Wisconsin to Montana - the scenic route

 

We went from one wildlife area to another on our trip west.  First stop was Buena Vista Grasslands in Central Wisconsin.  This Sandhill Crane was incubating on her nest.  Next stop was the Nicolet Forest in Northern Wisconsin.  Then through Superior to the Sax Zim Bog north of Duluth, Minnisota.

Sandhill Cranes with twin colts

Snowshoe Hare

Broadwing Hawk at Sax Zim Bog

Northern Harrier finds a mouse in the grass

N. Harrier in flight looking for another mouse

Pink Lady's Slipper, a specialty of the Bog

White-tailed Deer with new born fawn

Great Gray Owl, we were looking one way and saw
this bird first in the rear view mirror.

He flew in even closer to the road.

Then it was into North Dakota.  Once you cross the 100th meridian, the bird species change from eastern birds to western birds.  These Western Grebes were our first sign that we had crossed over.

Ruddy Duck comes out from hiding

Ruddy takes off 

Ruddy Duck in all his splender, one of God's masterpieces

Eared Grebe

Intermediate Swainson's Hawk

He spotted something1

Yum, yum, breakfast!

Wilson's Snipe

Red-necked Grebe at LostWood NWA in North Dakota

Brewer's Blackbird

Western Meadowlark sings a very different tune than the eastern

White-tailed Jackrabbit

Our first sighting of Pronghorn Antelope

Salt crust around the lakes of drought stricken Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

American Avocet, one of hundreds

Mate selection behavior, you'll have to ask them how this works.

Looking good in breeding plumage.

Black-necked Stilt with his "Bubble Gum" legs

Preening Time

Franklin's Gull

We slept overnight just outside the refuge and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise.

Wilson's Phalarope

White-faced Ibis, irredescent in the morning light.

Sharp-tailed Grouse stays just ahead of the RV on the auto tour

Should I keep running or just head off in the grass?

Marbled Godwit finding a nesting area in the grass

Ring-necked Pheasant

We are now official Montanans.  We got our new driver's licenses, and this is our new plate for the RV.   We think it is very appropriate with the Grizzly Bear riding a Cutthroat Trout over the Absaroka Beartooth Mountain Range just south of Livingston.

Love & Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann

Wildlife at the Sanctuary and beyond Green Bay

 

The crab apple trees were in perfect bloom

The three weeks in Green Bay went by very quickly and we birded almost every day at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.  It was a great time to also see many people that we knew from our 40 years as resident director of the Sanctuary.  

We stayed at Celebration Church where Ty helped on some landscaping in our "spare time".

Black-billed Cuckoo migrating through the Wildlife Sanctuary

Warbling Vireos were singing everywhere

White-crowned Sparrows were still in the area

Golden-winged Warbler always stayed high in the trees

Blue-winged Warbler

Tom Turkey in his finest garb

Button buck White-tailed Deer 

The Sanctuary's Waterfalls, Ty's last big project before we retired 10 years ago.

New gourd Martin houses are all full

Male Purple Martin picks up nesting material

Home Sweet Home

Exhibits at the Woodland Building have a very contented Courgar.

Flying Squirrels are part of the indoor noctural exhibits.

Wilson's Phalaropes were in good numbers at Ken Euers Wildlife Area

Yellow-headed Blackbird reaches for a meal.

Magnolia Warbler

A field trip south on  Lake Michigan gave us some good birds including this young male
Harlequin Duck at Sheboygan's North Shore.

Common Tern

Mourning Warbler tries to hide from the camera

Trillums were still in bloom at Maribel Caves Park

Bay-breasted Warbler, one of 26 species of warblers seen at the Wildlife Sanctuary this May.
This has been a record warbler year with 38 eastern species.

American Redstart

Wilson's Warbler

Common Loon exercising his wings after being released from rehab.

Olive-sided Flycatcher on the tip-top of the tree.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Black-crowned Night-heron wearing his nuptual head gear.

Young Red-tailed Hawk 

Tree Frog at the church

Waving "Good Bye", time for us to move on to Montana.
Actually, we are already there and the next blog will show those adventures along the way.
Every turn we see God's creation, a blessing every day.
Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann