A Bear In the Yard

We just had a visitor to the spot where the bird feeders hang during the day. I young black bear, probably about 125 to 150 pound, 1 1/2 year old chased away from momma so she could get it on with the poppa of this coming winter's cub(s), was out there standing on its hind legs to check out the water in the hanging birdbath I've put up. It seemed very disappointed to find it was just water and not the sugar water that it got the last time when it raided (and ruined) the hummingbird feeder. I'm sure glad we've started to pull in the feeders at night. Even with the million-watt flashlight on it, the bear was reluctant to leave until I stepped out on the porch. Then it just ambled off up the power line right of way.

Actually, thinking back to how the steel poles were bent last week, this may not have been the same bear. This one spent some time licking up some spilled sunflower seeds before I opened the door and sent it on its way.

Let's Go Mets!

Well, the Mets seem to have shaken off the horrible first three weeks in June wherein they managed a 4-14 record over the first 21 days of the month.

In the nine days closing out the month they have racked up an 8-1 record having swept the Oakland As for 3, taken 2 of 3 from the Cardinals and now three of three from the Phillies with another in that series to be played tomorrow.

It was a combination of great starting pitching and some power at the plate that fueled the turnaround.

The Phillies, who had crept up on the Mets during their slump, have been sent back to third place and six games back in the last two days. Depending upon the outcome of tonight's Atlanta-Florida game, the Mets will lead the Braves by either four or five games.

Carlos Beltran has certainly enjoyed the last two days in Philly. He was 3-4 today with two homers after hitting two in last nights night cap of the day-night doubleheader. As a team, the Mets have hit 9 home runs and scored 19 times in the three games at CITI Park this weekend.

Backyard Bird Photography

I took my digiscoping equipment (field scope and digital camera) out on the deck this morning and photographed half a dozen species of birds while sipping my morning coffee. In all, I took 85 photographs. After running them through Picasa to crop, sharpen and adjust the lighting, I’ve come up with 6 photographs to share with you.


The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is one of the more dapper looking birds in the yard. Its black head, very white belly, bright red bib, and white-spotted black back really make this robin-sized bird a dazzler. It’s just too bad he can’t do anything about that Jimmy Durante sized schnoze.


The male American Goldfinch is also a sparkler. It’s brilliantly yellow body is set off by the white-barred black wings and black forehead patch. These birds are the state bird of New Jersey but I seldom saw them there. I did sight several flocks along the roadside near the Bolt Hole in the Adirondacks, but the sheer number that attached themselves to the feeders in January and the 20 or so who have remained loyal astounds me.


The Indigo Bunting is a real jewel. Completely blue it stands out clearly against the green of the forest and shrubs. Early in the morning I can usually count on this little guy being perched at the very tippy-top of the poplars across the driveway as he sings his heart out to the rising sun. He will come into the platform feeders but seems to prefer to take his seeds on the ground. As is often the case in the bird world, the female is quite drab and nondescript.


Another year-round resident around the Aerie is the Chipping Sparrow. One of the smallest of birds, this little guy is sometimes overlooked. He wears his russet little cap like a beret. And his rapid, constant, repetitive, simple little call: “chip, chip, chip, chip…” ad nauseam, not only provides the source for his name but also can increase sales of aspirin.


Yet another year-round resident, the Downy Woodpecker often comes to the suet feeder. This smallest of woodpeckers was taking chunks of suet to feed a fledged youngster that hung on a tree just a short distance away.


The Mourning Dove also resides year-round in the area of the Aerie. These buff colored birds are not only subtle in their coloration, but their gentle “coo-coo” sometimes gets mistaken by beginning birders for the “who-who” of an owl. Despite a rather rickety looking nest, the Mourning Dove pair may produce 10 or 12 eggs during the course of a season. They lay two eggs for each clutch and may have 5 or 6 clutches a year. Perhaps that is why, despite being a game bird in many states, the Mourning Dove is one of the most abundant birds in the US.

You can learn more about these and other birds by clicking on the link for All About Birds over on the left. That will take you to the Cornell Labs website and its wonderfully informative entries.

Birding on Pine Creek

We took another bird walk today with members of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society. This time we revisited the rails-to-trails path at Pine Creek/Darling Run west of Wellsboro.

