Brookfield Wolves & Bisons

Two other species moved to fill out the new Bear Wilderness at Brookfield Zoo would be wolves and bison. The Wolf Woods is not new but it is attached directly to the Bear exhibit. The Bison were moved to where they are on the exterior berms surrounding the east side of the Bear lair.

Here we see one wolf on lookout duty, and two Bison shots. The sand pit is there, according to the signage, because the Bison roll in dirt a lot to relieve bug irritation and in the process are very helpful to the natural ecosystem of the west.

Next post will move to the Grizzly Bears.

The Birds and the Bison

My vantage point for bison photography, north of the old barn on the Fermilab property, had me perhaps 25 yards from where the giant animals were feeding. Apparently at their noon meal, they paid little attention to me. After several minutes, one and then another of the bison began to move away from me and toward the south, where pens and another pasture area are located.

As they lumbered on their way, the pasture to the west, behind the bison as I watched them, was filled with thousands of geese, pecking the ground or standing still. At a moment, either triggered by the bison or coincidentally, they left. They all left. A cloud of geese, thousands of geese, squawking about being rousted, flew southeast in a cloud. Had they flown over my head, I would have felt like I was in the movie The Birds. An awesome sight.

Later, I saw some of the geese walking on water. Well, technically, walking on ice, but it sounds more dramatic the other way.

Our next post will take a different tack. Restoration of a photo of a dear loved one. A task filled with joy, coming soon.

Bison in Batavia

In the western suburbs of Chicago, Batavia to be specific, is a facility called the National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab for short. For the past 25 years or so, scientists have been experimenting with speeding particles inside a ring-shaped laboratory miles long that is underground. Above it are buildings, many brightly painted, and a wonderful place to see birds, butterflies -- and bison. I went to see if it was worth a look through the eye of the Nikon and the answer was a resounding YES.

Along with prairie grass and savanna, water for geese and trees for deer, this bison herd makes for an excellent two hours of photo shooting -- or more. Yesterday, the air was cold and from the fence line I could see the breath of these tremendously powerful animals. I will certainly return, either in spring or fall, to see more of these majestic iconic American animals and the other attractions of the Fermilab.