Lise's Ramblings

We're experiencing a remarkably warm October, and there is tremendous wildlife activity. In the past two weeks I've been fortunate to spot a bull moose that walked right out of the fog in front of my car. Fortunately I was only travelling approx. 40 km/h at the time, so I was able to brake to watch him meander. I also had to wait in a highway traffic jam that resulted when a black bear decided to cross the road and then hang out at the roadside. I've also seen a large flock of wild turkeys, many different birds of prey, hordes of geese plus all of our regular visitors. The red fox who likes to sunbathe in the grass on our septic bed is still hanging around. The chipmunks have disappeared. Not sure if they have hunkered down for the colder months, or if they've fallen prey to one of the many predators that considers our property a regular smorgasborg of treats. Can't post any new pictures right now, because my camera is up north with Mike. For now, if you want to see

The grackles, red-winged blackbirds and blue jays are driving me to distraction. They are such bullies. They destroy the all-season suet in less than a day, so the various woodpeckers and nuthatches don't get a chance to score some suet. I did have a fun sighting this week though. On Monday, a family of five Northern Flickers was enjoying dust baths in my driveway. Three of the five curious little characters were rubbing their bellies between the gravel and sand, while the other two (the adults) paraded about with their bodies and necks extended, beak in the air as they moved ever so slowly. Ever since we moved here we've always had a Northern Flicker couple, but this was the first time that I've actually seen babies (mind you, they were just as large as the adults, their colours were just less vibrant). The drawings and photos in bird books never seem to do justice to this member of the picadae family. There's a reason that the French name for this bird is pic flambo

Mid-twenties, sunshine and no big plans...a perfect summer weekend. Spent a morning at my favourite local birding spot. The ducklings are growing up quickly. The youngest ones that I could see were these wee little Ruddy Ducks. Hard to imagine that these families have such long flights ahead of them in the coming months. There were also some American Coots grunting (see right). Saw splotches of red and black in the reeds at one point, but if it was Common Moorhens, they chose not to come on out for a visit. There were a few shorebirds foraging about in the muck, and turkey vultures were circling a nearby field. It all made for a great break from the usual weekend chores.

Our vacation in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island gave me a chance to see lots of funky birds and some marine mammals too. The Atlantic puffins were by far the silliest looking creatures. They were much smaller than I had imagined them to be, but FUUUUUNNY. Many of the birds that we saw still had their young with them, but they are getting ready to fledge. Aaaaaaaaawwww. Believe it or not, even the gull chicks were cute. Our best birding sites were: Bird Islands (near Big Bras d'Or in Cape Breton, NS); Martinique Beach Provincial Park, NS; Greenwich National Park, PEI; Cape Bear, PEI; French River, PEI; and on the trip home...Cap Jourimain, NB. Our bird finds included: Piping Plovers, Black Guillemots, Razorbills, Northern Gannets, Great Cormorants, Double-Crested Cormorants, Common Eiders, Bald Eagles (adults and juveniles), Spotted Sandpipers, Ospreys, Black-Legged Kittiwakes, Great Black-Backed Gulls, Northern Harriers, a Black-Backed Woodpecker, Black Terns, Common Terns, Ye

Following several bad weeks during which our 12-year old family parrot died and our male grouse disappeared completely, spring has finally brought signs of new life. While birding at a local hot spot for ducks and gees, we spotted these young ducklings with four of their siblings. Aaah...that sunshine does wonders for drying off a soggy downy coat. Indoors things seem quiet without our feathered monster. She was a member of the family, a major part of our routines, and even though I talk a lot, she was by far the most vocal one in our house. If I open the windows, then the silence is soon broken by various calls of spring from the woods and across the water. The tree frogs have stopped their cacaphony, but songbirds and a few bullfrogs have stepped up with their own choruses. Everything has turned green again and the days are getting toasty warm. Perfect ice cream cone weather, as long as you score the treat early enough in the evening. Temperatures drop pretty quickly once the sun goe

When I stepped outside this morning to fill my feeders, I was treated to a familiar, but not regular sound. Somewhere south of our property, high up in the trees, there emanated an unmistakable knocking. This was not the sound of our resident Hairy or Downy Woodpeckers drumming, but rather it was one of the larger Pileated Woodpeckers. You know, the Woody Woodpecker kind. It was relatively mild out, so after filling my suet cage, my seed feeder and my firewood sling, I stayed outside for another 10 minutes or so to listen to the Pileated's drumming echo. The snow always makes the woods seem quieter than other seasons, so the drumming was undisturbed with the exception of a few chickadee calls and Groupie the Ruffed Grouse's gurgling sounds as he circled at my feet. Yes, Groupie has bounced back from the attack that he suffered a few weeks ago. He is quite the character. Mike spent a few hours clearing the snow from our long driveway on Saturday, and Groupie hopped up on the tr

