A Month in Review - August, 2008

When I started to type this it really was August and time just got away. Now here we are the end of September and Autumn has began I still haven't typed anything. I've watched alot of shorebirds during the month of August and some (even though they have different names) still look the same to me. I have taken photos of the Lesser Yellowleg and the Greater Yellowleg, Short-billed Dowitchers and Semi-Palmated Sandpiper and Plover. But I think the most thrilling for me was when I got my first pic of the Black-necked Stilt and the short clip of the babies (in August). When there was nothing to photograph the Dragonflies and Butterflies were great subjects.



Last Thursday (9/18) I drove out to Pt Mouillee SGA to catch the sunrise, during my little visit and while trying to figure out what was wrong with one of the cameras - I heard a splash, I managed to grab my Canon and photgraph an Eagle fly off with breakfast. Hoping that it would make another trip I kept my eyes peeled and sure enough here it came for a second meal. Amazing how they can see from way up there and like a plane coming in for a landing, circle, landing gear down and touch down. I watched as it flew off with a fish in it's talons to one of the nearby tree tops. Althought the photos of this catch are more of a silhouette the drama was still there.

This past weekend I missed the Hawkfest and would have liked to have seen it however, I chose to go up north. Normally I don't take a camera with me on the canoe but today I brought my CoolPic S210. Just as we had lifted the chain out of the water my better half asked me what was flying towards us, in the ten years that I have been on the Ausable I have never seen an Osprey there and sure enough here came one up the river. It flew rather low and landed in a tree across from us near the edge of the river. I raised my S210 and snapped a few photos even though I knew that they wouldn't come out clear. None the less the pic does show the bird and that would have to do for the moment.

That's my story for the month - til my next posting.

Black-billed Cuckoo - August 17, 2008

Sorry for the late posting - still trying to label the shorebirds that I have taken. Went out to Pte. Moo where I ran into Mary and her niece. Checking out a few spots we headed out to Cell 3 where we found Jerry Jourdan digiscoping the shorebirds. Still learning what and when and where I can digiscope I set up my equipment and began photographing some of the shorebirds that were there. Jerry was kind enough to point out the different shorebirds out to me. After awhile a group from the Audubon came through and I decided to head over to Campau Road before heading home.

Campau Road is actually a nice little side track, you can drive slowly through and just listen - sometimes you can get lucky as I did. I had already traveled down the road to the gates where the HeadQuarters is and decided after checking out the little moor (that's what I call it) I made my way back down the road. Just before I got to the turn something flew across the hood of my vehicle, stopping ever so slowly I searched for the bird. With camera ready and as I spotted it I began snapping away. Turns out what I photogaphed was a Black-billed Cuckoo.

That was it for my day - til my next post.

Scattered Showers and In The 60's - 8/10

Cloudy - Scattered Showers and in the 60's - what a great weekend to be up north. Well we packed up the kittens and camera gear and headed up to Mio. Traffic going up was nothing less than herrific. Seems like everywhere you drive now in Michigan there's an alternate route leading you to somewhere. Saturday was dismal and rainy so when it stopped drizzling we decided to take in a little fishing and hope for a better day on Sunday.


Sunday wasn't any better. Scattered drizzle all morning and cloudy skies didn't stop me from trying to figure out what exactly I am doing wrong when I digiscope. Since all the other weekends when it was sunny there really haven't been any birds this past weekend was just the opposite. In the woods there were birds flying everywhere - so I had tall trees, no bright light and a lot of birds.


Determined to find out what I've been doing wrong I tested both of my cameras changing settings to try this and try that. In spite of the not having bright sun light I would say that I did considerably well with my photos (check them out).


My digiscoping equipment consists of the following: NIKON Fieldscope S50 ED; NIKON CoolPix S210; FUJI FinePix F50SE and two home made adptors that attach to the camers and scope. My subjects consisted of the Black-capped Chickadee; Blue Jays; a Downy and Hairy Woodpecker; Rose-breasted Grosbeak - male and immature males and females; a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a White-breasted Nuthatch. After packing up and getting ready to leave as I stepped out the back door there were three American Gold Finches on the feeder, one male and two female. It was a good weekend . Til my next post.

An Adoption Announcement - 07/29/08

The Smallest Things Can Fill The The Biggest Holes In Our Heart

These two sleeping beauties are Bailey and Peanut

Bailey and Peanut are just two from a litter of five

They were born on Saturday - May 10, 2008

They were adopted on Sunday - July 27, 2008

Everyone is doing just fine.

(If you find yourself looking for a pet and really don't know where to start try http://www.petfinder.com they cover animal shelters as well as P.A.W.S. and others.

