Thanks to Lise’s sister Gretchen and the listserves we got surf scoters last Friday. Our van is the repair shop getting fixed from the deer strike. Word came over the listserve that surf scoters were on Lake Lansing. Molly had our working car at swim practice. Luckily Gretchen was visiting. For some reason she wasn’t too interested in the scoters but she did let us use her car. Number 315 for me and 301 for Lise. I’m at 90% of the goal and Lise at 86% with 82.5% of the year gone. Unfortunately that red line keeps getting closer.
Between strange weather patterns and the normal fall migration, all kinds of things are popping up around the area. A cattle egret showed up at Lake Lansing after we left Friday. Also on Friday a pair of white winged scoters showed up and then left within an hour. Saturday I got out for a little bit hoping to catch something popping into Lake Lansing. No new species but I did get to watch a peregrine falcon harassing gulls for about a half hour. After half an hour the peregrine never took a gull. I would have expected better from one of the fastest birds alive. Capable of something like 200 mph in a dive. This one just flew back and forth over the gulls, spooking them up into the air. He chased a few of them around but never took one down. Maybe he was just screwing with them to keep them on their toes. Kind of what I have to occasionally do with Molly and Lindsay. It’s just gotta be done. Can’t let them get complacent.
Large numbers of snow buntings have been reported in the Upper Peninsula and a few stragglers seen here in the Lower Peninsula. I went out for a bit this afternoon hoping to catch a snow bunting or maybe a white fronted goose or American pipit. It was pretty windy so no luck on them guys but I did find an inductee into the ambiguous sign collection. The question is, are the swine doing the research and teaching or are the swine being taught and researched upon?
Here piggy, piggy, piggy.
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 