Camera Critters #164

Having seen a lot of rockchucks around here, I figured someday I’d see a cousin of our local marmot, the woodchuck.  Also known as a groundhog, or Marmota monax, I was surprised when, while sitting in my mother’s living room in Braidwood, Illinois, a large, gray, lumbering critter came waddling out of a wooded area and started munching on some weeds.

I asked, “Is that a woodchuck?”  After a quick look, mom said, “It’s the local groundhog.  He comes out now and then to eat.”

So I picked up my camera and snapped off a few shots.  I guess my movement scared him, as he quickly darted back into cover and disappeared.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #162

I had to return to Illinois a couple of weeks ago for personal reasons.  While there I hoped to be able to shoot all sorts of new critters.

One of those critters, though not new, was a Cardinal.  I found several willing subjects and one bird in particular stood out.

Cardinals don’t exist in my area of the country, so it is always a treat to photograph them.

But one Cardinal sure took the cake.  Named “Grandpa” by the people who see him daily, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Grandpa was a very skittish bird.  Any time I tried to get an image of him that was not through the patio glass door, he flew away.  Although a bit soft, this was one of the better images of him I captured.

Someone mentioned that this bird was probably in the molt.  However, birds generally molt after the breeding season, then again before it.  This fellow includes a mal-formed bill, along with the bald spots.  Which leads me to believe he has some sort of disease.

If the person who was responsible for making the Cardinal the Illinois state bird had seen this instead of the top bird, I doubt it would have been selected.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.