Late Winter 2015

Sorry for the lack of attention for the blog, Just taking it easy and forgot how to do this. He-He. First let me thank all of you for viewing my blog,  Viewers from all around the Earth, " Thanks!!! ".

Migrating Mallard Ducks.

Males are competing for mates.

Bufflehead Duck

Wood Duck pair.

Canada Geese coming down.

Canada Geese

Giant Canada Goose

Last Snow of Winter 

Ice Water

Miller Woods - Lake Trail

A short hike along the Lake Trail at Miller Woods in the Indiana Dunes Lakeshore, National Park Service, located in Gary, Indiana.

The Lake Trail starts at the Douglas Environmental Center on Lake Street and ends at the shoreline of  Lake Michigan, a round trip hike of 3.2 miles.

For more info, like the Douglas Center on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-H-Douglas-Center-for-Environmental-Education/136739166367852

October Slough Gills

While hunting the Slough during the early waterfowl season. I told myself  that I better return between the end of early waterfowl and the duck season closing. The 2nd of October, I returned to catch a few of those "Slough Gills". After a couple hours, on my knees, preying, I had a nice mess of tasty "Slough Gills"  ( Willow Slough Bluegills ).

Well, storm clouds appeared in the west, a cold hard wind began to howl and I've got no rain gear. So I assume the "lazy boyee" position ( my canoe has oar locks and the paddles are oars ) for the 2 mile row off the lake. The threat of rain passes making for a  very comfortable canoe ride.

Willow Slough is a major, natural migratory bird resting area.  I was ducking birds left and right. In the end I happen by a Bald Eagle on a cattail raft having dinner.

I hope you enjoy my little trip "October Slough Gills" as much as I did bringing it to you.  Please like and subscribe. Thanks, Garnie.

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Early Goose Hunting

September 1st is opening day of the early Indiana Goose season. I am seriously psyched and will do my best to giddy-up go. The weather forecast says a high temperature of 85 degrees, that's hot, but I think I can handle it. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

Spring Migration

Spring has sprung, like or not. Watched a few hundred Sand Hill Cranes fly over Ranger's Marsh yesterday. Heading north by northwest. Lots of migratory Canada geese and ducks using the marsh, also.

Sand Hill Cranes

The Sand Hill Cranes are migrating north to their breeding grounds in Canada and the northern US.

Sand Hill Cranes over Gary, Indiana, flying north by northwest.

After watching the spring migration, I went home. While walking from the car to the house, I saw a brown comet streak through the air just outside of my fence and I hear the leaves rustling in the lot north of me.  It was a Cooper's Hawk on a dinner dive. I had heard one calling a couple days, this is the first one I've seen.

Cooper's Hawk, first this year

I put down my coffee cup and unlock and load my camera. The hawk flies up and into a tree with its lunch in its talons. Whatever it's caught has a wide tail, what could it be? No squeals, so not a rodent. I've seen them catch lots of snakes but the temperature is just above freezing, too cold for snakes.  

Cooper's Hawk and unknown prey

After another short flight deeper into the canopy of the oaks. The hawk kills its prey. I'm still waiting to see what the hawk has taken.

Would not believe it if I did not see it myself 

 The Cooper Hawk had caught a Garter Snake. In the middle of the pic above, below the large tree limb that the hawk is perched on, you can see the blueish-gray belly of the snake hanging down and curling to the left.  I am wrong again, it's not too cold for the Garter Snakes to be out and about.  Spring Has Sprung!  

The Douglas Center Revisited

Paid another visit to the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. This time I hiked the Miller Woods Trail and the woods to the east of the main parking lot on Lake Street. Maybe a mile and a half in total.

          ( Click on any image to see an Enlarged Slide Show )

Covered Foot Bridge over Lake Street, from parking to the Douglas Center.

After parking in the main lot on Lake St. you walk over to the Douglas Center via the Covered Foot Bridge.

The Douglas Center for Environmental Education entrance.

The National Park Service sign greets you and the entry doors are straight ahead of you.

Interesting facts about Northwest Indiana.

A display in the foyer of the Douglas Center lists some amazing facts about Northwest Indiana that I did not know.

Douglas Center view from Lake Street West parking.

This is where the Miller Woods Trail starts, above on the dune is the Douglas Center. I'm standing in a three car parking lot on the west side of Lake Street

Distant view of Douglas Center from the Marsh Overlook Boardwalk.

About a third of the way along the Miller Woods Trail is the Marsh Overlook Boardwalk that crosses the marsh north to south. This is the view looking east, over the marsh. The Douglas Center can be seen in the distance.

