One More Time.

Well I just didn't want to miss out so I came up with more gas money and went back to Bear's Island on Friday.  It's such a long drive and down I-95 where it's mostly trucks HUGE trucks going 70 and then people weaving in and out and around the trucks going 80mph.  This is why I don't go there more often...anyways I did it and I survived it and I enjoyed it!

Right off the bat I want you to hear and feel how windy it was so check this out...so that was the conditions most of the day.  Didn't even try for any thing in a Tree impossible really.  

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But I had a good day! I tossed together some humus and flat bread and ate in the car when I got hungry out of the wind...and took some hikes, put on my jacket and hat,  it was quite chilly..

Just a few Dowitchers to pluck through...both long and short billed I think more short  I enjoyed seeing them fly up then settle again...they move as one big swoosh..

Among them was a small number of Stilt Sandpiper...I didn't get any good photos of them this one I tried to lighten and enlarge, but you get the idea...it's a smaller leaner sandpiper with a slight down turn on the end of the bill...

This is the photo I sent in for confirmation I put these orange dots on so you can see them sort of?

and there may be one or two in there I missed...

 Dowitcher long short? TBD

 they make it hard when they hide their bills under the wing almost like they are trying to hide their identity.  

So I ended up  with another rare bird  the Black Necked Stilt also seen by the others...

And I didn't turn in this duck.  I think it's an American Black Duck...I see no white on the tail but I was not 100% sure...no body else turned in a Black Duck that day not rare for me, I have seen them here before so I just left it to be my little personal sighting! Sometimes I just don't feel confident.  

Mottled or Mallard females have white in the tail feathers...so Im going with American Black Duck

Here's an unusual pose capture of the Tri Colored Heron.  I think the wind caught his wing..

Northern Shovelers were plentiful with the majority staying way back behind tall reeds Im was happy to see a few stray out into the sun...

Roseate Spoonbills also present...and always fun to watch.  

Spoonbills, Snowy Egret, White Ibis in this shot.

American White Pelican...normally we get the Brown Pelican so this was a treat to see..

Huge wingspan 

I think the little Snowy Egrets were using the big Pelicans as a windshield

The American Coot does not have web feet.  I have shown you a foot detail before they have LONG toes with flaps of skin on them to help with scooting thru the water..and they dive...but technically they are closer related to Sandhill Cranes according to Cornell labs!  They are not as camera shy as most waterfowl..

They eat mostly vegetation...check out this one ...

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And here they are again hanging out with some Blue Winged Teal...with the white crescent moon shaped white on their face...

The rest of the gang...

The ducks were arriving but the numbers are not there yet, Im sure now that it has turned colder and we had our first frost..more will be arriving,.

Sometimes this was the only view which was no view...

5 or 6 American Avocets were out poking around here's 2 of them...

White and Glossy Ibis were on one far bank ...

So whatta ya think it is?  I don't know what these 3 were checking out something I missed...

Pied Billed Grebe and 2 Female Blue Winged Teal 

Pied Billed Grebes

And here's a few landscape shots so you can see what the terrain is mostly...

Great Egrets

Maritime  forest

Reed chocked channels 

Big Live Oak Trees..

 mowed breaks...

Distant views of empounds 

So I hope  you have a better feel of what the place is like it's HUGE in size over 12,000 acres, there's a few roads open to the public, and they don't do much to keep the reeds cut so you can see they keep it more a habitat for wildlife to feed and spend the winter months  in peace except on hunt weekends! 

At time of creating this post the election is still undecided....so I hope we can soon celebrate. 

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NOTICE:

I made the decision to not keep my old Flickr album so many or most of the photos from my old post may have missing photos, videos, and other media...I am sorry but the constant money grabbing of Yahoo just got on my last nerve.  

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Ducking the Heat!

It's been HOT! More humid than anything...but that makes it so uncomfortable to be outdoors where I love to be so I've been a couch potato.  I have been doing most of my outdoor chores, get it done as early as I can ...meanwhile I'm back to receiving the ABA rare bird alerts for my area...and one came over  that I watched for a few days....it was a bit of a drive but with the AC blasting in the van I figure may as well make the drive, get off the couch for a day, so on the eve of the 4th, away I did go.

 

North up I-26 which they call East and West, so  I guess we must drive West...to get to North Carolina, about 37 miles over the border near Asheville.  It was a bit cooler, or less humid I should say.  (90 degrees) If you've visited or ever heard of the Biltmore Mansion, and the Biltmore Forest, right along the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, that's where I was.  My target area was Julian Lake Park...it's a nice park on the banks of the Julian Lake, there's picnic areas, a playground, fishing pier, a dock for boats, and plenty of Ducks and Geese!

My target bird was actually a duck! But while looking for him I saw this....an Egyptian Goose!  Wow. check out these feathers. 

Egyptian Goose

#445

And those PINK legs...what a surprise, I had not seen him reported...so I was happy to see one here.  

These ducks and geese are wild, but they are also well cared for, I must explain.  They live the life of normal waterfowl, they have predators, they are free to come or go but why would they go when they are being fed?  I met one of the volunteers...and she explained that there is a group of benefactors who come and feed the ducks and geese that call this lake home. 

I walked around with this lady who is one of the volunteers that feeds the waterfowl...

She took me over and I got to hand feed some of the Greylag Geese and the Muscovy they were so gentle when they took the pellets from our hands....and the Muscovy had 4 ducklings...so very cute.  This one eating up here is only a year old she is not the mother of the chicks, they may be her step siblings. 

And my first Indian Runner, a Domestic Duck, they walk upright like a penguin!  Here's one but he didn't walk for me he was enjoying a rest...Brown duck on the left 

I reported these as Greylag and Canada Goose Hybrids, 

And some others, 

I'd say this was def a hybrid too...

AND last but not least the target bird, this lone white cheeked pintail!  What a beautiful duck!  I didn't get to see him in the water wish now I had waited till he was ready for a swim, but he was more interested in resting after he foraged on the pellets the lady tossed out...

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This duck is much smaller than a mallard...

Look at the lovely feathering on his back...and he has this brilliant green wing stripe showing up here in this shot..

This is not a domestic duck, he is hanging out with a group of hand fed ducks and why not... he arrived wild and has settled in nicely....I don't know about his breeding code, but he sure is a fine looking duck.  The volunteer told me he has been living here on and off...he left when it got cold and returned in the spring.  It is a Neotropical species spottily distributed in South America and the Caribbean and a frequent visitor to marsh land in Florida...according to Cornell Lab.

A really fine day of ducking the heat!  I'm creeping up on 450, half my goal at half the year so my cup is half full!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.