Wildlife
Index
History
History II
C.F. Schwanke
H. S. Gillespie
S. S. Huston
J. M. Bennett
O. F. Schwanke
C. E. Gillespie
Lois & Bill
Carl &Leslie
Ray & Pat
Alan & Sharon
Pete & Sharon
The Palmers
Dan & Brandy
Curt & Jenny
Jesse & Diana
Shoebox
Some pictures of the wildlife which we are blessed with in our
backyard and around our bird feeders. We have been feeding birds
for almost forty years now so we have accumulated quite a wide
variety of welfare recipients.
The corn draws them in. We have since ceased feeding corn because it was drawing geese in huge numbers.
It is dificult to count them but there are 13 deer in this picture, taken from a window of the house.
Kissing Cardinals
This is one of our favorite pictures. It might have been common to see an adult feeding a young cardinal like this except this was taken in February when no young would be present.
We attributed it to "hanky-panky".
Wild turkey looking for corn..
One of our favorite birds, a tufted titmouse. They are very well-mannered at the feeders.
Gosling (center) leaving the nest.
This one is showing olympic form.
Martin gourds,  We put up the first set in 1991 and now there are three.
Another gosling heads for the water.
Goslings huddle for warmth on a cool spring day. There are 35 - 40 in this huddle.
Six babies just out of the nest tub.
They come for fish food which can be seen on the water.
"Heads Up."
Wood Ducks
Evening Grosbeaks, not common but occasional visitors.
Easter, 1985
L to R, Geese & Daffodils, Muskrat, Groundhog and "Spooky" our Siamese cat.
February 1986
L to R, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Gold Finch, Purple Finch
February 1986
Moonlight over the barn, on frozen lake.
Rose breasted Grosbeak, male
Goldfinch, male, summer plummage.
The most plentiful bird we have.
Rose breasted Grosbeak, female
Several pair use the feeders all summer
Squirrel & Snook playing tag. This continued for almost half an hour. This one loved to tease the cat. We've had as many as eight using the feeders at one time, almost all gray squirrels.
Possums like the feeders too
Great Blue Heron
Mother coon with a litter of four kits.
They can be destructive of property so we try to discourage them.
Goldfinch, female or male in winter
Pair of Housefinches, summer birds
Baltimore Oriole
We have several pairs now, feeding at the site.
Orioles love oranges
They like hummingbird nectar also.
Immature Blackheaded Oriole
Indigo Bunting, not common
Baby Robin eating hamburger
Phoebe, nested on front porch.
Redwing Blackbird, addicted to welfare also.
Turtle, laying eggs in backyard.
Racoons like to dig them up.
Pine Siskin, small but feisty little bird. Seldom comes this far south.
They seemed to have little fear of us or were desperate for food.
Red Poll again, improvising on the left. The hole above became empty so he swung down.
Barn Swallow liked the front porch too.
House Wren
Female Ruby Throat
Gold Finch & Purple Finch in winter
Sharp Shinned Hawk
When he shows, other birds go into hiding.

About 100' west of the house
Any snowy day in winter they will eat 50# of sunflower seed in two days if we put it out.
Christmas
Chicadee on window box.
Down woodpecker, male
Black & white Nuthatch
Purple Finch, female
Purple finch, male
Tufted Titmouse
Pair of Bald Eagles, 200+ yards
away.
Lone Eagle
The eagles are recent (December 2003)
visitors and seem to prefer the old dead elm just across the lake and a little east of the
boat dock. We may regret it but we are hoping they will choose to build and nest there. I know of a nest of eagles on Long Branch Lake, about 20 miles west of us.
Bullfrog on the liliepads.
This page was last updated: April 27, 2009
ShoeboxII
God's Plan
This is a sight that I had never seen before and never expected to see. A group of harmless water snakes, apparently mating, in the pond in our backyard. I was mowing when I first saw them and mowed within a no more than a couple of feet from them. It seemed to stir them a bit but they didn't leave so I went to the house and got the camera and Lois before taking their picture. Two or three of them were still there when we finally left about 20 or 30 minutes later. They are 3' long.  May 4, 2005
Pileated Woodpecker
16 to 19 inches long, Crow-sized bird, shy birds, common but rarely seen.
They like mature forests and eat insects along with some berries.
This one came in behind the house one morning in early December, 2005.
Great Blue Heron, behind the house on March 21, 2007. He was wading along looking for food when he saw me at the window with the camera. He hopped over into the brush trying to be a bit safer.
A squirrel in the window feeder was tantalizing Spook. April 10, 2007
He's a stranger to us. None of our books seem to show one like him. He showed up behing the house on April 16, 2007. Took several pictures with long lens,400mm, but none are exceptional.
He's a dabbler, often standing on his head.
He shows quite a bit of color albeit rather subtle. It is almost irridescent and would probably show more brightly in sunlight. He's a big duck, at least as big as a mallard.
American Coots
The pictures below are of a Green Heron, April 27, 2007
He decided to come up in the backyard in search of food.
May 7, 2007
We have an unusually large number of Orioles this year. This one is a darker orange in color than most.
Usually rare, this Indigo Bunting seems to be more at home here this year.
We have hopes that they will stay around.
Grossbeaks also seem to have increased in number this year. May 7, 2007
Mama Grosbeak, Somebody has to lay the eggs!
Ever-present Goldfinches
Feeding the catfish, June 24, 2007
They will eat five pounds of feed just about as fast as I can throw it out.
They even venture up onto the lily pads for the feed that is spilled there.
Of course the geese are always willing helpers.
...and the turtles!
Cold perches!
Owl and Grit in a face-off
A few days later he appeared again on a stump by the pond north of the house. He seemed to have problems
of some sort. He didnt appear injured. Perhaps it was old age catching up.
A little tree frog decided to perch atop
one of the humming bird feeders. I have no idea how he got up there as they are a good seven feet above the floor of the porch and about 3 feet away from the window where he usually perches to feed on bugs attracted by the lights at night.
Goose on nest tub west of the house.
Two Northern Shovelers,
Behind the house.
Great Blue Heron sunning himself and preening.
Belted Kingfisher
Behind the house, April 24, 2009
Purple Martins
Starlings have run them off for the past couple of years. Finally discouraged the Starlings with rifle by shooting 50 or so.