nature tales and camera trails

Tree Sparrow for world Bird Wednesday

2012-01-25T12:00:00.007-04:00

What an exciting day it was in Bird Alley last Saturday! We saw our first and only sparrow sighting of the winter: A Tree Sparrow! At first I noticed the rufus colouring of its head and was quite sure it wouldn't be a Chipping Sparrow.. too off season for that little Tree Sparrow cousin and look alike. I waited for it to reappear again and started taking pictures. When downloading I was hoping to see a dark center breast spot which is a characteristic distinguishing feature of the Tree Sparrow. None of my pictures revealed the central brest spot but what I did see was the bi-coloured bill of the Tree Sparrow.
Ah ha! The bi-coloured bill definitely assured me, yes, I was being visited by a tree sparrow

And my next group of photos revealed the sought after dark center breast spot! Oh happy day!!! What took you so long little sparrow? Where have you been?

On Sunday I saw two tree sparrows and on Monday there were three little beautiful sparrows in Bird Alley! Wow!.

On Sunday I saw a bit of a tree sparrow behind a branch, I found this photo quite amusing as I could see its central spot showing on the sparrow's breast. Ha, Ha Tree Sparrow, I see you!!!!
Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

swinging goldfinch for mellow yellow monday

2012-01-23T07:55:00.007-04:00

We have a pergola at the end of Bird Alley beside our sun room window. During the summer the top of the pergola is covered with Virgina Creeper. At this time of year there are many creeper vines hanging down from the pergola top. These vines are an invitation to all the little goldfinch which visit daily for I often see goldfinch fly towards a vine , land on it and then swing back and forth until the vine becomes motionless again with the goldfinch clutching the vine with its claws. ( I must try to get a video of this delightful behaviour.)
These little flying yellow fluff balls are a joy to watch swinging back and forth outside my window.

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

Tree Sparrow

2012-01-22T13:39:00.003-04:00

"Ha, ha, little Tree Sparrow", "I see you hiding behind that branch." The dark spot in the middle of your belly gave you away".

birds in snowy bird Alley

2012-01-21T09:58:00.008-04:00

It snowed in Bird Alley yesterday, not a common occurrence this winter, but it did entice some bird activity to Bird Alley. First some Chickadees came by and then some beautiful Goldfinch showed up also.
I used my tripod to capture a still photo of this busy flitting bird.
The appearance of strong yellow hues on this bird's throat are an optimistic suggestion to me of spring approaching. Please let it be so. I am very eager for a seasonal change!

And the snow fell softly around.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Beautiful old Barns

2012-01-19T09:05:00.004-04:00

old railroad bridge for outdoors Wednesday

2012-01-18T07:50:00.007-04:00

a faviourite view of mine no matter what the season, an old railroad bridge. the view will be somewhat changed todat as we have had overnight snowand it is raining now. The river ice isn't all rhar solid and will easily break or crack.

I love the frame of yellow grasses,
So this is my outdoors view, If you would like to see more or share yours, then go to the Outdoors Wednesday logo on the right side of this page, click on it and follow the instructions of 'southern dreamer and link in from there.http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

Leaf frozen to my driveway

2012-01-16T18:38:00.003-04:00

BRRRRRRR!, Its cold out there!!!!!!!!! Just ask this stationary leaf. It doesn't fly around any more because its frozen to our driveway surface. I love the textures and light in this photo!

last quarter or fourth quarter of the January full moon

2012-01-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

the last quarter of the January 2012 wolf or winter moon, taken this morning from my living room window. When I first saw it it had a mellow yellowish tinge to it. See the post below to view the mellow yellow colouring of it..

last quarter moon for mellow yellow monday

2012-01-16T07:28:00.005-04:00

Hmmmm. It does look like a piece of cheese this fourth quarter moon in this photo taken out of my window at about 6 a.n. this morning. I find the light yellow tint applicable to the theme of cheese.
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

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

The Wolf Moon for Skywatch Friday

2012-01-12T18:06:00.007-04:00

Wow! This full moon known as the Wolf Moon having derived its name when hungry wolves would howl at the moon on cold January nights. The winter Moon is also an appropriate naming for this full moon.
If you examine this photo carefully near the uppermost curve to the right you can see craters on the moon. I love it!

Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as well.

My best of 2011 for Thursday Challenge

2012-01-12T06:54:00.003-04:00

My favourite and most unique and best photo capture of 2011, an almost all white Bohemian Waxwing. What a burst of exhilaration I experience when seeing this beauty appear in my camera lens.

Thursday Challenge is a meme which offers a different theme each week. This week's theme is 'the best of 2011'. To join in on the fun you can find this meme at:http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

Hairy Woodpecker in Bird Alley

2012-01-10T07:07:00.006-04:00

i like the textured looking surroundings of this male woodpecker in Bird alley. It is a frequent visitor, almost daily. the big attraction for it is our peanut feeder.

a beautiful old ink label for mellow yellow monday

2012-01-09T07:27:00.006-04:00

All artistic creations related to nature appeal to me and this old label on an antique carter's (midnight blue black) ink bottle fits the appeal ctiteria. First the full moon makes it current and the geese (Canadas?) flying across the'yellow' moon are lovely. The background wallpaper in our downstairs hall highlights the nature theme somewhat. (I have butterfly wallpaper in my dining room). We bring a nature themed decor into our home.
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

My winter: January 2012

2012-01-08T07:38:00.005-04:00

I think this steam is saying, "I think I can, I think I can!" as it struggles to close the gap over this open flowing water in this woodland stream.
Good winter driving over and through thus covered bridge, just a few white sprinkles highlight the roadsides when this photo was taken.
There must have been a bumper crop of hay this summer past or there was no room left in the barn as I see a lot of rolls of hay still left out in the fields this winter.

Goldfinch out my window

2012-01-07T10:21:00.002-04:00

New Year's Memories

2011-12-31T11:29:00.003-04:00

A deer in the meadow
stood still in the moonlit night
with the snow falling all around
before journeying on its way

It had become a tradition when our children were little to take a walk in the beautiful meadow which was adjacent to our property at our old home at Hawkshaw, on New Year's Eve. Our two older children still remember it and talk about it. However we no longer have access to the meadow anymore and further I am getting too old to wander through a snowy meadow at night anymore ( My walker would not work well on a snowy hillside) and besides we don't have any snow lying on the ground this year. ( I am thankful for that!)

