Rock Lake Lodge

With this post I will, for the first time in months (likely years), have no more photos on the hard drive waiting to be edited and posted.  I've not done any birding since August when our family joined Holly's side at the great family vacation spot up north.  Work continues to be very busy and we are in the process of seeing what senior management has planned to improve things.  I'm either working through lunches, or too tired/not motivated enough to get out for the lunch hour to my favourite spots local to the office.  I've got to change that.

Having said that, I'm planning to send my big lens in for maintenance. Sigma has a 7 year warranty period and I finally tracked down the receipt of the original purchase (I bought it used) to prove the seven years is still in effect.  I should have sent it in long ago as then I'd have it back by now. Sigma plans to take a look at why the lens' focus seems to be quite soft on the far end of the zoom. I'm hoping they can improve it a bit, and that it's not just the actual limitation of this lens at it's farthest reaches of the zoom - I know this is an unavoidable limitation of large zoom lenses to some degree.

While up north, I took my usual half day outing by myself earlier in the week and headed out in the morning. I was disappointed on my first stop that there were no signs of the loons on Tait Lake. I did see a young family of Green Herons which I flushed into a nearby Willow Tree.  I wish I had seen them earlier to be able to get a picture of about 4 of them all perched on a dead branch over the water... it would have been a great shot.

hatch year Green Heron

Along the same lake shore I was able to slowly approach a Brown Thrasher perched on a stump in the long grasses. It was watching me closely with its bright yellow eye.  Finally it flew up into a nearby tree and let me get surprisingly close for some nice pictures in the morning sun!

Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher

I headed out to Eagle's Nest trail in Bancroft, but didn't see a lot of birds there.  In some sections of the trail it was very quiet and I thought I'd try some bird calls to see if it truly was as devoid of birds as it sounded.  I played a Hermit Thrush call briefly, and from not far away, a first year bird came scrambling through the leaf litter on the ground.  The poor bird was trembling like crazy so I stopped the bird song as soon as I noticed. But it continued to approach to see where the mystery bird was. I'm not sure what the dynamic of the short bird call on a young bird like this would be.  Being late fall, I wouldn't have thought it would be of any more than a curiosity to another bird given it's not breeding season.

hatch year Hermit Thrush

hatch year Hermit Thrush

I did manage to see a few other birds busy moving through the higher leaves of the tree tops looking for bugs to eat.  I figured they were the most common Yellow-rumped Warblers that I usually see in that location, setting, and time.  But, a lesson was learned as I looked at the pictures later and discovered that at least one of the birds was actually a female Cape May Warbler.  Who knows what else I missed.

female Cape May Warbler

Later in the week I wandered down the roadway and actually saw the most exciting birds of the week. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was fueling up for its amazing migration south.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Up in the Aspen leaves, there were lots of warblers constantly feeding, also putting on fat for their migration trip. A pair of Red-eyed Vireos (a lifer) were feeding on what bugs and caterpillars they could find under leaves.

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo
You can actually see the red eye in this picture.

Along the roadside, there was one patch of trees where there was a whole mix of birds slowly moving along gleaning what food they could find.  It held a number of different birds and I added a couple more lifers including a Nashville Warbler, a female Magnolia Warbler (which looks somewhat similar with its grey head and white eye ring, but the streaked sides made me keep researching), the beautiful Black-and-white Warbler.

Nashville Warbler

female Magnolia Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler

At the same location I saw what I'm pretty sure is a 1st winter Blackburnian Warbler. The only picture I got was this top view shot.

1st Winter Blackburnian Warbler

A female Common Yellowthroat was not shy and checked me out from just the other side of the fence that I was standing on.  It was so close I thought I was going to miss a picture while my lens protested at bringing the focus from about 20 meters to 3m.

female Common Yellowthroat

Back by the lodge later that week I saw another female Cape May Warbler with its striped flanks.

female Cape May Warbler

The highlight of the week though was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that were noisily calling all through the week as they frequented the forests lodge.  At first I only heard them calling with their loud, almost laughing sounding calls. But with a hunt up the hills into the mixed cedar, pine and deciduous forests, I finally tracked one down.  The  heavy woodwork with its big bill gave its location as it tunneled into an old cedar tree. But it soon noticed me as I tried to get closer for pictures. Later I saw them a number of times as they were flew over the lodge yard moving to different areas.

female Pileated Woodpecker

While trying to track them down later in the week, I was nicely surprised to find another woodpecker instead. We don't see many Hairy Woodpeckers around home and I've never gotten a picture of one. This one was very busy eating out of a dead branch so I could try and move around to find this one small hole in the foliage to get a few clear shots.

