Friend of Stateparks Photo Gallery
Photographer: Robert P. Whitney
Spring Flooding
In the spring, parts of the western area of the park, closest to the Fox River, flood and provide terrific sunset reflections.
Lake Defiance
These boats are available to rent in the warmer seasons.
Sandhill Crane
This Sandhill Crane's head is stained from digging in the wetlands muck for food. It's mate and chick were nearby.
Sandhill Cranes
The adult Sandhill Crane's head is stained from foraging in the wetland muck for food. It's mate's head had similar staining.
Late Purple Aster - Symphyotrichum patens
These small pleasantly colored asters can be found in the late summer and early fall.
Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Golden Garden Spider
Golden Garden Spiders are the largest of the most commonly seen spiders in the park. In the prairie areas they build their webs among the grasses. I have never heard of one bothering a human, they have no interest in us.
Foot Bridge
The park has miles and miles of trails with the occasional foot bridge to cross streams.
Red-Winged Blackbird
Red-Winged Blackbirds are territorial and will let you know if you are invading their territory by squawking at you and sometimes hovering over your head. If you walk away they will stop.
Chipmonk
These little guys can be found foraging for food in wooded areas all over the park.
Purple Coneflowers
Beautiful prairie plants are found in grasslands throughout the park and deliberately planted in wonderful arrays near the entrance.
Great Egret Ardea alba
Egrets are a common sight in as they fish the wetland areas in the park.
Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
These very small birds nest in the wetland areas and can be photographed by strolling the boardwalks that meander through the wetlands.
Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
Small flocks of waxwings appear on the trees in the wetland areas from time to time. I have noticed they seem to show up about an hour before sunset. It's possible they come around at other times though.
Water Lilies on Lake Defiance
Water lilies bloom in July and provide a beautiful reward to those who stroll the wetland boardwalks around Lake Defiance. They close at night and open in the morning so they are best viewed midday.
Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
These birds can be seen on trees in and near the wetland areas.
Mink
Mink are extremely cute animals but admire them from a distance. They can spray like a skunk and are vicious hunters who can protect themselves quite well.
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron's are not an uncommon sight at Moraine Hills. They are more skittish than Egrets and will often fly away if they believe you are coming closer. Try to photograph them from a distance so you don't disturb them.
Painted Turtles
If you walk the trails near the McHenry Dam you can easily find painted turtles by the dozens sunning themselves in channels along the trail.
Compass Plants
Compass plants flower in the late summer/early fall.
Volo Bog Visitors Center
Volo Bog State Nature Preserve has a very pleasant visitor's center that sponsor's many activities at the bog.
Interpretive Trail
The Interpretive Trail is a .5 mile board walk circling out through the center of the bog. In this photo it winds through the beautiful Tamarack trees growing from the dense mat near the center of the bog. Pitcher Plants can be found to the left and right of the trail at this easily recognizable location.
Pitcher Plant
The carnivorous Pitcher Plant is an interesting find along the Volo Bog Interpretive Trail. They blossom in the spring. This photo was taken May 25th, 2009.