A Happy New Year is wished for everyone. Welcome 2012. My memories are still fresh of new year's eve 2000., so anticipated by all.

filtered sunset light for Thursday's Challenge

2011-12-29T07:44:00.007-04:00

a Christmas Eve sunset

The photo above filtered on photoshop leaving the shadows below and the light in the sky!

Thursday Challenge is a meme which offers a different theme each week. This week's theme is light. To join in on the fun you can find this meme at:http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

nature fabric pillowcase

2011-12-27T09:57:00.001-04:00

A most beautiful and delightful gift I received from my daughter was a small pillow and pillowcase she had made for me out of nature fabric, The fabric is bright and bold with colourful songbirds on it; such as red Cardinals, Blue birds, Blue Jays and Chickadees. She also has given me a swatch of the fabric. She says it is a Fabricville piece. I shall go looking for it as it is a 'must have' beauty that would warm the heart of any birdwatcher. What shall I make with it? I dunno know, I shall just enjoy gazing at its beauty.

A Christmas Eve Sunset for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-12-26T08:37:00.003-04:00

A most ,beautiful evening sunset viewed from our daughter's kitchen window at her home when we dined and visited on Christmas Eve. We had an enjoyable Christmas with our daughter's family, including two very excited grandchildren

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

a belated welcome to winter, goodbye autumn

2011-12-24T07:19:00.001-04:00

Needles of pine quilt a soft warm blanket using
hushed hues of faded browns and yawning yellows
as Autumn prepares its winter bed

Northern vagabonds of wind and snow
whistle a warning lullaby of winter's approach
and Autumn falls asleep upon a soft white pillow

As a white blanket covers the land

a layering of snow today

2011-12-23T08:19:00.002-04:00

We have had very little snow this year so far, but this morning there is a thin layering lying on the ground outside my window and it is still coming down. This snow this morning caused me to recall o a blog post I had made in 2009 remembering previous winters and perhaps prompted by the memories of those Christmas when a new sled was under the Christmas tree which was always a cause for joy. We lived on a farm which had a few great sliding hills. They would have been better for tobogganing, but we we seldom had a toboggan, it was often a sled instead;

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Snow today, still on the ground

Our snow covered ground this morning has prompted this winter memory for me:

piecing together
computerized visual art
fragments from my mind

Remembering the brief rapture of stolen moments
between after school chores and suppertime

cold wind on my face
exhilaration of speed
sliding memories

rushing headlong, down the snowy hill
climbing up again, only to fly downward once more
each time the upward climb becoming slower and s l o w e r

then the call to supper

with red rosy cheeks and chaffed wrists
from snow clotted mittens
we would rush indoors to the parlor wood stove
remove our felts from snow clogged boots
and hang our woolen snow pants nearby to dry
in readiness for another winter's day

Have a great day everyone and a wish for a safe joyous Christmas to all.

A Hungry, Young Sharp-shinned Hawk

2011-12-16T08:33:00.003-04:00

This young Sharp-shinned Hawk spent ( it seemed like hours) huddled at the base of our thorny wild rose bushes yesterday, hiding out in hopes of snatching a little Goldfinch for lunch as they ( the Goldfinch)fed at our feeders. the Hawk appeared to be very determined as it waited and waited and waited, but had no luck. At one time I went outdoors with my camera and stood about 4 feet from it and took its picture. It looked at me, but it never moved and remained there in wait after I returned in doors. I expect it will be back today hunting again. We already have lots of Goldfinch feeding at out feeders this morning.

Just look at its sweet face and hungry eyes in the picture above! Yes, I mean the hawk. I think it is a young one as I don't see any red in its eyes. adult Sharp-shinned Hawks have red eyes

Sharp-shinned Hawk Update

2011-12-15T10:35:00.007-04:00

After having had a visit from a sharp-shinned hawk yesterday at our feeder area. I knew it would be back today, and I was right! After seeing a small flurry or squall of Goldfinch fly past my window in a frantic hurry!, I heard a loud thump as something banged into my window. A Sharp-shinned Hawk in pursuit? Yes! I saw it on the ground below the window. It sounded like quite a big hit, but it appeared none the worse for its collision. After it gathered itself together it flew to the rose bushes and scrambled down to the ground in the middle of them. I think my hawk watch days have begun. I think out little Goldfinch buddies are winning so far. Hawk 0
Goldfinch;lots of them still flying around!

A Sharp-shinned Hawk in Bird Alley

2011-12-15T08:06:00.004-04:00

I hadn't seen a hawk for months; until yesterday that is. I was sitting in my living room when I saw something with large greyish wings fly downward past my window. I looked out and saw a Chickadee near our feeders, but then noticed movement in the branches of our wild rose bushes. I knew it was a hawk although it was difficult to see. Then it tried to get the Chickadee which was saved by its quick movements and the thorny rosebushes which slowed the Sharp-shinned Hawk in its pursuit. Click on the photo above to see the thorns on the bushes.; the Chickadees seemed to know the branches it offered protection so it stayed around. I couldn't get a good picture of the hawk but I now know its around. I have lots of goldfinches feeding here each day so if the hawk returns they will be in danger. Have a great day everyone!

Purple Finch for World Bird Wednesday

2011-12-13T18:51:00.008-04:00

Hiw refreshing it was to look out my window this mornin to see a bird species that we hadn't seen for a long while. I had to stop and think! "What is it?" Then the name and gender popped into my head, "s female purple finch . how delightful!
The female finchappeared to be quite interested in the thistle stalk that it had landed on. And she took a couple of bites from it. "yummy ", she declared!
And in answer to my mental query. "We have a her, Now what about a him?"
And in no time there he was!!! I do hope they return tomorrow!No thistles for him. The finch food on the ground appealed to him.

Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

a red Cardinal brooch for Ruby Tuesday

2011-12-12T18:29:00.005-04:00

I fell in love with this beautiful red rhinestone Cardinal brooch when I first saw it and I knew I had to buy it. The cardinal is such a beautiful bird and this jewellery reproduction appears to be quite faithful in its duplication I especially took note of the blunt looking heavy finch beck on this brooch and the red colour !!!!!!

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here .http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Goldfinch again for mellow yellow Monday

2011-12-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

The colour choice in birds outside my window doesn't vary much fromGoldfinch yellow and it is our cat's preferred watching. Other than Goldfinch in multitudes we have Blue Jays, woodpeckers, both Hairy and Downy, Mouring Doves and Black capped Chickadees: That is our usual daily variety.

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

CanadaGeese have returned to my favourite pond!

2011-12-09T18:48:00.016-04:00

I have been watching a particular flock of Canada Geese in my favourite pond since early November. Most days I could find them, sometimes they were in a field where a crop of corn had been harvested. Recently though the surface of the pond had become iced over with a skim of ice and they had disappeared. They hadn't gone too far though for this week with lots of mild temperatures and rainy days, the ice skim has melted the geese have reappeared again. Most days when I sight them on the pond they are out near the middle,too far away for good closeup pictures . Yesterday however, they were quite close to the shore of the highway where I sat in my car and took a few closeup pictures of them. There were only eight geese in the group on Friday, Perhaps only a few returned and the others are still en route to more southern climes. Whatever? but I did enjoy seeing them so close up. I love the colour in the eye of the Canada in the top photo. The eye of the goose below can also be seen quite well if you look for it.

A two eagle sighting!

2011-12-09T08:39:00.008-04:00

Most of my daily birding drives recently have not been very successful , however on Wednesday there was a difference, a Big difference. Two big eagles perched in a rugged,scruffy looking tree just a few kilometers from my home. For taking these pictures I got out of my car. Usually a windshield view is what I am satisfied with but I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
It was difficult to get a good photo of both birds in the tree? The eagle perched mid way on the tree was definitely an adult with a full white head and its white tail showing also.
Above, a bad hair day I think!

The eagle at the top of the tree featured a lot of white mottling on its breast, influencing me to guess that it was probably a 2nd. or 3rd year eagle but it lacked a white head and tail. This eagle appeared to be a bit antsy and figidity and I knew it wouldn't stay there long as I stood far below it with my camera pointed up at it. I wasn't sure I would stay there long either as it was I felt a bit intimidated when looking up at those sharp claws above me. The top eagle spread its mottled wings and left, giving me a further view of its extensive mottling patterning.

Now that I know where to maybe find them I will go looking for them again today.
Good-bye Eagles. You were magnificent!

The moon comes early for Skywatch Friday

2011-12-09T08:03:00.004-04:00

Sitting at my dining room table yesterday afternoon at 4:30 p.m., this was the view from my window there. A lovely round full moon seen through the bare tree branches of our back yard.

Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as well.

apple tree for Ruby Tuesday

2011-12-06T16:48:00.003-04:00

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here .http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

American Goldfinch for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-12-05T07:38:00.013-04:00

This is a daily view for us of the many American Goldfinch clustered around our Niger seed feeders constantly feeding and flitting about and it is not only my husband and I watching out our windows. Our black cat Shakey delights with his view from the windows. His tail wags and his teeth chatter.! He has anticipations un-fulfilled as he has hunting dreams,

From October to March the non-breeding females are hanging around

in their seasonal feathered garb of dull brown.

With coverts of yellow , the non-breeding Goldfinch fellows help brighten the scene

through my window pane

until spring returns again.

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.

A cardinal placemat for Ruby Tuesday.

2011-11-29T08:00:00.009-04:00

Bringing nature indoors is a wonderful way to decorate and to extend the pleasure of observing nature. This cardinal picture you might recognize from my header. The cardinal drinking glass I had found at a large flea market this past summer. The bordering fabric used with cardinals flitting about among the trees is called "Fresh Fallen Snow by Chris Lammers and Maywood Studio. This fabric was a delightful gift from my daughter Riel of http://www.quispamsisquilter.blogspot.com/

I'm very happy to hear that you and Jesse both like your birthday present, Davis!!!

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here .http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Sunrise on the Prairies for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-11-28T06:38:00.006-04:00

A beautiful early morning photo taken by my brother Roger L. R. on the past weekend in the Prairie Province of Alberta. The colour is more than mellow, It is vibrant! Beautiful job Roger.

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.

ITs been a Woodpecker Week in Bird Alley

2011-11-26T08:04:00.004-04:00

This morning this delightful little woodpecker showed up in Bird Alley,a male Downy woodpecker. He looks very similar to the male Hairy Woodpecker that came visiting earlier thisweek. I shall now be watching for the female Downy.

Have a great day everyone!

Reflections at Oromocto

2011-11-25T08:28:00.007-04:00

Last week I had seen Mallard Ducks in the Oromocto River from Hazen Park in Oromocto. Yesterday I looked again for ducks and found some swimming there in the river. As well as ducks the river contained beautiful reflections of the tree lined shore on the opposite side.
Have a great day everyone. Also this view above was from the same location at Hazen Park. This reflective view of the Burton bridge ,which is just slightly downriver from the park.

Snow in Bird Alley brings birds and deer!

2011-11-24T08:29:00.009-04:00

This handsome male Northern Cardinal has found the source of the food in bird alley. Above the cardina lis a new bird feeder which the Blue Jays dominate. As the jays are hastily feeding they are scattering seeds that fall below on the ground. It the snow in its beak is a clue at all, I would observe that thid bird guy knows where the bird food has fallen and he is foraging for a few tender bits and pieces. Now that we know he knows where to feed we will be awaiting his return appearance today.

above: female Hairy Woodpecker

Earlier this week in a previous post I had posted photos of a male Hairy Woodpecker. today its female counterpart arrived, a female Hairy Woodpecker. This gal bird is quite striking in her appearance. Notice her contrasting black and white beauty. Also she is lacking the red at the back of her head which the male Hairy displays. Maybe the little male Downy will show up today also, as it has done previous this week.

American Goldfinch, We now have a passel of them. Previous to the snow I was seeing two a day feeding at the nyger seed feeder. Today I have had up to eight at this feeder.

