Black-crowned Night-Heron

07/08/2008

1 7-03-08 Horicon 080 copy

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1 7-03-08 Horicon 044 copy

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1 7-03-08 Horicon 081 1 copy

American White Pelican

06/09/2008

3 6-02-08 Hricon 026 copy

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3 6-02-08 Hricon 027 copy

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3 6-02-08 Hricon 024 copy

Whats Blooming On The Refuge.

05/23/2008

1 5-22-08 Horicon 087 copy

Wild Geranium

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1 5-22-08 Horicon 081 copy

Wild Columbine

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1 5-22-08 Horicon 085 copy

False Salomon

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1 5-06-08 Horicon 186 copy

Big White Trillium

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1 5-06-08 Horicon 174 copy

Wisconsin’s State flower Wood Violets

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1 5-06-08 Horicon 166 copy

Anemones

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Marsh marigold copy

Marsh marigold

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Bloodroot copy

Bloodroot

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White trout lily 2 copy

White trout lily

Sandhill Crane

05/22/2008

1 5-22-08 Horicon 107 copy

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1 5-22-08 Horicon 104 copy

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1 5-22-08 Horicon 103 copy

I love Sandhill Cranes. They seem so graceful. I enjoy watching them do their mating dance.
Did you know?
The Sandhill Crane does not breed until it is two to seven years old. It can live up to the age of 20. Mated pairs stay together year round, and migrate south as a group with their offspring.

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Forster’s Tern

1 4-21-08 horicon art 166 copy

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1 4-19-08 Horicon 050 2 Brad copy

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1 4-19-08 Horicon 054 copy

These birds are so neat to watch. They will stay in one place, and when they see their prey they dive bomb to get it.

Hooded Merganser & Chicks

05/21/2008

1 m 5-13-08  Horicon 014 copy

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1 m 5-13-08  Horicon 024 copy

I was on the Auto Tour and was taking pictures of Turtles on a log. When all of a sudden the mommy Merganser flew out of a Wood Duck box, and the next thing I see are her chicks jumping out. It was so funny to watch. There were 13 chicks all together. They were so cute.
A refuge worker was cutting grass I think that is what scared them out.
The picture is not the greatest the lighting sucked. But I had to get the picture.
The Biologist at the refuge asked if I see any broods, if I could take pictures of them so they can see how old they are. These were about 3 days old. They do weekly bird counts on the refuge.

The Hooded Merganser is the second-smallest of the six living species of mergansers.

The Hooded Merganser finds its prey underwater by sight. The merganser can actually change the refractive properties of its eyes to enhance its underwater vision. In addition, the nictating membrane (third eyelid) is very transparent and probably acts to protect the eye during swimming, just like a pair of goggles.

Tree Swallow

05/20/2008

1 l 5-08-08 Louis 5-09-08 Horicon 089 copy

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1 sing 5-08-08 Louis 5-09-08 Horicon 110 copy

Chirping

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1 5-08-08 Louis 5-09-08 Horicon 094 copy

A common swallow of marshes and open fields, the Tree Swallow is a ready inhabitant of nest boxes.

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You Can’t See Me (American Bittern)

1 5-13-08  Horicon 055 copy

I named this post You Can’t See Me because this guy is always hard to find. They blend into the cattails so well.
Hubby was asking me what I was taking a picture of because he couldn’t see it.
They stand so still with their neck and head straight up to the sky.

The American Bittern is a common bird of the marshlands, but is seldom seen. The American Bittern is well camouflaged in its environment of reeds, water, mud, light and reflections. Because of its subtle coloration and striping, the American Bittern seemingly melts into the marshland scene.

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Horned Grebe

05/19/2008

1 4-16-08 SUNSET BD Lake 033 copy

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1 4-16-08 SUNSET BD Lake 066 copy

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1 4-16-08 SUNSET BD Lake 004 copy

Familiar to most North American birders in its black-and-white winter plumage, the Horned Grebe is more striking in its red-and-black breeding feathers. Its “horns” are yellowish patches of feathers behind its eyes that it can raise and lower at will.
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Muskrat

1 4-23-08 horicon 053 copy


The muskrat, known to some as musquash, marsh hare, or musk beaver, is a rodent that lives both in an out of the water along most Wisconsin waterways. The name comes from the musky odor that this small mammal gives off. The muskrat is an important furbearer for Wisconsin trappers, as these “rats” are harvested for their pelts which are then sold for money.

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