Saturday, August 23, 2014

Beautiful Sights on Long Lake

Loon Family near Elizabeth Bruening's.
Photo by Marilyn Gaizband
Here on Long Lake, near the end of Crooked Pine Drive, there is a haven for wildlife; a natural shoreline of reeds and water lilies.  Also in this area is a ten foot buffer zone of native plants between Elizabeth Bruening’s lawn and the lake.
The combination provides all the ingredients for a wonderful life, including shelter for homes, safe access to food and water, and a relatively safe recreation space.  The wildlife does, however, keep watchful eyes on the sky for the bald eagles!

Elizabeth's friend, Marilyn Gaizband (a professional photographer), came to visit her in July of this year.  Marilyn especially enjoyed the wildlife photo opportunities from Elizabeth's dock and she has graciously shared her photographs with "Long Lake Living" for all of us to enjoy.

In the slideshow below you will see two loon chicks with their parents that hatched in the nearby reeds. You will also see a muskrat family in their summer home beneath the hollow under a birch clump.  The Great Blue Heron likely raised its young in the heron rookery nearby at Dogwood and 164th.  Neighbor, Al Kiecker, gets in some early fishing as the fog lifts.  Elizabeth is a great role model for us all, keeping a natural shoreline that helps provide important wildlife habitat for the creatures who are part of our "up north" experience.
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Some phones and tablets do not support Flash.  This is a link to the photos in this slideshow for those without Flash:  LongLakeLiving.org_Picasa Web Album_MG/EB