Thursday, May 20, 2010

More Emiquon Photographs

The boat ramp at Thompson Lake doesn't have much room for parking, though more than it had a few weeks ago when the lake was even higher.
EmiquonBoatRamp05062010JGWard_MG_8595

A small group of Apple trees grow where the old homestead used to be.
EmiquonAppleBlossoms04262010JGWard_MG_8444

The power lines remain standing at the south end of the lake, but are completely down closer to the boat ramp.
EmiquonSouthLevee05132010JGWard_MG_9318

A turkey ran up the bluff ahead of me as Scott and I climbed it one morning.
EmiquonRidgeTurkey04262010JGWard_MG_8379

Domestic ducks and hybrids hang out at the corner of County Road 9 and Dickson Mounds Road.
EmiquonDomesticDucks04262010JGWard_MG_8436

An American Painted Lady warmed itself on the rocks near the shore of the lake.
AmericanPaintedLadyButterflyEmiquon05132010JGWard_MG_9353

Philadelphia Fleabane bloomed along the sides of the road and in the prairie.
PhilidelphiaFleabaneEmiquonNorthLevee05142010JGWard_MG_9762

A Great Egret hunted the estuary between IL 78 and Prairie Road.
GreatEgretEmiquonPrairieRdEstuary05152010JGWard_MG_9924

A Snowy Egret hung out with a small group of Great Egrets.
SnowyEgretEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0227

SnowyEgretEmiquonClarkNorth05182010JGWard_MG_0252

SnowyEgretEmiquonClarkNorth05182010JGWard_MG_0253

SnowyEgretEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0261

I flushed a Green Heron and an American Bittern as I approached the wetland. It happened so fast that I barely had time to snap a couple of shots.
GreenHeronEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0234

AmericanBitternEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0193

Another Common Yellowthroat appeared and then vanished, as well as dozens of Indigo Buntings, Song Sparrows, and American Goldfinches, most of which disappeared in the brush before I could focus on them with my lens.
CommonYellowThroatEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0186

SongSparrowEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0289

Black Flies were present and buzzing around my face, but not biting. The Buggins spray was working that day. Here are some flies in the mud near the wetland. They may or may not be the biting black flies.
BlackFliesEmiquonNorthClark05182010JGWard_MG_0296

As we drove Prairie Road on our way home, a Turkey Vulture was feeding on a carcass in the field. After being harassed by an aggressive Red-winged Blackbird, he took off. His slow rise from the field with the sun shining on his wings allowed for a couple of fairly close shots of this huge bird.
TurkeyVultureEmiquonPrairieRoad05182010JGWard_MG_0339

TurkeyVultureEmiquonPrairiaRoad05182010JGWard_MG_0341