Roller Coaster Weather

We have experienced a variety of weather the last few days.  Christmas Day was the best of those, but Boxing Day we had freezing rain off and on all day (I stayed in!).  It was worse the farther north one went.

Today was heavy rain and even a thunderstorm!  Tomorrow a 'bomb cyclone' will be centred on Lake Huron with very high winds.  Barometric pressure will drop and the winds will pick up quite quickly.

The last few days I have mainly been driving along the St. Clair River.  Not many ducks yet, but Long-tailed seem to be the most numerous.

Saginaw upbound at Mooretown among scattered Long-tailed Ducks

More ships!

A couple of White-winged Scoters are hanging out just south of Fawn Island.  We do not get many on the river, so nice to see.

With the rain today, I went out to the St. Clair River where I can stay in the car while looking for birds.  First stop was Port Lambton where a group of Mute Swans was swimming by.  I assumed they were all Mute, but as they got closer, one was different.  It was a Trumpeter Swan!

Trumpeter in the rain

There are way too many Mute Swans on the river anymore, and one just assumes they are all as such.  A few Tundra now winter along the river too, so one must look closely.

Christmas Day was our nicest day, so I went down to Rondeau Park for a long walk.  Needed that since I had a big dinner the day before!

I finally had a chance to walk out marsh trail.  Geese were the birds of the day with over 1000, congregating around open water areas.  

The only different one was a Greater White-fronted.

I missed it at first, but there it was.....

I went to the half way point not seeing many birds along the way.

Before leaving the park, I made a quick check of the north end of the campground.  There was one main flock of birds with a good variety, which only took a few minutes to locate.  Three Yellow-rumped Warblers included.

As well, one I was hoping to see, was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  It was in this flock as well!

More history.....!

On this day in 2011, the restaurant ship Normac was set on fire by an arsonist at Port Dalhousie.  Although highly modified from its original appearance, it was better known in Toronto harbour near the foot of Yonge Street.  It was operated as a seafood restaurant by John Letnik for many years.

The Normac was bought locally in 1968, and wintered in Wallaceburg.  My father and grandfather were among the passengers that travelled from Wallaceburg to Toronto in July 1969.

Prior to departing Wallaceburg
(Al Mann, Stan Townsend, Frank Mann, Lloyd Dawdy, Wilf Lowe)

Port Colborne

In the Welland Canal

I remember the day it passed through Lake Erie.  I was with my mother who was filling in as cook at Camp Kenesserie.  Unfortunately, it was too far out to see!

This vessel had a storied history.  It was originally a fire boat at Detroit, then later rebuilt for use as one of the ferries at Tobermory alongside Norisle and Norgoma before the Chi-Cheemaun came along.