Must have heard that my friend Art was in town, and wanted to get well off the roads before he came by!
Showing posts with label Mammals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mammals. Show all posts
October 4, 2014
May 27, 2014
Chipmunk!
Finally got my first good clear pictures of a chipmunk at Crow Creek park last month. They are speedy little critters and always dart out of sight whenever I get a glimpse of them. This one, however, was brave enough, or curious enough to check me out for a few minutes. Never would have got these without my zoom lens!
This is an Eastern chipmunk. The name comes from the Ojibwa word "achitamon", which means "descending head first". Isn't that cool?!!!
As you probably know, chipmunks store food in their cheeks in order to carry it to a supply depot. That's why this little lady's cheeks are puffed out so fat!
This post is for my friend, Sarah, who has a particular penchant for some members of the rodentia family. Hope you liked this cute little critter!
This is an Eastern chipmunk. The name comes from the Ojibwa word "achitamon", which means "descending head first". Isn't that cool?!!!
As you probably know, chipmunks store food in their cheeks in order to carry it to a supply depot. That's why this little lady's cheeks are puffed out so fat!
This post is for my friend, Sarah, who has a particular penchant for some members of the rodentia family. Hope you liked this cute little critter!
November 23, 2013
Gray Squirrel on a Gray Day
Saw this little fellow during a chilly walk yesterday. He was way up in a tree, and probably taking the brunt of a lot more blustery wind than I was down on the ground. Of course - he had a genuine fur coat, and I didn't.
Here's a close up. I love how you can see his little claw.
Here's a close up. I love how you can see his little claw.
October 21, 2013
Rabbit Surprise
This rabbit surprised me the other day as I was walking along the boardwalk above the river at Lock & Dam 14.
If he had stayed still, I never would have seen him. As much as I like to think I notice things, it's usually only when an animal moves that I realize they are even there.
This bunny scurried about five feet and then froze in place again - without a lot of cover around him.
This bunny scurried about five feet and then froze in place again - without a lot of cover around him.
And then, in a moment, he had disappeared uphill into the brush and was gone from view.
August 20, 2013
Lucky Shot
I was photographing egrets and herons at Nahant Marsh the other day, and as usual, when I got home and examined my photos up close, I found I had captured some unexpected wildlife. It was a lucky shot, really. Take a look:
Yep! My very first raccoons caught on camera, and I didn't even know they were there! Cast your net upon the waters and you never know what you will find.
These carnivorous mammals look cute from a distance but trust me - they are vicious, destructive animals. Campers beware! Do not sleep with food in your tent. If you do, you are just asking for trouble, and raccoons will bring it without a doubt. Thankfully these two were eating natural foods, and not garbage from a dumpster.
Yep! My very first raccoons caught on camera, and I didn't even know they were there! Cast your net upon the waters and you never know what you will find.
These carnivorous mammals look cute from a distance but trust me - they are vicious, destructive animals. Campers beware! Do not sleep with food in your tent. If you do, you are just asking for trouble, and raccoons will bring it without a doubt. Thankfully these two were eating natural foods, and not garbage from a dumpster.
July 25, 2013
What's There?
There's lots of foliage here in Iowa, and it makes for good hiding for wild creatures. You never really know what's out there in it. You drive by a little stand of trees or walk in a city park, and for the most part you are completely unaware of what is hiding just a few feet from you.
As I wondered how just how many feet actually separated us, he rose and stared straight at me.
Deer have been known to attack humans, although it is rare. You should not mess with them during mating season, or in the spring when they have their fawns, or with a sick or injured animal, or anytime, really.
To tell the truth, I was surprised that this one had not simply turned tail and run away, which is what they usually do. That made me a little nervous. I thought about the heat wave we'd been having, and how sever heat can cause wild animal great distress, making them even more unpredictable than usual.
I did not approach any closer, or do anything startling. After checking me out for a minute, he casually leapt over the log behind him, and disappeared.
There wasn't much place for him to go. As I found out when I checked the location on Google Earth later, he had been hiding in a narrow island of trees running between two rows of houses, in the midst of urban sprawl. Makes you wonder what else is out there, so close by and yet unseen.
Take a look here. What do you see?
Bedded down in those cool green weeds is one of the larger North American mammals - a whitetail buck. See him? You can just make out parts of his antlers in the lower left-hand portion of the picture.
