Pictrona – an online storybook!

The river is flooded. This momma and her four babies were swimming in the river.

Momma wood duck with her thirteen chicks! Dad is running interference for any underwater predators, chasing them off while mom tries to keep them from trouble.

Noticed a barred owl in a tree, then noticed an adult and two young barred owls.

Adult on the left and one of the young owls looking at me. They weren’t afraid, but the adult and one baby flew off. The other stayed perched in the tree so I went out and grabbed a couple of photos.

This is the young barred owl that didn’t fly away.

A couple of barred owls started hooting near dusk, alarming the three fox kits near their den.

Visit the barred owl post.

Red fox kits in Wright County Minnesota.

Though it is difficult to tell, it appears there are two male and one female fox kits in this years litter. Two of the kits (I think the males) are most active, running and playing together, while the third (female) is frequently absent. The suspected female has a diamond on her tail in the pictures and videos.

A piece of plastic becomes a tug o war toy.

This tom turkey was following the fenceline this morning. He got to the river and when the dog threatened to chase he flew across the water to the other side. Wild tom (male) turkeys have a beard – that tuft of hair on its chest is known as a beard. Female turkeys don’t have beards.

It’s mating season for wild turkey in Minnesota. The female will lay 10-15 eggs, but not that many survive to adulthood… red fox and other predators take their toll.

Red fox kits playing near the den. They’re wandering around more at all hours now.

The camera is a curiousity for the kits. They pulled the stake out from the rotten log it was in, requiring me to go and prop it back up. I picked a time shortly after they’d been out playing to go out and put it back in place. As I was placing the camera and cleaning the lens, one of the kits came and out of the den and was watching me from about 12 feet away. Unafraid and curious, the kit just sat and watched. Mom doesn’t like the camera from the looks she’s given. The male appears to be unafraid of the camera. I suspect the male has used this den before, but it may be the female’s first use.

I was able to grab some photos of the fox kits playing on the brush pile today. Their eyes are still blue.

 

This chipmunk was watching them play.

Fox kits playing early morning with mom keeping an eye out.

Some video of the three red fox kits and their mother.

 

Fox kits playing in their first snow. This year there are three kits.