fFirst Purple Violet of the Spring

This morning i had gone for a walk searching for or hoping to find a Purple Violet in bloom.  I had no luck.  then this afternoon while working in our yard, my husband David found this Violet blossom semi- open!  Isn't the finding of a first bloom wonderful!?  I definitely think so!  thank You David!

Trees for Thursdays Challenge

Birch Trees for Thursday's Challenge.  I think birches are beautiful trees! they are so very attractive in their bl;ack and white presentation. .Thursday Challenge is a meme which offers a different theme each week. Last  week's theme was trees. To join in on the fun you can find this meme at:http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html  I have used the photo at the top to create a birch tree kaleidoscopse using a free download kaleidoscope plug in for photoshop.  It turned out rather interesting and features black and white lines in its design. you might recognize some of its features as Birch Trees.

the yellow in our provincial flag for Mellow Yellow Monday

Our Our provincial flag is rather beautiful to my eye and it displays lots of yellows. The galleon represents the ship building history of our province. Our economy was once based upon a wind, wood industryl  until sailing ships were replaced by steam.  The yellow lion across the top represents the British Lion, the source of the cultural heritage of many of our citizens today{My children's grandmother came from England and two of  my  great great grandfathers were from England, which is designated  as our mother country. Our country, Canada is a member of the British Commonwealth of nations.. We can  also claim ancestors from Scotland and Ireland as sources of our ancestry  which are parts of Great Britain.

  Got photos with yellow? That's all you need to qualify for the mellow yellow Monday meme: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.cahttp://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.ca//. Just scroll down the right-hand side until you come to the mellow yellow Monday logo. Just click on the picture and you're there. Just continue on and enjoy!

American Wigeons for Camera Critters

Seen above A male adult American Wigeon found Thursday, [April26th.,] at Rookwood Park in Saint John.  and nearby was its female companion[ seen below].  To my eye this was a handsome pair.  This was my first Wigeon sighting this fall and I knew I would find Wigeon there as I always Camera Critters is a meme that features critters, any kind, any size. To see more of this meme please click on the CC logo which can be found on the right sidebar on this page or please click here.http://camera-do.critters.blogspot.com/

A Resting Mallard for Weekend Reflections

I took the photo  of this male Mallard yesterday at Rookwood Park, in Saint John .  I loved its grace and solitude!, what a great way to relax.  I envy its balance!

To learn more about the meme Weekend Reflections please go to:http://weekendreflection.blogspot.ca/

A Male Downy woodpecker for Ruby Tuesday 2

This handsome little downy with the red patch on the back of its head ,which signify s its maleness ,is always attracted to our peanut feeders in Bird Alley.  We have quite a time keeping a supply on hand as our peanut feeders are often found empty , lying on the ground, in the mornings, which is an indication to us of an overnight visit from a sneaky , unwelcome visit from s raccoon But I strive to keep a supply on hand for the woodpeckers..A quick turn of its head shows the full area of redness at the back of this Downy's head in the  picture to the lrft..  Isn't it a lovely red?

Ruby Tuesday 2 meme features photos with red of any subject. To contribute to this meme please go to;
http://rubytuesday2.blogspot.com/
or just click on the Ruby Tuesday 2 badge at the top of the column on the right hand side of this blog page. .

An Empty Cocoon Casing

A macro shot of a cocoon casing was found on the rim of a large flower pot in our garage. I had dreams of watching it hatch into a moth or something? But unfortunately it got torn. I find the dark bands on the cocoon fascinating! They look like perforated webbing. Intricate designs of nature are so intriguing, don't  think. The casing was very hard  and brittle and  I think it was probably empty before it got torn .

River Ferry Tree Swallows for Camera Critters

Yesterday we had gone birding along the Saint John River at Sheffield and Maugerville looking for waterfowl and then went on to Jemseg.  To return home we decided to take the Lower Gagetown River Ferry at Jemseg and cross the Saint John river there.River Ferries are part of our New Brunswick highway system.  Earlier this week I had read that the Tree Swallows had returned to the Gagetown Ferry and I wanted to check that out also.  While waiting for the ferry to arrive from its

