The Last CBC and Other Things

Out at Peers Wetland, there is a setup that looks like the old style TV antenna.  I never really paid attention to it until we were walking around during the Wallaceburg CBC.  It is a radio tracking device for wildlife!

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System has a network of locations across North America in which wildlife, especially birds, are tracked.
Some of the locations near here are at Pinery Provincial Park, Marthaville CA (near Petrolia), Rondeau Provincial Park, Merlin, St. Clair NWA, and Hillman Marsh.
Here is a link to the website.  http://motus-wts.org/

This past Sunday was the Skunk's Misery CBC.  The circle is centred near Bothwell and has some great habitat to check for birds.  During the breeding season, there are some uncommon to rare birds, but of course this time of year those birds are gone.
I do not have any results, but there was a good variety of birds including lots of American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds and others.

I did the area from Thamesville, north of the Thames River up to Lambton Line.  The weather was not very nice, even though it was supposed to be beter than it actually was.  As usual, the weather forecast was wrong again (for three days!) and we did not see any sun.  Of course it came back out Monday (and Tuesday) for some nice but cold days.  This morning was the coldest.

CSL Assiniboine at Port Lambton January 5

The bridge area south of Thamesville is a neat spot which I have covered before.  The Smoky Rubyspots from September were long gone, but there were a few birds to start the damp morning.

Thames River and old bridge abutments

Cantilever-truss bridge in background

Included were Brown Creepers, American Robins, and a Northern Flicker, among others.  I did not bring the big camera this day as there was no point in the gloomy weather.
There is a very old cemetery there to walk through as well. Weather was horrible last year too, so poor photos!

(last year)

Along Zone Road 4, I came across 3 Eastern Bluebirds.  I went back some time later and there were ten on the wire.  One could always hope for a Mountain Bluebird.  A few winters ago one was along Kerry Road, which is actually in this CBC circle!  The following photo was in the archives (another gloomy day).



Farther east along the Thames is the monument to Tecumseh.  There are several interpretive signs along the old road right-of-way  relating to the War of 1812, Tecumseh, and that era.

Some geese were on the swift moving river.

As expected, bird number were fewer than last year in my area, but it was a good area to look around.

Sunset today over Walpole island