December birding

 It has taken me a while to get over the bronchitis and Christmas prep has kept me busy, but everything is tinged by saddness at the loss of Aimee Todd. The following is from her obituary:

Aimee “Lou Lou” was a legend: at once gentle, fierce, curious, funny, compassionate,
adventurous and wise. She was warm, open and accepting. She lived by embracing her
favourite dictum, “It is what it is.” She was often referred to as a firecracker and a minx. From
the time she started driving she had a need for speed (inherited by her son) and she sought it
throughout her life with various muscle cars and motorcycles. Aimee loved to laugh and make
others laugh and when something struck her as funny there was no stopping the full-on
hysterics. She was a feminist and a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, animals and
water conservation. Aimee celebrated diversity and was keenly curious about the world and all
of the people in it. Her love for travel and adventure never wavered.

Aimee had the singular gift of seeing people in the fullness of who they were and accepting
them unconditionally. The many gifts she provided to her family and friends will be deeply
missed but her spirit will live on in the hearts and minds of all who loved her. Good-bye and
good luck, Aimee Lou. 

Greg and Aimee were our next door neighbours, in Paris, for about 15years and the friendship formed lasted after they moved to another area. Aimee and I spent many Friday evenings in the hot tub (with a bottle of wine or 2), partied, walked and talked, traveled, went on road trips and relaxed at their cottage at Honey Harbour. We had 2 weeks in Portugal together this spring. I was able to spend three days with her just before she chose Medical Assistance In Dieing. I am so thankful this was available to her and cut short her suffering from Pancreatic Cancer.

Rick has been a shoulder to cry on and it has been good for me to have someone to understand that I am not that "into" Christmas this year and provide quiet companionship and a walking buddy to get me out of the house.

On our way to Long Point we found the Sandhill Cranes. Not the full fields we have seen before

but still plenty to see and hear, on the ground

and in the air.

We stopped to take pictures of the swans

by this place. I have always though it

a very picturesque derelict.

Trumpeter Swans - black legs and beaks

American Kestrel, so pretty.

We drove across the Causeway (the bridge is finally finished).

Plenty of Mallards but I couldn't get a photo of the Northern Harrier, too fast.

There was a strong Southwest wind so walked on the marsh side.

The water level is lower later in the year

so we were able to walk further out into the marsh than we had been before.

The trail ended at a little beach

and the bird life was all too far away for good pictures.

The walk back was freezing, into the wind. We stopped, on the causeway

to take photos of

more Sandhill Cranes.

Another day, a short walk at Silver Lake netted some Hooded Mergansers

and something I had never seen before, an Osage Orange tree.

 

Maclura pomifera, commonly known as the Osage orange (/ˈoʊseɪdʒ/ OH-sayj), is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, native to the south-central United States. It typically grows about 8 to 15 metres (30–50 ft) tall. The distinctive fruit, a multiple fruit, is roughly spherical, bumpy, 8 to 15 centimetres (3–6 in) in diameter, and turns bright yellow-green in the fall. The fruits secrete a sticky white latex when cut or damaged. Despite the name "Osage orange",^[5] it is not related to the orange.^[6] It is a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae.^[7] Due to its latex secretions and woody pulp, the fruit is typically not eaten by humans and rarely by foraging animals. from Wikipedia.

I had never heard of it before, Rick identified it.

In spite of what Wikipedia said, I only noticed it because

a squirrel was eating the fruit.

Closer to home, a Red-tailed Hawk taking off from my pine tree. Photo by Rick.

and finally Cigi, who thinks plum sauce is a beverage.