I haven't posted in a while, but that does not mean that I have not been active. When I get a chance to have some time for myself from the glass container factory, I try to get outside rather than sit on my computer and write about it, leaving me with weeks worth of pictures to post. I have come to the conclusion that I am not lazy when it comes to blogging, I just have my priorities straight. So here I sit on the deck at walleye camp, watching the rain, listening to birds, occasionally getting a quick glimpse of the nesting ruby-throated hummingbird as it darts by to retreive nectar from nearby flowers, while sipping on a mug of 8 O'Clock with a dash of french vanilla, life is good.
We would be out on the lake right now had it not started raining last night. But what we were left out on this morning, we will make up for this afternoon. But until then, I thought that I would write up a quick update on the trips and sightings over the past few weeks.
My dad and myself are not huge into trout fishing, yet we do enjoy going out from time to time. On Friday, March 25, yes March.....we went on a quick evening trip to a stretch of Toby Creek, we even caught a few fish. I was in fishing mode so I don't have any pictures that I took from the trip, but my girlfriend Brooke managed to snap a few pictures of my dad and I doing our thing with my Nikon point and shoot AW-100.
Dad and I
Photo credit Brooke Cox
Dad and I
Photo credit Brooke Cox
On May 9th, I had a day off. So I decided to take my kayak out on Kyle Lake in Falls Creek, PA to do some panfishin, and did fairly well. But again, I was in fishing mode, and I got one single picture.
On May 19th, I decided to head up to walleye camp in Linesville, Pennsylvania to spend my days off with my dad and his girlfriend fishing. When I arrived, I did a little bit of birding around Pymatuning State Park before meeting them. While scanning the fields, I observed many families of canada geese, several bobolinks, red-winged black birds, common grackles, and barn swallows.
Female Red-winged Blackbird
Barn Swallow
Since the coffee pot is set for 4:30 am, it was early to bed when I arrived at camp that night. And the next morning, after we got out onto the Pymatuning reservoir and dropped our lines in the water, I sat back and enjoyed myself as I watched the chaninging warm colors of the skyline, as my first of year Pymatuing sunrise unfolded.
The sun rising over the Pennsylvania coast.
Life is GOOD!
It was my first day out on the boat for the year, and I had my limit of 6 walleye before noon, with a few throw backs here and there.
This guy was just short of 15 inches, the size of a legal walleye.
A beautiful throwback!!!!
Dad had his 6th keeper in the box just shortly after I, and we were back at camp by 1:30 to enjoy the rest of the day.
After we got everything put away and cleaned up, and grabbed a bite to eat, dad took his girlfriend Connie out to get her limit of six, and I went for a quick ride looking for birds. I watched plenty of purple martins flying around the condo at the Linesville spillway, chasing bugs and each other.
A Purple Martin pair.
I went back Tea Kettle road to try and get some pictures of the bobolinks from the evening prior, and ran into this little guy scampering up a tree to safety. He paused for a few minutes allowing me to snap a few shots and have a quick conversation with him, before he grew tired of the odd sounds of a camera shutter and retreated to his arboreal hiding place. I must say that this picture, though a little out of focus, definitely made the evening.
A young Pymatuning Racoon.
As I said before, there were many families of Canada Geese around Tea Kettle Road and Miller's Pond areas.
Canada goose with goslings.
On May 21st, our last day at camp, the rich smell of coffee woke me up at about 4:45 am., or maybe it was dad banging doors and cupboards around. The fishing was not as exciting as the day before, but there was lots of activity on the water. Here is a shot of a mature Bald Eagle with lunch.
Distant shot of a Bald Eagle
We only fished until about 11:00 that morning, and ended up with 11 legal walleye, several throw backs, and a mess of nice panfish. On the way back to the marina, I ended up getting several photos of canada geese, ring-billed gulls, and my best yet photos of a Great Blue Heron taking off from its mid-lake perch.
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Ring-Billed Gull
Ring-Billed Gull
Family of Canada Geese
After cleaning our fish, packing up our gear, and breakiung camp, dad and Connie took off for home while I stuck around and did some last minute birding. I stopped at the Linesville spillway to check out the waterfowl, gulls, and swallows one last time.
Ring-Billed Gull
There wasn't too much going on at the spillway, so I made my way for Tea Kettle Road and Miller's ponds on the Pymatuning Wildlife Management Areas, where I saw all of the same birds, and finally got half decent pictures of the male bobolinks, bringing my days off to a satisfying end.
A pair of Eastern Kingbirds on Tea Kettle Road
Male Red-winged Blackbird on Tea Kettle Road
A distant shot of a female Hooded Merganser with a brood of young, and several Midland Painted Turtles basking on the log behind her.
Male Bobolink
Male Bobolink
Male Bobolink
Male Bobolink
