Friday, January 14, 2011

Swan Lake, Act I...

What a day to be on the shores of Lake Erie! Very crisp and clear...and very loud!

We decided to check out Metzger Marsh to look for ducks..and maybe even a gull(you know gulls, those white and gray flappy things.) When we pulled up, we couldn't believe the sight in front of us, lots of ice and off in the clear patches, Swans! Dozens and dozens of them! I counted 102 Trumpeter and Tundra and 2 Mute Swans before more started flying in and I got dizzy.

The sounds of these huge birds can be deafening when they all get riled up at the same time, the high pitched Tundras and the honky Trumpeters and the...wait the Mutes didn't say much...
Add to that the sound of the lake cracking and popping as the water moved under the ice.

The wonders of nature...let's try to save them, shall we?

I was so excited to see 3A0, my favorite Trumpeter Swan!
She was born in August of 2004, and I first saw her in March of 2009.
I've spotted her a few times a year ever since...along with her mate and many cygnets!


There's always a loner...

Sometimes you just got to get flappy!

Those two dark spot in front of the cooling tower?
They're a pair of Bald Eagles feasting on fresh frozen duck.
We saw five Eagles out on the ice harassing those Canada Geese and ducks
.

That's the Doodles and Judy on the icy pier at Metzger.
You don't want to go swimming today!


Poor WRBLRZ, frozen solid and covered with road salt!

By the way...if you own a cat, keep them indoors!
These two were hunting the American Tree Sparrows that were feeding in the area.


The beauty of Lake Erie in the winter...

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Further Adventures of Loopy and the Doodles in "It's Freezing!"

No fishing on Lake Erie today!

Yea! We have working plumbing at the BirdMobile once again! To celebrate, we decided to go out to, wait for it....MAGEE MARSH! Where else do you think we would go? We made a few other birdy stops as well, but you'll have to wait for those.

I'm not sure why, but we didn't see another soul out there! To say the woods were quiet qould be an understatement. But standing on the 'beach' on the other hand...If you don't live near a large body of water that freezes in the winter you may not understand this. IT WAS REALLY LOUD OUT THERE! The sounds of the waves coming in and out under the ice, the large sheets of ice giving in to the movements and the cracking, popping and scrapping sounds were amazing.
Even if you don't see many birds, you should head towards the water to listen. Close to sunset gets the loudest.

By the way, we did see a few birds. Not many would hold still long enough for me to squeeze my frozen fingers to shoot them. I'll get them next time...

This is a TimberDoodle in her winter plumage.
Hat?...check.
Second hat?...check.
Down coat?...check.
Thermal undies?...check.
Turtle neck sweater?...check.
Sweatshirt?...check.
Flannel lined jeans?...check.
2 pairs of socks?...check.
Foot warmers?...check.
Insulated boots?...check.
Someone to lift me up so I can walk?...check.

If Charlie Chaplin was a birder, he would look and walk like this.

Once again, if it's cold, you'll find plenty of Downy Woodpeckers ready to pose for their close ups!
We watched this guy drilling at least a half dozen holes.

"First, you drill a nice hole in the tree..."

"Then you spit out the woody bits!"

"Oh my! If you drill the right kind of hole in the right place, you get a big juicy treat!"

I think there's a rule about seeing at least one Bald Eagle every trip.
We ended up with seven for the weekend!


Once again, the Northern Cardinals are trying to hide from me.

See those tracks on the railing?...

Yep, that's the "Squirrel Highway!"
Lots of exit ramps nearby...


Uh, "No Swimming?"
Duh.