Out of the Mouse Nest...or Fifty Ways to Serve Shredded Wheat: nature

Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Eagle River, Alaska: One and a Half Years Ago

Trumpeter vs. Tundra Swans at Canandaigua City Pier, Canandaigua, New York

I made a stop down to the City Pier in Canandaigua this afternoon to try and catch up with some previously reported trumpeter swans. Last month I saw a couple swans at the City Pier in Canandaigua. I believed them to be tundra swans due to the lack of a V on the forehead, and I neglected to try and get closer for a better view, and of course did not have my camera. One of them had a yellow wing tag, which after investigation, I learned that trumpeter swans are commonly tagged in Ontario with yellow wing tags not tundra swans. Well, that was last month. I am still curious about this wing tag thing and would love some input as to whether or not tundras are tagged in this manner as well.

Anyway, so today at the pier I saw 6 swans...all sleeping with their heads tucked in ...so I waited. Eventually they began to stir and I was able to determine that the group of three situated on the ice within the channel to the boat docks were trumpeters, with one dark and lovely juvenile. The three swans at the end of the rock break wall further from the pier are the tundras. You can just make out the presence of a yellow lore on the tundra swan on the right, the other two appear to have no yellow lores. It was fun to watch them awake, preen, drink water and then slip in to the icy water to feed. Seeing both species together gave me a nice opportunity to compare and contrast their differences.

Trumpeters awakening

Trumpeters preening

Tundras on the other side of the opening in the ice beginning to stir as well

Trumpeter in foreground with tundra swans in the background at the end of the breakwall

Tundras 2 and 3

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Allegany State Park: Program Site 62, Bridal Falls

I have been to Allegany quite a few times in the winter, but have not really explored other areas outside of what I already know. This time, along with my husband on our one year anniversary outing to Allegany, he suggested we try what looked like a small trail off of a pull off along Route 1 in the park. Located at Program Site 62, this is what we later came to find out was where Bridal Falls is located. As soon as we hit the trail, I knew this was going to be good. The forest was prime for fungus, moss, lichens, and other bryophyte friends. I just love that stuff. What's more...there was a lovely creek and a waterfall. Everyone loves waterfalls.

Some young Coral Fungus

Bridal Falls

I love this crap. Could peer into it all day. Moss and fungus and their allies are something that fascinate more than most things, and oddly I feel little need to classify and identify it like everything else out there. I just like to enjoy it. I say that knowing that I am anxiously awaiting a shipment of books on bryophytes, moss, and lichens that I was long overdue on ordering. I guess deep down I am always on a "need to know" basis with the forest.