~Ducky Days~

~Late Autumn at Iroquois NWR~

 

American Coots

 

 

 

Canada Geese along Feeder Road

American Coots 

~Pied-billed Grebes at Tillman Swamps~

 

 

 

 

~Wooly Bear~

The “wooly bear” is actually the freeze-tolerant final instar caterpillar of the common tiger moth Pyrrharctia isabella.

 

 

~Crow attacks nest~

Red-winged Blackbirds scattered among the reeds along the edge of the marsh, when a crow flies in at attacks a nest, flying away with a baby. Only then did the adult Red-wings take wing and attack the fleeing crow who successfully escaped with its prize.

 

 

 

 

~Akron Falls State Park~

Remember the old metal slides that gave you a really fast slide? They're still here!

 

 

~Canadian goslings~

 

How cute is this?  And the wing sprouts are so tiny~

 

Mama goose mantles her goslings at Tillman Swamp

 

a pair at Iroquois NWR

 

and another pair leading their new family to water

~Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron and Red-winged Blackbird~

at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

~Mama Robin takes a bath while dad guards the nest~

Daddy Robin stands guard near the nest

while mama takes a quick refreshing bath

and late in the afternoon, there were still just three eggs in the nest

~the Robin's Easter Basket~

It's been a wet week but at least the nest was out of the elements, tucked in a corner of the balcony. The mud finally set enough so momma Robin could line the nest with grasses.

By 4/23/11 there were two eggs!

and on Easter Day, 4/24/11, a third egg!  We don't disturb her to get these shots.  She leaves the nest occasionally and we try to catch that few minutes to grab the camera for these shots.  Though daddy robins don't usually help with the incubating, we did see him on the nest and momma flew off for a break. 

~Robin nest~

She did a lot of work building up the nest today even though yesterday's mud was still quite wet. As you can see in the above pic, she is now lining the nest.   After a few hours work early in the day, she goes back to her regular life in the yard.  Weirdly, it is snowing here in Buffalo, though it is mid-April.