When I took the picture above, I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there. He had just startled a little, when a nearby man clapped his hands together to call for his dog. The noise cause the deer to raise his antlered head a little, and turn toward the sound. I tried to get him in my viewfinder, but he had already sunk back into the weeds.
I stepped closer, trying to see where he was. He raised his head up and looked around, directly at me. Suddenly I was thinking of all those heedless tourists in Yellowstone Park who approach wild elk, bison and bears, and get trampled, gored and mauled.
When I took the picture above, I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there. He had just startled a little, when a nearby man clapped his hands together to call for his dog. The noise cause the deer to raise his antlered head a little, and turn toward the sound. I tried to get him in my viewfinder, but he had already sunk back into the weeds.
I stepped closer, trying to see where he was. He raised his head up and looked around, directly at me. Suddenly I was thinking of all those heedless tourists in Yellowstone Park who approach wild elk, bison and bears, and get trampled, gored and mauled.
As I wondered how just how many feet actually separated us, he rose and stared straight at me.
Deer have been known to attack humans, although it is rare. You should not mess with them during mating season, or in the spring when they have their fawns, or with a sick or injured animal, or anytime, really.
To tell the truth, I was surprised that this one had not simply turned tail and run away, which is what they usually do. That made me a little nervous. I thought about the heat wave we'd been having, and how sever heat can cause wild animal great distress, making them even more unpredictable than usual.
I did not approach any closer, or do anything startling. After checking me out for a minute, he casually leapt over the log behind him, and disappeared.
There wasn't much place for him to go. As I found out when I checked the location on Google Earth later, he had been hiding in a narrow island of trees running between two rows of houses, in the midst of urban sprawl. Makes you wonder what else is out there, so close by and yet unseen.
July 23, 2013
Chillin'!
Last week we were suffering heat waves and warnings all over the state. That's when I happened to get a picture of this guy:
We were visiting Grinnell College in central Iowa. It was 92 degrees, and we were all baking in the sun as we took a walking tour of the campus. But this squirrel had it figured out. He sprawled himself against the relatively cool bark of this tree, enjoying what shade was to be had. Staring at me with a glassy look, he did not seem phased when I turned paparazzi on him.
Adding to the humor of the moment were these Dr. Seuss -like "sweaters", adorning the trees in this little park on campus. It made me chuckle to see this chillin' Grinnellian and these multi-colored tree adnorments.
We were visiting Grinnell College in central Iowa. It was 92 degrees, and we were all baking in the sun as we took a walking tour of the campus. But this squirrel had it figured out. He sprawled himself against the relatively cool bark of this tree, enjoying what shade was to be had. Staring at me with a glassy look, he did not seem phased when I turned paparazzi on him.
Adding to the humor of the moment were these Dr. Seuss -like "sweaters", adorning the trees in this little park on campus. It made me chuckle to see this chillin' Grinnellian and these multi-colored tree adnorments.
March 19, 2013
Occupied
When walking recently, I came across some holes in the ground - the dens of little animals.
I can never tell which animals are living in the holes for sure. Maybe someday I'll be that good. And of course I can never tell if there is an animal currently in the den, listening to me walk by.
This time the ground was free of snow, but the backwaters were almost completely frozen. It was cold out. I passed several little dens, all plain and unremarkable. Then I saw this one.
This den was different than all the rest. It was lined with frost - proof that it had been occupied recently, and maybe right at that moment. If it was a smart critter, it was probably still curled up below, avoiding the bitter temperatures above. The moisture evaporating off the animal's body and the moisture from its own exhalations had risen to the entrance of the den and frozen there. I've had the same experience camping in tents in the winter, and have woken up with frost on the inside of my tent roof and walls.
I can never tell which animals are living in the holes for sure. Maybe someday I'll be that good. And of course I can never tell if there is an animal currently in the den, listening to me walk by.
This time the ground was free of snow, but the backwaters were almost completely frozen. It was cold out. I passed several little dens, all plain and unremarkable. Then I saw this one.
This den was different than all the rest. It was lined with frost - proof that it had been occupied recently, and maybe right at that moment. If it was a smart critter, it was probably still curled up below, avoiding the bitter temperatures above. The moisture evaporating off the animal's body and the moisture from its own exhalations had risen to the entrance of the den and frozen there. I've had the same experience camping in tents in the winter, and have woken up with frost on the inside of my tent roof and walls.
March 11, 2013
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