News from the park

Friday Nov. 22.
What are these black spots on the Mendota bridge abutment by the Minnesota river boat launch?

On closer inspection it is a horde of box elder bugs and one lady bug. They were alive, though they moved mighty slow. I went back today, Nov 25, to see how they were doing after those single degree nights we had and there was only a few I could get to move but that may not mean the others are dead. No lady bug this time. There were a lot of new raccoon prints in the mud and some scat also so maybe they are eating the bugs.

Interesting tree a beaver has been gnawing on by the bridge to Pike Island. Drops of sap were falling from the icicles. Didn't taste sweet, just like an icicle should.

And finally the barred owl was back in the woods across from that large gnarly cottonwood tree along the road just south of the fishing pier parking lot.

The swans are back also even though there isn't much if any open water left.

Doug

I see the posted otter pic, by Kristi, on the challenge page and I tell Mary. Mary says we need to find those Otters. Of course I did not pay attention to when the photo taken until today. But the animal gods were with us and we found a family of Otters right off the Picnic Island causeway on Sat. Go figure Dan

Why is this deer running around with velvet on it's antlers in Nov?  We may have an abnormality that bears further investigation here. Does anyone else have any photos of this animal? I found some facts that I posted on our blog at: http://www.wildlifephotographybymhd.com/blog.html

Two of the half dozen bucks that now are on Picnic. At this time of the year, Pre-rut, the bucks roam the area looking for does. The more dominant ones establish territories that they may have to defend from their rivals. The upper image is of Freeway, who at the moment is the major player and the other one is Zorro.

Ancient Gathering

Two weeks ago Gene and I visited Crex Meadows.The gathering of Sandhill Crane's at sunset is unlike any other I have witnessed. It is a more subtle event than say snow geese which arrive  in massive clamorous flocks. Sandhill's arrive in a crescendoing ebb and flow of smaller groups of about 10-50 individuals. The scope and scale of the parade grows almost unnoticed until you scan the horizon and suddenly realize that the air and the fields below are filled with these most ancient birds.

A couple of weeks ago I walked the Sand Creek trail in Frontenac State Park for the first time. This trail is also on the Mississippi flood plain. You see the same flora and fauna that is in Ft. Snelling State Park but with a few different features.  There is a board walk about 2 feet high that would leads you over a swamp and through a low flood if you go the right time of year.  The end of the trail is a fabulous sand beach.

While walking the trail one might think they were in Ft. Snelling, Cottonwood trees, nettles etc.  But it suddenly came to me what was the one thing that was really different from Ft. Snelling's flood plain along this peaceful path.  Silence.  No airplanes, no roar of the traffic on the highways or on the Mendota bridge, just Mother Nature’s bird sounds and the rustlings of vegetation.

Give this path a try and enjoy the silence.

Clam Lake Update; The warm weather has slowed the rut activity down for the Elk in Clam Lake, the bulls were hanging around with their young buddies, and a lot of cows were roaming around on their own. Normally, at this time the herd bulls gather the cows into harems and defend his group with a lot of gusto, this activity will increase as the weather cools. Photos taken 9/12