Lyker's Pond

Is probably not actually named Lyker's Pond. Might be part of Bear Swamp, or maybe not. It's on Goldman Road, near Lyker's Road though. As a family we have been going there pretty much since we have been a family and somewhere along the way we started calling it that.

The boss took me to the tiny pull off long before there were kids. I have always liked to fish and look for birds. We took the kids there to fish for whatever the heck is in there...mostly minnows it seems...I don't think they ever caught anything.

However, we had messy pic-a-nics and good times. Ask the boss about the proximity of Lyker's Pond and Sprout Brook some time.

When the kids hit college over in Cobleskill the visits increased. If I drove Becky over we sometimes stopped. If I rode along with Alan to wait out a class and then go adventuring we stopped at Burger King and took our goodies to the pull off to munch and muse.

When we began eBirding we started going even more often. During migration we have sometimes even stopped a couple of times a day. Well worth it on the right days, as I have sometimes found over 30 species there. Last fall a Trumpeter Swan flew over!

Now a few other eBirders have begun to visit to scope out the beauty and scoop up the birdies. Which tickles me no end, as it is such a cool place and I love it.

Yesterday Becky took care of Peg so we could get out for a while. Disease and work schedules wait for no birds and we have been seriously curtailed in our travels.

Wild corn dogs going to seed

The peepers were literally deafening. I bird a lot by ear as I am kinda, sorta, somewhat blind....ish. Not happening with all that din. However, I soon picked out first of the year Chipping Sparrows singing their insect-like song all around and then a pair of Barred Owls, also first of the year, tuned up to the west of the pond. In broad daylight no less.

Score! And score some peace and happiness and forgetfulness for a few minutes. If you are a local birder I recommend a visit someday. There is a nice little parking place and good wide road shoulders so you can avoid the sparse but speeding traffic. There are a couple of other decent ponds on nearby roads as well, which you can probably find via eBird.

Below is a video of the male of a pair of Hooded Mergansers floating tranquilly among the peeper chorus. Turn your sound up if you would like to hear them.

Any of my sky watcher friends know what this phenomenon is called?
Not a regular rainbow, it was much brighter than the photos show and stretched
across a lot of the horizon. Thanks!

Stay safe and strong dear friends and family. Much love from Northview Farm.