Lambton - Raccoons Oh My!

A day after my check of the Forgotten Land, I decided to visit the Lambton spot. There's only 4 boxes here and it's around the corner from our house. The fact that Thursday morning was the last bit of mild dry weather for a number of days gave me all the more reason to go.

I wasn't expecting any birds yet despite Area One and "TFL" getting some arrivals. Of course I was hopeful, ready to get things going, but Mother Nature goes her own speed and it can vary from one year to the next.

As I mentioned in my last blog, these nest box checks give me good reason to have some time out with nature as well as get some fresh air and a bit of exercise. Here is what I saw with my 40 minute walk.

Look who greeted me upon arrival!

This spot is rather popular with Raccoons. I often find one, but sometimes three, five and once seven. A lot of birds nest in this area and the Raccoons can be a threat to the eggs and young birds.

A few pairs of Robins were busy gathering nesting material. We can only wish them the best of luck. Before anyone gets too upset, I can assure you many young Robins fledge from the nests built here each year.

As I make my way to the first nest box. I find a second Raccoon.

I scope out the first box, which had a family of Tree Swallows in 2018. An Eastern Phoebe sits in a nearby tree. A new spring arrival. Too bad his kind do not use nest boxes. A coat of paint could be in order for next year as I look at the box.

As I head to the next two boxes, I pass a third Raccoon. This one really favours this tree as I've often seen it here.

The next two boxes look welcoming don't they?

Brown Creepers are climbing many of the trees. Can you spot the bird?

Golden-crowned Kinglets surround me. They are tiny birds but easy to spot with that bright crown.

Turkey Vultures soar over. Always nice to see through the season.

I am across a gully of sorts, looking to the fourth nest box. Chickadees started a nest here in 2018 but abandoned it for some reason. I think they took to a natural cavity nearby which unfortunately came down sometime last summer after an intense storm. Maybe they will re-think their nesting strategy this year and give this box another try?

So no nesting birds yet but a nice outing I must say. If it wasn't for those boxes, I might not have gone for this walk.

Let's see how things are in Lambton when I revisit in about 10 days or so.