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Just when I think I've seen all the different Sparrows that come a visiting on my property, a new one arrives....this one is a Field Sparrow
Thank you most kindly for stopping by to view my work.
If you find you have a few words to say about what I have done they will much appreciated.
My best regards to you.... Martin
Oban on 9 April 2022.
On the left is BF80 'Reliance', built in Macduff and registered in Banff in 1988. The 18.1 metre long wooden hulled vessel is of 126 ton gross tonnage and powered by a 680bhp Mitsubishi engine.
OB19 is named Mary Manson, whose administrative port is Oban, home port Tobermory (Isle of Mull). The 17.8 metre long vessel has a registered tonnage of 40 and was built in 1970.
Chessie Cat 4017 leads SR94 at pole number 21/30 at Limerock, NY on September 12, 1985. The designation on the pole stood for MP21, pole #30. Bill will correct me if that is wrong. That looks like it could be Wendell & Don in the lead unit. Possibly Jesse in the 2nd unit. Been a looonnnggg time.
CN's Toronto - Sarnia train #81 approaches Frank Lane, between Hyde Park and Komoka, behind GP40 4017. The weather is till cool enough to warrant the use of a steam generator car. Note the unusual livery of the baggage car. This was painted in this way for use with the stainless steel ex-Reading 'Crusader' cars which CN purchased in the 1960s.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
New Jersey
As this Osprey heads for impact with the water below, I think of the impact we have had on them. This species will forever be tied to the conservation movement that started in the 1950's. Think or even better read about Rachel Carson and her role in wildlife conservation, if your unfamiliar with it.
For instance did you know she was only 57 when she passed and is considered by many to be the mother of our modern day conservation efforts? "Silent Spring" Rachels 1962 book was an awakening to the world of wildlife conservation and an amazing gift to all of us who love it....
Once an Osprey learns how to fish, pretty much all they need is a healthy habitat and fish. In the northern parts of the US this species is migratory, arriving as early as late March with most birds usually heading south again by October, although we often still see a few staying into November in warmer years.
By the 1950's and 60's the Osprey's numbers and breeding success (along with many other species) was being severely impacted by synthetic pesticides and it was discovered that one called DDT was the main culprit. It built up in their systems and inhibited the absorption of calcium, which caused the thinning of the it's eggs.
For younger viewers and birders who may be unfamiliar with this, there is some wonderful information available at this link for further reading.
Emperor Goose posing nicely.....
The emperor goose (Anser canagicus), also known as the beach goose[ or the painted goose] is a waterfowl species in the family Anatidae, which contains the ducks, geese, and swans. In summer, the emperor goose is found in remote coastal areas near the Bering Sea in arctic and sub-arctic Alaska and the Russian Far East, where it breeds in monogamous pairs. It migrates south to winter in ice-free mudflats and coasts in Alaska, mostly the Aleutian Islands, and Canada's British Columbia, rarely reaching the contiguous United States. Listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the species' population is declining due to threats such as pollution, hunting, and climate change.