Friday, January 9, 2015

An Icy Week

Yesterday I was quite surprised at the amount of ice in the St. Clair River.  It was not all that cold until Monday, but the ice sure piled in fast.
I checked the big river for waterfowl first thing yesterday up to the south end of Sarnia.  It was not ideal conditions with the very strong westerly wind and very cold temps.  The wind was pushing the ice towards the Ontario side, so any open water was on the Michigan side.  And, with the cold, steam was rising on any open spots.
However, I got a good indication as to what was out there (very little has changed!).

Dawn Today


Today the river was completely jammed at Port Lambton. The water level has risen quite dramatically, so I suspect it has jammed enough to cause a back-up.

After work today, I drove straight east to Rutherford where some reliable Short-eared owls are being seen.  I was there right at 5 p.m. and several owls were flying.  Too distant and dark for photos though.  The species has not been reported at the solar farms yet, unlike last year.



I noticed lots of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and perhaps a spur or two today.  Not surprising with the recent weather.  Previously, they had been scarce!

Daily Owl


Right at the south end of the Kimball, just before I got home I saw a duck flying across my view.  Not entirely positive, but it appeared to be a Common Goldeneye.  What was it doing there?  There is no open water anywhere nearby.  Reminds me of last winter when ducks were delirious and showing up way inland.



Tomorrow is yet another windy day!

Dusk Today at Dresden just before a squall hit

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