Sunday was a beautiful day spent walking and taking in nature at the refuge. We also saw nature in action when one dragonfly was eating another.
We spotted a different looking bird that turned out to be a Baltimore Oriole fledgling.
There was a couple of proud Swans with their 5 cygnets swimming near the boardwalk on the Karner Loop. When a couple of swans landed nearby, one of the parents chased them off. When the swan returned to the family, the couple bowed to each other and flapped their wings. Very protective parents.
There were plenty of swans flying as we continued our way along the Karner Loop boardwalk.
We saw our first Blanding's Turtle today, basking in the sun.
We also saw a Muskrat swimming in the water.
There were lots of pollinators enjoying the pretty blooms.
A very pretty Painted Turtle was along the trail.
An otter was swimming at the Muskrat Loop.
We saw plenty of pretties to keep our interest on our 3.1 mile hike.
After lunch we checked out the Boghaunter Trail. Prairie Smoke was blooming at the trailhead.
We were lucky enough to see several Karner Blue Butterflies along the trail. This is the first of two broods that will hatch this year.
We saw one Garter Snake.
We saw plenty of critters on the Meadow Beauty loop before heading out.
We took a detour or two, (or rather got lost), but finally made it to the Lupine Loop Trail. Again we saw plenty of pretties along the way.
We finally got a good picture of the very vocal Red-eyed Vireo near the beginning of the trail.
A Bald Eagle was perched in a tree.
We saw several bees and butterflies, but no Karner Blues.
As we neared the end of the trail, we found a gorgeous patch of Lupine. Hence, name of the trail.
On our way back home, we stopped and helped a Blanding's Turtle cross the road.
The great part about riding around on these bumpy dirt roads, (it helped clear the air out of the ABS module) we got the brakes fixed. YAHOO!
Monday morning, ole' Chewy was in the trap. Angie joined us for a relocation mission.
We saw quite a few critters on this early morning ride.
We stopped and looked at wolf tracks and an active Eagle nest.
Chewy got released in a nice patch of woods 13 miles away from camp. I hope it enjoys it's new home with all the Lupine lined roads. It sure is such a cutie to be so destructive.
After relocating Chewy, Angie took us exploring for a bit, seeing some cool critters and such along the way.
Angie stopped to help a snapping turtle cross the road. Let's just say, it didn't appreciate the gesture.
Tuesday we worked in the visitor center. It was an enjoyable day, taking pictures of the critters hanging around. We had more critter sightings than visitors.
On our walk home, we found Momma Turkey with a bunch of poults on campground road, although, we didn't get a picture of the poults.
When we came home for a lunch break on Wednesday, we found Chewy #2 had chewed another brake line on the truck. After calling around to several places, Lauren took a ride on Amber to pick up the part. The wind therapy did him some good.
We finally found a monarch caterpillar on the milkweed at camp. We barely got a picture before the lawn mower came through. Oh well, there will be more.
Thursday morning we got a little bit of nature chasing in while checking the culverts for obstructions.
The afternoon was spent flagging invasive soapwort. The plan was, Lauren and I would go in the Kubota, while Angie and Max went in their trucks. After a heavy shower, Lauren loaded up with Max and I loaded up with Angie.
After work, we saw a Juvenile Bald Eagle being attacked by a Red-winged Blackbird. Crazy bird.
Friday morning was another water data collection day while getting some nature chasing in along the way.
Friday evening we took a ride in the Kubota and looked for more Soapwort along the 5/6 road. We did a lot of walking, a lot of picture taking, and found a lot of invasive Soapwort while taking in the beautiful views of Rynearson Pool #1.
Afterwards, we did our usual armchair birding at camp.
Saturday we were at work at 7:30 a.m. to help with the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies event. After helping with booth setups, we were parking attendants. It rained for 4 of the 6 hours. Finally the rain quit and it was an enjoyable afternoon.
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