THE LYNX'S BACK

 This Lynx seems to be a more roving one today. December 31, 2012

10 a.m. December 31, 2012

It had spent some time on the step.

It had watched one Ruffed Grouse in a spruce tree for a while.

From here it turned left and loped off toward the sawmill.

ANOTHER YEAR OF BIRDS, 2012

MY 2012 BIRD LIST FOR NIPIGON AREA

JANUARY

1. Black-capped Chickadee
2. Common Redpoll
3. Hairy Woodpecker
4. Red-breasted Nuthatch
5. Pine Grosbeak
6. Downy Woodpecker
7. Evening Grosbeak
8. Blue Jay
9. American Goldfinch
10. Ruffed Grouse
11. Raven
12. Purple Finch
13. Canada Jay (Gray Jay)
14. Pine Sisken
15. European Starling
16. Crow
17. Hoary Redpoll
18. Rock Dove
    
    FEBRUARY
19. Northern Shrike
20. Bald Eagle
    
    MARCH
21. Herring Gull
22. Saw-Whet Owl
23. Dark- eyed Junco
24. Tree Sparrow
25. Red -Winged Blackbird
26. Robin
27. Hooded Merganzer
28. Goldeneye
29. Greater Scaup
30. Common Merganzer
31. American Woodcock
32. Barred Owl
33. House Sparrow (Thunder Bay)
34. Pileated Woodpecker
35. Ring- billed Gull
36. Fox Sparrow
37. Grackle
38. Mallard Duck
39. Canada Goose
    
    APRIL
40. Double Breasted Cormorant
41. Yellow shafted Flicker
42. Great Blue Heron
43. White throat Sparrow
44. Kestrel
45. Perigrine Falcon
46. Ruby Crown Kinglet
    
    MAY
47. Merlin
48. Savannah Sparrow
49. Song Sparrow
50. White Crown Sparrow
51. Nashville Warbler
52. Chipping Sparrow
53. Harris Sparrow
54. Turkey Vulture
55. Tree Swallow
56. Barn Swallow
57. Tundra Swan
58. Cooper's Hawk
59. House Finch
60. Greater Yellowlegs
61. Lesser Yellowlegs
62. Dunlin
63. Hudsonian Godwit
64. White Pelican
65. Palm Warbler
66. Trumpeter Swan
67. Blue-wing Teal
68. Ring- necked Duck
69. Lesser Scaup
70. Northern Harrier
71. Widgeon
72. Spotted Sandpiper
73. Ruby Throated Hummingbird
74. Sandhill Crane
75. Black- throated Green Warbler
76. Ovenbird
77. Myrtle Warbler
78. Semi palmated Plover
79. Bufflehead
80. Eastern Phoebe
81. Bluebird
82. Belted Kingfisher
83. Willow Flycatcher
84. Orange Crown Warbler
85. American Bittern
86. Mourning Dove
87. Killdeer
88. Caspian Tern
89. Least Sandpiper
90. Whimbrels (30)
91. Black-bellied Plover
    
    JUNE
92. Cliff Swallow
93. Northern Parula
94. Vesper Sparrow
95. Chestnut- sided Warbler
    
    JULY
96. Cedar Waxwing
    
    AUGUST
97. Yellow Warbler
98. Philadelphia Vireo
99. American Redstart
100. Tennessee Warbler
101. Spruce Hen
     
     SEPTEMBER
102. Sharp shinned Hawk
     
     OCTOBER
     
     NOVEMBER
103. Rufous - sided Towhee
104. Long-tailed Duck
105. White-wing Crossbill
     
     DECEMBER
106. White-breasted Nuthatch
     
     MISSED GETTING LISTED : Red-eyed Vireo in June so that would make 107  - I have it on my daily listing.

POSER: Do Lynx Smell?

From the other side of this country comes this question. At first I thought it might be , "Did they spray like a cat?" No evidence of that, and it sat right at our door. In fact, Christmas morning I had to shove it off the step with the screen door to get out to the bird feeder!

Yesterday, December 27, it was hiding behind the snow shovel by the kitchen step.

I think it was waiting for a mouse.

This partridge stopped ten feet away from the corner.
The behaviour of all Ruffed Grouse changed at the ten foot radius.
Sight unseen they knew it was there.

Now, knowing it was there did not stop them attempting to sneak in for a bite to eat.

Alas, the neighbour's old dog wandered in and everything took off for the bush.

The Fiercest Eye

The Hunting Lynx

December 27, 2012

OR

Ruffed Grouse who's supper was interrupted.

REDEMPTION

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again...

December 26, 2012

Something softly this way comes.

Temptation

The Capture

The Kill

"I did it."

Going for "seconds"

Anyone for "thirds"?

THE LYNX WHO KEPT MISSING

I could have called this the Missing Lynx?

It started out like any other Christmas morning and then the Lynx showed up.

He finds my truck a perfect ambush site.

Big foot(s).

Changing places.

It moved to the other side of the house. (Cleaner window, too)

Getting a little creepier.

Two horns stopped by.
Was he in for a surprise!
The Lynx went sailing by me at the window
 reaching out for a red squirrel on the fly.
The deer nearly took the Blue Spruce down on its way to the garden.

This is one disgusted Lynx.

I was just happy the camera worked.

Got a good tail end.

New vigil. (New window)

At minus 8 F. degrees it kept its eyes slitted.

About this time the squirrel became a tease.

Even though I knew it was going to happen,
 my camera was not quick enough to catch it mid-leap.
I just got the back of it when it landed.

He doesn't believe he missed it.

Well, doing what 'cats' do.

Ditto

Feeling better, almost.

Still one itch.

That should do it.

Settled down to wait, again.
December 25, 2012
Lynx photo story
from my house.

Needless to say my turkey was late getting into the oven.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas
BJB

A HAIR (OR FEATHER) RAISING SIGHT

This is a normal looking Ruffed Grouse coming for lunch.

Something is not right.

Taking cautious steps.

Flicking its tail.

Preparing for take-off.

LYNX
Dec. 23, 2012
After the first bird flew off the Lynx got up
 and strolled over to a small spruce and settled down for a nap
 before stalking the squirrels.

TAIL END

One squirrel less.
 It was nabbed off a beam seven feet above the ground.
The Lynx waited an hour for the next squirrel to show up.
I'm not too sure about squirrel mentality
 as it kept creeping down the post and scampering back up.
Sometimes as close as three feet from the Lynx's nose.
When the Lynx did jump, it missed
and the squirrel got away along the house wall.
The Lynx was left hanging off the post
and I didn't have my camera ready!

Trivia: Lynx don't eat squirrel tails.

SHRIKE!

Northern Shrike
Lanius excubitor

December 23, 2012

Another morning predator.

Perches on exposed branch and watches for prey. Prey today being:
Blackcapped chickadees, Pine Grosbeaks or Red Polls.

A very white breast.

Tail held almost horizontal.

This photo shows the white feathers over the bill
 that tells this Shrike apart from the Loggerhead Shrike.

Quote: " Bird watchers while driving automatically scan all overhead wires. The cry, "Shrike on the Wire," means a quick swerve and stop on the shoulder of the road, and varied reactions from the car behind." end Quote. Henry Hill Collins, Jr. page 190, Complete Field Guide to American Wildlife, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, Outdoor Life Edition 1959