 crossing  from the Gagetown side of the river we saw two Tree Swallows waiting also on the overhead wires above us.As the ferry docked we thought we would be the first ones to board, but we were wrong. The Tree Swallows immediately flew aboard the ferry as soon as it had docked!You can see one swallow on top of the post near the New Brunswick flag flying on the ferry.Each year for the past several  Tree Swallows have successfully nested on this Lower Gagetown ferry.  We saw their nesting box there yesterday  .at the bottom of the picture above you can see one of the tree swallows perched in front of the bird houseraboard the ferry.  We have seen Tree Swallows nesting here other years while the ferry continuously crossed the river daily. The presence of the Tree Swallows aboard the ferry yesterday signify that they have  chosen this as their nesting site again this year and they are monitoring their chosen location.  As the ferry continued its crossing the Tree Swallows stayed aboard the  entire ferry crossing.This picturesque River Lighthouse was the beautiful view awaiting us as the river ferry docked on the Lower Gagetown side of the Saint John river crossing from Jemseg..  We had a lovely day checking out these river ferry Tree Swallows and will return another day when they are nesting inside their moveable home during their nesting season.  "Bon Voyage little adventurous swallows" Have a wonderful sailing  and nesting season!!!!

 Camera Critters is a meme that features critters, any kind, any size. To see more of this meme please click on the CC logo which can be found on the right sidebar on this page or please click here.http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Pond Reflections for Weekend Reflections

Reflections of dried grasses at the end of the pond set the scene for beauty as these two Black Ducks swim about on this Branch Road Pond Yesterday. This colours in photo iare reminiscent of fall.
To learn more about the meme Weekend Reflections please go to:http://weekendreflection.blogspot.ca/

Recent Bird Arrivals in Bird Alley

  Our first returning bird to Bird Alley this week was a much welcomed and awaited Tree Swallow. Tree Swallows nest in our Tree Swallow house every year  and we enjoy hosting this species in Bird Alley.

 Our second very welcome returning species was a White-throated Sparrow!  I had been waiting and watching for one of these sparrows every day! Oh Happy Day!, They have arrived!

  the second little  welcome sparrow surprise was this Chipping Sparrow as shown above!  It was a great birding week!

 Early yesterday evening we discovered a pair of Cowbirds feeding in Bird Alley.  This is not a favoured species of ours but their presence does add variety to Bird Alley.  Shown above is the brown-headed male and shown below is the demure looking grey female.

  Red-winged Blackbirds have been present in Bird Alley already this spring, but yesterday they made themselves more know by feeding on the ground with the other birds . These blackbirds seem to hang out with the Grackles that come to Bird Alley daily and their numbers seem to be increasing each day.

Shown above is the female red-wing and shown below  

is the male red-wing with just a slight portion of the red on his wing showing.  I find these blackbirds very skittish birds and it is difficult to get a good photo of them when they are around. as you might perceive it has been a wonderful, exciting birding week in Bird Alley.  Hopefully next week will see many more new  returning feathered arrivals as well.

Do Crows eat Moths? for Outdoor Wednesday

As my husband watched some crows fly up against a public building across the street from our home he watched a couple of crows fly against the building and pick something off the wall under the outside light there.
I have often seen moths gather at this location and so I walked across the street and found just one moth[ in the photo above] still located there under the light. This is something that I shall be watchful for the next few days. trying to get a photo of this crow behaviour. crow eating moths?? Hmmm... interesting!

Outdoor Wednesdayhttp://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ is a delightful meme that invites you to share the outdoors with others. The theme encompasses the outdoors, a topic within the theme of your choosing. to learn more of this meme or to share your view of the outdoors please click on the 'outdoor Wednesday' logo on the right of this page. Happy Wednesday outoor gathering to all

A Tint of Red, Pink Mayflowers for Ruby Tuesday 2

Spring seems to be bursting out all over. I found mayflower[a.k.a. Trailing Arbutus] blossoms yesterday afternoon and this seems early to me. Our Hostas are pushing up pout of the ground and our maple tree is full of red blossoms ( soon our driveway will be carpeted with these red blossoms.)and I have one daffodil almost in bloom[ maybe today?]
Ruby Tuesday 2 meme features photos with red of any subject. To contribute to this meme please go to;
http://rubytuesday2.blogspot.com/
or just click on the Ruby Tuesday 2 badge at the top of the column on the right hand side of this blog page.

Birds and Wildflowers for Mellow Yellow Monday

this yellow team visited our food table yesterday.

Coltsfoot found along the 785.

