Ahhh...The Cottage Life!: forest

Showing posts with label forest. Show all posts

Can you see him? Camera Critters

Posted by Lorac Saturday, 25 September 2010 12 comments

While driving up to my sons, a few klm's north of here, I saw a huge bird on the side of the road eating road kill. As I past I realized it was a Turkey Buzzard. I went back but it flew up into the forest. Can you see him? How many times would one drive by and never see him sitting as he is?

He has seen me, I don't want to spook him.

Let me bring him a little closer.

Very ugly up close, but beautiful in flight, the Turkey Buzzard (Vulture) is a large bird. It has a wingspan of 170–183 cm (67–72 in), a length of 64–81 cm (25–32 in), and weight of 0.85–2.26 kg (1.9–5 lb). It has dark brown to black plumage; a featherless, purplish-red head and neck; and a short, hooked, ivory-colored beak. Its life expectancy in the wild ranges upward of 16 years, with a captive life span of over 30 years being possible.

The Turkey Buzzard is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its meals using its keen vision and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals.
Natures natural road side cleaner!
Many more Camera Critters here!

Fall in Ontario, forest, Ragged Falls, Turkey Buzzards | |

A walk in the Forest

Posted by Lorac Friday, 8 January 2010 2 comments

There is a forest behind my house. I used to frequently walk there and the kids all took hikes and played in the woods. I hadn't been back there in some time and decided it was time. I had a wonderful walk, all by myself. It is just isolated enough to be a little scary walking alone. ( I like that!) Not fear of humans but more so animals. There are many coyote, fox and the occasional wolf. There has not been anyone attacked back there but still when you cross the fresh tracks of a pack of coyotes it makes you pause. I did pick up a big stick!

There are some paths that the snowmobiles use but haven't heard any recently. It is predominately hard wood but of course we have the towering white pine that we are known for in the hills, some spruce and cedar too.

The Dog Wood adds a pretty splash of crimson colour to the landscape. When I started this walk it was very sunny. It has gone form sunny to cloudy to partially cloudy in just an hour.

I have always had a fondness for cattails or bulrushes. There seed is spread on the winds and there was many fluffy white seed blowing around.

Silver Creek blends into the forest floor. It is completely frozen over and now is a pathway for the animals to walk for a long stretch with out brush to dodge around. There were many paw prints in the snow.