From the (but not always) File : Bobcat 9/29/2023

   Yesterday just before noon as I stepped out the front door with my dog Nico, I noticed a large brownish cat a few feet from the driveway.  Nico, who was focused on a squirrel, didn't notice that a Bobcat also was interested in the same squirrel. 

   Fortunately my camera was around my neck and I was able to fire off a few shots as the wildcat rose to stalk the squirrel.  

   At that point Nico took notice and abruptly the mission of both cat and dog changed as they renewed the classic ancient rivalry.  Nico sprinted toward the Bobcat who in turn high-tailed it to the tree-line out of the dog's range. 

  Bobcats range in size from 15 to 30 pounds but looks must be deceiving because this thing looked way more than 3 times bigger than my 11 pound cat.

  On second thought their heads appear to be the same size.

Some Days You're the Vulture....

....and some days you're the raccoon. 

 
  On a more photogenic note, on April 24 I had three Common Loons fly low over the house and was able to get some decent photos as they zipped by.

Harlequin and other Ducks 3/14/2019

   The Harlequin Duck shown above has been seen off and on at my work site since December.  Earlier this week a Surf Scoter was seen at Ludington State Park.  But my searches the past couple of days only yielded Scoters of the White-winged variety.

   The Barrow's Golden-eye found by Linda Scribner early this winter in Manistee is being seen almost daily. Below is a photo taken in early February.

    

Coyote at my work.

Leave It To This Guy

  Hang on tight, this post is going every, any, and no where all at once.

  Over a three day period starting last Wednesday, I spent almost three hours on a stake out of a Red-necked Grebe in the Big Sable River in Ludington State Park.  I'm not sure about the lung capacity of this bird but over that three hour period I saw it above the water for a total of about 5 minutes.

  While I waited for the Grebe to resurface, I saw a pair of large flat-tailed semi-aquatic rodents that were unwavering in their dedication to their task.

    Also seen on the river were paired-up ducks

Green-winged Teals

Buffleheads

   With the lingering cold weather, Common Loons have been lingering as well.  Sunday the morning low was 23 F.  By noon it was up to 37 F and at my work site I found over a dozen Loons..... 

 ....and a handful of Horned Grebes.

Hey,  I don't do that in your reservoir.

    Late this morning I found a Snowy Owl just one day before tying the late date for the county.

    Meanwhile back at home,  Chipping Sparrows finally arrived for the spring.  

    Also a Northern Harrier zipped by this morning.

    As I get older and my visual acuity weakens, identifying birds becomes more challenging.  Thankfully Turkey Vultures uncannily have been flying lower so that I can get a closer look.

Now Where Were We.

 It has been a couple weeks since the last update.  Here are a few photos coinciding with winter's end.

Purple Finch at my house

Red Breasted Merganser at Pt Mouillee

Horned Grebe at Ludington Harbor

Marlboro Man looking for a light

Ludington Light

New Yardbirds (#116)....Cedar Waxwings

Sure sign of spring....Tundra Swans

Venus and Mercury with Little Sable Lighthouse

   From before the days of Aristotle it was thought that certain animals spontaneously generated under the right conditions.  It wasn't until the mid-19th century, through the work of Louis Pasteur and John Tyndall, that fruitflies, mice and raccoons stopped materializing from decaying fruit, grain and sunflower seeds respectively.  I imagine the recipe went something like this.......

   Step 1- Place sunflower seeds in large container with unsecured lid

   Step 2 -Leave overnight in cool dark area.

   Step 3 -Enjoy

Note : For Black Bear replace seeds with Broasted Chicken then place in a restaurant dumpster instead of garbage can

                

   A party can still spontaneously arise when a dog wears a hat.  Whether he gets invited to the party is another matter.

Bobcat Cold Wait

   A call from Dave Dister early this afternoon had me running out the door before the conversation was over.  Dave found a sleeping Bobcat about 40' up in a tree, 200 feet east of Dennis Rd. in Victory Township.   My wife and I headed right out there to find the dozing cat with its backside pointed toward the road. 

   The cats that I've known personally can sleep 12 hours straight without a break(?), so I knew it might get pretty frustrating waiting for the big guy to present his better side.  We ended up spending about half an hour watching the Bobcat with just some slight repositioning but never showing its face or even more than one ear.  After a quick drive around the area we returned to find that it had stirred and was now facing the road with the muted sun illuminating its sleeping face.

   I was even able to get some shots of it with its sleepy eyes half open.

  Although other people have seen one at my worksite, this is the first live one that I've ever seen,

Late Monarch plus birds this week

I was surprised to see a very late Monarch Butterfly this afternoon at Ludington State Park.

  Also at the park today was a small group of Buffleheads

  Earlier in the week out on the south pier of Ludington Harbor I saw this Merlin

This Dunlin

  and this Sanderling

  At Buttersville Park there was a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

  and a few Tree Sparrows.

   Back at the State Park  I saw this standoffish Red Squirrel

As I watched him on the stage my hands were clenched in fists of rage