Chris and Mike got a little more serious as birders this year. We started slowly just observing the water fowl on the lake that we enjoy living on and the woodpeckers and other birds in the trees. We did take our first birding vacation to Cape May in the spring and continued with several day trips. We finally saw a red-headed woodpecker and a blue grosbeak. Now, we usually take the "birding camera" on vacation, although we try to spend more time in the sun and the sand with a drink in my hand.
One change this year is Whitey's departure. She was a daily fixture on the lake for our first two years here. We haven't seen her since the spring. She was semi-domesticated, hanging out with the Canada Geese and then coming into our yard to follow Chris around while she was gardening. She'd notice the lights going on in the morning and swim over asking for a snack. She could only fly 50 feet or so and didn't migrate. We're pretty sure she was a domestic Chinese Swan Goose. She may have left a legacy: some interesting hybrid geese spend a month or two here late summer and fall.
Au Revoir Whitey.
