Exploring New Territories

We moved to the Peoria, Illinois area earlier this year. I have been enjoying learning about my  new home area and exploring the Illinois River valley and surrounding area.  These are just a few pictures from a bit of hiking I have done.

Early morning view as I began my hike.

I stopped along here to investigate and photograph a few nice Ginseng plants; then looked ahead to this view on the trail.

A very nice Ginseng plants along the trail.

Spiderwort in blossom.

Beavers - Nature's Civil Engineers

I can remember a time in my area, when Beavers were almost non-existent. In the last 30 years though, their numbers have rapidly increased. It is now very common to see remains of their activities....cut trees, well worn trails down into the water, and corn fields near the streams with large sections of corn completely wiped out. I was quite surprised a few years ago when I first came across a corn field with evidence of the Beaver's activity.

The above is not meant as a condemnation of the Beaver. I am happy to see their return. In my lifetime, the White Tail Deer, Turkey, River Otter, and Bald Eagles have also returned to my area.

I have numerous pictures in older posts in this blog, showing Beaver activity.

Following are a few recent pictures. For any new visitors; if you click the picture, you can see it full size.

Our streams have been quite low since late summer. Hiking along the Middlefork River, the other day, I was surprised to see a Beaver dam the full width of the river. I have seen lots of dams on smaller streams, but this is only the second I have witnessed on this river, and this one is the longest.

In this first picture, taken from downstream far enough to show it all; you can see how shallow the water is on the down stream side and the pool of water behind the dam.

The dam is perhaps only about 2 feet high, but creates a nice pool for quite a distance upstream. Here you can see my dog Emma swimming through the "reservoir" toward the dam.

The dam construction is very sturdy. The expected material is there; branches from trees they have cut and in addition there are corn stalks from a nearby field. I was surprised at the large numbers of rocks that were used on this dam. That section of stream is full of rocks and the Beavers took full advantage of that resource. It would be really interesting to witness a dam construction and in particular the placement of those rocks.

The following two pictures were taken at a different location; in a marsh about a mile from the dam. I went there in the evening, sat on the bank, and was able to see several Beavers swimming about. I took several pictures in the evening light, including the one of the large splash made by a Beaver when it submerges quickly, sensing danger.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by! Feel free to share this blog with anyone you feel might enjoy it. 

Bald Eagles

Perhaps in your area; Bald Eagles are a common sight. Where I live; in Danville, Illinois; they are making a come back, but still not an everyday sight. Last winter, I spotted what I recognized to be a Bald Eagle nest. If not for the absence of leaves on the trees, I likely would not have seen it.

I went back to that area several times and in April was rewarded to see that the nest was occupied. I continued going back and taking pictures until sometime in June, when the nest was again vacant. I hope to catch them there again next spring.

Following are pictures I took this spring.


The parents.....

One of the eaglets in April. There were only two as far as I could tell.

A parent cruising the area. I learned that the female is the larger bird.

The nest in a Sycamore tree at edge of river.

The male perched in what came to be a common spot for me to see him. The parents tolerated my presence without much concern. That section of the river is busy with canoes and kayaks, so that may have let them be used to people; although any I see elsewhere, fly away as soon as they spot me.

I came to recognize that the male was the one normally watching the nest whenever I was there. Here he is leaping off a branch and starting flight.

Trying to stay perched on a very windy day!

May 17...the babies are growing.

June 10....the babies are much bigger. This was the last time I saw them at the nest.

Taking flight from the tree limb below it....

 ....banking into a turn....

.........and flying away....

I had a really great time watching this family of eagles and hope to have the privilege to do so next spring.

Thanks for stopping by..........and enjoy the nature in your area....

Early Fall Fishing and Relaxation

I get a fishing license every year, but it seems I never get out and actually fish as much as I think I will when I get it in the spring. This year has been no exception; but I have gotten out several times recently, and really enjoy the slightly cooler temperatures.

Most of the fishing I do is in smaller rivers and streams. Occasionally I can be found at a lake or pond, but I really like moving along a stream or just finding a nice spot and spending some time there.  There is something peaceful about a small meandering river.

What follows is somewhat a summary of a couple of recent outings.

We are beginning to get a bit of nice fall color here. A view as I was walking to a spot on the river I had in mind to fish and then wade back in direction of where I was parked.

The stream I most often spend time along, is the Middlefork Vermilion River. About a 20 mile section of it is designated as a National Scenic River; to my knowledge the only river in Illinois with that distinction.
It is at a low level now and quite easy to wade along and cast along weed beds or deeper holes of water.

This is a spot that I had passed through earlier in the summer, on a kayak trip with a couple of friends...Rusty and Sal. Of course the water level was higher then, but it just looked like a spot I wanted to get back to and try. The stream makes a slight bend here and the faster flowing water empties into a deeper pool. I caught a couple of nice Smallmouth Bass here and had several more strikes.

This fish is one that I caught in the above mentioned spot. These are fun to catch. They fight hard and will do a few aerial acrobatics before you get them in.....and sometimes those aerial shows shake the hook loose.

I also caught several Rock Bass. These will take your lure or bait, and just starting swimming away, trying to go deep in my experience with them. They do not fight as hard or furious as the Smallmouth does; but they are an attractive little fish with those red eyes. I usually catch these along weed beds in a few feet of water, normally with a rocky bottom.

A few other catches that are not uncommon. I have always called this first fish a Pumpkin Seed and that seems to be the popular name locally. I was corrected on that when I posted a picture on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Facebook page; telling me this is actually a Longear Sunfish. I have done a lot of internet research.....and must admit that seems to be the correct name...BUT I will probably continue to call these Pumpkin Seeds when I catch one. After doing the research, I can see the slight difference in the two species...with the main difference being that on a true Pumpkin Seed the "ear" is much shorter.

These Chubs or Shiners...as I usually call them, are not uncommon to catch with a small lure.

A few more pics of some Smallmouth Bass I caught.

A small mussel I found feeding in the sandy bottom. I do not know the identity of this. Feel free to jump in and identify that if you know.

My faithful tag along companion Emma. She loves going along with me...

....and a few pictures of the River and the area...these being taken yesterday.

That spot visible in the middle of the river, will forever be linked in my memory as "Rusty's Leaking Kayak Sandbar"! At that spot, we had to stop because Rusty's Kayak was slowly taking in water. He and Sal repaired it there, with quite an ingenious way. They took a plastic water bottle, heated a piece with a lighter and let the liquid plastic drip into the hole sealing it.

I certainly plan to get out and do this a few more times, before the weather is too cold. Quite a relaxing experience. ......................and thanks for stopping by!