I also mentioned deer in my title today. We didn't see a deer but the tell tale tracks that it or they? left behind. Howdid it get in? We have fenced our yard so that no deer could get in, but we have been outsmarted! I probably won't get any pictures of them in Bird Alley for it is only overnight while we are sleeping that the make their feeding visits. I kind of miss looking out my window and seeing them.

Our yard birds so far today:
Blue Jays
one female Hairy Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadees
Mourning Dove
American Goldfinch
one male Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker for Ruby Tuesday

2011-11-22T08:43:00.008-04:00

This morning previous to my looking out the window, my question had been " What to post for Ruby Tuesday? and there was my answer in the form of a male Hairy Woodpecker feeding on our peanut feeder.
The red on this bird guy's head is so outstanding at the feeder! Hopefully maybe its minature look alike, a male Downy will show up today as well. I saw one in Bird Alley one day last week.
This bird has such a lovely fat looking little belly! but I don't think its because he's so full of food, rather I think he puffed up because its so cold out this morning. Yes, the cold weather has arrived in Bird Alley. Its - 10 degrees C. I think the C could stand for "cold in Canada" as well as the Celcius temperature reading it represents.

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here .http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

roadside grasses for mellow yellow Monday

2011-11-21T10:54:00.004-04:00

These beautiful roadside grasses enticed me to stop the other day to take their picture. Their beautiful eart tones colour presented as a mellow welcome. No longer rosdside wildflowers but instead this fall bouquet of colours waved at me and grasped my attention..

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

Lingering Mallards in the Saint John at Oromocto

2011-11-20T05:50:00.004-04:00

The photo above shows two male ducks. The one on the left in the forefront I assume is a male Mallard. The other male with the dark head is maybe a hybrid of a black Duck and a Mallard? Their appearance is a bit confusing to me.

Up , Up And Fly Away

2011-11-18T09:05:00.005-04:00

Birds in flight with their wings raised. Its always interesting to capture such performance.

Blue sky over the Hawkshaw bridge for Skywatch Friday

2011-11-18T06:05:00.004-04:00

The new Hawkshaw bridge that is, "new" since 1967 after the old Hawkshaw bridge was destroyed. The Hawkshaw bridge crossesthe Saint John River, NB from Pokiok to Nackawic.
Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as we

Red-bellied Woodpecker for Worldbird Wednesday

2011-11-16T08:25:00.006-04:00

With a whirl and a twirl and a twist ( edited with the distort sphereize filter feature of photoshop) and a turn this Red-bellied Woodpecker makes a thrust for the bird suet in Bird Alley. It is not that common to see a Red-bellied Woodpecker in our region on a daily basis, but this year there have been many sightings of this woodpecker in our province. and that makes me very happy as they are such beautiful birds to see! Every so many years an irruption of these birds occurs and the last I remember was in 2004.
Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

Finding red in nature for Ruby Tuesday

2011-11-15T05:53:00.013-04:00

One of my most favourite red sighting in nature! A male Northern Cardinal, seen in Bird Alley a week ago. I haven't seen him since. Now and then I see a cardinal outside my window but it is nor an usual sighting here! " Oh Happy Day" Isn't this bird's head beautiful!!!! Not a common sighting for me but it is almost a daily event to see in our feeder area recently as the province is experiencing an irruption of these Red-bellied Woodpeckers.. Lucky us I guess. Now I would love to see a male Pine Grosbeak soon! It must be about time for them to arrive in our cranberry tree .

This red ground cover fascinates me. It is covering a gentle slope that is climbing towards the edge of a wooded area.

A post of red in nature wouldn't be complete without a forested view containing red maples. They are so beautiful!

And a view of the red I hope for every spring. I find a Robin an inspiring sighting any time of year whenever I see one!

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here .http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Lingering colour in Bird Alley for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-11-14T08:06:00.007-04:00

These yellow leaves along the roadside create an interesting picturesque frame for these Canada geese in the background.
Lovely colourful roadsides are abundant in our rural area.

Seen above is a group of Canada geese feeding in a harvested corn field.Bordering the fields at its edge are some Tamaracks showing their mature yellowing needles.

This is the time of year when the beautiful vibrant fall colours are dinished in their numbers and vividness. Upon looking out my windows at Bird Alley, about the only colour left is the yellow of our wild rose bush highlighting the background

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.

Red bellied Woodpecker in Bird Alley

2011-11-10T06:49:00.017-04:00

As I have noticed several reported sightings in the province of Red-bellied Woodpeckers this fall, I was wondering when our turn would be? It was yesterday, (Nov. 9th) when my husband looking out the window said, "there it is!" To my query of what?, He replied , "A red-bellied woodpecker". It was peering in my neighbour's window and I clicked its picture on the window sill.
What a beautiful bird!. Its head colour was so vibrant. After our first sighting it came to our trees in Bird Alley. It looked so beautiful as I framed the woodpecker in my camera lens, but my camera wouldn't work. My battery needed changing.Of course by the time I had replaced the battery, the woodpecker was gone! Today I shall be watching from my window for its arrival. A sighting of a Red-bellied Woodpecker is not a common occurrence in our province most years. However now and then, as is the case this year and in 2004 there has/ had been an irruption of these birds. Following are the contents of a post of mine I had created during the 2004 season:
Red-bellied Woodpeckers in 2004
This morning, while checking back on bird sightings on December 1st for other years, I came across notes and pictures I had recorded regarding the irruption of Red-bellied Woodpeckers into the province during the fall of 2004. Listed as a 'migrant, rare but annual' by the NB Bird Records Committee the Red-bellied Wood pecker is not a frequent sighting but in 2004 they seemed to be everywhere. At our feeders we had a Red-bellied show up on Oct 31st
and my last recording of its presence that year was on December 18th; this was a very pleasurable sighting to see on most days during that period. I have not seen a Red-bellied Woodpecker since December 2004 with the exception of our sighting yesterday. This morning we put out a suet feeder and yes, the woodpecker likes feeding on suet. It didn't take the woodpecker long to find it. , The two pictures directly above were taken in 2004. The Woodpecker picture below was taken at our feeders in Bird Alley this morning!

