Sunday 31 January 2016

Yet Another Saturday Posting

Some behind-the-scenes action yesterday:


Would you believe that we found a Red-tailed hawk?


One out of two for sure - and maybe 100% luck?




And these 2 have had their licenses approved:


for flying_



There were nearly 60 trumpeters nearby - but not up close. shy as though they had encountered banders. There was some corn at the shore, on the snow and in the water.



W O B

Wednesday 27 January 2016

I am preparing to give a talk

Ever have case of SELF-DOUBT?

Liar!

How about "quality control"?       I missed a few of them.
QA quality assurance - ideas valid just about everywhere.

These were in today's NATURE Alert
W O B

Sunday 24 January 2016

Another Saturday outing posted on a Sunday - The North Muskoka River

Port Sidney has a/THE winter festival with delicous syrup absorbing pancakes, sausage and coffee.


No photos, please, I'm Canadian!

Across from the Community Centre there is an island almost but not quite like Jamaica:






And while this is not quite like Jamaica, it enjoys the company of a bridge that is nolonger found in Bracebridge but is also located nearby:



Like this bridge there are humble homes here:
However, you ought to see the views, the living room:



The lighting is superb:


And the door knocker - has to be seen as well as heard:


Invigorating,

W O B

Sunday 17 January 2016

Swans at dusk - Saturday continued

After Donald shared with us some memories Vicki and I shared some of ours. Usually one is disappointed when one returns - the memories are better than reality - however, this time nature did not disappoint.

There were between 50 and 60 Trumpeters within trumpeting distance and 30 right at our feet. There seemed to be quite a mixture of young and old, banded and not. No Canada Geese! However, there were at leastr 2 species of duck present, Black and Mallard.

The cygnets caught my attention: look at their beaks:



Is this normal? Environment or breeding? The top one reminded me a little about Mute swan's yellow-orange beak. Do they sometimes inter-breed?

These 9 seem more normal:


These 3 mottled:



There seemed to be an unusual amount of activity or aggression.





Not all were upset:



And there was lots of room:





Still birds will be birds.

W O B

Saturday 16 January 2016

Birding with Donald at Dusk

I have been out with the camera 5 times in the past 8 days so either you were lucky with "spam" or your luck is about to be renewed.

First we turned off #12 into a field of turkeys before I was even "there"/ready:


There are I think 10 here but the flock must have had nearly 30.

Then Donals spotted a hawk:






Red-tail?


We may have seen the same hawk on the other side of the woods a little later:


We followed its flight into a wood where it was mobbed by a pileated woodpecker:





Both eventually  flew from our sight.



Will show the last act another time.

W O B

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Ganaraska Trail

On Fri Jan 8 I went out again on snow shoes - more to get in shape for  the expected deeper snows in the coming days - west of Rugby off the Old Barrie Road.
There were tracks here but no cameo appearances of owls but something brought down a lot of bark. There were 2 main impressions I brought back: winter lighting:





And the trail through the woods:


Sometimes I was caught up in the trees too:



And at the end of the day, at the start and end of the trail that rememberance from November 11, about the land is a privelege, not a right



 W O B