Lost Canoe Lake

I had been hiking about this time last year.  Winding my way through the forest on a trail prepared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin.  Due to an early morning rainstorm the trail was damp, which gave me the opportunity to see what kind of animals walked the trail because I could see tracks.  I had seen footprints from bear, coyote, racoon and similar types all morning.  I had gotten to a part of the trail where I wasn’t having to swat as many flies and I noticed a very narrow trail that broke off from the main trail and headed down to a small lake.  When I popped out of the woods and onto a beach I began taking pictures.  The first two pictures are of Lost Canoe Lake.

When I found this lake I also scared an adolescent eagle off of its perch.  It had been sitting in a pine tree watching the water for fish.  Eagles aren’t fond of humans and he immediately flew away.  The camera I had at the time was not meant for taking pictures of wildlife, but I managed to get one good shot of the eagle in flight.  Because this eagle is an adolescent it hasn’t got the distinctive coloration of a bald eagle, which is why people often mistake adolescent eagles as hawks.  This is an adolescent bald eagle in flight.