I couldn't wait for our northern wilderness roads to dry up from the winter meltdown
so that we could go out for our first Spring ride to see what wildlife we could see.
So, in May, when the roads looked passable...
off we went to explore.
A new beaver hut on one of our favorite ponds out in the middle of nowhere:
It MUST be Spring....the chipmunks were out!:
On the way to Craig Lake, there is a place in the rock bluffs that have waterfalls every spring
from the snow melting. There are not falls there after the Spring is over.
We came around a corner and saw this Mallard behind a tree. He hadn't seen me yet, so I quietly got out of the car and captured some shots of him:
I just love the old beaver ponds out in the middle of the woods because you never know what kind of wildlife you will see, and their wild grasses and dead logs make them very picturesque. This time, we spied two pairs of ducks..I am not sure what kind of ducks these were:
One more shot of the waterfalls:
We saw one lone goose...I think she had a nest across the pond, so we didn't stay too long to take her photo:
More mallards!:
We also thought the Mallards were guarding a nest, too:
There was a Mallard pair at another stream area that day too:
We spent all day touring roads we had missed going on all winter....
one of our Spring rituals here that I wait for every year.
The only trouble is, if I had MY way, I would be going and doing that EVERY day now that Spring/Summer is here
and we wouldn't get much else done.
So, I compromise with myself now to try and limit our adventures to once or twice a week instead.
An addiction like this is hard to deal with.
Is there such a thing as "Wilderness Seekers Anonymous"????
(if you know of any such support group, send me the info, STAT!)
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Speaking of addictions...I hope you are addicted to my
FREE PHOTO CONTESTS!!
This month's theme is:
CIRCLES
So, get busy and look for a photo out there that fits the theme...
and send it to me no later than midnight, by June 30th.
You don't have to be a Blogger to enter,
but you DO
have to follow
aww...cute little chipmunk...we are seeing the little babies all over the place...
ReplyDeletethis is a beautiful spot to go, i want to see a chipmunk, never seen one, he is so cute. I can feel the peace and quiet far from the madding crowd. i would join your WSA in a heartbeat. I also need a support group for Addicted to the Click
ReplyDeleteforgot to say i have never seen a beaver hut either and I want to
ReplyDeleteThose male mallards are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos looks to be such a peaceful area! We have a chipmunk we named Sammy here that just loves to pose for the camera lol and he loves the peanuts that get put out ! lol , Have a wonderful day !
ReplyDeleteIf you google Ring Necked Duck in google images I think that is what those are.
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictures! I adore chipmunks and love beaver dams. Yes, I'd be out there all the time, too. There must be a support group. They have groups for everything--hehe! ;)
Fantastic scenes.Going out like that can be so much fun.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the UP is waking from winter quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteLove all your photos. The dicks are so peaceful. That chipmunk looks different than mine. Not sure why. He has a darker face. Love all the water falls. It's beautiful up there!
ReplyDeleteI love how these pictures look - soft brown color! You travel a lot and always share with us such great images! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteSeems like a lot of mallards! That chipmunk is adorable!
ReplyDeleteSpring is slowly fading here and the summer haze and heat is beginning *sigh*. At least I'll be able to spend hours in the water! ;o)
I enjoyed your lovely nature photos and commentary - Dave
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a beautiful place to just chill out!
ReplyDeleteWow, so many great pictures here, and I really like this landscape:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice comments in my blog. I appreciate it.
As you could see, we have bright summernights right now, and yes, it's a problem to sleep. I love to stay up very long these nights.
In my bedroom I have dark curtains,then I can sleep well even if it's bright light outside:)
Have a nice week:)
Greetings from,
Berit.
I could watch the ducks all day long, great photos Joan. Our aviary has a pair of your mystery ducks but I cannot remember the name.
ReplyDeleteReally nice pictures! The U.P. is so wonderful for so many reasons, not the least of which is its beauty and the nature it holds. I love the waterfall! And how special is it that it only appears in the spring? Very cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these beautiful photos, gal!