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posted: May 3rd, 2020 |
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This page begins with a spring snowstorm and some photos taken from the front porch on April 5th. Following that, there is a row of photos showing small mammals and then a shot of the first pussy willows, a walk up the road and then some tree shadows on the snow. The final seven rows are all photos which were taken at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge and include an eleven shot sequence of Trumpeter Swans in the act of mating. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin April 5th - 9th |
These two photos were taken on April 5th during a "wintry mix" storm - there was snow, small hail (corn snow?), rain and whatever for about an hour. These photos were taken with the firewood in the woodshed as a backdrop because that was the background against which it showed up best.
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 Apr5_1_ SnowstormAtHomeRC |
 Apr5_2_ SnowstormAtHomeRC |
We've had this small rodent feeding bowl outside for a couple of months now. We called it the "Vole Bowl" because we thought the only thing which was feeding at it were our local Northern Red-backed voles (probably Myodes rutilus). We had thought that the smaller animals with a more pointed head were young voles, but we recently discovered that they are actually some kind of Shrew, possibly the Arctic Shrew, but there are too many kinds here to be sure. In the first shot in this row you can see one of the Shrews attempting to cart off a chunk of unsalted butter. The second and third photos show one of our Northern Red-backed Voles going for sunflower seeds.
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 April1st_001_ BabyVoleRC |
 Apr6_2_Red BackedVoleAtHomeRC |
 Apr9_1_Red BackedVoleAtHomeRC |
On April 8th we noticed the first Pussy Willows were out, but on the same day we also had an opportunity to shoot the second shot, which shows our road (Steele Creek Road) with an abundance of both new snow and old hardpack, still making it a treacherous drive.
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 April8th_007 _WillowRC |
 April8th_008 _SteeleCreekRdRC |
Last month we showed you a couple shots which were similar to this "barcode on the snow", or shadows on the snow. The first photo in this row is "as-shot" and the second one is the same photo but has been converted to an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo in Photoshop®.
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 Apr9_2_Snow ShadowsAtHomeRC |
 Apr9_2HDR_Snow ShadowsAtHomeRC |
Here is another "barcode on the snow". The first image is "as-shot" and the second image is the same photo, but shadows have been brightened up.
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 Apr9_3_Snow ShadowsAtHomeRC |
 Apr9_3SIP_Snow ShadowsAtHomeRC |
| End April 5th - 9th, Begin April 17th - 22nd |
The first Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) started showing up at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge a couple of days before these shots were taken, but even on this date, there were only a few to be seen there. These are such an amazing bird. The Trumpeter Swan is not only the heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan that may exceed 10 feet (3.0 m).
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 Apr17_03_ TrumpeterSwansRC |
 Apr17_04_ TrumpeterSwansRC |
 Apr17_05_ TrumpeterSwansRC |
The first two photos in this row show more photos of the Trumpeter Swans. The third shot is of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis).
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 April17th_034_Creamers Filed_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_001_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_007_Creamers Field_BrantaCanadensisRC |
Beginning in this row is a ten shot series of two Trumpeter Swans caught in the act of mating. OH WOW!! This was the first time I had ever seen such large birds mating.
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 April22nd_022_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_023_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_024_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
In these three shots the Trumpeter Swans continue to mate.
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 April22nd_025_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_026_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_027_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
These three shots continue the process of mating. The third shot - the process is finished.
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 April22nd_028_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_029_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_030_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
The first shot here shows that after mating, they just swim away and say "thanks for the excitement" (or whatever). The second image is a ten frame animation of the process. The title slide will show for about 5 seconds or so, which gives you time to read it, and the remaining shots then proceed at about a slide every 1.5 seconds. It will repeat indefinitely, but will always hold for 5 seconds on the title slide.
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 April22nd_031_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_022-031_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinator_Small |
The first shot in this row shows the same two swans which mated, now they are both preening and making themselves pretty again after getting a bit mussed up. The second and third shots show amazing photos by Kazuya of two swans flying off.
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 April22nd_046_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_047_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
 April22nd_048_Creamers Field_CygnusBuccinatorRC |
| End April 17th - 22nd, End Page 1 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation and conclusion of this month's adventures. |
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