male Hairy Woodpecker

male Hairy Woodpecker

Finally on our last day before leaving, I heard the Pileated Woodpeckers another time and thought I'd make one more try at getting a closer picture.  We were mostly packed up and ready to go, but I had to give it one more try. My persistence paid off and with some great care and strategy in my approach, I got close enough for a few pictures before it skittered around the tree with its big claws and noisily flew away. Success! Such a beautiful bird though.

male (you can just detect the red bar under it's bill) Pileated Woodpecker

As I followed the woodpecker thinking I might get another chance, I noticed a small dark bird (in the already muted light of the forest on a drizzly day). As it hopped about the ground and lower branches, I noticed a bright white patch on its side.  From the few poor pictures I got, later determined it was a Black-throated Blue Warbler. Another lifer.  Not a bad way to end the week!

Black-throated Blue Warbler

So another summer came to an end and I added five new birds to my list.  I'm not sure when I'll get out birding again.  I still haven't sent in the lens so that will affect when I get back at it again. As I write this, I realize if I send it soon, I'm sure I'll be motivated to get out an try the tuned up lens.  I think I'll send it soon for that very reason.

Till next time, 

Keep enjoying HIS handiwork!

First Signs of Spring on a Sunday Afternoon

This past Sunday afternoon my dear wife encouraged me to take the afternoon between church services to enjoy the warmer (relatively) temperatures and head out for a little trip to see what might be stirring in the sunny weather. Compared to the cooler temperatures which seem to be lingering on, it seemed pretty warm, but thankfully I still threw the gloves in the car when I left... the breeze still stole most of the warmth from the sun's rays.

male Downy Woodpecker

I headed first to Jacob's Wood, our local woodlot/park in town to see what might be stirring.  I heard the familiar local sounds of the Chickadees, Blue Jays, a Cardinal, and then saw a nice bright male Downy Woodpecker.  The crusty but deep snow in the forest was still quite deep and hindered me from following quietly and quickly.  But at one point the little bird flew into a dead pine tree right where I was standing.  I lost sight of it and was searching all over till I realized it was almost right above me.  I couldn't get a good picture, though it would have been a great, full frame shot. Although it knew it was there, it stayed on the opposite side of the branch, taking quick peaks at me.  This next picture was the best shot I could get.  Then the crusty snow gave way as I shifted and as I fell a good foot through the snow, the little guy startled away.

Downy Woodpecker

As I walked the outer trail loop, I noticed fresh work of a Pileated Woodpecker in a big live Pine tree. Though we're in their usual range, I think they tend to like more secluded woods than this. I've only ever seen one before out here, though briefly as it flew across a roadway as I drove. I'll have to go back and check soon... it would be great if there was a pair taking up residence there, though I won't count on it.

Pileated Woodpecker's work.

Pileated woodpeckers make these holes with an aggressive woodworking that leaves wood chips the size of quarters. With a series of holes like these, they're usually digging for their favourite food - carpenter ants. They actually listen for activity in side the trees and then start their seemingly brain numbing excavation to reach them deep inside.

I left this little forest and headed east of town to a closed road that crosses Fairchild's Creek.  I noticed birds drinking and bathing in the snow melt waters running down the eroding old gravel road.  It was a large flock of Cedar Waxwings.  They were flying between a big stand of old spruces some farmer had planted for a windbreak for the farmhouse years ago, and a large area covered with vines with berries a plenty.

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwing

A large group of very plump Robins was also enjoying the same opportunity.

American Robin

Another group of House Finches were busy there as well, though they were not feeding on the berries.  But the males were heartily singing away with their rambling song.

male House Finch

I finally made it down the Creek which was running fast with the waters of little snow which had managed to melt till then.  On the icy edge of the creek's bank was a deer skull, likely the victim of the cold, snowy winter.

Deer skull

Heading back, I heard the familiar scolding of a Red Squirrel.  It was nice to hear that sound as an indication of the spring warmth making it active, but also because I've not seen one about our area before. I'm accustomed to seeing them more up north.

Red Squirrel

A little further up the path, an Eastern Chipmunk also chattered at me and then nicely posed for a picture.

Eastern Chipmunk

As I arrived home and warmed up inside in the kitchen, I caught site of another welcome spring sign... a Song Sparrow had joined the crowd at the bird feeder in the back yard.  The House Sparrows are also back, being noticeably missing this winter, having been replaced with a large group of regularly visiting American Tree Sparrows. Even today, Juncos are still feeding on the ground - a sign that winter is still not gone?  I took a quick shot through the sliding door window instead of going back into what had become a window, cold afternoon as the sun had lost its warming strength.