Fall Beauty for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-11-07T07:08:00.008-04:00

seen aboveWirral Falls. The rapid descent of water fills the pool underneath the yellow awning of leaves. creating a scene of peace and tranquility.To better appreciate the beauty please click on the photo to enlarge. Yellow bushes under the power lines at Vesper. A beautiful fall colour capture at a place with a beautiful sounding name:Vesper

A golden morning of colour reflecting in the North Oromocto River near the falls.
more of the same as the same location as above.
A colourful reflection in the Saint John River at fictional' Haventon', a place which was introduced in my daughter's Riel Nason's novel, The Town That Drowned.http://www.rielnason.com/

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.

A group of Canadas still around

2011-11-04T07:39:00.010-03:00

I have seen so few birds recently that I was delighted to see this group of Canada Geese yesterday. I think they are so beautiful to look at and I just love their name!

Nature' s creativity for Thursday's Challenge

2011-11-03T09:08:00.006-03:00

This is an old, favourite photo of mine. This stunning creative work of nature of the intricately woven Spider web combined with the morning dew condensed upon the web with the background of coloured leaves was indeed inspiring.

I caught a glimpse
of nature's jewels
beaded on a web so fine
these translucent crystals
these watery orbs
their transitory beauty was mine!

Thursday Challenge is a meme which offers a different theme each week. This week's theme is wooden. To join in on the fun you can find this meme at:http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

P is for Pileated Woodpecker for ABC Wednesday round 9

2011-11-02T09:24:00.006-03:00

This latge, noisy bird is always exciting to see!
And one day I saw not only one, not only two but three all together on the trunk of a tree! What an exciting sighting this was!
As fascinating as this large woodpecker is, almost equally as delightful is the finding of a tree which bears evidence of Pileateds having been feeding on.. . The oblong holes in the tree trunk shown above were made by PIleated Woodpeckers having been feeding there.
ABCWednesday is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt. Each week a different letter is featured. It goes in alphabetical order and next week is the letter 'o'.. If you would like to contribute to ABC Wednesday , you may do so by locating the meme here:http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

A full fabric moon for mellow yellow monday

2011-10-31T10:23:00.009-03:00

glilding through the sky on her broomy air craft,

This seasonal lady of Hallow e'en night
uses the light from a full yellow bewitching moon to guide her flight.
I created this witchy decoration several years ago to hang on my grade 4 classroom wall, now in recent years it adorns my home hanging in a window on Halloween nights.

A Happy Halloween to all. May your night be one of amusement while greeting all of the delightful dressed visitors to your door and may it be trick free.
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.

Oh No! our first Snow!

2011-10-31T09:57:00.004-03:00

The snow didn't amount to much Thank Goodness!, Just a soft covering which sent me searching through my archives to find this poem written by me a few years ago. Its a quilting poem.

Needles of pine quilt a soft warm blanket using
hushed hues of faded browns and yawning yellows
as Autumn prepares its winter bed

Northern vagabonds of wind and snow
whistle a warning lullaby of winter's approach
and Autumn falls asleep upon a soft white pillow

Winter stay away, you are not welcome here!

An October Walk in the Woods

2011-10-28T19:33:00.002-03:00

For now the trails and paths are clear in the woods but soon, possibly this weekend the ground will be covered with snow, I hope not as I feel it is too soon to have to encounter and deal with the cold and slippert footing that often accompanies the winter season.
Have a good weekend everyone! Ann

Jupiter for Skywatch Friday

2011-10-28T11:21:00.005-03:00

This photo of Jupiter with two moons was taken by my son Davis in a late September or early October night sky. a great capture Davis!

A happy day for everyone and have a great weekend please.
Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as we

Finding Canada Geese

2011-10-23T12:29:00.006-03:00

Finally after not having driven for a couple if months I ventured out this morning in my car and drove to my favourite pond where, as I had expected , it was full of Canada geese! What a lovely sighting it was! I shall make this trip many more times in the next few days and perhaps I will chance upon some of these magnificent geese closer to the highway and my camera lens. Happy Birding everyone!

N is for Nuthatches for ABC Wednesday round#9

2011-10-19T09:48:00.010-03:00

Its always exciting for me to see a little nuthatch feeding from the feeders we have in our trees just outside our living room windows. In recent years it has been the red-breasted nuthatch that we have seen most frequently. Maybe a white-breasted Nuthatch will show up sometimes this year. There are two nuthatch species which I see and their naming relates to the colour of their breasts; the red-breasted nuthatch and the white breasted nuthatch.. In the pictures included you can probably decide which is which by observation. I have not seen any nuthatches recently. These photos are from my photo archives.

ABCWednesday is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt. Each week a different letter is featured. It goes in alphabetical order and next week is the letter 'o'.. If you would like to contribute to ABC Wednesday , you may do so by locating the meme here:http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

Red Maple Leaves for Ruby Tuesday

2011-10-18T10:00:00.008-03:00

We have two old, tall maples alongside our driveway. Our housewas built in 1905. I wonder if these maples could possibly be as old as our house?These maples are taller than our house and they celebrate the season well with their colourful foliage.Another seasonal marker is our Hallow e'en flag hanging from our upper deck. amid the red maple leaves.
Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

A Garter snake in the grass for mellow yellow Monday

2011-10-17T09:04:00.006-03:00

Wow! I love this picture! No, I'm not a lover of snakes, but my son Davis took this picture and sent it to me. Davis, this is a magnificent photo! Thank You for sharing with us. Researching a bit this morning about garter snakes I have discovered that a garter snake is sometimes called a ribbon snake. Do you see the ribbon strips on this snake's body? Garter snakes are often black with yellow like this one is.

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.

Rosy red apples for Ruby Tuesday

2011-10-11T08:05:00.005-03:00

Yesterday gave my husband my camera and asked him to take a picture of something red for a Ruby Tuesday post. he did a fine job of taking this picture of our neighbors apple trees.

