Carman 23-31 August
My dispute with Perky Pet, from last week, has been resolved very much to our satisfaction. We received new feeders from them today. I must say their service was marvelous once I found out how to get a hold of them at: http://www.woodstream.com/
Our lady hummer was at the new feeder within minutes of me putting it out. I took a few pictures, one of which appears to have caught our little lady in an indiscreet moment.
Started going to the trail again this past week as the mosquitoes have really dropped off.
Not a lot of birds during my first few visits but the visit yesterday was pretty good, most of the birds I saw were at the beginning of the trail, their were a multitude of Robins and quite a few juveniles.
As I was about to depart I noticed a cat slink out from one side of the trail and head into a bush on the opposite side of the trail. A few moments later it emerged with a Cedar Waxwing in its mouth. I shouted at the cat and took a few heavy steps toward it. Sadly the cat kept the bird and ran into the bush. I walked to the spot where the cat entered the bush and could just see it about 5 or 6 feet into the bush. It was obviously “playing” with its recently acquired “toy”. I knew the cat was just doing what cats do, but it bothered me and the cat was not wild, (it was wearing a non-jingling bell collar). I decided to try and save the waxwing. I struggled about 4’ into the bush, dearly hoping I wasn’t struggling into poison ivy. I was afraid that my substantial efforts to get into this bush would frighten the cat into grabbing the bird and taking off. I had a monopod with me so I poked it at the cat figuring the cat would flee, hopefully sans waxwing. I also hoped that the waxwing, which was between me and the cat, would be frightened and take off. The cat was off like a shot without the waxwing. The first stage of my impromptu planning had been a success, but the waxwing was still on the ground wings spread and obviously in a defensive position. I then moved the monopod over and touched its tail feathers, it took flight, but thwarting my so far successful planning, the waxwing flew off into the bush in the same direction that the cat had taken. I was unable to see if the bird and cat met again. I then struggled the 4 feet back to the trail getting my new camera and lens, (it was only a day old), covered in berry juice and squished berries.
The waxwing seemed to be OK. When I saw it on the ground; it was alert and defending itself from the cat. Hopefully it survived its ordeal.
Sightings:
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
White Breasted Nuthatch
House Finch
Purple Finch
Downy Woodpecker
Chickadee
Gold Finch
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Robin
Brown Thrasher
Blue Jay
American Redstart
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Waterthrush
Black and White Warbler
Grey Catbird
Hermit Thrush
Philadelphia Vireo
Cedar Waxwing
Grackle
House Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
On one outing I saw a number of small greenish birds which could have been Flycatchers or Warblers. Never got close enough to tell and was unable to get a picture.
St Ambroise 25 August
St Ambroise is a marsh area located at the south end of Lake Manitoba, this was our first visit. It is an hour drive for us to get there.
There is a viewing tower, about 100 yards into the marsh, accessible by a board walk.
There were a number of water fowl in the marsh, mostly ducks and what appeared to be coots. We stayed for about four hours. Was a pleasant outing but the waterfowl were to far out into the marsh for us to identify.
As we stood on the tower looking out into the marsh there was a loud noise, similar to that of a wasp, behind us. I turned to look and saw a what I thought might be a Broad Winged Hawk zooming away from us a few feet above the reeds. I suspect the hawk tried to catch one of the many Barn Swallows that were swooping around the tower. The hawk disappeared behind a bank of reeds but didn’t reappear. We heard a duck quack loudly just after the hawk disappeared behind the reeds and suspect the worst for the duck.
Sightings:
American Redstart
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Rose Breasted Grosbeak
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
American Coot
Song Sparrow
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad Winged Hawk
Savannah Sparrow
Grey Catbird
American Pippit
Stephenfield 31 August
We were incredibly lucky to see a Northern Flicker right beside the road. We were able to approach within about 10 feet in our van and get some good pictures. The flicker flew off into a camping area. We entered the camping area and were again able to get within about 10 feet of it. A Yellow Bellied Sapsucker landed on a tree about 15 feet away and provided us another wonderful photo op.
