Just an FYI - As we are taking our flower photos for this months challenge, please be aware that this particular yellow flower is called Leafy Spurge and is considered a noxious weed/invasive plant.  There is more information on the DNR website.

If you are in an area where this plant exists, please make sure that you wipe off your shoes as you leave the area to help prevent the spread of the seeds of this plant to other parks.    :)

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/herbaceous/leafyspurge.html

Barred Owl - This is the mother of the two owlets (named Bling and Parker).  She sat very nicely for quite a while, which really helps with the photo taking!

Painted turtle near closed gate going to Picnic Island. Had to lay flat on the ground to get this angle. Photo taken last weekend (6/4/14).

What part of the park?

6/4/2014

Barred owl babies are out and about. In the wooded area next to the beach parking lot closest to the fishing pier end. 

First one looks like the older of the two. Second one was banded by the Raptor Center after someone saw it on the ground in the water below the nesting area and called them.

5/13/2014

The road to picnic is closed again. Lots of small birds feeding on seeds on the main road at Picnic Island. Yellow Rumped Warblers, Palm Warblers and a couple of Yellow Warblers all in the same bunch.

I think this is a Blackburnian Warbler. First one I've ever seen.

Yellow Warbler by boat launch on Snelling Lake.

There are 2 of these fake coyotes on the beach. I presume to scare off the geese. 

There were 2 otters on Snelling lake this morning,5/10 around 7:00 am.

Watching otters over the winter and this spring I've noticed they eat the whole sunfish (and I assume other fish) head first but bullheads are eaten tail first and the heads are not eaten because of the spines.

A two-fer. The one on the left looks like it might be a bass and the the one on the right is a bullhead.

The trash bins at the MN river boat launch, shelter B, and the beach were installed this week. Didn't take this racoon long to find the one at the beach. #2 Rescue for the year.