I went out to the Rouge this morning. Open sky (full sun) and cool. The pond was mostly unused except for a few geese. There was a lone cormorant perched on a tree that had long ago fallen into the drink, nasty habit, and it was quite content in sunning itself and doing nada. There was one female Red-breasted merganser actually afloat, although obviously aimless, dazed or just generally confused. I saluted and it took off. A brief walk about (I believe that's an oxymoron) I didn't see anything more than one Yellow-rumped warbler and one WT sparrow. Careful listening didn't reveal anything else except a Pileated woodpecker way off in the distance somewhere. No ducks and no Hooded merganser. On my way back to the car I spotted a few Tree swallows. Overall, very disappointing.
One odd observation was a single goose egg positioned out in the open on an island (of sorts) just offshore. There was no nest visible and no parent goose in attendance. The sun was shining on the egg so it was getting some warmth. I've come across goose eggs in nest there before but never a lone egg. The neighbourhood is going down hill, I say.
