Observations, Ice, and an Interesting Book

 This past week has been somewhat uneventful except for today.  Yesterday we had a dose of freezing rain which slowed things down.  It ended up not too bad here in Wallaceburg, but places further south received more ice!  Made for some nice scenery today.

I went out yesterday morning along the St. Clair River up to Mooretown, before the precipitation started.  The river was almost duckless, as it has been all winter.

Long-tailed Ducks are the most dominant this winter, unlike the "old days".

I stopped by Wilkesport for a short walk, and my Long-eared Owl is still hanging on in its favourite tree.

This morning I only ventured as far as Port Lambton.  Everything is coated in ice, but the roads were not too bad.

Just before going home, I stopped by Roberta Stewart Wetland for a quick look as I usually do.  Normally there is not much there this time of year, but I came across a decent sighting!  A Greater White-fronted Goose was among the waterfowl.

Some migrant American Wigeon were present as well.

The goose was a first for there!  At times this place can attract decent birds. Over the years,, among other things, I have found a couple of Snowy Egrets, a couple of Cattle Egrets, a pair of Hudsonian Godwits  and in the first year of the wetland I found a female Ruff.

On Family Day, I went as far as Port Stanley for a different place to go.  The lagoons there can be productive at times, but not much was there on this visit.  Some Gadwall and American Wigeon were present.

Also, up to a dozen Turkey Vultures made an appearance.  Seems several winter in the area every year. 

 One year, there was a Black Vulture among them!

One time there was a pair of Whooper swans there (August 2002).  I mention this because recently one was at Erieau.  A very attractive species!  They are always considered escapees though.  The one at Erieau was apparently from Greenview Aviaries near Morpeth.

I stopped at various places on the way home, but some areas I wanted were too crowded with people to visit since it was Family Day.  A walk through Sitler Woods in Skunk's Misery was quite pleasant, athough no birds.

Feeders have been busy except when some local accipters arrive.  This young Cooper's Hawk was comical to watch as it tried to go after House Sparrows in the hedge.  However it was never successful, perhaps due to inexperience?

On another note, I just finished reading the biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence by Merilyn Simonds.  (Merilyn was the keynote speaker at the OFO conference last September, presenting the story of Louise).

It is a very interesting read!  Louise led a fascinating life, originally born in Sweden.  Trained as a nurse, she spent some years in Russian during the revolution, losing here husband there.  She eventually came to Canada and was the nurse for the Dionne quintuplets in northern Ontario.  She settled near North Bay and built a log cabin to live in.  She became interested in birds and studied them.  Louise wrote many papers and books and became well known in ornithological circles.  She died in 1992 at the age of 98.