11 Sunday Nov 2018
Posted in colonial lake
Tags
colonial lake, photography, postaday, robin, sparrow, squirrel
Squirrel at Colonial Lake.
Robin at Colonial Lake.
Sparrow at Colonial Lake.
Great Blue Heron at Colonial Lake.
27 Saturday Oct 2018
Posted in colonial lake, Photography
Tags
canada goose, colonial lake, crawfish, eastern phoebe, great blue heron, photography, postaday, squirrel
Colonial Lake close to home is quite small, but it has a good variety of wildlife. An old Canada Goose, named Hank by the locals, does not seem to fly any more and enjoys eating the bread crumbs and cookies that people throw to him.
Hank, the old Canada Goose.
Squirrels are abundant, and at this time of the year they are stocking up on acorns and other wild nuts to prepare for winter.
Squirrel at Colonial Lake.
An Eastern Phoebe had something in its bill, but I couldn’t tell what it was. They usually eat small insects, and sometimes small fruit or seeds.
Eastern Phoebe.
A Ring-billed Seagull landed with a splash and caught something in its beak.
Ring-billed Seagull.
The champ was a Great Blue Heron who caught three fishes in less than 10 minutes as I photographed him.
Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Heron with first fish.
Great Blue Heron with second fish.
Great Blue Heron with a crawfish.
08 Saturday Sep 2018
Posted in colonial lake, Photography
Tags
arrowhead, Bidens Trichosperma, colonial lake, hibiscus, photography, postaday, tickseed sunflower
I walked around Colonial Lake near home yesterday and took pictures of the following flowers. I am guessing the names of the first two, so please feel free to correct me if you happen to recognize them with their proper names.
Arrowhead flowers.
Bidens Trichosperma or Tickseed Sunflower.
Hibiscus dried seed pods.
20 Wednesday Jun 2018
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
colonial lake, diamondback, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, photography, postaday, snapping turtle, terrapin, turtle
One day last week I had to stop several times to let turtles cross the road in front of me. Here are a few shots of them at different places in the refuge, and one shot at Colonial Lake closer to home.
Diamondback Terrapin.
Diamondback Terrapin.
Snowy Egret with turtle under water in background.
Snapping Turtle at Colonial Lake.
At the beginning of last century, Terrapins were eaten by humans, almost to extinction. It was only two years ago in 2016 that New Jersey officially banned the hunting of Terrapins for any reason. They are currently classified as a species of Special Concern. Snapping Turtles are classified as Least Concern.
17 Sunday Jun 2018
Posted in Photography
I don’t know the name of the following flowers. If you do, please tell me.
Update: I searched for this flower image on the Internet, and it’s a Pink Evening Primrose!
Pink Evening Primrose.
Pink Evening Primrose.
Pink Evening Primrose.
30 Wednesday May 2018
Posted in Photography
Tags
A male Mallard was landing near a female Mallard at Colonial Lake.
Male Mallard landing.
He looked very happy.
Male Mallard: “Hi sweetie!”
She was indeed a pretty Mallard.
Female Mallard.
Female Mallard.
28 Monday May 2018
Posted in Photography
Some flowers I saw on a recent walk around Colonial Lake.
Lupine.
Rhododendron.
22 Tuesday May 2018
Posted in Photography
Cedar Waxwings are quite common birds native to North and Central America. They live all year round in our area. However, it was only until yesterday that I could photograph one. It was perched high on a branch by the water at Colonial Lake. A band of them were flying around eating insects. They are normally fruit eaters but there was no fruit to be found yet at this time of the year.
Cedar Waxwing.
Cedar Waxwing.
Cedar Waxwing flying away.
14 Monday May 2018
Posted in Photography
The American Robin shown below was making so much noise and movement that I had to take its picture.
American Robin, excited and shouting.
The target for its cries was another Robin, who watched it very nonchalantly.
American Robin, cool and relaxed.
Here are the two of them in one photo.
Two Robins.
Perhaps the shouting Robin was a juvenile clamoring for food, and the older bird did nothing, as a way of telling the younger one to go find its own worm. Just my guess.
13 Sunday May 2018
Posted in Photography
Tags
This Mallard had 12 ducklings following along it on a sunny morning near Colonial Lake..
Mallard and 12 ducklings.
I have more photos, but uploading them to WordPress has been very iffy lately, so the above will have to do for this Mother’s Day.
31 Saturday Mar 2018
Posted in Photography
Early this morning I went to Colonial Lake, a small lake about 5 miles (8 km) from home where at least one Bald Eagle has been seen on a daily basis. Not more than 15 minutes after I arrived, an eagle swooped down and plucked a big fish out of the lake. I was not quite ready yet, so my first shot is not the best, but at least you do see the action.
Bald Eagle catching fish.
The eagle took the fish to a high branch on a tree and proceeded to eat it there.
Bald Eagle eating fish.
He ate the whole fish in less than 10 minutes, after which he took off right above me to go for a drink.
Bald Eagle flying toward water.
Bald Eagle drinking lake water.
He had several drinks, looking up each time to check his surroundings.
Balk Eagle looking up after one drink.
Then he shifted position.
Bald Eagle turning.
Bald Eagle after turn.
Then he flew up to a nearby tree, perched on a branch, and looked down on the lake and the other birds there, ignoring the few humans who wandered around along the lake shore.
Bald Eagle.
I think he eventually took a nap for I did not see it move from his perch for almost half an hour.
