October Eagles

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photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

Middle of Sept I indicated that I was looking forward to a mid-October Eagle Run up on Lake Winnipeg.
The timing was perfect for a photographer friend visiting from Montreal and she was excited to join me to make the Eagle Run.

Eagles being scavengers they tend collect near and around the fish dumps at this time of year where the commercial fishermen discard remains.
Apparently the commercial fishing has now been extended an extra week due to low volumes of fish being taken.
This was evident upon our arrival…still I was confident that things would change from what we witnessed and only needed a couple hours.

Bottom line is…sometimes you go with your gut feeling and reap the rewards. After a very long road trip out-n-about we probably seen 100-125 Eagles…with some up-close encounters.

Masters in Camouflage

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photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

Recent visit to a park where a number of Wood Ducks had been seen was a delight…then the day got even better with a Eastern Screech Owl.
These are one of our smallest owls that are about 8 in. and fairly common…if you can spot them. They are a true master when it comes to camouflage.
Screech Owls are nocturnal and spend their day roosting in a cavity…if you’re lucky they may open there eyes for short periods.

Their diet consists of small rodents that they hunt for at night. Being a small owl their calls are a low, soft series of quavering whistles ( if that makes any sense ) unlike the Booming Hoot of a Great Horned Owl.

You just never know what you’re going to stumble across when out-n-about.

Fall Visit at the Pond

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photo courtesy of Dennis Swayze

Surprised that there were still a number of ducks to be seen at the pond. I would have to say the Wood Duck is my favorite as far as ducks go. They are multi colored with every color under the rainbow.
Wood Ducks are cavity nesters and often use nest boxes if available…it’s odd to see a duck perched in a tree. They are able to do so because they actually have sharp claws.
Mother Nature worked extra hard on these ducks…just sayin !