nscheerer's Favorites

Just couldn’t believe this today: biking to work on concrete beach north of Lake Point Tower when I see a gull drop something. It went right after it as did I. Looked like a salamander, had to be a mudpuppy. It was. Put it back in water, it seemed to be too buoyant and floating at surface, which is probably why Ring-billed Gull got it in the first place. Knew they are on our lakefront, but no idea they were this far north. Guessing just on size this was an immature mudpuppy.

I keep saying “OK, this one is my new favorite,” but THIS one is my new favorite…!!!

Heard little cricket chirps over my head, and they were passing a berry back and forth! Yet another “this is the sterotypical pose you see in wildlife photography calendars”, like the nuthatch upside down on a tree or a goldfinch on a grass seed head - a waxwing with a berry in its beak. It feels extra satisfying to get those for some reason, even though the only reason they are stereotypes is by definition that they’re common. They were SUPER CUTE and snuggly, but chose a very inconvenient (for me) location to make out, with their backs to me and branches between us. By the time I had made a big enough circle around the tree to hopefully get a better angle without scaring them away, one had eaten the berry and left (maybe to get another?), so there was only one left to get a portrait of from the front.

Lots of birds have black masks, but the white edging and the bright “plastic accessories” make this bird the ultimate 1980’s goth/New Romantic in my mind. They listen to Adam Ant and cosplay Pris from Blade Runner. Just two little airbrushed weirdos in love. Good luck out there, you crazy kids… 🖤