Visiting The Island - July 8th

Working at BASF sometimes does have its perks, one of them being able to visit Fighting Island.

Fighting Island is a 6km² (1,500 acre - 1200 above water) island located in the Detroit River just offshore from LaSalle Ontario. Owned by BASF Corporation, Fighting Island has been recognized by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity as a success story as the island is being revitalized to become a Wildlife Reserve in the midst of a heavy industrial geographic area. BASF Corporation has actively promoted this project since the mid-1970s. Today approximately 80% of the island is covered with vegetation. There are a number of species of birds and animals that have taken refuge on the island. The shorelines are monitored for signs of erosion.

A Bald Eagle is one of the many birds that you see on Fighting Island. This mama eagle wasn't too thrilled with me standing in a just plowed field not far from her nest but as she circled - screaching all the way I managed to get one good shot out of several. There was a young eagle not too far from the area and he did make his presence known - but as fast as he swooped in - he swooped right out again - no time for a photo. I'll get another opportunity in August and hopefully I'll have a better day. Til my next outing.

To learn more about the Island go to http://www.basf.com/corporate/061404_baldeagles.htm

or Google Fighting Island.

A Beautiful Night 7/09/08

Decided to take advantage of the beautiful evening we had Wednesday night. Went over to Pte Mouillee and decided to ride up the center causeway. Dragonflies and damselflies flying about, a Monarch has got my attention but doesn't give an inch to allow me to take a photo or two. There are two black snakes sunning on the gravel - they look like old tires. There's a couple of ducks on the left of me and the birds are all in the reeds - all is quiet. I traveled through checking out both sides and seeing nothing. When I get to the cross sections of Lead Unit, Vermet and Long Pond I set my scope to scan the areas surrounding. The Egrets are plenty with a few Blue Herons here and there. American Coots here and there and everywhere along with some Capian Terns, Common Terns and Black Terns. In the Lead Unit I can see the Osprey and her two babies on the perch and the multitude of ducks swimming around. Noticing the sun is just about to go down I decided to head over to Campau Road to see if I can get a photo of the Indigo Bunting that I know hangs out there.

As I travel down Campau Road I scan the area for anything that will move. Birds are flying here and there as the Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows sit on the telephone lines. I turn the corner and keep scanning the area. As I reach the gates I decide to turn around and head back down the road. I decided to park my car at the corner of Campau Rd and Pte Mouillee, set up my tripod and scope and waited. Like clockwork I suddenly hear the singing of the Indigo Bunting, now this becomes a waiting game to see when and where she will appear. Sudden up from the bushes in front of me she rises and lands on the support wires of the pole. I focus in, get my Coolpix ready and attach it to the scope. Unfortunately my tripod was not being cooperative, I needed to balance the tripod head and the scope with one hand and fire off shots without loosing it. Out of about 24 shots that I could get before she split I managed to get at least two good ones. Hung around a little longer to see if she would return but by that time the sun had set and it was time to go home. So til my next post.

Very Quiet Weekend In Mio

Headed up to Mio for the Fourth of July weekend. I really was hoping for some interesting shots this weekend but all weekends can't turn out the way we plan or hope for. Friday started out with the vocal sounds of the Great Crested Flycatcher and kin. It really was nice seeing them still flying in and out of the bird house. The next bird on the scene was a Rose Breasted Grosbeak male, shortly followed by an immature female. That was pretty much the bird sightings for the day. Later went fishing in the Ausable where across the river were ten female Hooded Merganser frollicking in the water and then later sitting on a log close by. The sunset o the river was beautiful but unfortunately the mosquitoes were hungry and made enjoying the view a little impossble.

Saturday morning the Flycatchers were no where to be seen, in fact all of the birds were no where to be seen. A single White breasted Nuthatch sought out seed from the feeder and then disappeared. Took a ride over to the Kirkland Warbler Wildlife Refuge and drove around some of the trails. Saw the Kirland Warbler flying but of course when they landed they didn't land where you could get a photo or two. So for the time being (until next year when they do the guided tours again) I will have to settle for seeing them in flight - who knows maybe I'll get lucky. Later took the canoe down the Ausable River to do some fishing and of course there were birds everywhere and I with no camera.

Sunday brought a single Black-capped Chickadee and that was pretty much it for the day. If it wasn't for the butterflies and the chipmunks I probably wouldn't have taken a shot of anything. I had a couple of cooperative subjects and I did take full advantage of them. The two most cooperative subjects were a Red-spotted Purple and a Little Wood Satyr (to the right).

Well that was my weekend, although rather uneventful - it was a quiet and beautiful weekend none the less. Til my next post.