Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery Catch-up, Past Two Days. Also, Cornfield Swans

Wow, what a spectacularly beautiful day it was today!  Didn't even need any birds, it just felt great to be outside. But we did have birds! And we had birds yesterday. Yesterday, I was ostensibly at the hatchery to walk one of our dogs. Here she is, Miss Shine, wondering how many more times I am going to stop to look at BIRDS!

Maybe if I stare down the trail, she'll take a hint.

     And, one more, because I can, and she's cute!

I think there are some birds over there you haven't stared at yet!

        Swallows were everywhere yesterday. They covered the ground, the cattails, the trees. These are all Tree Swallows, I believe, but there were also Barn, Bank, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.  

     Today swallow numbers were off by about 90 percent over yesterday. There were still quite a few around, Tree, Barn, and NRW, but we did not see any Bank Swallows today. We did get great looks at a cooperative Sora from the viewing platform, and we heard Sora call repeatedly throughout our visit.

     And, last but not least, over the past few weeks I have mentioned a few times the Trumpeter Swans standing in the cornfield at M43 and 40th Street in Van Buren County. Most of the time they were on the other side of a row of trees, or traffic or weather made it not very smart to try to stop for a photo. Then they disappeared for a week, and I figured my opportunity had passed. But this morning, there they were, almost on the corner, very close, and with no shrubbery between us.  They were close enough that even Bob, my allegedly non-birding husband, saw and remarked on them when he went by a little while later.

 

     So, what do you think? Ebird lists Trumpeter Swans as rare, and requests additional details for all sightings. I don't think it really applies to the WLFH swans, who have been extremely comfortable there for quite a few years now. But what about these guys, standing on a corner like they're counting cars?  Hmm.

 

And, one more, the Wolf Lake Trumpeters regard me curiously.

Please note, starting next week, the hatchery walk will start at 9:00 AM, since we are moving into landbird mode. Thanks! Bird on!