When are my Loons coming back?

I am counting the days to my beloved Loons' return. I promise to be a good loon ranger. I promise to pick up any discarded fishing line I find in the lake. I promise to shoot my photos from a comfortable distance. Hopefully they find all my promises acceptable. (And yes - my friends and family still laugh about the fact that I'm a Michigan Loon Ranger. I wish I had authority to fine them penalities!)

We're headed up to the log cabin. My hubby had a rough week at work with a bad ex-employee so I think a weekend of snow shoeing and birdwatching is just what the doctor ordered. Have a good weekend and I will catch up with all of your blogs on Sunday. (Maybe a few before then if the dial up at the cabin doesn't drive me crazy first!

All for me!

Giveaway

From Online Shop Photos

Psst! Shelley is hosting a giveaway on her log cabin blog. If you would like to enter, please click here.

Bird Humor

Alas I got no good bird shots the past couple days. So here's your dose of Shelley's warped bird humor!

Bashful Redpoll

And not so bashful!

Sneaky

I discovered this weekend that you cannot sneak up on an eagle!

Take a walk with me!

Come with me for a little walk! (This walk we're taking just occurred this past Saturday for the GBBC- so we're going back in time. Humor me and pretend.) We are going to head to the Ausable River in Grayling, Michigan.

Did you know that Grayling is home to the longest non-stop canoe race in North America? It is called the Ausable River Canoe Marathon.



Here's a nice little bridge for us to cross and see if we can find ourselves some "fancy" ducks!




Well here's a handsome Mallard.....



Omigosh! He has a girlfriend! Good for him! Hey you two, are there any Golden Eyes, Loons or Blue Herons with you?



Now I've made them upset and they're flying away with one of their friends. Okay, let's head over to Spikes Keg O Nails and have some of the best burgers in town. I'm buying!

More Siskin than you could ever want

I want to know how long these bullies....I mean these pine siskin birds are going to stay!


Siskins taking over my feeder!


Siskins taking over my thistle!


Siskins taking over my trees!


Siskins trying to be cute!


Siskins in the snow!


The siskins need to go! (P.S. Just kidding - but they really need to be nicer to my Red Polls!)

Say hello to my little Chickadee

"Well hello there!"

Listening to love

For the past week, my male cardinal has been singing his heart out every morning. He is happy, he is in love and I think he's getting ready to have a family. I caught this photo of the object of his affection. Look at her tilting her head - she is listening to him sing from a nearby tree. Valentines Day has come early to my yard!

Naughty

I really think spring is going to come early this year. Today I saw my Mourning Doves building their nest in the same place they do every year - my gutters. They must know something we don't - I'm convinced!

Anyways, here's the naughtiness that's going on in my yard!


"Bob & I are planning on having 10 babies this year!"



"After I eat this cracker you gave me, I'm still going to raid your bird feeder!"

Thinking about the Trumpeter Swan

I really am getting spring fever. I'm already planning a return trip to Seney National Wildlife Refuge (located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) where I saw an abundance of Trumpeter Swans. They were reintroduced to the refuge in 1990's and have been flourishing ever since. I just love their beauty and grace. Some fun facts:

• It gets its' name from its' trumpet like call
• They can live a long time - up to 24 years old.
• Most (not all) Trumpeter Swans mate for life. They form their pair bonds at ages 3-4.
• They weigh between 21 - 30 lbs.
• On land, they stand about 4 feet tall.
• Largest water fowl species native to North America
• Michigan, Minnesota & Wisconsin have launched Trumpeter Swan Recovery programs.
  

Sleepy Woodpecker

Nighty night!

Poking the Pine Siskin

So I'm watching these Pine Siskins on the thistle feeder and am amazed how close they are letting me get to them.




Look how close he is!




Hmmm....he looks so soft. What if I......



...reached out and touched him with one finger! Ha,ha! He flew to another branch and then came right back so I don't think I frightened him too much. Bad Shelley!

Common Redpoll - Part II

Here's a few more Common Redpoll photos. I loved watching them squabble with the Pine Siskins over the Thistle Feeder. Suffice it to say - they are just as feisty!

My first Common Redpoll

I was so excited to see my first Common Redpoll this weekend! I think Lynne at Hasty Brook's good fortune rubbed off on me! I was so envious when she mentioned seeing them recently and it just seemed like fate that they came to my thistle feeders at the log cabin this weekend. I will be posting a few more photos of them this week - so hopefully you don't tire of them!