That's My World-Twin Lakes Wildlife Management Area

When I got Miz Winnie(photo in sidebar) from Basset and Beagle Rescue of the Heartland in November last year she did not like to get in the car. She was okay once she was in the car, but getting her in was problematic. Since I don't abide dogs that don't like to go in the car, I immediately set out to change that. There is a McDonald's about a half mile from the house, so every morning I went through drive through for my breakfast. It was a quick in and out of the car and it soon accomplished it's purpose. She now thinks she has the dog given right to go with me every time I go.

This morning I went for breakfast and when we got home she didn't want to get out of the car, so I left the car door open and came in the house and she soon joined me. When I went back out to close the car door, she was back in the car. So I decided that her idea on how to spend the day was better than mine (vacuuming, etc.), so off we went. Decided to go to Twin Lakes.

I saw a fair number of birds including this first of year Grasshopper sparrow. (Photo cropped)



There were a fair number of butterflies around some flowering bushes. Saw my first of year Monarchs, Silver-spotted Skippers and much to my delight I saw a White-Lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth. They are difficult to photograph because their wings go at about the same speed as a hummingbird. This one stayed well out of range of my macro lens, but I snapped a couple anyway and one turned out fairly well(photo cropped)



Another photo (this one was taken at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area in August last year)


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All in all, it's obvious that Miz Winnie had the best idea for how to spend the day, however, I suspect that I'm going to need to do some reverse training regarding "going for a ride in the car"!

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Fall Colors...

a day before the official beginning of fall.


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Photo taken at Twin Lakes WMA

The Things You Learn

On September 1st ( a date that I can chronicle because of the dating imbedded in digital photographs) I was at the Nature Center at one of the parks in town. I was there hoping to photograph wildflowers. I got to talking to one of the ladies there and she told me there were Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed plants. The pictures I took that day, and the knowledge imparted by the lady at the Nature Center sparked an already burgeoning interest in butterflies, caterpillars, and insects you see when you are poking around looking for something to take a photo of.

Today's photograph is of a Robber Fly. During my search to find out what exactly I had taken a photo of I found out there are a total of 7,000 varieties of Robber Flies world wide and that there are nearly 1,000 varieties in North America. They are interesting looking critters. This site has more information.


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Photo taken at Twin Lakes WMA

Summertime

The grasshoppers are a hoppin'

The Starlings are a flockin'

The Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles are a disappearin'

Even though it's a hot and humid August, the season is a beginnin' to change


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A Painted Lady Caterpillar


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Images taken at Twin Lakes WMA

Butterflies

Since birding is less than inspiring at this time of year...butterflies and insects have been in the sights of my camera.

Found this Juniper Hairstreak


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I love how this skipper's (Delaware, I believe) probiscus is all curled up...


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And then there is this Juvenal's Duskywing. He was a real challenge to photograph. Everytime the shutter clicked he was gone. I got a bunch of pictures of the rocks he was lighting on. I guess he finally figured out that if he sat still and let that crazy lady take his picture, that she would go away. And he was right!


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All of these pictures were taken at Twin Lakes WMA. I have set up a photo gallery for Twin Lakes here.

Northern Bobwhite

I have a window mount for my spotting scope, so I can use the scope from the car. Recently I have been using the window mount for the camera also. It was a real hassle to be swapping the gear back and forth, so I decided to get another mount. I hate to have a new toy, and not be able to play with it. So Tuesday afternoon I went out to Twin Lakes SWMA. Don't go there very often, but it was close and I thought it would be a good place to play with the new toy. Got some photos of a female Brown-headed Cowbird taking a bath at the edge of the lake, and saw a pair of Northern Bobwhites.

This morning I decided to go back and see if I could get a photo of a "prettier" bird taking a bath, and maybe see the Bobwhites again. Apparently no one was feeling the need of a bath this morning, but I did see a male Northern Bobwhite. Isn't he pretty?


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Thought it was interesting that he has been banded. Wonder where.

Bobwhites nest on the ground. The female lays an egg a day, up to 10-15 total. The eggs are incubated for about 23 days. The younguns can fly after two weeks, they are nearly full grown at 15 weeks, and look like an adult.