A beautiful autumn landscape in NW Wisconsin (photo gallery… click for more photos)

Early morning on the sedge marsh

Swan fly-by on Southwest Dike Cutoff Had a nice start to the day today with the annual midwest crane count this morning. My location had several mated pairs of cranes. Driving the back trail through the sedge marsh is always a delight. A pair of trumpeter swans flew in while I took a short walk. … Continue reading Early morning on the sedge marsh →

Early morning on the sedge marsh

Crex Crane Tour

Every fall thousands of Greater Sandhill Cranes gather near Grantsburg Wisconsin to beef up in preparation for their annual southward migration to the warmth of the U.S. Gulf Coast. And every fall, hundreds of folks visit the area to view the cranes for themselves. I had the opportunity last week to lead a group of … Continue reading Crex Crane Tour →

The Perfect Flower Family

I think my favorite family of flowering plants has to be the Heath Family, because of it's diverse plant types, useful fruits and generally small but beautiful flowers. The Latin name for this family is Ericaceae, which is derived from the Greek ereike, which means, loosely "heather". Members of the Heath Family can be found … Continue reading The Perfect Flower Family →

Paint Mine Road Before The Bloom

I took my dogs Jet and Annie for an evening walk down to Paint Mine Road this week. I will be leading a wildflower walk there in a few weeks and wanted to see if anything was growing yet. I really did not expect to see much, if any, floral activity, but I was in … Continue reading Paint Mine Road Before The Bloom →