Dismal Start - Sunny Finish

Light rain with the start of my hike this morning. The immature eagle on the title page was patiently  perched watching for its next meal.

It was a perfect morning to set my trail cameras back out. I moved them to a completely different area in the Quabbin Watershed. The above picture is one of three cameras set out this morning.
I  also bushwhacked  a bit looking for sheds but none to be found this morning. It will be interesting to see what the upcoming week has for pictures......

Jim

Wabasha , MN Eagles

I was on a business trip in the Midwest earlier this week. Wabasha, MN is home of The National Eagle Center. Unfortunately  it is  not open on Tuesday's. The Minnesota DNR was extremely helpful with information locating Bald & Golden Eagles.
Reads Landing in Wabasha was the place to be on this afternoon. I counted 29 Bald Eagles. The Mississippi River stays open in this area  all winter which attracts the eagles .

National Eagle Center above

What

What A Place To Visit !!

There are eight eagles in this picture. Can you find them all?

During the afternoon there were typically 5/6 eagles soaring and landing on the ice.

I did get to see one Golden Eagle in White Water WMA . It was about a 25 minute ride from the Mississippi River.

The photo above shows the area where the Golden Eagle was seen.

Jim

 

 

Coyote Sign

Coyote sign was consistent in my long hike this morning.

One of my trail camera's did get this pic of a coyote passing through

Coyote urine deposit with blood spotting an indication this female is just about to come into heat.

It was a beautiful morning to sit and watch the reservoir. A distant otter was the only animal activity seen. It was a nice day to hit the 1900 mile milestone. Only 100 more to go ! Then what ???

 

Jim

Trail Cameras Busy

Saturday's hike took me to the water ice line where I sat for a while seeing nothing at all.. On the hike back to the truck I checked several trail camera's that are scattered about the Quabbin woods.
It was nice to see that there was activity.
The picture above is a handsome buck that has posed for the camera a number of times but never quite looking directly at the camera. Now we can see he is eight pointer.

Here is a spike that has lost on side of his antlers. This picture is the third buck the trail camera/s have photographed in three weeks.

A distant coyote sneaking along a stone wall with the trail camera catching it's presence in the area.

This doe walked very close to the trail camera,
I would call this a good week with the trail cameras. It goes to show that even though you might not see anything on your Quabbin hike, they are there. The snow less winter keeps the animals moving in search of food.
Jim

Water Ice Line

This mornings hike took me to a NE Gate that I have not been to in a while. I know of an area that is last to freeze . I was hoping to catch an eagle watching the open water. The early arrival this morning almost went to plan. The immature eagle above  flew over  a short distance from me .I was able to get a few pics. It appears the this eagle is not banded.

On a distant shoreline two mature Bald Eagles watch a frozen cove

I checked my game camera while out and about on Saturday, The buck in this picture is not the same buck from last week. However,  it was taken on the same camera.

This picture is the same buck above. This guy was camera shy. He did not walk out in front of the camera. A hard lesson learned this week using game cameras.  The battery life is extremely less in winter .  A missed opportunity with several different tracks in the area of the camera. I will now change the batteries every other week.

Jim

 

Otters and Ice

Two otters kept me busy this morning, They use the ice to rest and eat as the title page pic shows.

The three game games camera were busy over the last week. I was really surprised to get the picture above. Doe walked right towards camera. Hard to believe this picture was taken just the other day,

There are three deer in this picture, Mid Jan and the buck still has its rack

Did catch a pic of a distant coyote walking by,

The cameras have certainly been clicking away the last several weeks.  Two different locations gave up night time bobcat pictures, It will be interesting to see if the activity continues with the cold weather,
Jim

Trail Cameras Active

Hiking conditions and walking quietly have been  a challenge. Strapping  cleats to your boots sure makes for a very noisy walk.. No sneaking around the Quabbin Woods the last two weekends and winter conditions certainly reduce wildlife pic opportunities. Hopefully the above freezing temps and   rain today will improve walking conditions.
That being said, the trail cameras are showing consistent night activity with  bobcats. The picture above ( evidence pic ) shows a second bobcat captured on a trail camera. This cat appears to be larger than the one taken last week. This is only a guess on my part.

Yesterday I did see a distant immature eagle soaring over the reservoir and a small flock of turkey's.

I put out a third camera yesterday. This should keep me busy with winter time hiking.

Jim