Valley Pond Townhome Association » Wildlife

And we have ducklings… It must be Spring!

Robbie Wigley — Tue, 17 May 2011 05:05:23 +0000

On Friday, May 13th I got this note from Earlyne and Gene alerting me to the baby ducks spotted on the pond. We have all been waiting for the first sighting but none of us expected this.

Hi-In case you haven’t heard or seen them, there are 14 hiding in the grass just west of Myron’s(NE corner of pond). It is not a good location, with people and dogs going by on the path. Arlene was on their deck when I walked by today and pointed out that the parents had led them across the path to a bush in their yard and were hiding there. We talked softly and suddenly they were running across to the west, back to the grasses.
Very cute and tiny. Of course, I didn’t have a camera or phone with me.

So when I spotted them on Saturday, I ran for my camera but was not fast enough. I finally got a shot of them on Sunday but they move so fast… it took 3 different times for me to get them actually in focus. We have counted as many as 24 and as few as 21, so that seems to be in the ball park as to the number. With a little research, Mallards don’t usually have this many in a brood, so she must have inherited a few from another mom, poor thing. They are never in line and seem to burst on the scene when they appear. We have seen two other momma ducks, one with 3 and another with 6 ducklings.

Griff did a blog about them on Locally Grown. Check it out.

Birds on the Pond

Robbie Wigley — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:35:18 +0000

I thought I would put together a group of photos I have been able to get of several birds visiting me this year. These are the times I wish I had a better camera and lenses. If you have pictures, please send them to add to this slide show. It would be good if you indicated what the bird is if it is not obvious, especially for those of us new to the bird watching scene.

Hawk

Robbie Wigley — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:54:10 +0000

I just about had a heart attack on Friday when this small hawk hit the windows in our living room. I have taken some precautions to make sure this doesn’t happen by putting stickers on all the surfaces of the bay window… but it didn’t seem to work for this little guy. All ended well as he did fly off and I can only hope he survived. I must admit I was ready to call someone to get some advice until he finally stood up. Here are some pictures, I know I probably will never be able to get this close to a hawk again and hopefully not under these circumstances. I think the conclusion on Facebook is that it is a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. You may have a different opinion. (and just in defense of myself… I took the pictures, even though it says Griff did… he just wants all the picture credit around here)

Backyard acrobats

Griff Wigley — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:08:00 +0000

The acrobatic squirrels in our backyard overlooking Valley Pond are both annoying and funny.

Deer in Hidden Valley Park: getting closer

Griff Wigley — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:29:00 +0000

At about 9 am on Sunday, I saw this deer trot across Hidden Valley Dr. at Peterson Dr. and head into Hidden Valley Park, startling a couple who were walking their dogs.

Toad entertainment

Griff Wigley — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:29:26 +0000

This little toad seemed convinced that the only way out of our basement window well was to climb up the face of our outdoor thermometer, to no avail.

Cheap entertainment for me. I finally took pity on it and ~~squashed it~~ picked it up and set it free.

An elusive doe appears to be making Valley Pond her home

Griff Wigley — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:17:26 +0000

Robbie spotted a doe wandering among the cattails around the pond last Saturday. I tried to get close for a photo but the doe spotted me and took cover. Crappy photo, I know.

A few hours later, when I was taking photos of the sunset after the thunderstorm, Gene Moninger said he saw her just a few minutes prior. He subsequently attached a comment:

The doe you were chasing came back this afternoon; ran very quickly from Heritage St.-north past the path and up the hill to Peterson St. Got those dogs excited! Don Starkweather caught a glimpse also, but alas, no cameras handy.

I blogged Gene and Earlene’s photo of a doe and her fawn a year ago and a month later, Robbie blogged her photo of a doe in our backyard.

I’m determined to get the best photo!

Our pond is alive with the sound of music

Griff Wigley — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:13:05 +0000

The rains have been plentiful this spring and thus making the frogs around the pond in the middle of Hidden Valley Park very happy. I captured their music while sitting in front of our backyard fireplace last week and again tonight while walking around the park watching the moon rise. Watch/listen to this 38-second video.

Mallard families (not geese) again making Valley Pond their home

Griff Wigley — Sat, 15 May 2010 03:12:00 +0000

Again this year, Valley Pond is home to a couple of new mallard duck families. And again, thankfully, no Canada geese have done likewise. The cattails that surround the pond are evidently doing their job to keep the geese away.

Egrets pay a visit to Hidden Valley Pond

Griff Wigley — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:30:18 +0000

Gene Bauer snapped this photo of two egrets in the pond yesterday morning. One was in motion and he took the photo through his window and thus, it’s a little bit blurry… but cool nonetheless!

An egret is any of several herons, according to the wikipedia.

Heron Island in Shields Lake is a Rice County park:

The Heron Island Bird Sanctuary was acquired by Rice County in 1968 and serves strictly as a bird sanctuary area. At one time Heron Island was one of the largest rookeries for the Great Blue Heron and the American Egret in the Upper Midwest. The park does not provide for public access.