A Wild Life

This after noon I went down to the park to see what was down there. It was a nice sunny day but there was a sheet of ice on the ground so I had to walk carefully to make sure I did not slip and fall. It was high tide when I was on my way down to the park. I saw a lesser scaup in the harbor and some black turnstones and surfbirds on sage rock. I walked down to the visitor center and just after I had walked in to the forest I ran in to a friend and we talked a little bit she told me that she had seen the female eurasian wigeon and the spotted sandpiper. After we talked I walked out to one of the view points on the ocean side of the park. I sat on a rock and looked through my binoculars at the birds on the water I saw red necked grebe a horned grebe some harlequins and some buffleheads. While I was looking out towards the airport run way I saw a fairly good sized bird out there in the water I took some photos of and sat and watched it for a while then took some more photos of it then I lost track of it and did not see it again. It looked like a western grebe to me but I walked on down the trail in the park to the end of the park. I walked on the beach at the end of the park and the went up the trail by the river. There were a lot of ducks in the estuary. I saw at least 20 mallards three gadwalls about five or so american wigeons and the eurasian wigeon and the wood duck as well as a couple of trumpeter swans. After I was done there I walked up and looked for the rusty blackbird. I looked but did not find it. After that I went back to the visitor center side of the park and looked for the western grebe but did not see it the I went home.

1. Question where did the grebe go?
2. Question where was the rusty blackbird?
3. Question will I reach my goal of two hundred bird by the end of next year?

Happy new year.

This morning grams, Rowan and, I went and took some stuff to the good will and some books to the library. Half way through the stuff we were doing we dropped Rowan off so she could go and do her outside time. After grams and I had finished dropping off stuff we went home. Just after I had gotten in side I got a text from dad say that there was a rusty blackbird down at the park by the big foot bridge so I left and went down there. On my way down there though dad called and asked me to go and get Rowan’s camera if I was not to far away form the house, so I turned around and went home and got Rowan’s camera. On my way back tords the park I ran in to Rowan I gave her her camera and we headed to the park to see the rusty blackbird together. Once we got down to the foot bridge we saw dad standing on the bridge and looking at the bird. Rowan and I went up the bridge and we saw the bird sitting in the bushes. Rowan and I got our cameras out and started to take photos of the rusty blackbird. We watched it for a while then some more people showed up to see the rusty blackbird. It was starting to rain but it was nice to talk to the people so the rain did not bother me. We sat on the bridge and watched the rusty blackbird and talked. After we had been talking for a while I saw a spotted sandpiper coming down the river. We took some photos of the spotted sandpiper and talked some more. Spotted sandpipers are not often seen here in the winter this bird was most likely the same bird that has been wintering in that area for the last two or three years. The rusty blackbird is rare any time of year but it is really rare this time of year. I hope I can find the rusty blackbird and the spotted sandpiper on the christmas bird count day. I was happy to get photos of the birds.

1. Question how long has the spotted sandpiper been here?
2. Question how long has the rusty blackbird been here?
3. Question how long will they both stay?                                     rusty blackbird at the park foot bridge                                   spotted sandpiper at the park foot bridge

Today when I went down to the park for the second time, it was cloudy and getting dark. When I was out on the breakwater, I saw a sea gull. When I was coming from the end of the breakwater, I heard a Great blue hereon and turned around to look and saw it flying over by the end. When I was in the park, someone wearing a headlamp and had a dog walked by me. When I was at the battle site bench, it was high tide and I saw some lights out on the water. When I was on a side trail by the trail by the river, I saw some sort of bag by the trash can. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some ducks on the other side of the river. When I was on my way back home, I saw a bright white light out on the water. When I was closer to home, I could see my breath in the air when I was under the street lights.
Why was the hereon flying by the end of the breakwater?
Where was the hereon coming from?
Why could I see my breath?

This morning I got up at seven to do some of my stuff before I went to check my traps. I needed to get up at seven this morning because I needed to do something and I needed to do it before I went to check my traps and my uncle was leaving later in the morning and I needed to make sure I had time to get the thing done and still have time to go up and check my traps. It was not very light when I left so I took my head lamp with me so I could see in the forest better. The ice was starting to melt so I had to be a little more careful not to brake through and fall in to the ponds. When I got to my first set I saw that there had been something there that took some of the bait. I had a trail camera set up there so I pulled the SD card and reset the trap and went up to the next set. It was starting to get a little bit lighter but I still kept my head lamp on so I could see a bit better. There was still some snow in places in the forest but for most of the forest the snow and ice was gone. I went on deeper in to the forest I went over some logs and past a creek and then I was at my second and last set. Once I got to where I could see the set I saw that there was something hanging there that was not the bait. Once I got a bit closer I could see that it was an american marten. I took care of the marten and reset the trap and took down the camera that I had set up at that set. Once I got home I looked at the SD card that I took from the camera that was at the first set and I had some videos of a marten taking the bait out the trap. Then I looked at the SD card from the camera that was at the set that caught the marten. When I looked at the card though there were photos or videos on there so I decided that the batteries were to low for the camera to trigger at night. Later in the day I skinned the marten.

1. Question was the marten I got on video the same one that I caught?
2. Question are there more marten where I trap?
3. Question will I catch another marten?

