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Friday 17 August 2012

Bald Headed Blue Jays

Something I've never seen before - hideous looking skeletal headed Blue Jays in their molting stage. This is a creepy and humourous sight lately as it seems to be molting season for them all over the place. There were a few at Halls Rd. and quite a few at Lynde Shores.

We did a recent Sunday walk, mid day, from Halls Rd. down along the shoreline and into the back of Cranberry Marsh, up to the lookout over the Marsh. The frogs were yet again a prevalent sight, as were the cormorants and snowy egrets and great blue herons. We also had the lucky chance to see a merlin perched above us on a branch. We thought it was a Kestrel at first but soon learned from a bird watching community that it was a Merlin.

An exciting and very unexpected surprise encounter that day occurred with a mom and 2 baby deer. As we walked back up the path that comes from the shoreline back into the main path at Halls Rd., there is an apple tree at the cross path spot. I had almost reached the tree when a large doe suddenly leaped out from the edge of the path into the gravel path about 5 ft from me. She stared for a second then disappeared into the edge on the other side. We could not believe seeing her at that time of day and also with the amount of people who had been coming and going in that well known area. Usually we have to go early in the am to see the deer. Most likely, they were eating the apples off the tree, many of which littered the ground. I realized she'd have to cross over the other branch of the path on the right, up ahead, so I readied my camera and as I reached that path, I saw her appear from the bush, along with a fawn, then a second fawn. They were fast so I got a couple shots but they moved so fast I failed to get a clear image of the 1 fawn. It was amazing to get to see them so close and to hear their hooves on the gravel as they jumped away. There were people up ahead, sitting on the wooden overlook to the marsh, and they were totally oblivious to the fact that the deer were right behind them.











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