"Hey baby it’s cold outside" just like the song says.

It was just warm enough today to start melting the snow that has built up on the cedar tree branches. The drops fell steadily on the pond’s surface and everything is damp. It’s the kind of cold that takes several hours to shake no matter how many blankets you use once you get indoors. It was perfect duck weather though and that meant it was perfect duck hunting weather for eagles.

When I arrived there was a group of seven or eight Common Goldeneye ducks swimming nervously back and forth across the pond. I think they caught me trying to get into my blind and were uncomfortable about my presence. They did not take to the air right away though because they were far more uncomfortable about the two eagles who were in the area.

The eagles were clearly not looking for fish today. Appearing quickly from over the tree tops both the immature and mature eagle seemed to be hoping to surprise any unwary ducks that might be about. When they found no potential targets they only stayed long enough to make one or two circles around the pond before disappearing in the direction of another pond that is not to far away.

The only other birds I saw today was a lone Chickadee, one pair of Mallards and what I think was a Merganser who looked like he was going to land three different times but just couldn’t bring himself to do so.

Part of my problem with seeing things today was that my great summer blind isn’t a very good winter blind. This means I got to spend most of the morning looking for a new spot to shoot from. I did manage to find a couple of potential locations but only time will tell if they'll work.

Even though it’s cold it’s still great to get outside whenever you get the chance. Stress test your winter wear, go out and play in the snow! Unless you live where its warm then I suppose you’ll just have to suffer with the heat (sorry but I can't feel sorry for you if that's your predicament....lol).

Have a great day!

Kevin

Winter Comes to the Fish Pond

Well I finally did it. With temperatures rising into the twenties I actually found the motivation to make my first winter trip to the Fish Pond.

While the lack of leaves and covering of snow create a completely new and interesting landscape they make it very hard to sneak into my photo spots. When I arrived there were about thirty ducks swimming around the pond but they saw me coming long before I got to my photo blind. When I got about halfway down the bank they took off en masse. All I saw of them was the white undersides of their flapping wings through the cedar trees that grow on the bank near my main blind.

Of course one good thing about snow in the woods is that you never have to wonder what kind of animals are around.

Everything from the smallest mouse scurrying from hole to hole to the largest deer looking for food leaves its footprints in the snow.

Even though I didn’t see the ponds Muskrat I know they are still around since I found their tracks in a couple of different locations.

I was also happy and quite surprised to see the Kingfishers still about. One male appeared to be hunting near the pond’s inlet stream but after not finding lunch there he flew off in the direction of a neighboring pond. He returned in less than a minute with a second, very noisy, Kingfisher in hot pursuit. Apparently the cold weather does not do much to improve their willingness to share hunting spots.

Since there is a continuos flow of water through the pond I doubt that it will completely freeze over except on the coldest of days. This is great for me as it means that there will probably be quite a bit of wildlife spending time here through the winter and now that I have gone once I will have no excuse for not going again.

Until then, if you want to have some fun, grab a book on animal tracks and get out into the snow! It’s the best time of year to learn just who you neighbors are!

Have a great one!

Kevin

OOPS!

For some reason the post for the week of Oct. 23 didn't make it to where it was supposed to. (Operator, that's me, error) Better late than never I hope!

Cold gray skies filled with the feel of winter, trees exploding into fiery colors and a steady stream of noisy flights of Canadian geese headed south are unmistakable signals that summer has indeed come to an end.

Areas of the woods around the pond that a few weeks ago were too dense to see through are now beginning to open up as the leaves fall.

There are still a few trees that are still sporting their summer green but it is obvious that it won’t be long before they to decide to go dormant for the winter.

The young Mallard drakes are now able to show off their mature colors and appear to be feeling their oats. Every time a new pair of Mallards land on the pond the resident young males immediately make their way straight towards them and a small scuffle ensues.

I can’t figure out if they are trying to assert their claim on the pond or to see if they can somehow get the attention of any newly arrived hens.

As much as I hate to say it I haven’t seen any eagles or the pond’s Muskrats in quite a while. Usually when I make such a statement they show up the next time I visit. What I have seen though are Belted Kingfishers. They have found their way back to the pond and are splashing around and fighting with each other like it was spring.

My friend the Great Blue heron, which I have been mistakenly been calling a great gray, is still hanging around stuffing itself with trout and whatever else is unfortunate enough to wander within range of its dagger like beak. I have read that it is not unheard of for young herons not to make their way south. I hope that this one does not make that mistake. While its feathers are quite impressive I don’t think they are designed to protect it from the bitter northern cold.

On my way out yesterday I spent a few minutes walking around the pond enjoying the colors. These are a few of the shots I got.

Even though summer is over it certainly doesn’t mean that the whole world is going to sleep. There is still a lot to enjoy in the outside world. Get out there and find it!

Have a great day.

Kevin

Well I suppose I went on and on enough about the fact that its fall in my last few posts. I’m sure that everyone in much of the Northern Hemisphere now knows what season it is.


There are still a few trees around the Fish Pond that are trying to hold on to what little color they can. The majority of the remaining leaves are in the upper portion of the Poplars and their reflection on the waters surface in the early sun was stunning. One last big yawn before the forest goes to sleep for the winter.

