Thursday, February 14, 2008

Busy Beavers at Cooper Park

When Scott and I visited Cooper Park yesterday, there were many noisy Mallards out on the water where the beaver pond used to be (before last spring's high floods destroyed the dams). When I got closer I could see a large beaver on the shore, working on some branches, and then slowly moving into the water where he worked for a very long time weaving his branches into the new beaver dam that the beavers are constructing on the upside of the stream entering the marsh. He meandered back towards a small tree and took it down in a few concise bites and then drug it back to the dam where he worked again to weave it into the dam. A friend was helping from the water.
 

 

 

 
Posted by Picasa
He took down the sapling in a couple of bites and drug it back to the dam.
 

 

 

 
Posted by Picasa
His friend/mate worked from the water. You can just see the head in front of the ducks.
 

 

 

 
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Dreaming of Emiquon

My favorite place to be right now is Emiquon. I love every minute that I spend there. God's own nursery; man's reluctantly surrendered hostage to corn; land returning to its original configuration. It is a wonder to behold.

Last Friday, February 8, 2008, I drove down to Emiquon for my first look of 2008. As I left TNC headquarters, I stopped to photograph the many sparrows in the tall prairie plants. Most were Eurasian Tree Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows with a few Song Sparrows and other unidentified small brown birds. Just as I was thinking about what good harrier food the little birds would make, I spotted one of the Northern Harriers that I regularly see there. She was far out across the prairie headed in my direction. I think it was a female, because it had much streaking on the underside. She flew low over the prairie with her owl face peering intently on the look out for prey. Two Red-tailed Hawks were also hunting the fields and prairie along the Emiquon Prairie Road. One flew high above the prairie and landed in a tree near the road. He didn't stay long. He flew off as a truck drove past his perch and disappeared over the ridge. Not far from Dixon Mounds I spotted another Red-tail flying towards the flooded and frozen field. It landed in a tree near the road, just as the road makes a sharp turn towards IL SR 78. There wasn't any traffic, so I drove on around the curve and stopped the car for a better look, with the sun shining on him instead of behind him. He didn't seem too concerned about me. I took a few photos and then left him to his business.

I found a third Red-tailed hawk flying over Pumphouse Road (Path 2). Hundreds and hundreds of American Tree Sparrows hid in the thickets of mullein, sedge weeds, thistle, and other tall grass-like plants that surround Thompson Lake. As I left path 2 and rove north on IL 78, I spotted a fourth Red-tailed Hawk perched on a power pole. He was near the one area with a shoulder, so I pulled over and took a couple of photos through the passenger window before he flew to the next power pole. He was safe there, since there is no shoulder anywhere else along that highway.

Next I drove down Clark Road where a fifth Red-tailed Hawk flew from a tree on the side of the road and disappeared in the prairie.

 

 

 

 
Posted by Picasa
 

The caretaker's cottage at the base of the ridge.
 

One of the remaining farms along Emiquon Road.
 

 
Posted by Picasa
A second Red-tailed Hawk landed in a tree along the road to Dixon Mounds.
 

 
Posted by Picasa
The Red-tailed Hawk landed briefly in a tree along Prairie Road before disappearing over the ridge.
 

 

 

 
Posted by Picasa