WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR WEATHER LIKE THIS

 

Sunday afternoon the Tigers were getting slaughtered by the White Sox and I didn’t want to miss any more of the warm, sunny day so Gracie and I headed out to take pictures.

 

 The snow had completely melted and the first thing I noticed was the appearance of new ponds all over the countryside.  This sizable one was off in the distance where I hadn’t seen water before.

 

 It seemed as if geese had claimed it as their own.  I didn’t see other waterfowl types there.

 

 And where I’d photographed a Bald Eagle fishing on the ice just a week earlier, the melted pond had greatly expanded from what I’d seen in earlier years.

 

 This female Common Goldeneye had found the pond to its liking, floating peacefully on the golden, sun-touched waters.

 

 Its mate, striking in iridescent green and magenta, bobbed nearby.

 

 Both these diving ducks were busy foraging for aquatic plants on the pond bottom.  I hoped they had more success than the eagle.

 

 I moved on and saw a hawk soaring above on the thermals.  It was a beautiful sight so I pulled over to watch as it landed on a tree not far in the distance.

 

 As it stood up, I could see from its fully-feathered legs that it was a Rough-legged Hawk.  I’d seen several over the winter but was surprised to see one this late into the breeding and nesting season.  I expected it would have returned to the northern tundra regions by now.

 

 The large hawk took off and it was interesting to see more of its wing patterns.  In flight, it alternated between powerful wing flaps and glides.

 

 As it glided, its head was pointed down looking for prey.  Like other raptors, this hawk is an opportunistic predator, focusing on whatever is available.  Voles, mice, rabbits, squirrels, birds, waterfowl.

 

 Thinking that I’d already had a good photoshoot, the best, at least for me, came last as I spied two Sandhill Cranes in a field where I had often seen them.  One was busy preening while the other was standing watch.

 

 Across the street in another field where my favorite pair of cranes typically reside, I saw a lone crane.  It was at the end of a VERY muddy two-track and I hesitated driving in, but took the plunge.  Literally.  My car lurched from side to side as it wallowed through the muddy abyss.  I knew I couldn’t hesitate for long or I’d get stuck.  Snap the crane picture, look around for the mate (not there), note the proximity to the geese pond (close), and get out.

 

 

As I reached dry pavement, I sighed in relief for getting out unscathed.  I noticed the first crane pair had moved mostly out of range, but the scene was still lovely so I snapped one more image.  I headed home, the sound of mud coming off tires and fender undersides accompanying me for miles.