Snapshots... on Vacation, Cotton Lake, Minnesota, USA

Bald Eagle

 Here are a few Fishing & Wildlife highlights that I managed to get photos of.... 

We have seen and caught so much more, everywhere we look is a feast for the eyes.... enjoy!

           

Never seen or heard so many Loons!

Sunfish

Cotton Lake

Northern Pike

Large Mouth Bass

this is not a Monarch - Monarch Mimic.

Male Monarch 

Fishing at sunset

Liz & Karen on the Pontoon boat.
The booze cruise...

Cove Heitman driving the Minnesota Cadillac.

Cove teaches Henry how to clean fish. Yum!

Northern Pike locally called Snakes or Hammer Handles

Pelican & Fosters Tern, Cove & Karen's place is the brown house to the left of the Pelican head.

Not sure of this Butterfly's name, as I only brought a bird guide.

Painted Turtle

Kingbird

Young Baltimore Oriole.

Chipmunk

& a very cute15 Spotted Ground Squirrel

Fair Isle BUGS me! I'm leaving...

Cabbage White / Large White
This Butterfly is not so common on Fair Isle.

 I'm on the way to the States to visit friends & family for a few weeks. So I'm posting these recent insect photos from my garden though I'm in transit. don't have my insect field guide on hand to add the proper names.

This is a new Hoverfly species for me.

Henry's Drawing of a Hoverfly

Time to FLY! to America that is... Cheers!

Young Frog vs. Water Beetle - and other people & wildlife

Frog - Tadpole or Polywog with legs.

              

Wildlife drama... Young Frog barely more than a Tadpole is attacked by a Water Beetle filmed in my small garden pond with hand held camera video mode. The Beetles looks to be winning... A still photo just didn't show the full story... sort of interesting as it was thought the introduced of Frogs (1970's) would eat all the rare or indigenous pond insects. It maybe that the Frogs, Eggs & Tadpoles turn out to be a great food source for aggressive Beetles on Fair Isle. I find this sort sad to watch but very interesting just the same.

The Beetle is most probably Agabus bipustulatus the Frog was Rana temporaria 

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta - first butterfly that I have been able to photograph this year.

Shetland Bumble Bee

Hover Fly - Scaeva pyrastri

Karen & a few happy Elizabeth Riddiford Fair Isle Knitting customers.
http://www.exclusivelyfairisle.co.uk/

Red Sky in the Morning...

Golf was played and a few rare Fair Isle Birdies were found...

Sea Hare Aplysia punctata balled up in the hands of the master...

Biggest Sea Hare Henry has ever found on Fair Isle 12- 15cm.
they are said to get up to 20cm.

Shanny Blenny Liophyrs pholis

It was great to meet Anne & Per who sailed in from Sweden. Cheers! 

My Mermaid & Bird & Waxwing Wire Sculptures

Liz & Henry set sail to America for Summer vacation...
I leave next week...