Gary led a group of seven of us along the trail for a couple of miles starting at the parking lot at Darling Run.

Right across the creek from the lot is a Bald Eagles nest and while we watched we saw one of the adult eagles fly in while a second was already at the nest with one or perhaps two very large fledglings. I’ll definitely be going back there soon with the digiscoping equipment.

We had a huge raft of Canada Geese and a smaller clutch of female Common Mergansers (along with one very young one) swim right in front of us in the first few minutes of our walk. Three or four different types of swallows were doing aerial acrobatics over the water as were half a dozen Cedar Waxwings. Several Baltimore Orioles and a couple of Scarlet Tanagers were also present.

Altogether, I recorded 31 species, but I’m sure Gary got a few more than that as Terry and I left early to go shopping for blocks for a retaining wall.

Species List:
Location: Pine Creek/Darling Run
Observation date: 6/28/07
Number of species: 32

Canada Goose 25
Mallard 3
Common Merganser 8
Great Blue Heron 4
Green Heron 1
Bald Eagle 4
Mourning Dove 3
Belted Kingfisher 3
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird 4
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 5
Tree Swallow 10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 6
Barn Swallow 4
Black-capped Chickadee 2
American Robin 3
Gray Catbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 6
Yellow Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Scarlet Tanager 3
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 3
Baltimore Oriole 3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Log Home Update: Part 58 Wash and Stain

Summer has arrived and the night time temperatures have risen sufficiently so staining of the logs may begin. Before applying any stain, however, the logs must be cleansed and pressure washed using mill glaze. As I understand it, this opens up the pores of the wood so it may accept the stain. Don came out yesterday to start that process and returned today with Adam and JP to first finish the pressure washing and then begin applying stain.

Don uses mill glaze and a pressure wash to prepare the logs to accept the stain.

Adam chose to climb the extension ladder to apply stain to the soffit and gable logs of the garage.

The WoodGuard stain we chose to finish the logs will give the house a nice warm color. JP started by brushing stain on the logs on the end wall of the garage.

Adam and JP managed to finish the rear of the garage as well as its gable end today. At the rate they’re going, it is possible they will finish the staining by Friday afternoon. Although, they may get slowed by the two taller gable ends of the house and the dormer. Weather could play a role, too, but the worst of the thunderstorms predicted for today and tomorrow arrived half an hour after they left this afternoon.

While Adam and JP continue with the staining tomorrow, Don will likely tackle the chimney. He's going to put together a concrete cap reinforced with rebar for the top and then apply mesh and mortar to which faux stone will be applied. We're using the same stone that we used on the fireplace inside.

More bear tales. This time in PA

When I returned to the Aerie on Sunday it was to find Terry had left the two feeder poles just as she had found them late last week—bent by some night visitor.

1/2 inch thick steel poles were bent by a night time visitor. I had a tough time straightening them back up so it was a very big visitor.

Terry was also puzzled as to why one of the hummingbird feeders would not hold any liquid—until I pointed to the hole made in the side by the same visitor.

A bear's tooth punctured one of the hummingbird feeders.

It’s that time of year when two year old “cubs” are chased away by mom to find their own way while she finds a mate for next winter’s brood. There’s lots of territory covered as the youngsters wonder about and as the older males search out receptive females.

Sooooo, the feeders now come in every night and go out again every morning. I'd pull them completely but we still have the hummingbirds, goldfinches, purple finches, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and a few others showing up every day.

Bear Tales

I got back to the Bolt Hole to discover there were plenty of black bear in my neck of the woods, too. Mark had been maintaining the three game cameras we had set out and we got some great shots of of two, perhaps three, black bears. This couple got our attention.

The bear on the left is female and the larger boar is on the right facing the camera. She weighs in at between 250 and 275 while he may top 400 pounds. How do I know which is male and female? We have pictures from a later night visit that could best be described as "bear porn" in which it is very clear which is which!

When we went out to check the batteries and switch the memory cards, Mark carried his 870 with a couple of birdshot loads and a slug. Just in case. We would much rather wait until this fall when bear season rolls around. Big Ben would make a hell of a wall hanging. We would rather not shoot the little lady as she will supply bears for the future.

Mark posed to give a perspective of the bear sizes. Mark is nearly 6 feet tall (when upright) and weighs about 200 pounds.

