More swans and dog walking

 Rick had seen swans on a pond behind the Aylmer police college before, so we went to see how many were there.

When he was here before, the swans filled the air with 100s of them landing and taking off.

 

There were a lot in the water but none in the air. It was very windy and maybe that had them grounded (or ponded)

We walked around to the 4 different lookout areas. Just swans and geese, we didn't see any other waterfowl.

We had driven this far so continued down to the lake and drove around Port Stanley and Port Burwell

where a tug was out in the harbour entrance using its engine to move the silt and dredge the river entrance.

Port Burwell lighthouse.

On the way home we passed the damaged windmill. It happened during the big storms the previous week. The motor and blades fell to the ground. Unknown whether it was the high winds or perhaps a lightning strike.

Ducks are back on the Bay.

I love it when the lake is calm enough that they leave these long, watery, vees.

Looking after Ruby for a few weeks and that means

some walks on the Backus trails.

So many furry coyote scat that I can't believe there are any rabbits left.

Spring is trying but

bu the nights are still crisp enough for some clear stars. Horsehead Nebula, photo by Rick.

Spring Swans

 Huge vees of Swans are frequently flying overhead so Rick and I decided to go and search them out.

First stop was Port Dover pier just to see if there were any interesting ducks, but no, just the usual congregation of gulls.

 

Masses of them on the ice by the beach looked like piles of snowballs.

Down to the Port Rowan harbor and we were able to see the Red Throated Loon that had been mentioned on Facebook.

The red-throated loon (North America) or red-throated diver (Britain and Ireland) (Gavia stellata) is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. The most widely distributed member of the loon or diver family, it breeds primarily in Arctic regions, and winters in northern coastal waters. Ranging from 55 to 67 centimetres (22 to 26 in) in length, the red-throated loon is the smallest and lightest of the world's loons. In winter, it is a nondescript bird, greyish above fading to white below. During the breeding season, it acquires the distinctive reddish throat patch which is the basis for its common name. From Wikipedia.

He has been in Port Rowan for a few days now. Maybe resting up before continuing his journey north. I have to assume that he will get his red throat when he gets there. I have never, knowingly, seen one before.

From the harbor we could see that there were Swans further east

 

so we walked over to

get a better view

Black bill and black legs could be a Trumpeter Swan or a Tundra Swan.

Seems the Tundra Swan has yellow at the base of the bill. Well they were too far away to see that. The Trumpeter honks and the Tundra whistles. The noise they were making didn't sound like either of those. Oh well, nonspecific Swans.

Down to the causeway and all we saw was a couple of Sandhill Cranes

when we walked the, rather mucky, path

around the marsh.

Out on the bay, more Swans

and a couple closer in.

Hmmm, yellow beak with a bump at the base - Mute Swan

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species.^[2][3][4] Measuring 125 to 160 cm (49 to 63 in) in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange beak bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the beak, which is larger in males. from Wikipedia.

The bay in front of my place in Port Dover is open water so I was surprised to see the ice mounds and ice out into the lake on Long Point Beach.

 

A short walk then back in the car

to see what was on Silver Lake. A single Mute Swan, Red Headed Ducks

and some others that I haven't been able to identify.

It was nice driving around in the spring like weather and seeing what was stirring. My feeders at home have seen Red Wing Blackbirds, Cardinals, Juncos, Chickadees, Finches, Starlings, Grackles, Mourning Doves and a Downy Woodpecker. Robins on the grass too!

Arizona - final day. Liberty Wildlife Refuge

 We had a deadline to return the rental car so were up early, packed the car and dove into Phoenix.

Over the first range of mountains and we were seeing the Saguaro cactus again, they didn't seem to grow around Clarkdale.

 

These were George's favorite cactus (not everyone has a "favorite cactus", but he did) always wanting to have his picture taken beside one. I think they were the quintessential cactus of the Western movies that he enjoyed .

The saguaro (/səˈ(ɡ)wɑːroʊ/ sə-(G)WAR-oh,^[5] Spanish: [saˈɣwaɾo]; Carnegiea gigantea) is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea that can grow to be over 12 meters (40 feet) tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona. Its scientific name is given in honor of Andrew Carnegie. In 1933, Saguaro National Park, near Tucson, Arizona, was designated to help protect this species and its habitat.

Some saguaros are cristate or "crested" due to fasciation.

A house sparrow nesting on a saguaro cactus

Saguaros have a relatively long lifespan, often exceeding 150 years. They may grow their first side arm around 75–100 years of age, but some never grow any arms. Arms are developed to increase the plant's reproductive capacity, as more apices lead to more flowers and fruit. A saguaro can absorb and store considerable amounts of rainwater, visibly expanding in the process, while slowly using the stored water as needed. This characteristic enables the saguaro to survive during periods of drought. It is a keystone species, and provides food and habitat to a large number of species.from wikipedia.

We dropped out luggage off at our hotel, returned the car and got an Uber to

Having talked to the handler of the Bald Eagle the previous day we thought this would be an interesting way to spend the time before we could check in at the hotel.

 

Lots of information and knowledgeable staff and volunteers.

Bald Eagle. The wildlife had all been bought in due to injury of being orphaned. Many of the birds had wing injuries and could not be returned to the wild. They return as many as they can and are also part of re-establishing populations.

None of the pictures of the California Condors (in cages, too huge to handle) turned out but they had a close relative out, a Turkey Vulture.

Those birds that can't be returned to the wild may be trained for handling and then used in the education programs.

Peregrine Falcon. So nice to see them up close.

Great Horned Owl

Swainsons Hawk.

He really seemed to like the attention and

kept posing as if

he was doing a magazine layout.

They didn't just have birds: squirrels, turtles, lizards

and lots of snakes.

Pizza for dinner at the hotel while watching the Oscars and the next day the trip home and back to a cold Ontario with a bit of snow still on the ground and spring just around the corner.