drought might impact fen plants. To my surprise, I did not notice much difference from other years. There were many plants with considerable variety to keep this wildflower photographer occupied for a couple of hours.

While photographing the wildflowers I…

Drought = Easy Pickings for Shorebirds

I may be wrong, but it certainly appears to me that the shorebirds are making the best of our drought. What remains of shallow, isolated pools of water tend to host fish and amphibians that shorebirds - like green herons - recognize. I watched this one eat many times in a half-hour time span. No fish was safe from this heron.