Photos & Comments #2
To contact me, send an email to lakewrtr at gmail.com.
Above you'll see the blue heron in flight as it scooped down over the lake. This picture was taken from our dining room door.
Above you'll see the morning fog on the lake, with our friend in silent watch.
Here you'll see two blue herons in an old tree near the back of the lake. We've seen five herons at once in this and near bye trees.
Here's our friend in flight. Something to our right has his interest.
To the right of the lake, in the brush, we often hear a turkey with its distinctive call. Across the lake and to the back left we've heard other turkey calls. While out on a boat, my son-in-law and myself were startled by the slap of the water of a beaver, and its swimming across the back part of the lake. Frogs often peek up from the sides of the lake, a favorite food of the heron. Lots of ducks make the lake their home, as do some very noisy geese. There are many types of finches and small birds in the area, and our two bird feeders against the metal fence are a frequent meeting place.
They came for the night - then left shortly when some workers started working on the foundation for a new home.
This photo shows only about 1/2 of the "bunch" of Canadian Geese and some ducks who arrived about 4 this morning and left at 8:06 am.
Here a yellow-headed blackbird checks out the feed.
Just because we're on opposite sides of the fence
on this doesn't mean we can't get along?
Last fall my son-in-law and I were out on the lake fishing. We heard a loud slap and watched a beaver swim from the left back of the lake over to the other bank. This spring I heard our dog barking and went out to see what the noise was all about. A beaver was gnawing on a log sticking out of the water about 15 feet from the edge of the lake. The beaver was totally ignoring our dog, who was determined to protect us and all mankind from this varmint. It chewed awhile, then swam off. Sadly, my photo wasn't that great. We do have a number of muskrats that can be seen in the mornings and evenings, crossing the lake, and catching small fish.
One nice feature of the Middleton Lakes area is the lack of wind.
Many days the water is like a mirror,
showing some rather unusual wildlife.
Here your help is needed. What bird is this?
I took this photo May 21, 2009, and the bird was in the trees on the west side of the lake.
Send an email to bill@middletonlakes.com if you can identify it.
This white egret was first seen April 22,2009 just on the other side of our fence, in the corner of the lake.
It wandered around the edge of the southern part of the lake, and was again here this morning.
Two cormorants are drying their wings in the wind
while in the background a white egret looks for food.
Our latest guest to the lake, this pelican arrived April 28, 2009,
and has stayed here, mostly on the southern side of the lake.
May, 2009 - Here's a gathering of the clan
:
Reminds one of our Idaho legislature.
Look guys, can't we work this out?
June 12, 2009
OK - next stop, Middleton Lakes north bank.
Gee Mom, algae soup again?
July 10, 2009
Mother duck was killed probably by a fox.
I was out fishing on the side of the lake and heard a loud squalking,
and later the 12 baby ducks were seen without the mother duck several times this evening.
The babies are large enough now, that they should be able to make it on their own. At first there
were 13 babies. It isn't clear what happened to one of them.
July 11, 2009
Baby ducks seen all on a log on the far side of the lake; it's prob. safer for them there.
A very large brown fox with a red tail ran across the road in front of my car, from the woods/river side
over to the field the horses stay in. He/she disappeared in the weeds. This is the 3rd time
I've seen the fox, but this was the clearest time, to watch him/her dash across in front of the car.