Hiking is good for the soul

 Last evening was one of those times when it was just about perfect to be out along the trail at St. Clair National Wildlife Area. Fortunately it is only a few minutes from home, and I somewhat spontaneously decided to go out late in the day. It was sunny, fairly mild and quite calm. The sounds of birds was quite entrancing, even with my less than great hearing. I had the place to myself, other than the wildlife, so I could just soak up the amazing atmosphere without human interference.

There were lots of waterfowl in the air, coming and going in various directions. These Tundra Swans were heading out to the lake, and I thought the golden sky background made it extra appealing.

Even the few that I saw with a different background had the golden sun influencing their white feathering.

There were other birds of note, including lots of Canada Geese.

At least 5 Sandhill Cranes flew by within camera range, although not always in the best light.

The cattails were sporadically dotted with Red-winged Blackbirds perched on them, all males, and defining a territory in hopes that when the females arrive shortly, they can get into the nesting cycle as soon as possible.

A male Norther Harrier was settled into a small tree. I was hoping to get farther along the trail for better lighting, but as the photo shows, he was keeping an eye on me. Shortly after I got this photo, he flew off well out of camera range. I saw two others, both females, a bit later.

As I was leaving, I got a shot of the moon, almost full but not quite. That will occur in another day or two.

It was truly a glorious couple of hours spent in this special natural area!

Previously I had been out to the Mitchell's Bay North Shore Trail a couple of times. It is always worthwhile, especially if there is not a brisk westerly wind. Bald Eagles continue to be somewhat common, but usually at a distance. I have seen anywhere from 27-32 eagles from the slightly elevated end of the trail looking out over the lake in my last couple of visits. They are widespread, anywhere there are trees along the lake shore, or even on islands out in the lake. On occasion one may fly by relatively closely.

A good variety of waterfowl  are scattered across the lake, and number in the thousands. This Northern Pintail was at least close enough to get a greatly cropped photo of.

Sandhill Cranes are quite regular along this part of the lake shore wetland. This one flew by fairly cooperatively.....

...and a pair landed in a field near the trail.....

...with one coming quite a bit closer before veering farther out in the field.

There have been some shorebirds appear recently. Killdeer, of course, are quite regular, and I have seen a dozen or more on occasion in the Erieau area. But my hopes were to see either the Lesser Yellowlegs or the Pectoral Sandpiper which have recently been seen in the McGeachy Pond area. So far I have been unsuccessful, especially since with the recent snow and rain, the fields have rather large ponded areas giving the birds lots of area to choose from. Neither species is rare, just a bit early, so I don't expect it to be too long before I get my camera focused on one or the other.

I did manage to get a few shots of a striking duck, a Northern Shoveler.

And en route to Erieau, I have seen this escaped Whooper Swan in its new pond along the Erieau Road. It will be interesting to see how long it stays, or will the owners of the area wildlife zoo be successful in reclaiming it?

While roaming around looking for shorebirds in wet areas along Lagoon Road, I came across a rather large flock of Snow Buntings. Seeing Snow Buntings in the middle of winter, especially when there are winter storms occurring, is not that unusual. But this was a clear day and the snow and rain of the previous day or so had completely disappeared, and usually by then the buntings have returned to points farther north. I managed to get a couple of quick shots, but didn't have quite the right camera settings, so this is the best I could come up with. You might have to use your imagination, just a little.....

 

Of course I have been to Rondeau a couple of times, usually for an invigorating walk, but always with camera gear handy just in case.

A walk down the east South Point Trail got me to the water front, where I watched 4 Long-tailed Ducks cavorting and displaying. I only got photos as they were flying by.....

On one occasion as I was exiting the park, I noticed this coyote passing through some cottage lots. It was acting somewhat strange, limping a little and not paying any attention to me. Usually they are quite furtive and are seldom seen in broad daylight. I managed to get a few quick photos, and a closer look indicated why it was behaving abnormally. One cannot see the limp in a still photo, but a closer look at its head showed a possible blind eye, as well as an injury to the side of the head around the ear.

Clearly the animal was not healthy, and it may be doomed. Hopefully it does not cause problems to humans or their pets, while it is dealing with this agony and potentially its demise.

It eventually disappeared into the wooded area along the road.

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