Pymatuning State Park: Day Two!

Well, the glass factory that I  worked at last summer called me back on May 8th, and this has been my first day off. So I haven't really had the time to finish my Pymatuning trip post. And today it was gorgeous outside and my buddy just got his first boat, so we did ourselves a little bass fishin'!! Did pretty well too, saw an osprey, a green heron, lots of song birds, and some shore birds that I didn't get a real good look at. ANYWAY! Day two of my trip to Pymatuning went pretty well. The Northern Flickers building their cavity woke me up before the coffee pot, Dad laughed when he saw me utilizing the pillow + quilt = ear plugs technology. The fishing was not great that day, and the birds weren't too active either. Mostly swallows, herons, gulls, terns, and cormorants.

Three Great Blue Herons

Adult Common Loons

Didn't see them until they were right over the boat..

Adult Bonaparte's Gull

Adult Bonaparte's Gull

Adult Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

2nd year Herring Gull

Canada geese and Gulls on the spillway

Check out all the carp on the left side!

Mixed Gulls

Mixed Gulls

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

As I said, the fishing wasn't great. So I felt like we should take a few shots of the big perch that I caught to make it look like we knew what we were doing. Yes dad, I said it. MY perch!! See how good of a son I am, even when I put the biggest fish in the livewell, I let my dad hold it!

My old man

Allot of people that I talk to think that cormorants are an ugly bird, which they kinda are. But when they are breeding, they have really pretty coloration on their face. I did my best to get a photo, but the only ones that got real close were juveniles! That will happen.

Adult Breeding Double-crested Cormorants

Juvenile Double-crested Cormorant

Juvenile Double-crested Cormorant

Non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull

We didn't fish much Sunday because we had to drive back home. We were on the lake around 8:30 am, and started packing it in about 3:00 pm. When we got back to the marina, I got a few photos of a Tree Swallow preening. Swallows are such a slick, pretty bird.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

It's always hard to come back home after spending time up there. Even during "walleye week" when the walleye are hitting really good in June and we spend 2 weeks at camp, Dad gets to spend 2 weeks anyway. There are way to many memories on that lake and the camp ground to be able to up and leave without feeling a little bummed. When we were younger, dad would have a really hard time getting us to get in the truck. So he bribed us with ice cream. He says that we would sob the entire time we ate our sundaes, and be asleep before we hit the interstate. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday. Thanks Dad!!! Although the following weekend when he went up he hammered the walleyes... Since I'm back at the plant this summer working swing shift, I really doubt I will be able to do much photography or birding. But tomorrow I think I am going to try and get some looks at the shore birds that I saw today at Kyle Lake, maybe even get some photos!