Sunday on the river

The sun was out, the snow was fresh and there was no possible way that I was going to spend a day like this inside. It was off to the river I went, kind of sounds like something that I would have said and done and as a kid. But then habits are hard to break and I hope this is one habit that I never have to break.
But I was not alone this weekend, as I watch the swans. I had a Bald Eagle watching either me or the Swans or it could have been the Muskrats running around on the ice.

Game On!

Once again another great year of watching the US Pond Hockey Championships. It was a perfect day for hockey, the temp at 8:00 AM was -4 and not a cloud in the sky. I'm just going to let the photo's speak for themselves.

The Swans and I

I have this place along the Minnesota River that doesn't freeze over and that about a dozen or so Tundra Swans call home this Winter. It's not the easiest place to get to, but that my be why I don't seen anyone else around. This is a place were you find a fallen tree and seat a watch the world go by. I always try to walk into the site as quietly as I can, to see how close I can come before one of the Swans spots or hears me. Most of the time I can get within 30 feet before the hooking alarm goes off. Once I have found a log or stump to seat on, the Swans relax and go back to being themselves. But it's just not Swans that are in the area. There are other ducks, hawks, eagles and other small birds around. Once in a while a Coyote will come out, just to disturber the quite. As I sat there this Sunday, I watched the Swans take short little flights as if they where just stretching their wings. I know I only will have the Swans around for an other couple of months and then it is back north for the Summer.

Turn Around

The last time I was walking out of the refuge, the wind was blowing, it was cold and the sun was setting. All I could think about was getting home. I heard a Eagle call, I turned around and this was my view. This was one of those moments that you just stop, listen and remember. Just then the wind died down and it was just me and a Bald Eagle. Does it get any better then this?

 

Last week of 2011

The last week of 2011 was very quite, the weather was warm and there was no snow, except for the dusting on New Years Eve. The warm weather has kept me off the ice and on the trails and river banks looking for bird and other items.
This juvenile Bald Eagle, had no problem walking across the ice with those talons. The warm weather wasn't just enjoyed by me, as this Red Tail Hawk and these Muskrat's soaked up the sun.