First Song Sparrow of the season!

Till next time...
Keep enjoying HIS handiwork!

Arrowhead Provincial Park

Back in September, I was finally able to follow through on a promise to my boys to take them camping for a weekend up north.  It wasn't for lack of will or trying, but it was hard to find a weekend that would work.  Finally, a weekend was chosen and with a site booked list making, planning, and then packing started in earnest.  The weather forecast changed by the day and it included some rain and cool temperatures.  But we stuck with the plan.

We headed up to Arrowhead Provincial Park near Huntsville on Friday morning with the van packed with gear, three eager boys and a dad, and the canoe strapped on top.  The drive was pretty uneventful in the traffic department with the highlight of spotting a Pileated Woodpecker on a hydro pole on Hwy 11 just before Bracebridge.  After setting up camp and leaving the canoe down by the beach, we biked down to Stubb's Falls.  Along the way, I was surprised to bump into a couple (Ralph and Charmaine) I knew from a church we both attended when young people.  They were there the exact same nights as us, and about six sites down the same road as us.  Having them so close sure came in handy later in the weekend!

The falls were a great spot for the boys, lots of interesting rock formations for them to scramble around on.  But a highlight for me was a juvenile Great Blue Heron which seemed to love the fall's final plunge pool as its hunting grounds for the entire weekend.  We visited the falls every day, and it was there every time.

Needless to say, the boys were quite agreeable to stay at this location for lengths of time, building dams, walking in the cold water, and sliding on the rock slopes.  While they did that, I was quite happy to set up shop on a rock across the pool and hope I could capture the heron successfully catching a meal.  That never happened, but I did shot a few hundred pictures which I've filtered down to a smaller selection.

Here was the scene at the bottom of the falls with the heron seeming not to mind our presence.

juvenile Great Blue Heron at the bottom of Stubb's Falls

The boys building dams in the rocks.

Another activity the boys kept busy with
(their mom later wondered if I thought of their pants wearing out from sliding down the rocks)

 
These pictures are a mix of shots taken over the four days.  I perched on a rock just big enough for me and my tripod, getting cramped, kinked legs and tire shoulders from keeping my finger on the shutter waiting for plunges of the sharp bill.

My observation post.

  

Wing details

Alert!

The stab!

Unsuccessful

Missed!

Another try...

the plunge! But still nothing!

juvenile Great Blue Heron closeup.

After all that waiting, I never saw the bird catch anything, never mind try to get a picture of it. The first day we arrived and saw the heron at the falls, the couple we knew graciously agreed to watch the boys so I could race back to the site and grab my camera.  Ironically, when I returned the let me know I had missed the heron making a nice fish catch.  That would have been a nice shot!  But it was still enjoyable to be that close to a beautiful, large bird.  I'm pretty sure the fact that it was a juvenile was the reason I was able to get that close.

We did lots of hiking, biking, canoeing, and enjoying the sights at the park.  The nights were cold, temperatures going down to 2 degrees overnight one night, but we kept warm and enjoyed the outing.  Sunday night it rained hard, and our site flooded out.  Thankfully Ralph came to the rescue with a camping shovel and we trenched the water out of our depressed site and into the forest.

On one of our hikes we saw a Pileated Woodpecker, and I was able to get my first pictures of the bird.  It was eating berries from a tree (not sure what kind), and never gave me a nice clear view, but it was still exciting to see a bird not common to the area I live in.

Pileated Woodpecker eating unknonwn berries.

Pileated Woodpecker

Red Squirrel behind our camp site.

Here's shot of the camping gang.

We did a hike around the lake, without seeing much in the way of wildlife.  We did see what I had initially thought was a Loon way across the lake.  Later looking at the pictures and cropping them way in, I had a moment where I thought it could be a Yellow-billed Loon.  I think I'm wishing too hard, and a more realistic, though still a somewhat interesting conclusion that it is likely a Double-crested Cormorant.  I don't think this location nor habitat, namely a smaller, northern lake, would be considered normal for this bird. I'm open for corrections to the Yellow-billed Loon!!

Double-crested Cormorant???

Entering Arrowhead Lake from Little East River.

I'm looking forward to doing this again with the boys.  I've since bought some more camping equipment and I'm ready for the next adventure with the boys.  Hopefully next time my brother and his boys will join us too.

Till next time...
Keep enjoying HIS handiwork!