Mother Nature’s children rise early to welcome the new day

There is not a ripple on the lake as a golden glow begins to spread out across the pre-dawn landscape. The reflection of the dark tree line on the far shore begins to lighten as inch by inch, the golden orb that is the rising sun begins a new morning.

The surface of the lake is transformed as the sun illuminates soft fog that hangs over the now-golden water. Out of the bulrushes, a form glides across the still surface, creating a V-shape as it moves. A tundra swan has awakened, and it soon is followed onto the lake by several noisy Canada geese. The swan begins making deep trumpeting calls that echo across the surface. Nature is waking up.

Away from the lake at the edge of a cornfield, a rooster pheasant struts and cackles, sounding comically like a chicken. The object of his attention is an attractive pheasant hen he is attempting to impress. A second rooster suddenly appears, and he’ll have none of it as he dives, wings flapping, at his rival. Feathers fly as the two roosters squabble while the hen simply walks away, seemingly unimpressed.

A bit farther on, a small cottontail rabbit appears, nibbling on dew-covered plants as she moves along. She is watchful and well-aware of the dangers of the morning. Foxes, red-tailed hawks and the majestic bald eagle soaring overhead in the intense blue morning sky would all love a rabbit breakfast. But she makes her way into the underbrush, her belly full, and survives another day.

A few miles on, the morning sun lights up a whitetailed doe as she walks across a field. Her new orange coat is sleek and almost glowing. Off to the side, “something” can be seen disappearing into the new corn. Strangely, the doe picks up speed, breaking into a run as she also vanishes into cover. Close examination of photos later show she has a large, full udder and erect teats. She is a mother. And the glimpsed “something” was likely her new fawn, eager to nurse.

The orange glow of dawn has been replaced by full light. Early morning is complete. A couple plump turkeys wander across a trail, and they are the final creatures spotted. The drama is all over by around 7 a.m. as the birds and animals disappear to go about their mornings.

It will all be repeated the next day. Morning in northwestern Wisconsin is glorious, and if one is lucky and in the right spot, it is a daily show.