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

A Golden Harvest for mellow yellow Monday

2011-10-10T08:40:00.011-03:00

I like having a small garden each year, this year ||I have a golden harvest of zucchini
Their colour is beautiful! when "I saw the seed packet in a store in the spring with the name Gold Rush |I just knew I had to have them! Their harvest met all of my expectations!Another golden harvest our family is enjoying tremendously is the publication of my daughter's novel. The Town That Drowned
?You may get a glimpse of this novels content by viewing its book trailor found at this url
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGyfVRzUFoM for more information about my daughter Riel's novel please click on this link to go to hrt book blog at http://www.rielnason.com/

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 scrollind down this page. If your plan is not to post a photo, then perhaps you will justwant to enjoy all of the yellow contributions posted there.

A Robin's Feast

2011-10-08T09:58:00.007-03:00

Today's photos were taken by my husband David. Thanks David.

Heron Refections for weekend reflections

2011-10-07T09:30:00.005-03:00

These two wonderful pictures which show reflections of a great blue heron in a pond were taken by my son `Davis.
Davis and His family are wonderfu1lly nature orientated and their backyard is very close to forest trails and two freshwater ponds
My grandson David in the foreground is delighted with this view of a great blue heron. Thanks for your permission to use your great pictures Davis/

http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com/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

Hello Fall

2011-10-04T09:12:00.004-03:00

This post is a little late I know but I have not been getting around much lately. Some of you have probably read this before as it is my yearly habit to post this ever since I wrote it in 2000

Hello Fall

You're back early this year
or does it just seem that way to me?
I've seen the advance notices of your coming

The leaving of the Hummingbirds
an early Junco in Bird Alley the other day
Song Sparrows foraging about in foliage tunnels
of undergrowth in overgrown corners of the bower

Autumn winds whisper change
as they energize the tall summer grasses
and damselflies cling and sway
to ancient choreographed rhythms

The woods and roadsides are scattered with Asters
beautiful blues accenting the late summer Goldenrod
and fluttering Cabbage Whites and Common Yellows
flit about in the afternoon sun with programmed purpose

My garden is full of mature colour
deep yellows and pinks of Coneflowers
vibrant reds of Bee Balm and Celosia
and sky blue Morning Glories

As the process of regeneration begins anew
seed pods filled with determination for next year's renewal
are replacing blooms on annuals
and blossoms fade as somber browns emerge

Our neighbor's apple trees fringing our back yard
message enticement with their rosy ripeness
while baby turtles tunnel their way to the surface
from egg filled nests laid during warm June days

Frogs now grown
bask in the strong afternoon sun
and acknowledge my presence with 'bleeps'
as they leap into the tranquil pond waters

Encroaching early evening darkness
proclaims a departure of long summer days
and the reds and yellows and oranges of turning leaves
trumpet your return....

Welcome back!

Coneflowers in the light

2011-09-18T11:08:00.001-03:00

A Buttetfly Shadow for Shdow Shot Sunday

2011-09-17T13:34:00.005-03:00

A Mourning cloak butterfly and its shadow
y appreciative thanks to Tracey, at Hey Harriet, the host of Shadow Shot Sunday for this interesting idea; for more information on this shadow meme,please click on the icon in the side bar.

Young Robin outside my window

2011-09-08T16:18:00.003-03:00

While talking om the telephone I looked out the window and saw this handsome young Robin looking in at me. Fortunately for me it stayed quite a while(long enough for me to find my camera in a hurry.) I haven't taken any pictures for quite a dew days as I am coping with a bout of sciatia :-(, and haven't been getting around much lately.so it was a real highlight to see this bird. It really gave a boost to my spirits. With the growing development of a beautiful red breast, there is no doubt that this is a young Robin.

A Raccoon Family crossing the road

2011-09-05T08:10:00.001-03:00

While out looking for a yard sale this morning, we came upona raccoon family crossing the road.
There were three young ones if we consider that the smaller ones were this year's babies. The adult was in the lead which I would guess was the mother raccoon.They hurried across the road in front of our vehicle and all made it safely to the other side. Upon checking the side of the road that they had crossed to we saw four raccoons there together. A family we assumed!
And the picture above shows a bit of sibling togetherness!.. so sweet and cuddly looking.

But they did not stay there as the adult raccoon urged them on and the four continued on for more adventures of the day.

A Feeding Robin For World Bird Wednesday

2011-08-31T08:43:00.008-03:00

This picture above, taken in October 2008 is the kind of picture I was hoping for when I saw a Robin fly into our Mountain Ash tree one day last week. the robin's mouth was full but not with what I had expected.It had a grasshopper in its mouth!. It definitely was having a protein lunch. I was surprised when I downloaded the picture. I had expected to see its mouth full of berries.I have never seen a Robin eat a grasshopper before!And the Robin ate it or swallowed it whole. When first looking at the picture I wondered if the bird had sprouted whiskers? But no, it was having a grasshopper lunch.

Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

G is for grasshopper for ABC Wednesday Round 9

2011-08-30T18:44:00.009-03:00

G is for Green Grasshopper

Can you see it? Perhaps this grasshopper didn't mean to seek out a camouflaged location on this old railroad tie, but it worked

Grasshoppers

As the summer season progresses I notice changes in the plants and small creatures that I see along the trails and paths that I follow each day.

In July, most morning walks were interrupted by my stopping to take pictures of Skippers and Fritillaries; then Common Wood-nymphs, Monarchs, Painted Ladies and Viceroys appeared. Cabbage Whites and Sulphurs started alighting on vegetation long enough for me to catch their images with my camera; last weekend I saw a Milbert's Tortiseshell ( in 2006 when this was written)Then gradually I noticed changes. During the past couple of weeks I seldom saw Skippers anymore and fewer butterflies. However now I am often alerted with a dry, sharp "click-click" sort of sound and I see many flying dark wings with light borders crossing my paths. Grasshoppers. There seem to be many and they jump and fly about as I walk along . I don't know their special names but I do have a few pictures of them to share.

