Store it up girls. Winter is on the way…

My favorite happened late one afternoon while I was reading in a lounge chair at my campsite. Dark movement in the sky hit my peripheral vision. I looked up, and there was this eagle, soaring on the wind, scanning the shallows of the lake for fish.

I grabbed my camera and got close to the shore. I did try to stay under a tree so I wouldn’t spook it away. As I scanned the sky I realized there were TWO eagles looking for dinner in the lake.

For the next twenty minutes, the two raptors circled around my end of the lake, putting on an great show (and gave me a chance to shoot some pics).

Unfortunately, even with my 200mm telephoto lens, the eagles were still a bit too far away (these photos are all cropped, and are about 1/3 to 3/4 the size of the originals). This makes me want to buy a longer lens.

The other notable eagle sighting I had took place while I was hiking around Lake of the Falls. Where an eagle attempted to swoop down and grab a fish. After he missed, he scooted away as fast as he could (probably left out of embarrassment). Unfortunately the best camera shot I got was of his quick exit.

I was fascinated by those eyes, and that curled-up proboscis.

Maybe it lingered so long because those compound eyes were just as fascinated with me?

It was fascinating just watching them swim through their beautifully lit tanks.

I saw a lot of honeybees gathering nectar, while hiking the Arboretum yesterday.

They were the proverbial busy bees too, moving at a frantic pace to get the nectar. The below bee was moving around so fast I couldn’t quite get her in focus.

While on vacation last week, I was biking the trail along Trout Lake, hoping to get some photos of loons. That portion of the trail runs along the lake shore, with a buffer of trees of about 10 feet. The trees make for a decent blind, so the birds don’t get scared away. I had seen loons (fairly close by) along that section of trail in the past and I was hoping for a good shot. I had my camera setup with its telephoto zoom lens, ready to go in my bike’s saddle bag. At one point I did see some loons off in the distance a bit. I took a few photos, but they were a little too far away. Back on the bike I went, continuing to scan the nearby shore. Suddenly, a shadow overhead caused me to look up. There was a bald eagle swooping by, about 20 feet above me.

My thoughts turned to the camera in my saddle bag as the eagle continued away from me, along the shore. The eagle must have been searching the shallows for a fish to eat. I quickly stopped pedaling and got out my camera, in case the eagle would grant me another photo opportunity. Just as I got my hands on the camera, the eagle swooped back toward my direction. She was going to take another look at that section of beach! I excitedly raised the camera to my eye, followed the eagle as it approached, lined it up nicely in the frame, waited for the right moment, and pressed the shutter. Nothing. In my haste to take the picture, I had neglected to turn the camera on. As I lowered the dormant Nikon to flip the switch, the eagle move out of site along the trees.

So, I didn’t get the shot. But I did get a pretty good tale to tell, about the one that got away.

My favorite reads are those that let me escape. Whether I am bored in a waiting room, worried about something, or just trying to clear my head so I can sleep, books that can transport my mind to another place are worth their weight in gold. The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild by Craig Childs is a wonderful example of such a book.

In The Animal Dialogues, the author vividly describes various encounters he has had with wildlife. The book is set up so each species has its own chapter: Bear, Coyote, Rainbow Trout, etc. Within each chapter are a few stories about different encounters with that species. And “stories” is an appropriate word to use here. The author’s vivid descriptions of these encounters read like a novel. Here’s an example from the chapter “Bear”:

The bear’s shore and mine were separated by twenty feet of water. There was no solace in this distance. I had seen a bear swim a mile of swift, cold water here, much swifter and colder than this. The bear walked downstream, fixing on me now and then…  Across the river from our camp, the grizzly took a seat. It found a cluster of birch trees, and it rolled onto its rear like a very large person sitting to tell a story.

Most animals show themselves sparingly. The grizzly bear is six to eight hundred pounds of smugness. It has no need to hide. If it were a person, it would laugh loudly in quiet restaurants, boastfully wear the wrong clothes for special occasions, and probably play hockey. It would also pursue secret solitude, disappearing for weeks on end while people were expecting it at upcoming meetings. At the moment, it was bold and aloof, making sure we knew we were being watched, but keeping its distance. As a function of time and patience, our uneasiness faded. We kept looking and the bear kept sitting.

Whether keeping an eye on a nearby grizzly, or being bullied by mosquitoes that act like “backstreet thugs,” Craig Childs’ writing puts you right at his side, highlighting the beauty and wonder of the wilderness. In another chapter, the author is hiking alone in Arizona when he stumbles upon a mountain lion. As the animal moves ever closer, he fights the urge to run (which would only trigger an attack response). The rest of the story is the most suspenseful tale I have read in years, as the author stares down the mountain lion, posturing himself to convince the animal not to have him for lunch.

Anyone with at least a mild interest in wildlife will thoroughly enjoy this book. If you need further convincing, an excerpt of The Animal Dialogues is available from the publisher’s website.

While I was in northern Wisconsin last week there were all kinds of monarch butterflies flying about.

It’s hard to believe these delicate creatures will journey all the way to Mexico before the cold weather hits.

While biking to the refuge along the Great River State Trail, I came upon this turtle (which was probably about a foot and a half long), digging a hole with her back legs, to bury her eggs.

There weren’t that many wildflowers blooming, but I did see a few around.

With my small camera, it was tough getting good shots of the birds I saw.

Toward the end of the week, I took a day trip to the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River. Below is a shot of the wildlife refuge from across the river.