Friday, April 29, 2011

An Easter Update









Edith has brought us a nice Spring gift. Seven new arrivals. The last from the egg had a real struggle--we thought she was a goner. But with lots of prodding from mom, she made it to the water's edge and tonight she is just one of the gang.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

HAPPY EASTER



From Edith, the Treasure Island Goose, (Bert is on the night shift)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Bald Eagle Returns

The morning is off with a bang. We were having the morning cup of coffee and looking out over the front yard when the bald Eagle appeared--wham--on the lawn near the flag pole. We were thunderstruck at his instant appearance, and it took a moment or two to choose between the binoculars and the camera (sorry, it was the binoculars). He hesitated a moment and then took flight. It was then that we realized he had something rather large in his grasp. He flew effortlessly to the tree at the point and commenced his own version--I suppose--of morning refreshment. It took quite a bit of binocular gazing to even guess at the hapless victim. There were feathers--and we know the yard had blackbirds visiting--so that is our best guess.

The visit was capped in a most unusual way. We heard the alarm of a goose--and in came a very agitated goose right for the eagle. Most surprising. The goose won out in this confrontation--driving the eagle from his breakfast, and harrying him all the way toward the airport. We are now left with quite a pile of entrails on the branch at the point tree. I'll have to figure a way to get at them before they become a fly hatchery.

A most unusual beginning to a day on Treasure Island.

PS Two hours have passed. I love it when procrastination works! We now have a very large crow at the point tree finishing off what the Eagle left behind. Nothing goes to waste in the natural world.

PPS It is now evening and the remains of the remains fell from the limb to the top of the sea wall. All that was left was a beak and a spine. We can now see that this was a Coot. He was distinguished by the lure that was firmly driven through his beek--probably why he was in the yard instead of on the water. It was one of those worm lures--probably left snagged in a lily pad until our friend encountered it. Nature does have a way of weeding out the weak.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Kayaks Rule


Well, the lake is stirring, but not the big boats at the moment. We do have the bass boats, and we even saw our first waterskier over the weekend. However, the lake is mostly calm and free of boat wakes at this time of year--and the more timid forms of water fowl are still easily reached by kayak. We were out this morning and found white and grey heron, mute swans, lots of mud hens, and geese everywhere as they manned their nests on the south shore. The lily pads are still forming just under the surface. A perfect day to glide about and sample the new found Spring.