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My Remote Office with a View (Day 3 of 365)
The weather was very nice here today with temps near 70 and the forecast rain not manifesting. I took advantage of the nice weather and a break of about 1 hour and 15 minutes between my morning class and office hours to slip off to Red Mill County park to grade exams in the sunshine while being serenaded by various feathered musicians. The park is only 2.5 miles from campus and makes a nice place to get away for a bit. Five photos behind the cut and more at http://flickr.com/photos/destabee/
Park Entrance Sign:
The view doesn't look like much from here. The picnic table in the corner is where I sat to grade papers and occasionally scan the pond/lake (never sure which is appropriate for this size body of water). From this vantage point I saw a couple of robins (one up close and very personal, it came within about 6 feet of me -- picture over on flick), the little olive colored bird pictured below came nearly as close, a dozen or so Canada Geese (they were the sour note in the symphony), and a couple of red-winged blackbirds (and I heard more). Further out on the water were were a few dozen American Coots, a Blue-Winged Teal (a new addition to my life list), and a Lesser Scaup. A muskrat and a few squirrels were on hand to represent the mammals.
This is the unidentified suspect. I think it might be a ruby-crowned kinglet. It has the right white eye rings and another very blurry shot shows the white wing bars.
When I finished the stack of papers, it was nearly time to head back to campus. However I walked along the water's edge and around the lodge to take the long way back to my car. As I headed off I saw a pair of wood ducks gliding between the dried reeds and cat tails from last year. Then down near the other end of the pond there were lots more coots (I must have seen more than 100 altogether), turtles sunning themselves on logs and this Great Blue Heron. The coots remind me of court jesters and watching them the Great Heron started to remind me of a court wizard -- regal and removed from the silliness taking place around him.
Finally as I got into my car, I saw my first dragonfly of the season. Makes me wonder what I might have seen had I really been looking.
Park Entrance Sign:
The view doesn't look like much from here. The picnic table in the corner is where I sat to grade papers and occasionally scan the pond/lake (never sure which is appropriate for this size body of water). From this vantage point I saw a couple of robins (one up close and very personal, it came within about 6 feet of me -- picture over on flick), the little olive colored bird pictured below came nearly as close, a dozen or so Canada Geese (they were the sour note in the symphony), and a couple of red-winged blackbirds (and I heard more). Further out on the water were were a few dozen American Coots, a Blue-Winged Teal (a new addition to my life list), and a Lesser Scaup. A muskrat and a few squirrels were on hand to represent the mammals.
This is the unidentified suspect. I think it might be a ruby-crowned kinglet. It has the right white eye rings and another very blurry shot shows the white wing bars.
When I finished the stack of papers, it was nearly time to head back to campus. However I walked along the water's edge and around the lodge to take the long way back to my car. As I headed off I saw a pair of wood ducks gliding between the dried reeds and cat tails from last year. Then down near the other end of the pond there were lots more coots (I must have seen more than 100 altogether), turtles sunning themselves on logs and this Great Blue Heron. The coots remind me of court jesters and watching them the Great Heron started to remind me of a court wizard -- regal and removed from the silliness taking place around him.
Finally as I got into my car, I saw my first dragonfly of the season. Makes me wonder what I might have seen had I really been looking.