SEE PHOTOS OF BONA DEA FEATURES AND PLANTS & WILDLIFE AT LINKS BELOW.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Bona Dea Update


Bona Dea was sunny today. But it was a little windy. On the Hwy by the park, I saw a dead Opposum on the road as it had been hit by a vehicle. For those who have never seen one a photo is here. Passing the old snag in Lake Darkanelle, I saw again the lonely Double-crested Cormorant. On the Swinging Bridge trail, I saw Black-capped Chickedees and Bushtits as I did yesterday. Also heard a male Northern Cardinal just singing away in the top of a tree but could not find him. Robins were on the ground around the park as usual. On the north end of Waldon Pond a Great Blue Heron was flying over and started to land behind some trees and then suddenly 2 of them fly straight up and few off together. They either were mates are one was chasing the other off. The spillway was running pretty good and Prarie Creek was getting back to normal levels after the Corps of Engineers had completed their cleaning out process mentioned in previous posts. At the spillway 3 of 4 Blue Teal ducks landed in the creek. They fly really low and fast and they land very fast. The Turkey Vulchers and Gulls were flying overhead as usual. At the spillway a gray squirrl saw me and made every effort to avoid me by staying as close to the creek as it could to pass by. I have added a YouTube feature at the bottom of this page for videos I have taken at the park and others to add later on. This saves having to use the complicated procedure I had set up before. A pair of Canadian Geese flew over and landed in Waldon Pond instead of Black Water Swamp for a change. I think it is getting the time of year where the pairs are starting to divide from the group for mating and nesting purposes. Spring is almost here.

8 comments:

VKT said...

Your post is lovely John....thanks for steering me to it. My lot is very woodsy and well liked by possums!

heather@actingbalanced.com said...

this is such a neat record of the changing face of your park! Glad to be stopping by because I found you on Networked Blogs - please check out my blogs at:

http://actingbalanced.blogspot.com
http://couponning101.blogspot.com

if you have the time and inclination!

You have a new follower :)

John said...

Hello VKT. I feed the birds at my house and the possums get in the fenced area and clean up on what the birds leave on the ground. But people seem to just run over them when they get in the roadway. Thanks for visiting my site.

John said...

Hello Mom. Thanks for visiting too. I will be sure to check out your blogs and follow you too. Come back when you get a chance. This spring should start the mammals and other critters stirring about. Hopefully the aligator will come back. There used to be 2 and they caught one.

Anonymous said...

I felt like you were writing to me directly in the line: "For those who have never seen one [possum] a photo is here." Yes, I've never seen one! :)

Just curious. I'm amazed at how you know bird names, and can tell one species from another. Are you an ornithologist or just an avid birdwatcher?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for following me! I thought I would stop by & check your page out! Very nice, I'm following you back now! <3 Cheers & take care!

John said...

AJ, I am just a nature lover in general. If I see a creature, bird or whatever, and can't ID it, I have to research until I find it. I sometimes e-mail experts in the field to get their take. I will be glad when Spring gets here in a few weeks so the animals will start moving around. The birds are out in the winter and the migrating ones come through here in winter. So it is just mainly birds for right now.

John said...

Thanks for your comment E.L.M. Come back from time to time especially in a few weeks when the hybernating creatures start to wake up and move around.