The 104 miles of Good Road and A Scenic tour of Ottawa—again.

On past trips, we have been able to get up and have a leisurely breakfast before cleaning up the cabin for the next crew. Then we have had to wait. In poor weather, that wait can be quite long, which explains, in part, why David brought War and Peace.

This year, because of the summer solstice, we were up really early, which was a good thing. We had barely gotten packed and had the floor swept but not mopped, when we heard the Beaver flying up the lake. Holy cow! It was only 7:30 AM! We had visions of getting back to the Bolt Hole before dinner. HA!

While the transfer of the cabin went smoothly, as did our flight back to Coursol Base, things went downhill quickly thereafter. Finishing a cup of coffee at Coursol at 8:30 AM, we learned that the dirt road was closed heading back to Maniwaki. A new culvert was being installed at one of the washouts we had crashed through the week before. It should be open by noon. So we had a second cup of coffee before starting on our way at 9:30 AM.

Sure enough, we reached the road closure at 10:30 AM but there didn’t seem to be anyone at work. We learned that the backhoe/front end loader on our side of the culvert had broken down; something about a leaking hydraulic system that prevented the front end loader from being used. The wait was for a second machine and dump truck from the opposite side. We sat and waited for the alternative was a 4 ½ hour ride (versus a 2 hour one) that would take us even further out of our way than that. About 11:15 AM a dump truck full of sand and then a backhoe pulled up to the opposite side of the ditch. By noon we were again on our way. Lost time: perhaps 2 ½ hours.


But we weren’t finished yet! We did succeed in navigating the dirt road and reaching pavement. We did succeed in making good time southbound on 105 and 5 to Ottawa. We carefully followed the signs off King Edward looking for 417—and found ourselves stranded in downtown Ottawa—again. Every single time we come through this bloody town south bound we get lost. (Although, with four or five guys in the vehicle, maybe we should say "confused" instead.)

It’s a lovely city and I wouldn’t mind visiting it someday as a real tourist but their road signage really, really sucks! And you can’t get a map of the city that’s worth the paper it’s printed on. Those in the various road atlases I have don’t help at all. I swear that they do this on purpose. The city of Ottawa wants you to flounder around on its streets. They want you to look at their beautiful city. Ottawans must have a bit of an inferiority complex from being forever overlooked as the capital of a nation. Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver all possess more name recognition. Hell, even Edmonton, Calgary, and Regina probably are more recognized. By dicking you around with poor directions they get you to pass by the capital building (lovely) or through parks where black squirrels abound on the lush lawns. We once accidentally saw the changing of the guard at the capital. At least during the day you have more people to ask directions from and being Ottawa, they are likely to speak English. (At 3 AM in Hull one trip we needed directions but, with three young boys in their mid-teens, we were reluctant to ask of the many young ladies we saw on nearly every corner. At least in Ottawa there are large crowds of people outside the clubs at 2 AM. Although we seldom have to ask directions heading north any more.) Time lost meandering around downtown Ottawa: 30 to 45 minutes.

We did manage to make it back to the Bolt Hole by 10:30 PM after making a stop at a Tim Horton’s on 401 for dinner and the duty free shop at the border. Normally, from Coursol to Bolt Hole would take about 10 hours not 13 or 14 as it did this time. *sigh* Maybe next time.

Fishing on Gouin

Did I mention that we did some fishing? No? Strange, that was the main reason to go so far north. We sought the northern pike and walleye of Gouin Reservoir.

Every time we go we learn a tiny bit more about jigging for walleye. Joe, David and I have made 10 trips to various Caesar’s outpost cabins. Over the years, others have joined us. This was John’s second excursion. The four of us didn’t exactly slay the fish this trip, but we did do better than previously. We split our time looking for the very elusive “trophy” pike. (The best we could do were four or five fish that stretched between 32 and 35 inches. Last time we were at this particular cabin we managed to boat three pike that we taped at 40+ inches. I have a feeling that the lower water levels may have impacted that particular fishery in the bay in which we were located.) Our second goal was to increase our take of keeper sized walleye. We found plenty. In half a dozen holes we jigged up 140 walleye that were all keepers. We didn’t keep them all, of course, just enough for one meal and two limits (8 fish each) to take home.

