County Highway W for Wildlife

With bright sun and temperatures warm enough to open windows, it finally felt like spring today in Wisconsin. Just don't look down. Because, it still looks like winter! At least there's finally a little grass starting to show again.

With all this news about the birds lately, I was curious if the migration time period was thrown off by all this... winter. So I took my camera and my new lens (150-600mm) to see if I could zoom in on anything along County Highway W.

Since this road goes right past the Buena Vista prairie chicken counting area, there's usually something to see around there. It's not prairie chicken season but I saw plenty of other items of interest! And, honestly, I can't name them all...

 Some kind of crane.

 Ditto.

Just being artsy.

There were swans, Canada geese and a variety of ducks all hanging out at the same pond. They don't have to be birds of a feather to flock together. Just birds.

 Swan dive!!

"Look at her! She's such a show-off!"

The eagle has landed. Well, that was after my car scared him off from his roadside roadkill lunch. Dang, I could have been 5 feet away. Those claws, though.

From the highest treetops or highest sprinkling system.

More cranes of some type.

Saw (and heard) tons of red-winged blackbirds.

 More swans making friends.

I think these two are couple.

These guys were closer to the road, thankfully, so I could get something in focus!

 Oh, deer!

 

I was sneaking a peek behind a snowbank. They looked pretty scrawny.

And hanging out right in front of a deer stand – sitting empty in the off season. Well, played, kids.

That's all for today. Obviously, I was most excited as always to see an eagle. Didn't even have to kayak for it this time! But I have a lot of practicing to do with that lens to get my focus right. There's always tomorrow.

I mean really. It's supposed to be nice and sunny and springy again! So we'll see. Hope you got out to enjoy your day, too!