ABCWednesday is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt. Each week a different letter is featured. It goes in alphabetical order and next week is the letter 'g'. I have never photographed a giraffe before it won't be giraffe,so I'm not sure yet, what 'g' topic I will feature. If you would like to contribute to ABC Wednesday , you may do so by locating the meme here:http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

A Robin and Mountain Ash berries for ruby Tuesday

2011-08-30T07:09:00.006-03:00

Soon this Mountain Ash tree will be stripped of its berries and I hope my camera and I see the action and feathered visitors. It only takes a day for the berries to be devoured and the tree to be bare of its berries.
We had a huge Mountain Ash tree at out previous home at Hawkshaw and each year we waited for a huge flock of evening Grosbeaks to descend upon the berries. there used to be so many birds, it was a seasonal delight that we anticipated and enjoyed.
Here at our present home we get mainly Robins and sometimes Cedar Waxwings feasting on the red berries of this magnificent tree, which was a gift to us from our son Davis several years ago.

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Cloudy skies for Skywatch Friday

2011-08-26T06:56:00.015-03:00

A beautiful blue sky filled with fluffy clouds accompanied us all the way home from the superstore after grocery shopping. My camera was enticed.

A happy day for everyone and have a great weekend please.
Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as well

F is for Frog for ABC Wednesday Round 9

2011-08-24T07:33:00.020-03:00

Frogs have their beginnings as eggs and then they develop into the tadpole stage. It is while being a tadpole that the frogs arms and legs and lungs develop and the tadpole turns into a frog. Frogs are amphibians. Amphibians can breathe both on land and in water. My grandsons David and Jesse like frogs and I hope they enjoy this post for it is especially for them that I am posting it. They are fortunate that they have seen many frogs over the summer in a couple of ponds near their home. Frogs like to live in ponds. The soft mud in the bottom of ponds provide them with a place to spend the winter when they dig into the soft mud at the bottom of the pond and they spend the winter months there breathing very, very slowly while they sleep.

Boys, when spring comes again and the frogs have laid their eggs, which you will be able to see in your ponds, then the eggs will grow into tadpoles (some people call tadpoles, Pollywogs) and you will see the tadpoles swimming around in your pond.
There are different names for some frogs and the pictures of the frogs shown here, above and below these words, with the spots on them are called Leopard Frogs.
Another Leopard Frog. You can see that this frog has some green on its body also. I think this frog is quite handsome.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

I had forgotten that not all frogs live in ponds or watery areas and so was very surprised yesterday (2006)This information about the leopard frog is from a post posted in 2006. to see a Leopard Frog in my garden.

Upon doing some research I find that this species prefers to live in grassy or cultivated areas.

Leopard Frogs are usually from three to four inches in length and have interesting looking brown spots with light green outlining them. This frog had a nice 'grassy green' colour overall. The two ridges on this frog's back was really noticable

This green frog above really has its eyes wide open. Some people would say that a frog's eyes pop out. Not really but they are very big and bulging and noticeable and outstanding at times. All the better to see the flies with that they like to eat with their quick, sticky tongues.
This picture above and below is of a Green Frog. A green frog's upper jaw is green and it has striped bars on its legs. I saw a lot of green frogs when I visited with you and your family this summer.
A. Green Frog above. I took this picture at Jesse River's Pond, when we went there one day.
The rest of these frog pictures are of Bullfrogs. Bullfrogs are big and noisy The sounds they make are very loud. I think you also have bullfrogs in your ponds.
A bullfrog here is puffing up its throat.

Relaxing in the water.

.The lily pad of the Yellow Pond Lily aboveprovides ample seating for this resting frog.

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt. Each week a different letter is featured. It goes in alphabetical order and next week is the letter 'g'. I have never photographed a giraffe before it won't be giraffe,so I'm not sure yet, what 'g' topic I will feature. If you would like to contribute to ABC Wednesday , you may do so by locating the meme here:http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

decorative water glasses for Ruby Tuesday

2011-08-23T07:20:00.005-03:00

I had gone to New Brunswick's largest flea market on the past weekend at Sussex, New Brunswick. One of my goals was to find an old series of water glasses with wildlife images on them. I didn't find the ones I was looking for but much to my pleasure I found three old glasses with beautiful, vibrant cardinals painted on them and here they are above, now in my china cabinet. I love them!

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Tree Watching for sapsuckers

2011-08-21T11:08:00.012-03:00

I spent some time this morning sitting in my back yard watching our Buckthorn Sea Marina Tree. This tree attracts many bugs and birds. My purpose in watching it this morning was in hopes in getting some photos of a sapsucker that I frequently see there. My patience was rewarded and more. I discovered that hummingbirds are attracted to that tree also.And finally my wait was rewarded and a sapsucker came along.( See the sapsucker in the picture below) Notice the holes drilled in the tree. This action is characteristic of a sapsucker. They drill holes in trees to collect sap which they drink. came along. I shall have to continue my watch in hopes of getting , clearer pictures as these ones I have below show the bird behind small branches, first it was in top of the branch and then under it.
But the biggest surprise and delight to my tree watching was this: A most beautiful Mourning Cloak butterfly!The butterfly then flew through our fence and landed nearby on some dry grass.What productive enjoyment that was; sitting with my camera watching our Buckthorn Tree. I think I may try that again. Have a great day everyone! A happy Sunday to all.

Deer at Quispamsis for Camera Critters.

2011-08-20T07:21:00.005-03:00

Its not unusual to see deer wandering around in this community. For many deer this is 'home' even though many of the wooded areas have been turned into housing developments with a only few patchy woody spaces still to be found. Yesterday morning while leaving town we found this small family group crossing the street. There were many 4 or5 or more deer in the group which included two young males developing antlers. It was unusual to see the ones with antlers as usually the males do not often accompany the family group. These two young males perhaps have not yet shed their attachment to their mother.

This morning a Viceroy AT Three Tree Creek

2011-08-18T10:33:00.007-03:00

White Admiral on Yellow Coneflowers

2011-08-18T07:15:00.012-03:00

Finally a butterfly sighting! A White Admiral feeding on yellow Cone flowers in my yard.! As of yet my pink coneflowers have not served their purpose of my planting them, they have not attracted any butterflies yet this season that I have seen. They used to be the focus of many fritilaries. Where are they this summer? My husband, David drew my attention to this butterfly feeding yesterday. Thank you, David!
What a beautiful richness of colour these images of the butterfly and flower created!
I thought this was an interesting angle with the admiral settled on the cone in the center of the coneflower.
This White Admiral was not alone on the coneflowers. This green grasshopper seen below stayed stationay on the petals while I was taking these pictures. Its pretty grand and intricate isn't it?!

