Sharing space

As I made my way around the corner out of the parking lot i decide to pull over alongside the road to watch and listen to the sound of nature, geese, meadowlarks, red-winged blackbirds, crows and wood peckers, soon to be masked by the sound of semis roaring by, not too far away on I-80. Actually only a few hundred yards away. This small piece of undeveloped land is serving one of many purposes for the time being. A roosting and nesting place for several pairs of Canada Geese. 

Pic: Pair of Canada Geese cautiously walk towards the safety of a pond. In the distance a reminder of how close we are with nature, wildlife in a growing city.

Sandhill Cranes

I was in for a long cold night when I read the local forecast for Woo River, NE. There has only been one other time when the temps dipped into the high 20's and I swore half a dozen times that I would NEVER do it again...spend the night in a blind that is. All worth it to me though. The sounds of thousands of cranes in the river all night, the powerful booming sound when they all start flight in unison because of a coyote on the riverbanks or a hungry eagle making its rounds.

Under the layer

As I hiked my way through the knee deep snow drifts to check the trail cam I had set out for a photo project I've been working on, I started thinking about the new year. The snow drift was a good 2-2.5 feet deep when I first started out, expecting it to be this way for the next mile and a half. But after every 5-10 feet it all changed. One moment I would be on solid ground, able to see my snow shoes, and the next I would be struggling to lift my foot from being sunk in deep enough to make it a workout. This is pretty much how it was roundtrip. It reminded me of how a new year starts, ready to take on the world with a fresh start but not really knowing what to expect. Highs, lows and how we respond to those fluctuations determine how our year results. Kind of like a hike. As I made my way back I stopped and took scenic images of the trees and landscape but what really caught my eye were the remnants of brush that covered the now dry pond. It also made me think of what might be under this fresh layer of snow, what will this new year bring?

As I made my way back from a morning hike I came across a small garter snake with this little green tree frog halfway down it's throat. I must have scared the serpent enough to make it go into self defense mode, flipping, twisting and turning, spitting the frog out and slithering back into the mixed grass prairie. I named the frog, "Almost".

Sounds and things...

The warmth of the sun had not yet filtered through the trees that make up Wilderness Park. The distant echo of a woodpecker thumping away on a cottonwood tree gave the park an empty, yet erie feeling. As I made my way to the trailhead, I remembered the rumors of a mountain lion sighting this past summer. I Immediately dialed in my camera to the right setting for the light conditions just in case...most people would stop and rethink the hike. All that could think of was, "I better get the shot". But as I made my way across the creek running parallel to the park my thoughts were distracted by  a group of deer feeding not too far from the path. The brush was thick enough that they blended into the tall grass making them visible only by their white tails. I snapped a photo or two and went on my way...in search of a good photo opp. After about a 15 minute walk a came to the edge of a cliff overlooking the creek and set up my tripod. I could hear the hoot of a barred owl not too far away - "whooo whooo cooks for you". A call I have come to know fairly well. It seemed as though the sun was taking it's time rising this morning. The wind was light but brisk out of the NW. As I was focusing my camera to the landscape I heard voices and what seemed to be the sound of dog tags and collars. Sure enough around the turn came 5-6 runners with 6-7 dogs. My quest to photograph any more wildlife that morning ended as the dogs sniffed their way up and down the trials. It was a good early morning hike.

Wilderness Walk

A cold brisk hike through Wilderness Park this morning.

Short Hike at Jack Sinn WMA

I decided to drive to the Jack Sinn WMA, just south of Ceresco, for a short scout/hike. I have driven past it several times on hwy 77 but never really had a chance to stop until today. As I drove around for a place to park, I noticed a few vehicles pulled over on the side of the road along the stretch of the wetland which instantly reminded me that hunting season was in full swing. So i was a bit weary about wandering out too far into the tall grass and cattails knowing that hunters would be out.
I found a small dirt parking lot right next to the hiking path that led right into the wetland on the West side. I didn't have much time so I scouted just the West side fairly quickly until I ran into Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston, a wildlife/nature photographer based out of Omaha. It's always good to see and meet photographers out in the field. I hope to come out more often within the next few weeks/months for some winter photographs.