Previously Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Moonset and Sunrise

Moon over Birdhouse_3446.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I didn't get out to the TCCAP Wildlife Viewing Area today, maybe tomorrow.

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Rough-legged Hawk, again

Rough-legged Hawk_42230.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I got a close look at one of the dark morph rough-legged hawks today.

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Deer

Deer_41646.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I saw maybe four different groups of 3-5 deer today near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I surprised this one in the pine trees.

In my quest to find owls, I actually got out of the truck and strapped on the snow shoes. Five steps into the pines and one flew off. Didn't get a shot.

Saw two different dark-morph rough-legged hawks and two others, either light-morph and/or normal.

Did not see a single turkey, which was weird. Their tracks are everywhere.

Nine swans again in the pond....and a jillion mallards.

Previously Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Blue Sunrise

Blue Sunrise_3332.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Not really. I had the white balance set to something else, not sure which, so it brought out all the blues. I liked the colors so I kept the shots.

Here's closer to what it really looked like:

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Turkeys Roosting

Turkey Roosting_41027.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Roosting, not roasting. I made a drive through near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area this morning before I met the family for lunch. I saw two separate groups of turkeys still in their night roosting trees.

Previously Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Tree Sparrows

Tree Sparrow_40496.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Lately, I've been seeing a flock of about 40 or 50 American tree sparrows near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I find it fun to watch how the grass bends when they land on it. They are also a bit feisty sometimes.

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Reddish Squirrel

Ginger Squirrel_40773.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

There aren't many squirrels near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area because of all the hawks, owls and eagles. That makes this siting a bit more interesting. I dug around the internet and can't positively determine if this is a reddish colored eastern gray squirrel or a fox squirrel. Odds are probably eastern gray but who knows?

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Rough-legged Hawks

Rough-legged Hawk_40631.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

We saw at least three different individual rough-tailed hawks today near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.

Here are a couple shots. The one on the right was screeching at us. Same bird below.



Different bird:


A very dark morph rough-legged hawk:

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw A Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl_49957.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Actually, I saw three great horned owls today during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. It was in the mid 30s F with pouring rain all day.

I took the small 70-300mm lens in lieu of the big glass so I'd be more mobile. All my photos are cropped very much and I only posted them for ID purposes.

Saw my first rough-legged hawk. There was much debate before we decided what it was. Once I got the photos on the computer, it's obvious.

Previously Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Hawks

Red-tailed Hawk_49524.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I saw 6-7 red-tailed hawks the other day near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I didn't get out there today since we received about a foot of snow.

This hawk must have been preoccupied with prey because I drove right up close and got to shoot a lot of photos.

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Shrike Attack

Shrike_49408.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Within a few minutes of entering the area, I came across this northern shrike. I snapped a few photos from a distance then drove up closer. This image is a cropped a bit. I wondered why the bird didn't fly off as I approached but I soon found out. It had a bead on shrew.  (I also saw a giant murder of crows, perhaps 300 or so and I saw a great horned owl and two kestrels.)

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Trapped Leaf

Trapped_49115.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

One thing that sucks about winter is the shorter days. I'm off to work when the sun is just coming up and don't get home until after the sun sets.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw A Foggy Road

Foggy Road_49121_.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

It was foggy all day long today at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I headed out there about 10am for some landscape shots. The photo on the left is the perimeter road that runs around the edge of the whole AHATS.

I saw a flock of about twenty American tree sparrows working the grass on the other side of the barbed wire. I also saw a deer hunter drive by on the perimeter road with a big giant rack in the back. I wonder if it was this guy. I kinda hope not.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an American Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow_46168.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Saw a group of tree sparrows hanging out at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area earlier this month. Caught a shot of this one on the barbed wire. They aren't quite as quick an active as the local black-capped chickadees but they are close.

Previously Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw River Otters

River Otters_4291.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Back in August, I got to see a family of river otters up close on Lake Marsden near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.

Thanksgiving at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Turkey

Trees_47698_.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I saw a couple turkeys fly down from their nightly roost this morning at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I also saw a pair of trumpeter swans, some mallards a gaggle of Canada geese and some blue jays.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Nowhere Near the TCAAP WVA

Gull_46957.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Sorry for the hiatus from the TCAAP WVA. I've been indisposed intermittently for last couple months.

Over the weekend, the weather was in the 50Fs so I headed out to the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge. It had been more the two months since I had a full day of shooting and hadn't yet put the D4 its paces so I went out in search of gulls. The gulls gather in great numbers around the Minnesota River this time of year. Sometimes we've spent hours watching them fish.

I'm not particularly fond of gulls but I don't dislike them. The reason I seek them out is because it's fun and great practice. I don't want to learn how to shoot bald eagles when they're fishing so I practice with gulls, a lot.

While we were watching gulls, this eastern gray squirrel swam the 125-150 yards all the way across the Minnesota river. Weird.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Tree Sparrows

Tree Sparrow_46125.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I saw more tree sparrows at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area tonight. I saw one deer, two turkeys, a couple gulls flew over and saw one hooded merganser in Marsden Lake.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Tree Sparrows

Tree Sparrow_45837.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I finally got back to the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area this afternoon and saw a flock of about 6-8 american tree sparrows.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Didn't See Anything

Squirrel_44980.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I haven't been out to the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area lately. Actually, I haven't been anywhere very often but my backyard for over a month. Here's a squirrel in my backyard.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw the Bridge and Grass and Clouds

Bridge and Grass and Clouds_43992.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I only had a few minutes to stop by the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area today. I made a few clicks with the 50mm f1.4. I like this one best.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a White-throated Sparrow on Barbed Wire

White-throated Sparrow on Barbed Wire_42119.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Actually, I saw about 20 white-throated sparrows in the grass at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I think this is the first shot I've got of one on the barbed wire.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Sunset, sort of

Dead Tree_41349_.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I only made it out to the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area for a few minutes today. Here is a quick 5 image handheld HDR processed in Nik's HDR Efex Pro 2.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Sumac

Sumac_40653.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

The sumac at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area are turning for fall right now. Some are all red, some are yellow and this one is half green and half maroon.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Fall Colors

Golden_40775.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

The colors are far from peaking at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area but all the golds were nice tonight.

Today Nowhere Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Squirrels

Squirrel_40142.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I haven't be able to get out to the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area lately so here's a shot of a squirrel in my backyard.

This Weekend Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Three New Birds

Bird_2578.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I got photos of three birds I've not seen before near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. The one on the right is a Nashville Warbler.





Tennessee Warbler:



Harris's Sparrow:

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Raccoons

Racoons_2883.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I parked on the road near some bird activity for about an hour today near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I saw a lot of interesting birds. These three raccoons walked across the road without a care. I don't think they noticed me until this one looked up after they crossed the road.

Today Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Fall

Fall_2548.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Today, I saw a few trees near the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area preparing for winter.