Fog rise.
An eerie sunrise over Lake Erie. A heavy fog over the lake this morning. Rondeau Provincial Park, Nov 3, 2022.
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Storm's coming.
It slid by to the east of us. Lake Erie from Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, July 2, 2021.
Waterfront isn't a selling point around here.
Big south west winds caused flooding along the Lake Erie shore a few days ago. Lake This photo was taken from about 2km (1.2 miles)away, the road was closed. Waves were crashing into the hardened shore line and going up and over the houses and across the road.
Rare sight.
We don't see many large ships in close along our shore. The blurry patch on the bow is ice that is building up from the waves. They normally stay much further out on a more direct route from the Welland Canal to the Detroit River while transiting Lake Erie. From what I could see I think it is an Algoma Central vessel working its way through the ice pack on the lake.
Wind and waves.
Had some big southwest winds yesterday. The waves were breaking over the steel breakwaters a few miles from our place. We were fine as we were on the leeward side.
Sunset on the Winter Solstice.
At the end of South Point Trail at 4.30 approximately. So far a very mild winter here, hope yours is what you want it to be.
A natural beach.
A wild, natural beach. No umbrellas need apply. At Rondeau the beach is left in a natural state to provided habitat for toads,skins, and other critters. Beach fires are not allowed.
Sittin on a tree in the lake.
Watchin the waves roll in. No dock and no tide but the same idea. At the wash out on South Point Trail at Rondeau Provincial Park.
Ice Breaking
We rarely see the big ships that travel the great lakes from our place. They usually stay much further out as there are shallows near here and the main shipping lane is towards the middle of the lake. Today we saw what appears to be an icebreaker making a path for one of the sea going vessels that come into the great lake system.
From the cottage to the dunes to the great frozen lake.
It’s winter time in Canada and the gentle breezes blow seventy kilometres per hour at thirty five below. Oh, how I love Canada when the snow’s up to your butt you take a breath of winter and your nose gets frozen shut. Yes, the weather here is wonderful I guess I’ll Stick around. I could never leave Canada.. I’m frozen to the ground. author unknown
Ice sculpture by Mother Nature.
While out looking for snowy owls, we found two, we saw this tree along the lake covered in ice. The wind was blowing hard and the crashing waves threw up cascades of water which coated the tree.
A cold and windy start to November.
Not a big storm on Lake Erie but a steady 35 km wind built up the waves. They pounded the east shore of the park for two days. Our living room window faces east and it is all windows. We could feel the temperature drop, a sample of what winter will bring.
Low rider
This horned grebe rides low in the water and can do a fast flip and disappear in the blink of an eye. There were four of them, in non-breeding plumage, cruising in the lake of Rondeau Provincial Park. Podiceps auritus A sleeping or resting Horned Grebe puts its neck on its back with its head off to one side and facing forward. It keeps one foot tucked up under a wing and uses the other one to maneuver in the water. Having one foot up under a wing makes it float with one "high" side and one "low" side.
Everybody out of the water!
duunnn dunnn... duuuunnnn duun... duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun (music for Jaws) We cruised past - the boat is now running fine, a flock of double crested cormorants on the beach and most of them took off. They need a running start to get airborne and they really churn the water. If you look closely you can see a few that look like they are being run over. It looked like a case of Jaws fear, everybody out of the water! Phalacrocorax auritus The double-crest of the Double-crested Cormorant is only visible on adults during breeding season. The crests are white in cormorants from Alaska, and black in other regions. In breeding colonies where the nests are placed on the ground, young cormorants leave their nests and congregate into groups with other youngsters (creches). They return to their own nests to be fed. The oldest known Double-crested Cormorant was more than 22 years old, banded in Ontario in 1984 and found in Louisiana in 2006. source - Cornell Lab of Ornitholog
Bird on a stick
This caspian tern was sitting on a channel marker at the entrance to Erieau Marina where we keep our pontoon. A great day on the water, the lake was calm and the breeze was enough to keep biting flies to a minimum. Hydroprogne caspia As large as a big gull, the Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world. Its large coral red bill makes it one of the most easily identified terns throughout its worldwide range. The oldest known wild Caspian Tern lived to be more than 26 years old. Average life span of Great Lakes Caspian Terns is estimated to be 12 years. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
