Siberian Weasel

Dramatic Weasel

Siberian Weasel Mustela sibirica

Siberian Weasel Mustela sibirica

  I went rummaging through some old folders from Gageo Island, as I'm known to do from time to time, and came across these adorable bandits. These tube-mice. These rusty slink-cutes. These nub-muzzled ink-eyed fur-pipes.

Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Vermont, USA, November 26, 2016

Foggy Vt

Ominous Missisquoi

Shrike country

Burlington hummural

Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

  I tagged along on a last-minute trip to Burlington on the condition that there would be some birding involved. The highlight after a few hours at rainy Missisquoi was a Northern Shrike, vomiting then catching a small mammal and flying off with it. It was a novel wrinkle to be birding in a location where hunters blasted away the whole time from all sides.

Towhee, or not Towhee...

Fa la la la la, la la la la

Beaver Lake

Dan being a goofy-ass

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Drunk Eastern Grey Squirrel

  ...that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the dips and twitches of looming snow squalls...ah, never mind.
  Dan and I showed up a day too late to catch up with an Eastern Towhee on Mount Royal. It was discovered by Montreal patch-birder extraordinaire Jean-Sebastien Mayer on Tuesday.
  On the plus side, we saw a drunk Eastern Grey Squirrel, hee hee!

Gray Jay tipped to be Canada's bird

 Photo © Patrick Williams

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/gray-jay-canadians-ruffled-over-national-bird-they-ve-never-heard-of-1.3164852

  Superb choice for Canada's bird, in spite of 'outrage' and confusion over the pick - the public poll results favouring Snowy Owl and Common Loon were thrown out, and the the Gray Jay was chosen unilaterally by Canadian Geographic. Well played, I say - seems we can't always leave important decisions in the hands of the plebs, eh wot? ;)
  Now I'll have to go find me one 'round here this winter.

Ile Saint-Bernard, November 5, 2016

Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea

Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens (or is it toothpaste?)

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis

Green-winged Teal Anas crecca

Northern Green Frog Rama clamitans

Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens

White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus

Dan triple-checks the scoter

Lovely Grande Digue

  Saturday saw Dan and I make a triumphant return to lovely Île Sainte-Bernard, and its superb array of habitat. Under heavy clouds we walked the trails until our backs ached, which happens faster than it did a few years ago. The undisputed star attraction was a ridiculously gorgeous Carolina Wren. The bird appeared at our feet appeared as if by sorcery, while we stood preoccupied watching the antics of nearly tame Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches. It posed and called from quite close, before bizarrely flying up into what looked like an old squirrel’s nest. High on the list of spectacular birding moments, that one. 
  The numerous American Tree Sparrows by the Grand Digue were a treat to watch as they vocalized and chased each other around. A distant scoter had us scratching our heads, but turned out to be a Surf Scoter. Probably. Two Mallard pairs were seen performing head-bobbing displays. Several White-tailed Deer, Muskrats, and lethargic frogs were also seen.

Reserve Faunique Marguerite-D’Youville, Île Sainte-Bernard, Châteauguay, November 5, 2016

Double-crested Cormorant – 1
Great Blue Heron – 1 flyby
Canada Goose – 27
Mallard – 46
American Black Duck – 3
Green-winged Teal – 17
Surf Scoter – 1 near Pointe Nord
Common Goldeneye – 5 flyby
Hooded Merganser – 8 flyby
Red-breasted Merganser – 7
Red-tailed Hawk – 1
Falcon sp – 1 chasing a Red-bellied Woodpecker
Ring-billed Gull – 5+
Rock Dove – 45+
Mourning Dove -1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 1 male
Downy Woodpecker – 6+
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Pileated Woodpecker – 1 heard
Blue Jay – 3
American Crow – 3
Black-capped Chickadee – 50+
Brown Creeper – 1
White-breasted Nuthatch – 12
Carolina Wren – 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 3
American Robin – 75+
Bohemian Waxwing – 2
European Starling – 2
Northern Cardinal – 4
American Tree Sparrow – 14 at Grande Digue
Song Sparrow – 4
Fox Sparrow – 1
White-throated Sparrow – 5
Dark-eyed Junco -2
Red-winged Blackbird – 3
American Goldfinch – 10

Gray Treefrog

Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor

  Almost forgot about this wee fella, discovered at the top of Mount McKay outside Thunder Bay, in mid-August.
  Haven't really gone birding since my return from the TCBO. This time last year I was having a solid month in Suncheon, with Eastern Water Rail, Grey-headed Lapwing, et al. The time, she flies when you're glued to the couch, writing stuff.

Mother Superior

Early autumn crew getting survival suited up in Silver Islet

Leaving Silver Islet (Blue building is the 1870's-vintage general store)

The skiff boys blast past

Passing T Harbour on the 'other side' of The Sleeping Giant

Approaching the tip of the Sibley Peninsula

A Korean-style boat totem I made at the boat launch

Low scud

'Who's checking ground traps?'

White squall

Sailboat race coming past Thunder Cape

The Berserker bros lose a sail

The Red-tailed Hawk and The Berserker jockey

An RCMP skiff patrols the border

My favourite of the lakers - The Cuyahoga (built in 1943)

Some young adventure dude

Lake Guardian - very Steve Zissou

Superior waves

  
  "But I told that kid a hundred times, don't take the lakes for graaaaanted, they go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchaaaaaanted!"
  The lyrics to White Squall by Stan Rogers rang true a few times during my TCBO tenure, and Nick and I surely pissed everyone off ( > a few times) by singing it at the top of our lungs. We kept accidentally referring to Lake Superior as 'the sea', because when the breakers are rolling in, it's hard to think of it as a mere lake.
  The occasional passing boats made us feel a bit less isolated, and it broke up the monotony of the slow days ('Try to get them to wave back!'). I hated being in the skiff, and was out in it one day in some pretty terrifying seas. Not seas. Terrifying lakes? Lake waters? Big fuckin' waves, in any case.
  The massive old Edmund Fitzgerald-ish lakers were always fun to watch. When they passed at night it looked like a city was drifting by.

Humzees of TCBO

Ruby-throated Hummingbird checking out a net tie

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

  There were a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, or Humzees, as Nick dubbed them, kicking about the TCBO's two feeders on a daily basis. They had a habit of vizzing to Pie Island in the rain, when no other birds were out besides the Hergs, Pergs, and Mergs. Their spirited light-sabre duels were always well-watched and entertaining bouts.
  Currently working hard on finishing 'The Book', and also on regaining a belt loop I lost at TCBO. I'll find it.