Lake Aquitaine - Sun. Jan. 15th
Outdoor Ontario

Lake Aquitaine - Sun. Jan. 15th

Bird Brain · 14 · 3527
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Bird Brain

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on: January 15, 2012, 11:08:04 AM
Hi everyone.

At the moment, the lake is 99.9% frozen over except for a tiny patch of open water at the NW corner.  

10:15am, sighted the following:

Cardinals x 2 (1m, 1f)
Crows x 2
House Sparrows x 3 (1m, 2f)
Mallards x 45

Sharp-shinned Hawk being mobbed by 14 Ring-billed Gulls (they were totally ticked off!).  Sharpie then headed towards rooftop of Meadowvale Town Centre - lots of Rock Pigeons there.  

Also seeing Cottontail Rabbit prints in the snow.  :)

Thank goodness for no windchill today, -15c is cold enough.   :shock:

Lake Aquitaine:  SE corner of Glen Erin Dr./Aquitaine Ave., behind the Meadowvale Community Centre.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

rcflier

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Reply #1 on: January 15, 2012, 05:51:21 PM
Very pleasant afternoon ( 3:30 > 4:30 ) for a 5k walk around the lake ( 3 rounds ).

Not much activity - maybe it was too late in the day

Cardinals = 2m, 2f
Sparrows = about a dozen
Ducks = 28
Mockingbird = 1 all fluffed up sunning himself ( in the bushes near workout stn 4 )
No gulls, no geese
squirrles = white nose plus 1
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Bob

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Reply #2 on: January 15, 2012, 08:03:41 PM
Quote from: "rcflier"
Mockingbird = 1 all fluffed up sunning himself ( in the bushes near workout stn 4 )
Hi Bob.  I'm happy to know you've been sighting him and that he's still around.   A couple of years back, there were 3 at the feeder table (2 adults and 1 young)!  

Quote
squirrles = white nose plus 1
I love White Nose ... he is so cute!   :D  Fed him some shelled peanuts this morning along with the squirrel with the bright white tail tip.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

Reuven_M

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Reply #3 on: January 15, 2012, 08:47:09 PM
Have you gotten a picture of "white nose"?

I've seen a few odd squirrels, such as:
An orange coloured grey squirrel at the University of Toronto Mississauga
A black squirrel that was totally orange on top here in guelph.
Various black squirrels with orange tails, and grey squirrels with very fluffy white ears (very cute!)

Best of all though was early this year on the sawmill valley trail:
A red squirrel that was totally grey like a grey squirrel except frosty white on top! Very cool looking.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Bird Brain

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Reply #4 on: January 15, 2012, 11:28:28 PM
Quote from: "Reuven_M"
Have you gotten a picture of "white nose"?
Hi Reuven.  Unfortunately, I don't have a camera.  

Quote
I've seen a few odd squirrels, such as:
An orange coloured grey squirrel at the University of Toronto Mississauga
A black squirrel that was totally orange on top here in guelph.
Various black squirrels with orange tails, and grey squirrels with very fluffy white ears (very cute!)

Best of all though was early this year on the sawmill valley trail:
A red squirrel that was totally grey like a grey squirrel except frosty white on top! Very cool looking.
Cool unusual colour squirrels.   8)  

My odd squirrel list is from Niagara Falls.  Pure white with black eyes at Dufferin Islands then downtown Niagara Falls close to Main Library - orange squirrel, purple squirrel and yellow (butterscotch colour) squirrel.  What's in the water there?    :?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

Reuven_M

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Reply #5 on: January 15, 2012, 11:43:36 PM
Quote from: "Bird Brain"
Quote from: "Reuven_M"
Have you gotten a picture of "white nose"?
Hi Reuven.  Unfortunately, I don't have a camera.  

Quote
I've seen a few odd squirrels, such as:
An orange coloured grey squirrel at the University of Toronto Mississauga
A black squirrel that was totally orange on top here in guelph.
Various black squirrels with orange tails, and grey squirrels with very fluffy white ears (very cute!)