I paired up with John, while Joe and David manned the second boat. They managed to boat the largest walleye (6-1/2 pounds and 26 inches) as well as the largest pike (around 9-1/2 pounds and 35 inches). They also managed to have a bit of a Nantucket sleigh ride from one pike they never did get to see. Based on the tale Joe told, it probably would have topped 45 inches. You can’t tow one of these big plywood boats without having some real shoulders on you.

John holds up one of the smaller walleye we caught. Most of the fish were slightly larger measuring 18 to 22 inches and perhaps 2 or 3 pounds.

Pike were a target species, too. But we were looking for something much bigger than this.

John caught what has to be one of the smallest pike I've ever seen. It measured just over five inches and was barely larger than the top-water plug John was using.

The tally for our trip was just 315 fish, of which 175 were northern pike and 140 were walleye. We probably could have caught many more but we were there to relax, too, and didn’t really push the issue. Despite having daylight from 4:30 AM until 9:30 PM, we were on the water only about half that time.

When Friday rolled around again, we were satisfied with our experience and looking forward to getting home. But that's another story.

Other Unwanted Guests/Residents

We had other unwanted guests inside the cabin during the week. Every night we would have white-footed deer mice rummaging through the day’s garbage to see if we had thrown anything edible away. The answer was usually no, but he made a racket rustling all the crinkly paper he could find. Perhaps it was his way of saying we should leave him some peanut butter—it’s far quieter. Occasionally during the week we would see this little critter go scurrying across the floor. As it was apparent that this was more his home than ours, and he was really very harmless, we left this little critter alone.

The screen in the window behind the sink had two steel mesh scrubbing pads stuffed into holes, which was rather curious. Then one day we came back from fishing to find a third hole. And the remains of a hamburger bun that had been inside a plastic bag which was inside a cardboard box was draped over the window sill. The only “hole” in the box was the hand holds on each end. Another bun, still inside the plastic bag, was chewed up quite thoroughly.

I had seen the culprit before. While sitting on the front porch enjoying the cool breezes, if not the bugs, of evening, I had had a red squirrel come running up the posts and across the rails to look at my boots and ankles as if he were trying to decide whether or not to run up my legs. He always chose “not.”

photo by David Messinger

Taken back in 2004, we still had a a red squirrel enter the cabin this year. The difference is that the door was not the preferred method in 2007. Instead, he gnawed his way through the metal screen above the sink. (Why he didn't use the fiberglass/nylon screens in the other windows is a mystery.)

I found the Northern Canadian Air Force to be somewhat different from the Adirondack Air Force. There were fewer black flies for one. There were far more deer flies and, what I will call, moose flies. The latter were about the size of horse flies—about the size of a quarter. There didn’t seem to be as many mosquitoes as in the past and almost no no-see-ums. We had enough enough bug dope to protect us, but there were fewer bugs than we expected.

The Unwanted Guest, orThe Case of the "Curious Bear"

The crew that was leaving Gouin #1 when we arrived, reported several bear in the area and one that was coming right up to the front door. As a result, we were given the loan of a 12-guage shotgun and a couple of low brass #6 birdshot. We certainly wouldn’t be able to kill the bear (except from the inside) but we might be able to teach him not to hang around humans.

Soon after the plane departed with the previous week’s party, we found their notes about the bears and how they approached the “curious” bear’s behavior with a kind gentle voice to “reassure the bear that everything was okay.” They gave directions on making an “early warning device” by hanging empty beer cans on a string between the cabin and some trees on either side. We got a chuckle out of these “words of wisdom,” especially when the evidence of how well they worked soon walked up the trail and started sniffing around in the shrubs and berry bushes next o the cabin.

We watched what he was up to and yelled at him a bit, but that didn’t seem to do much good. Satisfied that there were new tenants, and possibly a new food source to exploit, he ambled on down the shore line where he plucked a fish carcass from the water, plopped down and began to feed.

The group at the outpost cabin before us left a note saying they had seen as many as 8 different bears. We only saw one: the "curious male" who bit into our water lines twice and dug up some of the bushes along the side of the cabin. We figure an earlier group had 1) fed this bear and 2) dumped cooking grease in the bushes. The group before us said they had found grease in the old latrine. They also had fired a shotgun over this bad boy's head to little or no effect. He was around the camp on Friday soon after we arrived and again on Sunday.

