Rainy weather photography at the Crex Meadows Wildlife area

After a long winter and a short and snowy spring we finally got a chance to head up to the Crex Meadow Wildlife Area for a wildlife photography session. We spent the last two days of May at Crex not knowing exactly what we would find.

We arrived at our motel in Siren in the early afternoon of May 30, 2018 to cloudy and rainy weather. We soon hit the road to the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area excited to be there regardless of the weather. Rainy weather presents some challenges but it also provides an opportunity to view and photograph wildlife in less than perfect conditions. The next day was dry and we were able to experience what nature provided us and we were not disappointed.

Don't forget to click on the images to enlarge them for a more detailed view.



The rain did not seem to bother the Loons

A Sandhill Crane walking in the rain.

A pair of Killdeer built a nest on Phantom Lake Road. A good Samaritan marked the nest with orange
tape on large blocks of wood to protect the nest.

Near the end of our first day, we found this Bald Eagle perched on what appears to be his messy
dinner table.

This Snapping Turtle was apparently on the way to build a nest for her eggs.

 

This American Bittern was a one of about 6 Bitterns we were able to spot. A new
record for us.



This Snapping Turtle found a suitable nesting site on the edge of the road.
 

Our second day started out with foggy weather

This Yellow Warbler gave us a beautiful song on the foggy morning.

This American Loon was taking a break from feeding when I photographed him.

There were several varieties of spring flowers throughout the wildlife area.

A Sandhill Crane enjoying the serenity of a pond with some Swans.

A Muskrat we found feeding.

This is a Black-Capped Night Heron I photographed as he left the area. It was a cool bird and our first
sighting of the species.