Boy did we get lucky again …

Well, we tried to stay awake long enough to help kick last year out the door and down to the curb, but for some reason, we just couldn’t do it. Must be getting older. We are just thankful that it is gone.

New Year’s day found us walking around the Navy Yard park in beautiful downtown Amherstburg, and I took a few photos of the Christmas lights, just because I thought they looked nice. My lady suggested that I send a couple of photos into our town newspaper to see if they would get published. As it turned out, the photos didn’t make their way into the paper, but I had also written a Letter to the Editor based on one of the photos, and it Did get printed. YeeHaw, I’m a published writer now! I will include the letter at the end of this (yup, you’re going to have to read all the way through before you get there).

• 

• 

• 

• 

Birding has slowed right down this month, with just a few things worth noting.

We had another visit from a Grey Ghost (male Northern Harrier), and we found a Merlin sitting comfortably on top of a hydro pole.

• 

• 

• 

The Eagles have returned to various locations around the county, and just a week ago we saw almost a dozen flying around the Windsor Marina at Peche Island.

Holiday Beach marsh has begun to freeze over, but there are still some open areas for the various waterfowl to hang out in.

• 

• 

Sparrows are often visible clustered together in the bushes, and occasionally we can find one out on its own away from the maddening crowd.

• 

• 

Redpolls at Pelee showed up in much smaller numbers than before, and after Pelee closed for a week for the deer cull, we haven’t heard of any others around.

It looks like fishing is going on out in Lake Erie and the gulls are just too happy to see what they can get.

• 

Coyotes are still showing up, often where people don’t want them. One morning we were out for a drive, and found one a little close to the road, but well enough out in the country.

Got close to a Screech Owl that didn’t seem to mind me taking its picture.

Hmmm, I feel like I’m missing something. Let’s see…, Oh yeah, getting lucky again (mind out of the gutter please).

Remember last month we had a female Snowy Owl come to visit us? Well, early in January we received an alert on our birding group about a Snowy Owl in a field, just outside of our county. We couldn’t make it there the same day, but the following day we hurried out to where it was seen, and sure enough, there it was way out in a corn field, like most of the ones we end up seeing. The road we were on had almost no traffic, so we hung around for a little while just in case it moved. After about 30 minutes it seemed startled by something and suddenly took flight. It landed on a road sign just a ways down the road from us, so I gently pulled forward and stopped to take a few more photos. It seemed like it had settled down, so I moved the car about another 50 feet or so and just watched it. We got a few more photos, but then another vehicle came down the other road and flushed it up again, and back further into the corn field.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I have edited out the names on the sign so that the focus is on the male Snowy Owl, not the location.

For us to be able to have seen both a female and a male Snowy within just a couple of weeks totally blows my mind.

Thanks for reading. Now for my little Letter to the Editor.

My wife and I wandered through the Navy Yard early New Year’s Day and admired the light displays.
One in particular caught us, as it simply said Believe.
Many of us struggled with so many difficulties through 2020, and we are beginning to find it hard to simply Believe.
Children Believe in The Tooth Fairy, Fairy Tales, The Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Why? Because parents and society pronounce them to be true.
As we grow up, we believe that we will fall in love, marry, have children of our own, and live happily ever after. Why? Because for the most part, that is the way of life.
Throughout our lives, and for generations before us, we have Believed in God, no matter what name it goes by. Why? Because in times of stress, we need to turn to something that is greater than ourselves. Something or Someone who can guide us, or save us, or simply to hear our prayers.
As we head into 2021, we as a society are still struggling with the past, be it Covid-19, racial divide, homelessness, poverty, or any of the 7 deadly sins. But one thing that we can hold onto is the ability to Believe.
Believe in our health system, that they will defeat not only Covid, but whatever might come along afterwards.
Believe in our elected officials, that they will make the proper decisions that will guide us all towards a better life for everyone, not just the chosen few.
Believe in ourselves, that we can see the things we need to change in ourselves, and be willing to make those changes. 
But above all, let’s Believe as a child Believes, and we will find the joy and wonder of living again.

Happy 2021 everyone.