The other day I went to check some marten traps I had set out. Once I got there there was a half a squirrel in a trap I had set for weasels. Something had eaten part of it. and the bait was gone from my marten trap. I had been having something going and getting bait out of the marten trap for quite a while by that point and I even had a trail camera set up on it but it was not working so I took it home and switched it out for another one I had. I figured out that the one camera I had set up on it before would not work at night because the batteries were to low. The next day I went back up there and the bait was gone again but this time went I check the trail camera I saw that I had gotten photos of some thing. I switch cameras out and set the bait back up and went home. Once I got home I looked at the photos on the SD card and saw that the animal that had been taking my bait was a american marten. I was starting to think that there were no marten around that area but once I saw that photos on the camera of the marten taking the bait it gave me hope that I might caught one. The next day I went up there and fixed the snares that I am using in hopes that I will catch the marten. I set the snares up on a leaning pole or on a pole between to trees and set the bait  in the middle of the two snares. I made the snares about the size of my clenched fist and put it about three fingers high from the top of the log and had the anker wire wrapped around a small standing tree and had the snare loop hanging over the pole, but after I saw the marten push the snare aside I put the anker wire on the pole and had the snare going across the pole.

1. Question were did the marten go?
2. Question will I catch the marten?
3. Question were did the marten stash the food?

Today when I went down to the park, it was cloudy, a bit wet and windy. When I was out on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls. When I was coming back from the end of the breakwater, I saw some sort of seashell wedged into one of the cracks of the board walk. When I was in the park, I saw a Varied thrush on the side of the trail that flew away when I walked by. When I was out by the battle site bench, I saw some sea gulls. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some ducks on the other side of the river, and two ducks and one Gadwall flew from the side of the river I was on to the other side of the river. When I was on my way back home on the seawalk, I saw a bunch of shorebirds, some sea gulls, and one Black oystercatcher on sage rock. I watched the the shorebirds and black oystercater for a bit, then I walked back home.
How did that seashell get wedged into the crack of the boardwalk?
Why was that black oystercatcher on sage rock?
Why were there no other black oystercaters with the other black oystercatcher on sage rock?

Today when I went down to the park for the first time today, it was sunny and cold. When I was was walking out to the end of the breakwater, I saw a crow on one of the railings and it didn’t fly away when I walked past it. When I was out at the end of the breakwater, I saw some ducks out on the water. When I was in the park, I saw a raven in the trees. When I was nearing the battle site bench, I saw some Black oystercatchers and other shorebirds out on the beach by the water along with some crows. I stopped to take some photos of the black oystercatchers and after they flew off, I walked out onto the beach to see if I could get better photos of the other shorebirds. I walked out onto the beach sometimes stopping for a bit to get some photos of them just in case they flew off. I actually got really close to them and got some good photos of them, before I decided that I had gotten close enough and walked back to the trail scaring some crows that had flown in while I was taking photos of the birds. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some mergansers. When I was on my way back home, I saw some juncos, chickadees, a song sparrow and some other sparrow.
Why did the shorebirds not fly away when I got close to them?
Why were there no ducks in the river?
What was that other sparrow?

Today I went down to the park to see what was down there. It was not really raining when I left and it was fairly bright out side so I went to the park. It had haled and sleeted  before I left so it was a little slushy and slippery. I slipped a few times going out on to the breakwater but I did not fall. It was a little windy but on bad. Once I got to the visitor center there were a hole bunch of mallards out at the edge of the water. On my way down to the end of the park it started to rain again and it rained for the rest of the time I was down at the park.There were a bunch of gull at the end of the park and I was going to look through them but an eagle flew over and made them all fly away but some came back and land and I looked through them but I did not see any unusual gulls mixed in so I moved on. I saw some mallards and some gadwalls and some american wigeons in the estuary.  It was sleeting by the time I got home. I did not see any rare birds today.

1. Question why was it raining then it started to sleet on my way around the park?
2. Question why were there not very many ducks at the estuary?
3. Question where was the female eurasian wigeon? has it left by now?

today when I went down to the park for the second time today, it was raining harder than it had been the first time and it was also a bit windy. When I was out on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls and an eagle. When I was in the park, I saw some ducks out on the water. When I was nearing the battle site bench, I saw some crows, seagulls, and goldeneyes out on the beach and in the water. When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide, and I saw some more crows and seagulls out on the beach and in the water. When I was by the trail by the river, I saw some more seagulls out in the water. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some ducks, mergansers and a female goldeneye on the other side and in the middle of the river. When I was coming off the trail by the river, I heard a squirrel alarming. When I was on my way back home, I saw some crows and some juncos.
why was it raining harder?
Why was there only on goldeneye?
Why was the squirrel alarming?

Today when I went down to the park it was raining hard and was slippery. Connor let me use his Tracks so I hopefully wouldn’t slip. When I was on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls and ducks. When I was in the park, I saw a raven. when I was nearing the battle site bench, I saw some crows, seagulls and black oystercatchers out on the beach and in the water. When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide. While I was at the battle site bench, I saw some seagulls and heard some black oystercatchers. I also saw some crows flying up and dropping somethings onto the beach. When I was by the trail by the river, I saw some seagulls. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some ducks. When I was on my way back home I saw some ravens. I also saw one pigeon fly out of a tree in someone’s yard. When I was nearing home, I saw some juncos in someones yard and out on a road. I was lucky enough that I didn’t slip while I was walking today.
Why was it slippery?
What were the crows dropping?
Why was there only one pigeon?