Today at the TCAAP WVA, I saw Excavating

Excavating DSC_8081, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

While, I was up in northern Minnesota on vacation for the last 5 days, I missed the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area at little.

It was super windy today. No birds flying. Didn't see anything in the lake either. I watched some excavators moving dirt on the far side of the lake. The National Guard or US Army are building something back there.

Today near the TCAAP WVA, I saw a Cygnet

Cygnet DSC_1650, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

This is a shot of the cygnet that I watched from the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area most of the summer. About a month ago it left with it's family. Today, I found out that they moved about a half mile south to Sunfish Lake. I couldn't see them from any public areas so I was perplexed as to what happened to them.

Today, I was allowed to wander within the Arden Hills Training Site. My host said she saw the swan family in Sunfish lake so I started my journey there. This good news is this cygnet looks big and healthy. It was feeding while I watched and eventually ended up near shore and stretched it's wings for me.

The bad news is I saw a swan shaped pile of feathers in the cattails. I sure looks like a dead swan although I couldn't get a very good view of it. My host is going to canoe out there tomorrow to investigate. We suspect it might be the swan with the mandible problem.

I think is my favorite shot of the day. It isn't the sharpest pan of this duck but its sharp enough and the cygnet is in the frame.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I saw Swans

Swans DSC_1265, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I got word from the environmental specialist for the Arden Hills Army Training Site (she manages the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area too). She got a good look at the swan that looked like it had some sort of dangling thing from its jaw. I've been watching that swan all summer and was very curious as to what the heck was going on with it. I suspected it got tangled in some plastic or fishing line.

She got a good look at the swan and determined that it has some sort of injury to its lower mandible and its tongue is the dangling thing. Obviously, it can eat or it would perished long ago. It is also able to preen and otherwise keep itself clean. She's going to talk to some swan specialists to find out if its worse the stress to the swan to capture and rehab it or if it should be left alone. I'll keep you posted.

I'm pretty sure neither of the two swans in this photo are the injured one. I zoomed in real close on the computer and didn't see the injured one. Haven't seen the cygnet in weeks...

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I saw behind the fence again.

Trucks DSC_2756, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I drove by the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area last night...on the other side of the fence. Once it stopped raining, it continued to be hot and steamy. I mostly drove around. Saw lots of turkeys and deer.

My highlight was the cloud formations after the storm.

Although my primary purpose was to get wildlife photos, I ended up liking more shots with the 10-24mm on the D5000.

This is another one of my favorites.



And a deer butt:

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Received My New Photobook

Today, I received my photo book of the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.  Over the years, I've done a lot of business with Adorama in NYC.  They are a top notch company that provides pretty much all the photo and video equipment and accessories anyone will ever need.  AdoramaPix is their printing arm.  A while ago, I watched a review posted by one of my all time favorite wildlife photographers, Moose Peterson.  Moose said the books from AdoramaPix rock so I decided to give it a try. 

It took me a really long time to put this book together.  It's 26 pages of my favorite photos from the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.  37 photos in all.  I tried to put together a collection that represented the vast diversity of nature and wildlife I've seen in the last 4 or so years.   You'll find everything from coyotes, otters, swans, songbirds, sunsets, landscapes, wild flowers and more.  Please view the book at this link (grab the page with your mouse and slide it over to turn the page) and if you feel so inclined, you may purchase it. 

It's printed on real photo paper.  Professional durable binding.  Thick cover and thick pages.  It lays flat so the photos that span two pages are almost seamless.

If I can figure out how to embed the book viewer into the blog, I'll make another post for you.

Yesterday at the TCAAP WVA, I met Mary of the MN Army National Guard

Raising the House DSC_1522, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Yesterday, I was at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area with a friend when Mary from the MN Army National Guard drove up. She opened the small gate in the WVA and let us in to so we could examine the nests on the other side of the fence. She lowered the purple martin house because I was skeptical that the tree swallows had nested in there. Sure enough, there were 6 baby tree swallows in one of the nest cavities.



Of all the options, they picked the lowest hole facing west for their home. They were a little annoyed when we opened it and flew off.

After that, Mary offered to give us a key for the day so we could investigate the whole of the Arden Hills Army Training Site...formerly the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant. We jumped at the chance to drive back into the site to look for birds and other wildlife.   I made about 900 clicks that day and finally got through all them this afternoon.

Mary showed us a great horned owl nest...but no owls...and a red-tailed hawk nest with two young in it.  We also went to the top of the highest hill and saw tree that woodpeckers just love.   Later that evening, I staked out the osprey nest (the one I can barely see from the WVA).   That was cool.

Here is a whole slide show of the best of my clicks from that day.



Be sure to click the full screen button on the lower right to embiggen.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I saw Bluebirds

Bluebird Parents DSC_2461, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Actually, I saw all kinds of things today (6-11-2011) at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I got up early and made a snoot for my flash in an attempt to get some flash on the bluebird house. It's about 30-40 feet away (on the other side of the barbed-wire). I don't think it did much. The shot on the right had no flash. I have to squeeze my lens through a small crack in the gate so a vertical shot would block the flash altogether. Next experiment: Off camera. I'm wary that the off camera cord for the flash will look too much like a snake and I don't want to disturb the birds.

The shot below is with the SB-400 speedlight and my homemade snoot: 



I also saw: Trucks, Planes, Flowers, more Flowers, Loon, lots of Loons, Dragonflies, Butterflies (or moths), a swan in the morning mist and a closeup tree swallow.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I saw America's Finest

HMMWV 2, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Behind the fence at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area is the Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS). The Minnesota National Guard leases this land from the US Army.

Here are two HMMWV (aka...hummer) with some of our troops. These two stopped to ask me if I'd seen a large buck in the area. Of course, I said. I saw it run east way on the other side of the lake.

Thank you for your service!

Visit My Collection of Almost 2000 Images of the TCAAP Area

TCAAP WVA Sign
by Mully410 * Images

I spend most of my time in this area at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. Sometime, I get inside the old TCAAP property (now known as the Arden Hills Army Training Site) on bird walks and sometimes I visit the Ramsey Country park along Rice Creek on the other side of the property.

I've rearranged my TCAAP area photo collection on Flickr so people can find it easier.  It's now on the right side of at the top right sidebar.

Here is a link directly to the collection.

Previously I saw the TCAAP WVA from the other side of the fence

WVA from the other side
by Mully410 * Images

On Sunday May 15, 2011, I participated in the Urban Bird Festival held by the Saint Paul Audubon Society.  It took place within the Arden Hills Army Training Site (which used to be known as the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant.)  The shot above was taken from the south west side of Lake Marsden.  The white dot is the purple martin house.  If you look real close, you can see a person standing on the bridge.  It was clear and sunny that day.

During the bird walk, I saw a bunch of interesting things.  We saw a common loon on its nest along with a trumpeter swan on her nest.  I saw my first clay-colored sparrow and got some photos of the Minneapolis and St. Paul skylines from the second tallest hill in Ramsey County. 

Here is a slide show of what I saw that day:

Today at the TCAAP WVA I saw the US Army

Army DSC_3569, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

The Army was doing some sort of orienteering exercise today. I saw a number of soldiers walk by with maps and compasses in hand.

These two female solders were way across the lake from me. I had no idea they were pointing in my direction when I made this photograph.

I also saw the flowers have begun to emerge. This particular one is either a spurge or vetch of some kind...from what I heard. It's likely an invasive species.