Winter's In The Air - 11/08/08

While my friend Jerry is in Mexico enjoying temperatures in the 70's I am sitting near the boat launch over on Campau Road. The temperature for today is in low 40's with a 30% chance of rain. I can tell you it is cold, cloudy and windy. Near the boat launch stands a pine tree where the Tree Sparrows are gathering to shield themselves from the winds. Every now and then five or more leave the tree - fly a short distance and then return. The chirping is loud enough to think that there just might be at least a hundred of those little guys in there, but I really don't think there are.


The trees have shed their leaves and all that remains are the empty nest where life once lived. As I drive down the road (with the window down hoping to hear a sound and possibly a sign that there is still life out there) I round the corner to watch the movement in the bushes. Finally one stops long enough for me to catch a glimpse and a shot, a Yellow-rumped Warbler. He gathers his berry and he disappears from sight. The little creeks that once were filled with water, fishes, painted turtles, and ducks are at the moment dried up. As I continue down the road I can hear a Chickadee singing.

It's beginning to drizzle and I want to make one more stop at Lake Erie Metro Park and take a ride just along the outside of the Nature Trail. There's a female Cardinal just chippin away in the trees (I'm sure there's a male somewhere I can hear him) but for now she is all I hear and can see. There are three Downy Woodpeckers flying through the trees (one male and two female), I tried to get a photo but due to the cloudiness, shutter was slow and photos came out a little blurry. There's a Palm Sparrow jumping from branch to branch and then to the ground but I can't get a photo of him either.

The drizzle picked up a little and I am off to get some work done at home. I wanted to kick myself later in the day, the sun did come out and I couldn't get away to try and get the photos that I missed. This weekend I will head up north , sit in my blind and watch and listen I never know what I'm going to see. Maybe the little Brown Creeper will appear again and I'll be able to get a better photo. That's about it for now - so til my next post.