Ranger's Marsh 4-6-2013

Took a short hike at Ranger's Marsh on the Little Calumet River. Warm, windy day. The marsh is dry as a bone. Water only in the Dead Cottonwood grove. The flooded wood is holding a few ducks and boy are they spooky. The first group of ducks began to get in the wind when I was 100 yards away. Group after group followed. I saw about 300 ducks catch the strong south wind for the next step north.

Drake Mallard Duck

Hen Mallard Ducks

Mallards

Mallards

Gadwall Ducks

Blue-Wing Teal 

Blue-Wing Teal in dead Cottonwood Grove

Blue-Wing Teal Drake

Mink carcass 

How dry is the marsh? Well, here's a photo of Mink ( Neovison vison ) jerky. A sun dried carcass of the nocturnal American Mink. Years ago, this little guy would have been worth his weight in gold.

Dry Marsh

This photo shows the condition of the marsh this spring, bone dry. Typically, there would be two foot of water covering the cattail humps.  

Author

Me after a the hike. I'd like to thank you for viewing my blog. Thanks!

First Week of Spring

The Cooper's Hawk are still hunting the block. I think I know where their nest is. I'll stop taking photos of them until the chicks grow large enough fly, should be a couple months.

The hawks are a good watch but I've got enough photos of them as it is.  No, I will not tie little animals to a stake in the ground, for hawk attack photos and you shouldn't either, keep it wild.

Lone Canada Goose flying over Caddie marsh, lots of northern birds in the marsh, resting before the flight to Canada.

The only area of the marsh holding water, migrating ducks are using the flooded dead cottonwood grove as a resting area.

Here a hen Mallard Duck is locked in to her landing spot in the wood.