Canine tracks and blood trail in snow.

The trail was covered with snow that was a few days old. The snow was more ice than snow, loud and crunchy. Tracks of some type of canine could be seen and blood drops about every ten feet. Probably a dog walkers pooch nipped his ear on a brier thorn.

Opening in snow that lead to a small mammal  snow tunnel.

 Field mice and voles tunnel under the snow and every here and there they poke through to the surface of the snow to check out their surroundings.

Western edge of  Miller Woods Marsh.

At the far west end of the trail is the edge of the marsh. Cattails are the dominate vegetation in the marsh.

Marsh Cattails

The seed head of the cattails, thousands of seeds attached to fur-like fibers that are dispersed by the wind if disturbed.

View of Miller Woods Marsh from a high dune.

A high dune rises above the marsh. Notice how the growth of the cattails encircle the water in the middle of the marsh. If the water level continues to drop over the years, eventually the cattails will die off and the marsh will become a wet meadow.

Deer tracks in snow, big Buck.

Wasn't ready to quit, so I walked the woods on the east side of Lake Street. There I ran across these deer tracks. This deer was big, my guess would be a large buck.

Mammal tracks in snow.

More tracks in the snow. I'll have to brush up on my tracking because I have no Idea as to what these my be from. A mystery, more than likely squirrel or rabbit.

Scene in woods east of Lake Street. 

I walked an old railroad track bed from Lake St. to Grand St. A nice little dune woods and swales to the south. heading back to the Douglas Center parking lot now.

Lake Michigan Fishing Spots

On a cold, January day, cabin fever kicked in. So I grabbed a fishing pole and a hand full of tackle and set my sights on the Lake Michigan shore line to scout places to fish. Its been years since I've fished Lake Michigan, so this would be a trip to see if the old places are still open and if there are any new places to be found. Besides, the temperature was 10 degrees with a 25 mph north wind, too cold to fish.

Indiana DNR shelter and parking area

My first stop was a Indiana Department of Natural Resources Restoration Area on the east branch of the Little Calumet River.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources Restoration Area
Little Calumet River East Branch

I was hoping to find a river access spot where I could launch my canoe. The parking here is a little to far from the river to drag a canoe. At the time the river was low and looking good. Lots of deadfalls along the shoreline, good places for the big ones to hide.

Little Calumet River facing East

This bridge and the road leading to the river are closed to vehicular traffic. To the left (south) of the bridge about a half mile is an undeveloped parking area. You can walk in from there. After a rain, the road leading to the unofficial parking area  would be a mud hole.  So, it would be best to park at the picnic shelter provided by the DNR and pictured above. The walk to the river is just a wee bit longer.

Old Bridge over Little  Calumet River facing West

The above photo is facing west. Two or so miles is a public marina. I've fished near the marina before, so it looks like the marina would be the best place to put in the canoe and paddle the river. By launching at the marina, I will be able to float, not only the east branch of the Little Cal, but also the west branch and paddle north to Portage Bay and Lake Michigan.  

Somebody's  watching me

Walking back to where I parked, I got the feeling I was being watched. There on the naturally overgrown Oak-Maple Forest floor was a young White-Tail Deer, a doe, watching my every move. 

White-Tail Deer

Yep, if you feel as though you are being watched, chances are, you are being watched. I moved forward a bit and found a clearing in the brush, for a less wild photo. The doe stared me down until I gave in and vacated her woods.

Fox Squirrel

At the DNR picnic shelter, I encountered a Fox Squirrel. The largest of the North America tree squirrels. He's hanging out at the shelter, looking for an easy meal, sorry, I'm a firm believer in "Do not feed the animals". Squirrels in particular, if they eat soft food instead of cutting hard shelled nuts, their upper and lower front teeth will not be worn down and will continue to grow, causing the squirrel to starve . 

Indiana DNR Public Fish Site, Port of Indiana

A few miles north of the Little Cal is the Port of Indiana. This is another Indiana DNR public fishing site. Don't let the sunshine and calm water fool you, this was a cold, windy day.   

Large flock of Common Mergansers

On the waters of the port, was a large flock of waterfowl. This photo was cropped, there are actually three times as many bird on the water. This is a flock of Common Mergansers aka Sawbills aka Fish Ducks. Mergansers dive under the water to catch fish. Every few minutes, the entire flock would dive, proving to me that the fish were in the harbor, but like I said before, it was too cold to fish.    

