Here's looking at YOU

Checking on the ospreys today, can't tell what's in the nest but I suspect there are eggs as I never seen any food coming while I was there.

click for bigger pic

Interesting clouds at 11:00 pm with the moonlite

Just got home last night and had to take this pic of the moon and clouds.

 

Water levels have finally settled to normal

They have put the logs back in the dam and the water is about normal.  Took a ride down to the Edith Lake rapids at the landing you can finally see the old concrete boat launch.

  

Tyranite town site

 About a week ago John Ford took me to the Tyranite mine town site beyond the locked gate and numerous signs to stay out. We were there to photograph some of the old remains of houses that date back to the early 30's.
 Back then the same L. O. Hedlund of the Hedland marsh that I have photographed many times had staked 6 claims in 1930.  Shortly afterward he optioned off the claims to others, many took up the cause of finding a gold mine for several years. Finally in 1936 the Tyranite Gold Mines Ltd. began the work of sinking a shaft. Finding gold and working the mine from 1939 to 1942. By this time the directors of the mine reached the conclusion that this mine should discontinue operations for the duration of the war. They recovered over a million dollars of gold and planned after the war to resume operations which never happened. The mine has had many interests over the years and to this day is still active.
 These pictures are some of the remains left standing or otherwise of the townsite where the workers and families lived.

Night lites for the heliport

 These are some pics of a couple of weeks ago when the new solar lites were put in at Outlook Point.  They were installed by a couple of fellows from Ornge the organization that fly the medical emergency helicopters in Ontario. 
 Ever since the helicopter crash in Moosonee a little over a year ago killing 2 pilots and 2 paramedics they have not been allowed to land where there were no lites. The fix was to install solar lites at helipads across the province that didn't have lites.  Ninety one helipads will be now be in service because of the new solar lites.

Up close and personal

This female bear had 3 good sized cubs, I expect it is the same set as last year but one cub short.  She was trying to take the cubs around the edge of the pit where I was standing but she didn't know I was just about to jump back in the truck.  

Gowganda Lake last night

 Out for a bit of fishing on Gowganda Lake last evening, not much fishing but washed the bottom of the boat. As the sun was going down a great time for some pics.

Single Lake revisited

click for larger pic

Checking in on some of my favorite spots along highway 560 today to bring you a couple of pics with the flowering bells of Leatherleaf  (Chamaedaphne calyculata) a cool temperate shrub that surrounds most lakes and rivers in the area, also a look back towards Single Lake.  There is a caution sign that tells snowmobilers Single Lane, when seen from a distance the n looks like a k, at a quick glance thats why I call it Single Lake.

Friday nights Camelopardalid meteor shower

 This was to be quite a show, the first time it has happened in years a new meteor storm was brewing.  Turned out to be a bit of a flop but that's not to say many people came to North America to see it. It has been described as disappointing.   It was to start about 2am to 4am of course I had to get the camera to catch it too.  I took pictures for 2 hours every 21 seconds as I found out at close to end of the time the dew covered my lens which I couldn't see and that is why you will see it getting lighter.  I saw 1 meteor which shows up about the 8 second mark of this clip. It goes past pretty quick.

One of first flowers in the Boreal Forest

Here is one of the first blooms you can usually find among the lichen and mosses, Trailing Arbutus small but very aromatic.

Rednecked Grebe

I was down raking the sawdust up from the woodpile that is finally finished.  Mary Bullock came up and said there was a couple of large Grebes in front of their house in the water.  I got the camera and got some pics of 2 Rednecked Grebes.  Not very common around here.  Glad to get the pics.

click for the whole pic

The osprey's are back

This will be the third year in a row that the ospreys have used this nest.  Nice to see them back. Apparently most fly all the way to South America.
  
This flyway narrows to the tip of Florida, then continues to Cuba and Hispaniola. Some osprey remain in the Caribbean, but most make a beeline across 500 miles of open water to Venezuela before fanning out further south into the Amazon Basin and the Pantanal, the world's largest freshwater wetland. They always stay where there is lots of water, makes sense if your a fish eater. 

click for bigger view

The end to a beautiful day

Weather perfect today, hard to do any work.

click for larger image

Dangerous waters

The flows on all the rivers right now is very dangerous.  This is a video taken at the Edith Lake landing showing only half of the flow the rest flows on the other side of the island.  This is real time speed, I don't think I have seen it this fast since living here.

First ATV ride of the year

Since I have finished splitting and stacking 6 bush cords of wood I was anxious to get out for a ride. Went up the Everett Lake Rd as far as Babs Lake saw lots of  grouse more than usual.  Roads were in good shape some wet spots but what hasn't been wet this year. Took a pic of the water rushing down Miller Creek.

