Late June visit to the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area

With the late spring and all the rain this year, we finally made another trip back to the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area last week. It appeared that there would be a break in the rain so we hoped the weatherman would be correct and drove up to Crex to photograph the wildlife. The skies were overcast most of the time with a few rays of sunshine now and then and only a sprinkle or two of rain during our visit.

It seemed a little quieter than usual but we attributed that to the birds still nesting and laying low with very young hatchlings. In spite of that, we were able to get a lot of photographs and a couple of firsts for us at Crex Meadows. We ran into our first Owl to photograph and also our first sighting and photographs of a Sandhill Crane Colt. That definitely made the trip worth while as did the sighting of a young Black Bear as we finished up shooting for this trip.

I have posted a number of the images we took on this trip but I am holding back a few of the images for use in the photo contest being held at Crex this year. There are several weeks left to get your entries in if you are interested. Just check out their website for more information.

Crex Meadows website

Please click on the images to enlarge them. Feel free to share this blog or make comments.

Phantom Lake with some morning fog.

A Great Horned Owl at Phantom Lake with a persistent Blue Jay trying
to wake him and move him out of the neighborhood.

With the Blue Jays yelling at him and the Red-winged Blackbirds diving
at him, this sleepy owl made a break for a wooded area nearby.

My favorite Blandings Turtle showed up and allowed me to
get an eye level shot.

Trumpeter Swan family on their nest.

The Yellow-headed Blackbirds were noisy and enjoyable to watch along
Phantom Lake Road.

A duck family hiding in the reeds.

A Cormorant seemed to enjoy the rain shower.

This Sandhill Crane colt was curious about the Red-winged Blackbird attacking
one of his parents.

I titled this deer image "Fern Salad"

A colorful Eastern Towhee.

Sandhill Cranes taking flight.

We spotted this young Black Bear on Co. Rd M as we were leaving the
wildlife area. He is the black spot just to the right of center in the ferns.