The Loon chicks hatched out at Crex Meadows
After hearing from Kim at Crex Meadows that the Loon nest by the Main Dike Road finally paid off with a couple of chicks, we made a hasty trip up to the Meadows. The weather was great last Thursday and Friday which is important when you have to drive 3 1/2 hours to get there. It turned out to be well worth the drive.
I was able to photograph Thursday afternoon and again just after sunrise on Friday. We found the Loons and their chicks on Thursday but they were out a ways from the Main Dike Road. A steady tripod helped me get a number of distant but useful images. On Friday we got to the Meadows abut 6:00 am and found the family of Loons swimming close to shore. Almost too close for my lens. The morning fog and rising sun gave me a number of different lighting situations. I selected several of the Loon images for the blog that were a little different and showed some interaction in the family.
One of the other thrills of the trip was coming across a family of Pied-billed Grebes. I had never seen their chicks before and was very surprised to see how colorful they were compared to their rather drab colored parents. They were not disturbed by our presence and I was able to get some nice close shots of them after they got into open water.
I am also posting some of the other shots from the trip of the patient wildlife I found that sat still long enough for me to photograph them.
For the best viewing, please remember to click on the images to enlarge them.
I was able to photograph Thursday afternoon and again just after sunrise on Friday. We found the Loons and their chicks on Thursday but they were out a ways from the Main Dike Road. A steady tripod helped me get a number of distant but useful images. On Friday we got to the Meadows abut 6:00 am and found the family of Loons swimming close to shore. Almost too close for my lens. The morning fog and rising sun gave me a number of different lighting situations. I selected several of the Loon images for the blog that were a little different and showed some interaction in the family.
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| Lunch time. |
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| What the heck is that clickin noise??? |
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| Are we there yet?? |
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| Put your right foot in............. |
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| Morning lecture? |
One of the other thrills of the trip was coming across a family of Pied-billed Grebes. I had never seen their chicks before and was very surprised to see how colorful they were compared to their rather drab colored parents. They were not disturbed by our presence and I was able to get some nice close shots of them after they got into open water.
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| A Pied-billed Grebe chick prepares to swallow a minnow supplied by it's parent. |
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| My family portrait of the Pied-billed Grebes. |
I am also posting some of the other shots from the trip of the patient wildlife I found that sat still long enough for me to photograph them.
For the best viewing, please remember to click on the images to enlarge them.
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| This Sandhill Crane appeared to be flirting with my camera. |
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| Dickcissel |
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| Brown Thrasher |
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| This is a late nesting Loon on the Upper North Fork Flowage. |
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| A young Wood Duck in the Lily Pads. I added a little texture to this image. |
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| A Pied-billed Grebe feeding on a minnow. |
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| Fox or Coyote? |
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