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore,  National Park Service

Due west of the Port is a section the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Portage Riverwalk Park. Located where the Little Calumet River enters Lake Michigan.  

Wind pruned Pin Oak and Pine trees

The dunes meet the river where wind pruned pines and pin oak anchor the high banks of the river. About fifty feet below these stunted trees is the river. Shore decks are placed along the river bank from which you can fish or just watch the pleasure boats make there way to the lake from the marina.

Pine Cones

Old pine cones that dropped their seed long ago. The harsh conditions of the dunes environment causes the trees to be stunted. They may not be large trees but they are very old. (And you thought man 'invented' bonsai trees) 

Ice on the Rocks

Lake Michigan is at a low water stage. These rocks would be under water at normal water levels. Look at the ice on the rocks, another good reason not to fish. 

Black Mussel

A freshwater mussel in the sand. I wonder if there's a pearl inside of it? Mussels have a interesting life cycle. The female is fertilized by the male. She retains the eggs until they are hatched. the larvae are released into the water and actively search out fish. When a fish is found the larvae attach themselves to the fins or gills of the fish until they become juveniles. Then drop off onto the lake bottom and grow to adults.  

Western Grebe at Portage Harbor

What's this? The Loch Michigan Monster! No, just a bad photo of a Western Grebe in Portage Harbor. Another diving bird that will winter here as long as it can find open water and fish. This area is where the Little Calumet River meets Lake Michigan. 

Chicago Beyond the Horizon

Right about now, I'm at the point where I can't take this cold any more. A couple more shots and I'm out of here. So here's "Chicago Beyond the Horizon". 

Portage Dunes

After all is said and done, it was a good day. I found a few places to fish and float my canoe. Visited some new scenery and got a few pic to boot. When the Coho run in March, you know where I can be found. 

(Click on any photo to see an enlarged photo slideshow)

American GoldFinch (Spinus tristis)

American GoldFinch (Spinus tristis)

Each July when the Goldfinch broods fledge, my garden is visited by family groups of Goldfinches.  The bright yellow males are the first to be noticed.  He perches on the tall stems of the Shasta Daisies, surveys the undergrowth for stalking urban leopards, house cats. The all-clear call is given and the rest of the group moves in to feed. In the background of the photo above can be seen the compound leaf of an Indiana Black Walnut, a tree that was once common through out Indiana before the forests were clear cut and burned for agriculture. The squirrels plant these trees, at one time I believed what I was told, squirrels bury tree seeds to hide for their next meal. After watching squirrels burying maple seeds one after another in my garden and the fact that the nearest walnut tree is a city block away from my yard, I tend to think that squirrels are distributing the tree seeds to replenish the forest habitat. After all no trees no squirrels.

July in my perennial wild flower garden.  The wild flowers were planted about twenty years ago, from bag and canned wild flower seed mixes.  I just turned the soil, broadcast the seed mix and let nature take its course. Every now and then, I'll root out the grass that invades from what little lawn that I have.  No ferts or pesticides, dividing the root clumps is a no-no also. Basically, no maintenance is the rule, I just let it grow. When I see plants taking hold that I do not want I just pull them out by the roots.  The deadheads are left on the stalks to re-seed, provide food for the visiting birds and shelter for the overwintering insects.

Early Morning Fire - Gary, Indiana

Sunday January 6th, 2013, at about 5:00 in the morning we were awakened by the sound of sirens from a Fire Truck of the Gary Indiana Fire Dept. A house across the street from mine was a fully involved infernal. The first fire company at the scene initiated an aggressive attack on the burning structure. The Engine Company flowed more than 500 gallons of water into the burning house, but the intensity of the flames and heat rendered the water almost useless.

Fire Scene in Gary, Indiana 
( Click on Any Image to See Slide Show)

The second wave of responding fire units were delay by a train and the attack pumper used all of its tank water.  

Fortunately, the residents of the home were not there. The on-scene firefighters could only watch the fire grow out of control.

Open flame vented from every opening in the building. In a matter of minutes the fire had burned through the roof.

Knowing that a water supply would soon be there, the Firefighters donned their air supply and prepared to attack  the burning structure with hand lines. 

But before the water supply was secured, the fire had consumed the rafters and the roof came crashing down. Once connected to a fire hydrant, the Gary Firefighters extinguished the fire in a matter of minutes. 

After two hours of interior overhaul with hand-lines, axes and pike poles, the secondary search was completed and all hot spots were extinguished.

The final act at the fire scene was to flood the structure with water to assure that no smoldering hot spots remained that could cause a rekindle later in the day.