Rondeau Ric

snapping turtle Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Turtle research is ongoing at Rondeau Provincial Park. Snappers are not incuded. If you look closely you can see the fingers of the man holding it. His rule is hold a snapper behind the back legs or risk a finger. Never pick it up by the tai as this can cause a serious injury to the turtle.

Tawny Frogmouth Originally uploaded by iwasfixin2 . What a great name for a bird.

There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over.

Canadian Moskito Originally uploaded by Reinhard.Pantke . I think this may be the provincial bird of Alberta.

One Good Tern Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . we are bird watchers and my wife named the boat "One good Tern". I'm pushing things. This is from last year but the lake and bay are still open. Think I'll wait a week or two before launching.

I'm Freezing My Nuts Off Originally uploaded by drp . This lamp post is topped with a tree branch, lantern, and a curious little guy holding a nut. If he were real, he'd have more sense than to perch himself there looking at the 18 inches of snow that fell on my street. And yet, I went out and took pictures. From the internet

How do you weigh a humming bird? Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . You roll him up in a piece of paper of course! At a banding demonstration in West Virginia the bander used a paper tube to hold the bird while weighing. Also used the tube when banding to prevent injury.

Another pair of suspenders Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . These are more colourful than the moose. Picked these up in Costa Rica

hooded warbler Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . A banding demonstration in West Virginia. The hooded was a great catch in the mist nets There are different sized bands for different birds. An eagle needs a much larger band than a humming bird.

They are making fun of my suspenders Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . For me, suspenders are not an option, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. I'm not Larry King who has thousands of pairs. Just because I have moose, fish, cats and birds on various pairs I get teased.

Sand dragon Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Just a piece of drift washed up after a storm, reminded me of Puff the Magic Dragon.

mutant deer/great dane cross breed Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Based on the size of the car, the deer is a monster. If you look at the "deer" closely you will see it has a Great Dane head and tree branches for antlers, and has suicidal tendencies I suspect the department of highways was trying to save money by combining a slippery when wet and deer crossing signs into one.

shades of summers past Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Dreaming of the glory of summers past? The parties, bbq, the hot lazy days of August, the sunrises and evening camp fires roasting marshmellows, the quiet enjoyment of reading a book.

Private parking space usurped, owner retaliates Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Go ahead..make my day. Park in my spot I don't mind. I don't mind turning your car into scrap. I don't mind at all. Don't you have days when this fantasy runs through your mind? Wouldn't you like a little pay back on the people who were rude, inconsiderate, obnoxious, irritating, selfish, thoughtless, insufferable, loathsome, detestable, despicable, insensitive and generally a pain today? I think these babys are on sale at the army/navy surplus store run by Arnold. Enjoy your daydream!

rub my tummy Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Sam appears from nowhere as soon as you sit at the personal confuser. She insists on a tummy rub. She is a pure black, even the bottom of her feet are black.

A morning sunrise rainbow. Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . During my morning commute the sunrise over Lake Erie was fractured and it looked like a rainbow/spotlight. It is a hard commute, I’m often late as I stop and watch the sky and waterfowl, ah, ‘tiss a rough life.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Now that Christmas has come and gone it is time for the credit hangover. The kids have lost or broken many toys or are no longer interested in them but you get to remember them all year long.

The joys of birdwatching Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . January 16,2006 An Ivory gull has been seen for the past week between Point Pelee National Park and the harbour at Wheatley Ontario. We decided to make the one hour drive along the north shore of Lake Erie in the hopes of seeing the bird. Birders had been coming from long distances to see the bird. One couple we spoke to was from West Virginia and they had driven through a snow storm that morning to get to Wheatley. Many came from New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois. Others had flown in from Arizona and Louisiana. On Friday Arizona watched the bird for an hour from a distance of 30 feet, on Saturday, Louisiana didn’t see the bird. After spending several hours on the pier in -15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit) temperatures with a 60 k (37 mph) wind we decided to check other local sites where the gull might be but it was no where to be seen. When we returned we went to the west side of the channel and sat in our warm car

Bullwinkle Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . The real antlers just add a sense of the ridiculous to a rather bizarre chain saw sculpture. With those ears it may be a moose/elephant cross breed.

Glowing Object Seen in Southwest Sky Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . At 4:14 pm on January 11, 2006 an unidentified glowing object was seen in the skies of South-western Ontario. The apparition was seen by thousands of local residents for approximately 40 minutes before it disappeared. A police spokes person advised that local officials were not sure of the source of the strange glow. When contacted NASA, astronomers, physicists and atmospheric scientists were divided on the nature of the object. The majority were not willing to comment without further data. Several of those that spoke with us, off the record, said the glowing object was the ‘Sun’ or ‘Sol’ There is an old local legend of a bright round orb that would appear most days for up to 15 hours. It cast light and warmth on the earth and could cause damage to person’s eyes if they gazed on it for prolonged periods. Apparently it helped crops grow and caused many people to spend excessive time out of doors. This legend was s

Casey and the deer Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Happy Furry Friday. This from a year ago, the deer would come to the cottage to clean up under the bird feeders. Casey is sure we did it for her as she loves to sit and watch the deer. Her only question is how to change the channel to get the squirrels. The pine tree in the background is our recycled Christmas tree. Once spring comes we add it to our brush pile.

McGregor Park the Electric Play Ground Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Come play in the electrical park. Have a sparking good time. Exercise here and you can really get a buzz. Shockingly, this popular park is a real pleaser. Hidden down behind the transformers is a play ground and picnic shelter. There must be a better place for the sign!

green tree frog on my window Originally uploaded by therese flanagan . This is one of the most unusual photos of a frog I have come across. I like the view of the feet and belly.

It seems to me that elections are very similar to Christmas. One has children and the other politicians; in some cases it is hard to tell the difference. People who may not have been acting very well all year suddenly are on their very best behaviour. They make all sorts of promises about what they will do and how they will act, none of which, we really believe. Once the election or Christmas is over, the kids and politicians revert to their old ways and the bills come rolling in.

I used to have front feet. Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . Casey seems concerned. Evidently her front paws have gone missing. She’s looking but can’t find them.

Upside down catloaf Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . The old girl (17) justs flops and rolls to her side, with paws curled. We think this is her baby seal imitation. Casey is the one who went "walk about" shortly after we moved to Rondeau. She is a declawed indoor cat. She survived two weeks in deep woods and showed up at a small variety store near the park entrance. she had lost weight and had a cough, otherwise she was fine. Doesn't seem interested in going out anymore.

rattle snake palm flower Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . It is a grey overcast january day. To perk myself up I was looking at some photos from Costa Rica. We birded there for 17 days in 2002 and had a great time. The people were friendly and the birds cooperated. It was intereesting that we didn't encounter much in the way of insects. I don't recall getting a single bite while we were there.

top 20 favorites 2005 Originally uploaded by ricmcarthur . On Flickr, a photo posting site, people sometimes choose your photos as favorites. These are my top 20 from 2005

This hawk has been around the feeders for several days. He hasn't been overly successful. This day he chased a sparrow into the hedge and as they came out he captured his lunch. One dies so another can live. Natures’ way. Hope 2006 is better for you than it was for the sparrow.