Sightings:
Northern Flicker
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Unidentified Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Chickadee
Say’s Phoebe
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Sparrow (Probably Savannah)
Barn Swallow
Brewer’s Blackbird
My dispute with Perky Pet, from last week, has been resolved very much to our satisfaction. We received new feeders from them today. I must say their service was marvelous once I found out how to get a hold of them at: http://www.woodstream.com/
Our lady hummer was at the new feeder within minutes of me putting it out. I took a few pictures, one of which appears to have caught our little lady in an indiscreet moment.
Started going to the trail again this past week as the mosquitoes have really dropped off.
Not a lot of birds during my first few visits but the visit yesterday was pretty good, most of the birds I saw were at the beginning of the trail, their were a multitude of Robins and quite a few juveniles.
As I was about to depart I noticed a cat slink out from one side of the trail and head into a bush on the opposite side of the trail. A few moments later it emerged with a Cedar Waxwing in its mouth. I shouted at the cat and took a few heavy steps toward it. Sadly the cat kept the bird and ran into the bush. I walked to the spot where the cat entered the bush and could just see it about 5 or 6 feet into the bush. It was obviously “playing” with its recently acquired “toy”. I knew the cat was just doing what cats do, but it bothered me and the cat was not wild, (it was wearing a non-jingling bell collar). I decided to try and save the waxwing. I struggled about 4’ into the bush, dearly hoping I wasn’t struggling into poison ivy. I was afraid that my substantial efforts to get into this bush would frighten the cat into grabbing the bird and taking off. I had a monopod with me so I poked it at the cat figuring the cat would flee, hopefully sans waxwing. I also hoped that the waxwing, which was between me and the cat, would be frightened and take off. The cat was off like a shot without the waxwing. The first stage of my impromptu planning had been a success, but the waxwing was still on the ground wings spread and obviously in a defensive position. I then moved the monopod over and touched its tail feathers, it took flight, but thwarting my so far successful planning, the waxwing flew off into the bush in the same direction that the cat had taken. I was unable to see if the bird and cat met again. I then struggled the 4 feet back to the trail getting my new camera and lens, (it was only a day old), covered in berry juice and squished berries.
The waxwing seemed to be OK. When I saw it on the ground; it was alert and defending itself from the cat. Hopefully it survived its ordeal.
Sightings:
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
White Breasted Nuthatch
House Finch
Purple Finch
Downy Woodpecker
Chickadee
Gold Finch
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Robin
Brown Thrasher
Blue Jay
American Redstart
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Waterthrush
Black and White Warbler
Grey Catbird
Hermit Thrush
Philadelphia Vireo
Cedar Waxwing
Grackle
House Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
On one outing I saw a number of small greenish birds which could have been Flycatchers or Warblers. Never got close enough to tell and was unable to get a picture.
St Ambroise 25 August
St Ambroise is a marsh area located at the south end of Lake Manitoba, this was our first visit. It is an hour drive for us to get there.
There is a viewing tower, about 100 yards into the marsh, accessible by a board walk.
There were a number of water fowl in the marsh, mostly ducks and what appeared to be coots. We stayed for about four hours. Was a pleasant outing but the waterfowl were to far out into the marsh for us to identify.
As we stood on the tower looking out into the marsh there was a loud noise, similar to that of a wasp, behind us. I turned to look and saw a what I thought might be a Broad Winged Hawk zooming away from us a few feet above the reeds. I suspect the hawk tried to catch one of the many Barn Swallows that were swooping around the tower. The hawk disappeared behind a bank of reeds but didn’t reappear. We heard a duck quack loudly just after the hawk disappeared behind the reeds and suspect the worst for the duck.
Sightings:
American Redstart
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Rose Breasted Grosbeak
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
American Coot
Song Sparrow
Red Tailed Hawk
Broad Winged Hawk
Savannah Sparrow
Grey Catbird
American Pippit
Stephenfield 31 August
We were incredibly lucky to see a Northern Flicker right beside the road. We were able to approach within about 10 feet in our van and get some good pictures. The flicker flew off into a camping area. We entered the camping area and were again able to get within about 10 feet of it. A Yellow Bellied Sapsucker landed on a tree about 15 feet away and provided us another wonderful photo op.
Sightings:
Northern Flicker
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Unidentified Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Chickadee
Say’s Phoebe
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Sparrow (Probably Savannah)
Barn Swallow
Brewer’s Blackbird
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