Winter in Algonquin: Visitor Centre and Opeongo Road
February 7th, 2017
At the Visitor Centre I had some welcome hot food, then headed to the viewing platform to check out the famous feeders. They usually have a flock of Evening Grosbeaks in winter, but on this afternoon it was goldfinches, plus the odd redpoll and siskin.
1680x1050 wallpaper
I enjoyed the sight of goldfinches crowding into the surrounding trees waiting their turns.
Another interesting but very distant (too distant for pictures) sight from the platform was a moose carcass being fed on by a red fox. The moose had been road-killed, and park staff put it out in the valley for the benefit of scavengers. So far a fisher, a marten, the fox, ravens, wolves, and a Bald Eagle have all been seen at the carcass! The scavenger-fest (if it's still on by the time I post this) can be viewed on live webcam at the Algonquin Park website.
After lunch we headed to Opeongo Road, where, at the junction where the road is gated off, we were met by another friendly, hungry group of Gray Jays. This time I decided to photograph the action. I found this kind of photography very rewarding--capturing the joy on peoples' faces as birds alight on their hand with complete trust.
That's "WOSLROWR" (white over standard left, red over white right), the just one-year-old territorial female of Cameron Lake Road.
Her six-year old mate.
1680x1050 wallpaper
"GOBLBOSR" (green over blue left, blue over standard right) - an unrelated male in the same territory. He was probably originally evicted from his natal territory. A pair may be willing to "adopt" an unrelated jay if they have no surviving offspring. He will stay with them for a little while until he can find a place to call his own.
Don't forget the chickadees!
February 7th, 2017
At the Visitor Centre I had some welcome hot food, then headed to the viewing platform to check out the famous feeders. They usually have a flock of Evening Grosbeaks in winter, but on this afternoon it was goldfinches, plus the odd redpoll and siskin.
1680x1050 wallpaper
I enjoyed the sight of goldfinches crowding into the surrounding trees waiting their turns.
Another interesting but very distant (too distant for pictures) sight from the platform was a moose carcass being fed on by a red fox. The moose had been road-killed, and park staff put it out in the valley for the benefit of scavengers. So far a fisher, a marten, the fox, ravens, wolves, and a Bald Eagle have all been seen at the carcass! The scavenger-fest (if it's still on by the time I post this) can be viewed on live webcam at the Algonquin Park website.
After lunch we headed to Opeongo Road, where, at the junction where the road is gated off, we were met by another friendly, hungry group of Gray Jays. This time I decided to photograph the action. I found this kind of photography very rewarding--capturing the joy on peoples' faces as birds alight on their hand with complete trust.
That's "WOSLROWR" (white over standard left, red over white right), the just one-year-old territorial female of Cameron Lake Road.
Her six-year old mate.
1680x1050 wallpaper
"GOBLBOSR" (green over blue left, blue over standard right) - an unrelated male in the same territory. He was probably originally evicted from his natal territory. A pair may be willing to "adopt" an unrelated jay if they have no surviving offspring. He will stay with them for a little while until he can find a place to call his own.
Don't forget the chickadees!
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mustangsallie
February 9th, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Wow, wow and WOW!!!