Friday afternoon and again on Saturday we had some problems with the fridge (the pilot light kept going out), so we put the red sign out on the dock which tells any passing pilot to send help. Not being ones to wait, we pulled the propane fridge from its slot next to the stove and took the plate off the back that covered the pilot light. We cleaned a couple of screens using Q-tips and lit the pilot again. By Sunday morning the fridge was working fine so we pulled the red sign. Well, the Cessna, piloted by Scotty, came in anyway, which was a good thing. He had maps we needed but he also helped us fix a problem with our water system. Apparently, the bear, not getting the food he expected, bit into the black plastic intake pipe mounted on a pole four feet out into the lake. We cut and spliced the pipe and our water source was back in business. Scotty left. We went fishing.

When John and I returned later Sunday afternoon, we had a sprinkler system in the front of the cabin. The bear had returned and bitten into the supply line coming from the 50-gallon drums that served as a cistern to the fish cleaning station. We didn’t have any more splicing parts but luckily the holes in the pipe were within inches of an existing splice and there was some slack in the line. We just cut off a section and put it back together.

We gathered for dinner on Sunday night and discussed what to do about THE “curious bear.” I looked up and there he was sitting just outside the front door looking in the window.

When he showed up after biting the second water line, we had enough. Stones and shouts didn't deter him. (The stones did slow him down as he thought we were throwing food.) A charge of #6 birdshot in his butt sent him scurrying into the woods.

Joe grabbed the shotgun and shells and I got some rocks. I tried throwing the rocks and yelling, but every time I missed, he walked over to see if I had thrown anything edible. He was moving away from us, however, and that gave Joe the opportunity to give him a little education by way of lead injection. When he was forty yards away and he turned his head so his face was protected, Joe fired a load of #6 birdshot into his butt. He hustled into the woods and we did not see him again around the cabin. We saw him two more times along the lake shore but as soon as he saw the boat carried a human--ZIP he was gone!

Into the Great White North

Well, I’m back in PA and it’s time to post something about the fishing trip at Caesar’s Lodge outpost cabin up on the Gouin Reservoir in northern Quebec.

There were four of us on this trip and I think it is safe to say we all had a good time. I met the others at The Bolt Hole in the Adirondacks—a four hour drive from The Aerie for me and a 5+ hour drive from NJ for them—on Thursday, June 14. We then packed up John’s Ford Explorer and headed up to the Thousand Islands crossing of the border (midnight and, yes mister Canadian crossing guard, for the third time we were going fishing and we brought no alcohol with us), northeast to Ottawa (amazing how many people are out on the streets at 1:30 AM in this oh so clean city) and then north through Manawaki (24-hour gas station) to Grand Remous on 117. We parked at the end of the 104-mile dirt road that would take us to Caesar’s Coursol Seaplane Base at 3:30 AM to await daylight (4:30 AM). Then it was three-and-a-half hours of bumps and dips and washouts to dodge as we traveled the dirt road. We arrived at Coursol at 8 AM and waited our turn to be ferried out to the outpost cabin Gouin #1 where we would fish and sleep for a week.

George Brossard, the new owner, was flying the Beaver and rushing around as busily as a one-armed paper hanger. The Beaver, capable of carrying 4 passengers and their gear, and a Cessna, 3 passengers, are the only two planes they have in the air right now. A fire on the docks a few years ago left them short one Beaver and the plane is a workhorse that is no longer manufactured. When George’s cousin, Oliver, sold him the business last year, Oliver’s private little “Canary” was taken out of service. They were hustling two crews out and one crew into outpost cabins while the Coursol Base also handled several bear hunters. Anyway, we got out to Gouin #1 a little after noon which was a huge improvement over last year’s weather induced 6 PM arrival. This year’s weather was clear but almost unbearably hot with the mercury rising to over 85 degrees. The metal roofed cabin was stifling and could have easily been used in some movie like Cool Hand Luke as one of those prison sweat boxes. Luckily, it wouldn’t stay that way.

This photo by David Messinger from 2004 shows the Gouin #1 cabin from the water. There have been improvements including a new water tower, indoor shower and toilet. Unfortunately, because of draw-downs and lack of snow for the past two years, the water level is five (5) feet lower than in this picture. Many flats and weed beds that once held pike are now high and dry.