On the way back ventured up tower hill and took a pic of some of the town from the lookout.

click on pics  for larger view

The sound of waves

Finally the sound of waves and the blue water.  It's been a long winter.  Snow is probably gone today with all the rain, but tonight it may drop to 0C.  Here is a small video to see how nice it is.

Ice has made a big move at the north end of the lake

By late this afternoon Outlook bay was open all the way to point.  That's when I stopped splitting and stacking and got the fishing rod out.  Didn't take to long to haul in a nice Whitefish.  Fresh baked whitefish can't go wrong.

Hedlund Marsh

 Most of the small marshes are free of ice now along with the Wapus River and the bottom end of Duncan Lake.  Not a lot of snow in the bush and the side roads are starting to dry up.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm, that will help.  The rest of the week on and off showers.  It will be close to have the bigger lakes ice free before fishing next week.
 Here is a pic of Hedlund Marsh and a pair of Ring-necked ducks.

click for larger pic

.

Back from down south

 Down to Sudbury area and it would be hard to find any snow or ice at all.  Driving back up Highway 11 bits of snow remain in the bush around Marten River but most of the ice is gone right up to Temagami where there are open and some ice (black) around.
 This picture of the lake sums up what Gowganda Lake looked like yesterday.

click for larger pic

Back to Duncan Lake more ducks

Back to Duncan Lake to see if any more ducks were moving.  The water is starting to rise in Duncan Lake, if it's not from logs being put into the dam it's from the heavy run off.  Wapus is all open as much as I can see.
Here are some more duck pics the first a pair of Lesser Scaup and the other a pair of Mallards.  Another pic from Hedlund marsh a Great Blue Heron.

Gowganda Lake Dam

 The spring run off is going well on the river, several logs are out of the dam and water levels haven't gone up with the melt or all the rain the last couple of days.  The weather has helped too with cool nites and days not to warm which slows the flow.  Here is a pic below the dam taken today.  You can see all the logs on the top of the dam they have taken out.  Click for bigger pic.

Wapus Creek Video from today

Back to Duncan Lake

 Water has opened up a bit more at Duncan Lake and a few more ducks around.  The first 2 ducks are Common Goldeneye a male and a female, the third is a male Hooded Merganser.
 Took the ice auger to test the thickness of the ice on Gowganda Lake 58cm or 23 inches. Top was a bit softer than the bottom.

Breeze Creek

Just west of Duncan Lake on the highway Breeze Creek staring to open up.

Click for larger view.

Duncan Lake-Northern Lites and Lyrids Meteor Shower

Out to find both and ended up coming home a bit after midnight.  I took a lot of pics but couldn't find any meteors or Northern Lights  Here is one looking down Duncan Lake of the Milky Way. Click on pic for larger view.

Just west of Firth Lake

A shot along the road looking east at the bottom end of Firth Lake.  You can see the Tamarack and the Red osier Dogwood is starting to change colour.  Something spring like may be happening.  Cleared more snow this morning and getting well below zero C tonight.  The road has a few spring bumps in it.

East of Gowganda

The melt is starting all over.

A couple more from yesterday at Firth Lake

Down to Firth Lake today

My neighbor mentioned to me that the Robitaille's were at their cottage fishing at Firth Lake and when they cleaned their fish up to 4 Bald Eagles had been feasting on the remains left on the ice.  Today I went down and stayed for awhile and never seen them.  They had just come back from fishing and were going to put out the remains later.   I headed down to Duncan Lake and an hour later back to Firth, no eagles.  Waiting in the cottage for awhile the crows came in and finally one Eagle came in on the ice and landed a way from the bait, it was hesitant on the ice and never did eat any.  I got a few good pics and this is the best one.  Make sure to click on the pic for larger view..

Whole lot of melting goin on here

Temps up today and every thing melting.  Lost a lot of snow today when the sun was out tonight it's only going down to 1C so it should melt tomorrow and then Tues night down to -11C.
 Wapus Ck has opened up around the bridge at the highway here's some pics.

 Some ice on the rocks down by Duncan Lake

Star watching earlier this week

Out taking some star photos last week on one of the warmer nights.  About 10:30pm a group of stars north of Orion called the Pleiades(the cluster between the trees)  in the western skies.  These are sometimes called the 7 Sisters.  With binoculars there are many faint stars with a small telescope you would see more than 100.   click on pic for better view

Something starting to happen

The last 2 or 3 days the snow has started to melt a bit.  Yesterday I headed for the dump and on the way back checked where Miller Creek crosses the road just south of Miller Lake sure enough it has melted through the snow and running.  Last week I checked and there was no water.

When I came back I headed down towards the Montreal River at the bridge and it is starting to open up too but not to much water coming thru.

Today we are waiting for a major snow storm heading are way,  the freezing rain started about an hour ago chances of 15 to 20 cm. of snow by tomorrow.