While my friend the heron has been very scarce my comment from last week about not seeing any eagles or muskrats was at least half correct. As I predicted, after guessing they were gone for the year, an eagle showed up this morning. It flew a few quick circles above the pond and when it didn’t see anything extremely interesting it left.


I actually didn’t see it immediately and might not have seen I at all had the Kingfisher I was photographing not seen it. He hunkered down onto the branch he was perched on and slowly turned his head to watch the eagle as it passed overhead. Nothing small, whether its covered in feathers or covered in fur, seems very comfortable when one of the friendly neighborhood eagles is around. Go figure?


Other than knowing that drakes go with hens and that they spend a lot of time resting and grooming I don’t know a whole lot about duck behavior. I know that Mallards at the pond today did a lot of things I have never seen them do before.


Head bobbing, fighting, posturing and diving. Not a quick splash under the water kind of dive. Today they were going under and staying down for extended periods of time. One pair dove and did not resurface for almost thirty seconds.


My guess is that, at least some of them, are pumped full of energy and ready to begin their long flight south. I’ll have to do a little research to see if I can learn a little more about this sudden change in the normally passive Mallards behavior.


No matter what the time of year there always seems to be something new to learn at the Fish Pond. Even if it’s only finding out something as small as why young ducks behave the way they do take the time to educate yourself. The real lesson you’ll learn is a healthy respect for the wonderful world around you.

Get out their and learn something new today! Its one of the funnest things to do in the great outdoors!

Have a great week!

Kevin

Mornings this time of year in northern Michigan should be cool, clear and frosty. The recent weather has been anything but that though.


Warm humid nights and cloudy mornings make for terrible wildlife photography opportunities at the Fish Pond. The warm dew laden air combined cool water surface turn the pond into a giant fog generator. It has been impossible to see more than a third of the way across the pond during the majority of my time spent there this week. I know there are ducks their since I have watched them disappear into the mist when they land. Beyond that though they remain out of sight along the banks until the fog subsides.


The fog drifts back and forth with the breeze and doesn’t clear until about eleven a.m. or noon when the sun finally makes its way over the tree tops to burn it off. As it retreats it covers the leaves on the lower branches of the trees and the spider webs that are strung between the branches of dead trees with what appears to be an extremely heavy dew.


Fortunately the fog doesn't seem to encroach up onto the shoreline so I had a chance to sneak around and grab a few shots of some of the plant life near my spot.


Even a slight breeze now causes the leaves to fall by the bushel. The combination of morning fog and the steady falling of leaves seem to have the ducks that are hanging about very nervous. The jump and fly the length of the pond at the drop of a hat these days.






After not seeing one in quite some time one of my favorite birds made a brief appearance this morning. A Belted Kingfisher landed in a tree on the bank directly opposite from my blind. It spent a little time watching a group of Mallards feed directly below it before it disappeared into the trees.


By next week I’m sure the pond will have a whole new look to it. A few trees will still be hanging in their and refusing to let go of their summers work but for the most part I’m sure that almost all traces of summer will be gone.

If you live in the northern regions of the USA or the southern reaches of Canada get outside and enjoy the colors while they last. Let them be your inspiration to do something creative.

Have a great one.

Kevin

Fall Showers

Unlike a spring shower that warms you with thoughts of the coming summer, rainy fall days carry with them the first true chill of the approaching winter.

My friend the heron has remained very close to the pond all week and he seems to have become very tolerant of me. He often sits where there is no doubt he can see me moving around the banks of the pond but I don't seem to bother him enough that he feels scared enough to leave the pond. He does keep his distance though and I won’t be trying to get to close to that beak of his anytime soon.

If the weather follows our typical fall pattern there will probably be plenty of steady light rains over the next couple of weeks. When it does rain now the clash of warm rain and cold pond water causes a layer of fog to rise and drift over the water’s surface.

The ducks don’t seem to be at all thrilled about fog. They appear nervous and when the fog thins they are usually huddled together somewhere just far enough off the shore to be safe from any danger that might spring out of the trees.

The heron didn’t seem to mind the shifting levels of visibility too much. He flew across the pond and back a couple of times hunting and fishing in different areas along the bank. When it got thick enough that I almost lost sight of him he just seemed to hunker down on a perch and wait it out.

All these weeks of photographing the different types of interesting wildlife around the pond you would think that the small common songbirds wouldn’t be something I would be very interested in. It’s certainly not that I have not been interested in them. It’s that they are danged hard to get a good shot of!


I finally got a couple of them that I thought might be worth sharing though.






Take advantage of the remaining warm weather. Grab an umbrella and go for a walk! It’s a great season to be outside!

Kevin

Night at the Fish Pond

Since the summer sun doesn't go down until late I've not had many chances to make a night trip to the Fish Pond. Now that the days have begun to grow shorter I hope to have more opportunities to explore this world of shadows, reflections and sounds.

During this last full moon I got out and took a walk around the pond. The lack of color gives you the chance to pay attention to some interesting details that are naturally black and white.

The sawtooth shilouette of a tree leaf.

The reflection of the moon on the waters surface among the floating moss.

I can't wait to spend some time honing my low light photography skills around the pond.

Have a great one and don't forget, not the whole world sleeps just because the sun goes down.

Kevin