Best of all though was early this year on the sawmill valley trail:
A red squirrel that was totally grey like a grey squirrel except frosty white on top! Very cool looking.
Cool unusual colour squirrels.   8)  

My odd squirrel list is from Niagara Falls.  Pure white with black eyes at Dufferin Islands then downtown Niagara Falls close to Main Library - orange squirrel, purple squirrel and yellow (butterscotch colour) squirrel.  What's in the water there?    :?

Now that's weird!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Bird Brain

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Reply #6 on: January 16, 2012, 09:39:16 AM
Quote from: "Reuven_M"
Now that's weird!
The most bizarre colour squirrels I've ever seen anywhere!  

Have you ever visited Exeter?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0NH0-yyTH0
I would like to check this place out one day!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

rcflier

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Reply #7 on: January 16, 2012, 08:03:01 PM
Monday Jan 16th - Early walk today - 8:30am

Several Cardinals, 2 Blue Jays, 2 Chickadees, 6 Doves, about 2 dozen ducks, a few gulls, no geese, 1 Mockingbird,

and of course, white nose...
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Bob

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Reply #8 on: January 16, 2012, 09:20:41 PM
Awww ... great photo of the cutie!  :D
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

Reuven_M

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Reply #9 on: January 16, 2012, 09:33:05 PM
Quote from: "rcflier"
Monday Jan 16th - Early walk today - 8:30am

Several Cardinals, 2 Blue Jays, 2 Chickadees, 6 Doves, about 2 dozen ducks, a few gulls, no geese, 1 Mockingbird,

and of course, white nose...

Nice  :D
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

rcflier

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Reply #10 on: January 17, 2012, 05:43:29 PM
Tuesday Jan 17th - wet day - drizzling rain - but a nice "brolly" didn't deter me from my walk, nor from visitng my little friends at the lake.  

It's almost as if the birds were waiting for me to arrive.  I got seed from Wild Birds Unlimited.  It turned out to be a feeding frenzy!

Sparrows, chickadees, and a couple of juncos.  The Jays ( there were 6 ) fetched the peanuts as fast as I could toss them out.  they were even beating out the squirrles to the nuts!   Cardinals - 4m, 2f were a bit more timid and didnt want to come as close, so I tossed peanuts into the thicker cover for them. Still timid they were cautious, but finally enjoyed.  

Also saw 2 Robins, 1 Mockingbird, 1 dove, a few gulls, about 3 dozen ducks, no geese.

Highlight - a small Hawk perched in the top of the trees overlooking the pier near the Parks building.  I'm not good enough to identify him.  I suspect he was a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.  When he flew off I noticed he has almost no neck - head very close to his body,  he was quite small, flew very fast.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2012, 09:10:31 PM by rcflier »
Bob

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Reply #11 on: January 17, 2012, 07:01:28 PM
Hi Bob.  Nice sightings!  Sounds like Sharpie - he has no qualms about flying right above your head or in front of your face - so close, you'll jump back and say "Whoa!".  

I was thinking about walking around the lake tomorrow morning but apparently it's going to be -15c windchill overnight so the walking trails will be like a skating rink.  Might have to wear ice skates instead of hiking boots!   :lol:  Meanwhile, today was so foggy & rainy and went up to +8c.  It's getting really windy at the moment, pine trees out back of building are bending quite a bit and I can hear the wind howling - supposed to be gusting up to 90km/hr.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

rcflier

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Reply #12 on: January 18, 2012, 09:09:31 PM
Wed Jan 18th -

The normal regulars in attendance.

todays surprise - 12 big fat Robins all perched together in one tree !! ( near workstation 5 )
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Bob

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Reply #13 on: January 19, 2012, 09:32:16 AM
Quote from: "rcflier"
12 big fat Robins all perched together in one tree !! ( near workstation 5 )
Cool.   8)  Bob ... this is good to know as I've sighted very few Robins this Winter - meanwhile, there were lots last year!

Coming up soon .... http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/
Can't wait!  4 days of birding fun!   :D   Will be counting at Lake Wabukayne, Plowman's Park, Lake Aquitaine and Maplewood Park.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Jo-Anne :)

"If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart".

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