As I drove in to work this morning, I couldn't get over how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful area. Even though I'm not a big fan of the winter season, this morning was spectacular. Hoar frost had dusted all of the trees and shrubs, so that everything sparkled all along the road. To add to the beauty, small flocks of snow buntings were swooping about the sides of the rural roadways.

I can't believe it. A local birder who has three decades of experience is taking two groups on outings to see Snowy Owls this week. And I can't go! Aaaaargh. I have always wanted to see snowy owls in the wild, but have never had the opportunity. Now here are two chances to accompany someone who truly knows what he's doing and where he's going, and I have to pass. Signing off now, because I'll just continue to whine.

This afternoon, we found a dead Chickadee between one of our feeders and our car. We think that it is unlikely that it flew into the dark, tinted, filthy car windows. That leaves a few other causes: a predator (likely a quick barn cat), a bully at the feeder (the blue jays and starlings can be aggressive), or natural causes. Whatever the reason, it broke my heart to see that limp little body lying in the snow. I know that chickadees aren't rare or endangered, but they are among my favourite wild birds. We have many chickadee families that hang out with us all year round. They are great fun to watch as they hide their sunflower seeds in every nook and cranny. I don't shed a tear when the Goshawk picks off the Mourning Doves, but I get all choked up when fun birds meet their demise. Unfortunately, I know that this won't be the last bird that I'll find laying on the ground; there will be the odd fledglings that fall from nests this spring/summer. Farewell little chickadee

With a windchill of -30C, our woodpeckers were at their fluffiest today. The Hairy and Downy woodpeckers were lining up for the suet. Here's a picture of our male Downy woodpecker. Unlike the female Downy and the Hairy woodpeckers, this little male doesn't flap away when I step outside. He doesn't even flinch if I can walk right up to the suet holder, and reach around it to refill the sunflower seed feeder for the other birds. If one of the large Hairy woodpeckers is eating the suet, then this little Downy guy will perch on the branch beside the suet feeder. He'll wait patiently until the Hairy ones have their fill and then he'll move in to feast for himself. Quick update on Groupie: He has finally freed himself from his icy anklet.

Didn't have anything fun to report last night, because I spent the evening getting a crown. No nothing glamorous...a crown on one of my molars. Apparently in your late 30s your teeth start to crumble, and I accidentally swallowed a chunk of a molar earlier this week (I'll spare you any before and after photos). So after 2.5 hours in a dentist chair, I returned home with a partially frozen jaw. Didn't feel like doing anything other than curling up on the couch to watch a movie. So what's the anklet you ask? Groupie showed up at our front door this afternoon with a chunk of ice surrounding his leg. Mike held him and tried to remove the ice, but only succeeded in getting part of it off. Even though Groupie likes to hop on Mike's arm, the grouse was not crazy about actually being handled. He retaliated by lunging at Mike after he set him safely back on the ground. There's no chance that the ice will thaw naturally because tonight is supposed to be very chilly. Gues

We're surprised, yet relieved, that Groupie has survived another week. Groupie is our rather unusual Ruffed Grouse who, unlike most other grouse, is not at all skittish or timid. He had a close call two weeks ago when a predator gave him a nasty head wound. We believe it was one of the foxes or coyotes rather than the goshawks or owls. Regardless of who he evaded, we're happy to report that Groupie is on the mend--all that remains are some whacked feathers that barely cover a small scar (see photo at right). After laying low to recuperate for a couple of days, Groupie resurfaced. He seems to be back to his old self. He is drumming regularly for a few female grouse, snacking on sumac trees, strutting about in full display (see photo below from earlier this year), and patiently waiting on our doormat for Mike to step outside to play. Today, during Mike's walkabout of the property, Groupie played tagalong by scurrying from tree to tree, then following closely at Mike's

Our newest resident is an Eastern Screech Owl who has decided to move in to our wood duck nesting box. We've named our nocturnal feathered friend Pigwidgeon, after a small owl from the Harry Potter series (Thanks for the idea, Rachelle!). Guess we'll have to set up another wood duck box before the colourful fowl return during the spring migration.