Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

Ping have always wanted to go visit the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary but every trip to the Kellogg Biological Station requires that Ping goes back to lab as soon as possible to process the soil sample (we don't want the microbial community to change too much so that we can capture the 'close-to-field' condition. Yes, by removing the core is already a major disturbance but we don't really have a choice at this point. Unfortunately, the well-known quote by field ecologists - If you choose to do field study, you have to live in the field - does not work for microbial ecologists because we can't see our subject of study!).
Now that Ping is actually staying at KBS, Ping gets to go explore the area a little. Besides the bird sanctuary, there really is not much around here except for really nice nature trails and agriculture fields. It is a good place for nature photography though because there are so many birds, squirrels, chipmunks and insects. Haha...after having experience a taste of zoom lens and DSLR camera, Ping can't help wishing she has one whenever she sees a bird resting on crop residues or up on a tree. But, Ping still managed to capture quite a few nice shots and had lots of fun at the Bird Sanctuary!

There are two lakes in the Bird Sanctuary and are kept enclosed, probably to prevent people from getting too close to it. But, since most of the ducks/geese that resides there can fly, you do get to see them upclose. The Canadian geese are pretty huge but this little boy sure is not affected by it.
Besides the boring Canadian geese, there are quite a few swans too. While they look pretty when sitting down or swimming, they have huge and ugly looking feet. :P Reminds Ping of the term mummy and tua ee always say - 'tua kah poh'.























There is also a mum swan trying to hatch her eggs but the dad swan was very mean to Ping.
The highlight for Ping is the goslings!!! There were two families just sitting on the grass and Ping was slow and still enough that they did not feel threatened when Ping get down to their level!
Aren't they cute??? They are so fluffy, makes you want to cuddle them! Hehe. Check out how they sleep...

From Bird Sanctuary

Doesn't that seem like it will be hard for them to get up and run when a potential predator approach?

There was also two families of black swan. They were much more protective of the babies because there were other black swans who would not let Ping near the families at all.
Besides the free-roaming ducks, geese and swans, the Bird Sanctuary also has a few owls and close to endangered birds that are caged. One surprising thing - owls eat rats!! Guess Ping have never really thought about what they eat so was surprised to see there were dead rats in their food bowl! Ewww!!!
Oh, there was also an owl that makes chattering noise like when Ping gets cold! Am pretty sure the owl was not cold because it was a very hot evening. It must have meant something - maybe like 'Go away and don't bother me'. Hehe.

The one above looks mean but this one below looks much nicer, like a grandpa type. Hehe. It reminds Ping of the Owl cartoon that taught us ABC when we were a kid. Arghggh! Can't remember the name of the Owl now. (Mei Ling: You know which video tape I'm talking about right???)
Of course, there was also the chipmunks. There are tons of them at KBS!!
A nice quote on a bench...
All the way from Malaysia (actually, this one is from Indonesia). It is funny seeing this rooster in a cage when in M'sia, they are just walking around the kampung.
The one thing that was missing was the ducklings! Ping didn't see any at all! But there are tons on MSU campus that Ping will have to go visit when Ping get back on campus!