20150603 Trip to French River, Burwash, Hwy 522 Pond Part Two

This is a continuation of today’s earlier post recording my adventures on Wednesday.

One the way back from Burwash, I saw some nice displays along the side of the road…

A bunch of unpronounceable Sisyrinchium angustifolium, member of the Iris family.

and a very early example of Yellow Hawkweed in a hot microclimate.

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While stopping to observe a beaver eating a maple branch at a roadside pond ( just east of the Grundy Lake park entrance), I noticed a critter in the grass.

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American Bittern in classic pose.  I heard its ca-klunk  sound.  You can hear that sound by clicking on this link.

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Then I saw something that I’d never seen before … a  male Bittern in mating display

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A hundred feet away was the hen…

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Here are the two, top right, mid left.

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I looked for a while to get that link of a male Bittern in Display.

I found it at at author Mary Holland’s Naturally Curious blog.  A great resource.  I am pleased that I found it.

Then I just had to get a pic of the Canadian Beaver nibbling on its maple branch.

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Moving to the east, the yellow waterlilies were emerging

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And this turtle obliged by giving a nice 1/3 focus point in this nice reflective scene.

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This time, a fly contemplating yellow:

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Further east we say an inbound beaver carrying brush passing an outbound beaver traveling light.

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The object of the beavers’ work.  4 were on the job.

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The lookout gave the warning!

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Then this beaver came back with another load …

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and dove to continue the job of plugging  up the culvert.

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A hundred feet away this tree is still standing, having been girdled several weeks ago.   If there is a strong North Wind it will block the highway.

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On the way home we stopped to observe dragonflies

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and see the last of the marsh marigolds

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and the first of the Canada Anemone:

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And this little racing striped rodent eating juniper seeds.

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A full day!

2 thoughts on “20150603 Trip to French River, Burwash, Hwy 522 Pond Part Two

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