Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Wheatley, July 17-19 2015

 This was a true summer weekend. Hazy, hot and humid. We were fortunate to have a nice shady campsite by the marsh with a nice breeze most of the weekend. If you went out into other parts of the park it was quite HOT. Unfortunately the bacteria levels were high in the lake so there was no swimming at the beach. The water level is up 2 feet so there is not much beach area left for our strolls along the water. The erosion damage along the shore was hard to believe. Saturday we drove to Kingsville to go to the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary. It was interesting to learn about all that he had done for bird conservancy. We were able to see a few different birds that they take care of on the property. We did a tour of the Kingsville and then stopped in Leamington at the Lakeside Cafe for a late lunch. On our way back to the park we found a Bald Eagle sitting up in a tree at the Wheatley harbour. That is the closest we have been to one and it was great to observe it for awhile. The robins were trying to scare it away but it wasn't working. At one point an Osprey flew at it as well but it did not faze the eagle at all. We enjoyed two nice evenings watching the campfire for a distance as it was to warm to be close to it. We had the opportunity to enjoy a Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker and her two young ones at our site over the weekend and on Sunday a Red-breasted Woodpecker with her young one was there for awhile. Always something interesting to see when we are there. I enjoyed a hike each morning before it got to hot. Saturday evening we saw a doe and her two fawns enjoying an evening snack along one of the park roads. I have yet to get any pictures of herons this year. Wheatley is usually a good spot to watch them but I only saw them fly by our site once and they were not at the creek area at anytime that we were there. I will have to keep trying to find some as they are amazing to watch when they are looking for food in the water. It was another enjoyable adventure and we are looking forward to the family reunion in Arris this weekend. May the luck of the Irish be with us as we celebrate family.

It was too hot for bunny to stand to eat
 
Narrow beach and bank erosion

Manly looking fungus...

Wee Robin just out of the nest napping

Something has eaten all the green from the leaves

Admiral Butterfly resting on the road

Spiders web in the morning light

Flowering milkweed with a milkweed bug
 
Mom Yellow Shafted Northern Flicker and her 2 young

Young Flicker visiting our campsite

Yellow feathers on the wings and tail

Doe keeping her eyes on me

The twin fawns are getting big

Always some kind of wildflowers to enjoy

Young Red-breasted Woodpecker looking for bugs

Their tongues can get under the tree bark
 
Bald Eagle eyeing the area

Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary

Amazing colours on the male Peacock

Baby Peacock

Ty Cobb was a good friend of Jack Miner
and visited quite often
 
Young Guinea Hen Checking me out
 
Old Wagon on the property

Female Peacock trying to keep cool in the dirt


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