Got pictures with yellow? Why not post them on the mellow yellow Monday meme by connecting to this link. http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/ Or You can click on its icon found on this page in the right column by finding it by scrolling down this page. If your plan is not to post a photo, then perhaps you will just want to enjoy all of the yellow contributions posted there
This little bird buddy above is a newly arrived sparrow species in Bird Alley this morning and it got here just in time to be included on today's yellow meme. Its yellow lores, just above the eyes qualify him for a mym candidate! This is a white throated sparrow. Welcome bird buddy. We have been waiting for you!.

Green-winged Teal for Camera Critters

Yesterday during the late morning we chanced upon this pair of Green-winged Teal on the Keswick Flats. As can be srrmised by the photo this is not a river or stream where these ducks were located but rather it is field where hay is probably harvested each year.The ducks were swimming about in the watery furrows.

The head colouring of the male immediately gave way its identification.

I name this female above a greenwinged Teal also as she was with the male. labelled by me due to her association. with the male.

Camera Critters is a meme that features critters, any kind, any size. To see more of this meme please click on the CC logo which can be found on the right sidebar on this page or please click here.http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Watching and waiting for Tree Swallows

This is my view of our Tree Swallow house as I sit at my laptop at my diningroom table.
I have read a couple of reports of Swallows having been sighted in the province already. We are ready and waiting for them. Below this invitational signage below was created by my daughter , Riel, several years ago and is still in place posted under the bird house. The sign works! for ever since we put the swallow house and sign up several years ago we have always had a swallow pair nesting in it.Actually some of the resident swallows have become quite possessive of their ( our) backyard territory and during recent summers, the past two or three, my husband has resorted to adapting a new gardening head gear when the tree swallows are nesting as they will swoop and dive at him. There has been no collisions to date but the anticipation of contact does make one a bit anxious when out in our yard.

Black Ducks for Weekend Reflections.

The reflection in this photo holds a hint of fall with the colour reflected on the water from the pond side vegetation, but no it is still just early spring. This photo was taken just last week. I have not always been as appreciative of Black Ducks as one could be. when seeing a black duck my comments are often a disappointed, "Oh, Its only a Black Duck, as in "Oh its only a crow". My comments related to some birds often underate their beauty. But in retrospect I think this Black duck photo above is rather beautiful with its watery reflection and the shore-side vegetation providing an ample colourful background.Weekend Reflections:http://weekendreflection.blogspot.ca/is a meme where you can view beautiful reflections captured by others. Just click on the logo on the right to see what others have captured with their cameras

A Pileated Woodpecker for Ruby Tuesday 2

Yesterday evening we had two Pleated Woodpeckers in our yard! wow! It hardly ever happens! what a wonderful sighting experience!
One of these huge magnificent woodpeckers was in our two old tall maples that grow beside our driveway. In the photo above you can see the red flowers of the maple coming into blossom.
The other Pileated perched on our hydro pole.

these pictures were taken through my kitchen window. David had seen them as they arrived and called me. I went rushing for my camera as quickly as I could move. I think I will focus my birdcam at the old maple today in case they return! Oh, could I be so lucky again? Lets certainlyhope so!
Ruby Tuesday 2 meme features photos with red of any subject. To contribute to this meme please go to;
http://rubytuesday2.blogspot.com/
or just click on the Ruby Tuesday 2 badge at the top of the column on the right hand side of this blog page.

a Swirly Flurry of Goldfinch for Mellow Yellow Monday

Three male American Goldfinch closely perched together on a branch on a snowy Sunday morning brought to mind a flurry all balled up together. There are three birds! can you distinguish all three?

Got pictures with yellow that you would like to share? Why not post them on Mellow Yellow Monday, a delightful meme that focuses on the colour yellow?Just clink here:http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/ to access this meme

Wood ducks for camera critters

There are many beautiful sights to be seen in nature, but in my opinion the wood duck is one of the most beautiful. I hadn't seen any wood ducks this spring until yesterday and at yesterday's sighting I hadn't realized what I had seen until I downloaded my photos at home and discovered that the male mallard I had thought I had seen was actually a Wood duck. Uh huh! Today I knew where to look and this morning went back to find them. They were in a slightly different water area but there was no mistaking what I was seeing!
The handsome male is so outstanding in his colourful feathered garb!
The female's identification is unmistakable with her wide white eye border! What a sighting ! This makes my day!! Perhaps I should make a return trip there this afternoon!? I used my Canon 100-400 IS zoom lens while sitting in my car , resting my camera on my half rolled up window, while taking these photos.
Camera Critters is a meme that features critters, any kind, any size. To see more of this meme please click on the CC logo which can be found on the right sidebar on this page or please click here.http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/