Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Another Hike On The West Side Of The Vermilon River. A Post To SWF.

The west side of the River is not just river bank; it is wetlands on one side (opposite) as well as channels which run off the main river. These channels are dotted with little islands, which are both scenic and home to lots of wildlife. The trail which is an abandoned railway track runs right through the center, and as I have said before is an easy hike. 






The River is high so the channels are fairly noisy, and sometimes have their own little rapids. There is lots of food in the form of seeds and berries for the birds and squirrels which of course makes for an active food chain.

I had not seen any geese at all for a while, so this flight was a pleasant surprise. I expect they're coming in from further north, and are touching down for a rest.

I caught up with them in the wide area just before the rapids and got some close up shots.

Chickadees are hard to shoot in the forest because they're flighty. But they can be truly rewarding to follow as they give lots of opportunities for candid shots.

I have posted a shot of a Ruffled Grouse before but it was a close up and her tail was not visible. Unfortunately, her tail is not spread, but you can at least see it to appreciate her beauty. She's really stepping along as you can see from the raised foot.

I don't know whether this is a male or female Goldfinch.

I've been pursuing this flock for sometime, trying to get some close ups. They're Pine Siskens, not the first time I've seen one but not in this quantity.


We're really fortunate here to have both Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings. I ran into these guys on my way back.

The red under the tail indicates that they're Bohemians. Their wing colours are more extravagant than the Cedar Waxwing also.


.Yes this is a Red Squirrel, although his parentage from the front is questionable. He has a large red streak down his back. And of course what would life be like without Huegy, our Northern Crow.

22 comments:

  1. Your crow is looking mighty fine there. and the shot of the geese on the blue water is gorgeous!

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  2. Wonderful to see all your beautiful wildlife Gary... Lovely images as always and it really does look a stunning place to walk around.

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  3. Great series. You have a beautiful sky and lovely birds. My favorites are the waxwings and the grouse. Happy Skywatching!

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  4. Lovely shots! Especially I love the shots of the waxwings. We have them i Norway also, and I think they are of the most beutuful birds here. But I only see them during autumn, when they visit the gardens for the berries!

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  5. Look like you had a nice day, beautiful blue skies! Your squirrels look so healthy and well groomed, ours down here are so scraggly.

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  6. Yep, we are getting a little snow, but it's not accumulating!

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  7. Great collection of nature photos, how nice to watch them all preparing for the quiet season ahead

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  8. beautiful birding shots.

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  9. You had great light on many. The Crow is a looker!

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  10. Beautiful shots with nice birds.

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  11. WOW Gary!! These shots a wonderful! So much wildlife. I love the Squirrel, the Waxwings & your crow shot is brilliant!

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  12. Everytime you take a walk it amazes me to see the variety of wildlife you are privileged to see. How fortunate are you!!!!!! Great photos. Have a nice weekend. Mickie ;)

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  13. Beautiful birds and skies. I think I go for that up side down bird:-)

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  14. there is so much life on a river. and very different from that on a lake. I've lived along both, and prefer the river for many reasons. love the geese in flight shot, and the high-stepping ruffled grouse. great series as always Gary. wishing you and Boomer a happy weekend. there was ice on my pond this morning...

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  15. Hi there - I find it hard to believe that you see wax wings so often!

    The weather (and skies) around me are often very changeable - Melbourne is the largest city on the planet on a long East / West coast. As the weather patterns move E/W as well it means we get very changeable weather - or so the weather buff tell me!

    Cheers - Stewart M

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  16. You always have great captures to show. :)

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  17. Wonderful shots as always. That one of the geese in flight is magical!

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  18. Yes, another one who loves your pic of the flying geese!

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  19. Wonderful selection of birds and squirrel. I'm surprised to know that is a red squirrel.

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