Cardinal wildfowers for Ruby Tuesday

2011-08-16T08:28:00.011-03:00

Some might be surprised that I call this beautiful Cardinal flower a wildflower. Yes, it is a wildlower that grows wild along the rocky ledges along our local riverbank. I had forgotten about looking for it this until one day last week while walking along a trail near the river I spied the beautiful red of its blossoms.

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here .http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

And from a previous post on august 17, 2010:Cardinal Flower for Ruby Tuesday

I remembered this morning that a friend had told me two weeks ago that Cardinal flowers were in bloom growing wild along the rock ledges along the shore of our river. I hurried down there this morning taking my cane with me. The rocks were a bit damp, mossy and slippery in places. I managed to get s few pictures of this vibrant red wildflower. Isn't it beautiful!?

yellow garden flowers for mellow yellow monday

2011-08-15T10:27:00.010-03:00

"Tis the season to be yellow" in my garden! I see an explosion of yellow whenever I look out my windows these days.
Cone flowers are an all time favourite of ours, and if you look carefully at the picture, amid the yellow, you can also find a pink cone flower and also a white one! They were favourite of butterflies once too. for I have seen very few butterflies feeding on them for the past two years. No butterflies have been attracted to them, that I have seen yet this year. I keep watching daily but no luck in my butterfly sightings yet.
We are hosta lovers and have about 50-60 different kinds in our garden. The one above is an exception as it shall remain nameless. Originally it was a gold standard, but over the past few years seem s to be marchin or * growing to the beat of its own unique rhythm or pattern. It is a favourite of ours and is very striking in its development of greens and yellows..
Golden Glo!!! This particular plant has survived a couple of moves. Originally I dug it up from an old deserted homestead at Prince William, NB many years ago. Since then we have brought it with us to our present home and gardens where we now reside. It grows very tall and spreading. A good wind has it bowing down. It is an old species and in the past has been known as the "outhouse plant", I guess because it was often planted around outhouses to maybe camouflage them, or perhaps to present the facilities in a more positive and attractive light.
My grandmother Clara Pheasant Robinson always had golden glo in her garden and it was for that reason why I planted these flowers in mine. From its roots an abundance of memories grow for me.

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

Common Nighthawks

2011-08-11T08:26:00.003-03:00

Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor)

I kind of forget about Common Nighthawks each year until they begin to re-appear again over my back yard in the evenings of early or mid-August. Soaring over the old chimneys of our house, they disappear, then appear again coming from another direction. Quick in flight and manoeuvring at high speeds; they are beautiful to watch. They are insect eaters and eat hundreds of insects and mosquitoes each day while in flight. They are always welcome birds.

I have only seen Nighthawks flying and perhaps would not recognize them otherwise for when in flight their distinctive white wing bars give immediate recognition. The white wing bars are on both the underparts and outerwings ; but only the male has a white tail bar. Below is a male Common Nighthawk. Also distinctive of the male is the white throat patch which is easily seen in the photo. The female has no white tail bar and its throat patch is buffy instead of white. This can be seen in the photo of the female Common Nighthawk below. Also notice the short beak which is characteristic of both male and females.

an male adult American Redstart for Worldbird Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:16:00.006-03:00

I have been getting tantalizing glimpses of an male adult American Redatart from my window last evening and again early this morning. If I am patient I might be able to get photos sometime today of this speedy little beauty as he flits and zips about Bird Alley among the leaves. But then I recalled I had seen this species here before and a check in my archives found that I had posted this post included below on August 18th., 2008 and I love its pictures, so here it is a repost of that previous sighting

August 18, 2008

This wood warbler is one that is very distinctive in its colouring and lends itself easily to identification. However it is only in its second fall season that this male American Redstart develops its striking orange and black adult plumage. A male wears a yellow and gray plumage for its first year, closely resembling this female American Redstart seen to the left. It is only after the first year that the male displays it easily seen reddish-orange and black feathers.
As with all warblers the Redstart is no exception in its quick movements as it darts about the foliage feeding on insects. This warblers tail movements are very noticeable, quick and fast, as it often spreads and fans it in the surrounding vegetation.

Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

A California Gull for Ruby Tuesday

2011-08-02T08:23:00.003-03:00

Its red orbital ring and red gape are the features which led me to identify this gull as a California Gull. This bird also had yellowish greenish legs.

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

A Goldfish for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-08-01T10:17:00.005-03:00

This Goldfish shown above was gently netted in a natural freshwater pond, then released. Its colour was astounding with its surprising golden hues! It was so beautiful! I couldn't believe its colour and it was so large . There were two sizes of goldfish in the pond, small tiny ones that schooled near the surface and then the size that had been hand held above, This was an amazing experience! Wow!

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

A Yellow Bird for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-08-01T07:19:00.006-03:00

Last evening just as I was starting to think of what to post for mellow yellow Monday ion the morning, this yellow bird flew into Bird Alley.
I was delighted of course. I have seen few warblers this summer so for a beautiful yellow one to visit bird alley was a real treat.I have decided this is maybe a female adult yellow warbler, as it is so overall yellow! at first I had though maybe it was a Pine warbler as I could see it has 'yellow spectacles around its eyes, but it wing bars were not very distinct so I settled on the bright yellow clue distinguishing this bird as a yellow warbler.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

A beautiful golden orb for skywatch Friday

2011-07-29T08:01:00.003-03:00

We have all experienced its heat recently. This much wished for golden orb on those past cold, wintery days , or rain filled spring days. Here it is in all its glory!!! The sun!!!! How great it is! A golden delight!

A happy day for everyone and have a great weekend please.
Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as well

summer reflections at the end of the day for Weekend Reflections

2011-07-29T07:44:00.004-03:00

Summer Reflections at the conclusion of a great day at the beach!

Do you remember? Those great summer days at the beach? Does this photo reflectyour memories of those long ago summer fun days!?.
http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com/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

The naming of things in nature

2011-07-28T08:59:00.009-03:00

During our Ontario visit we continued to be amazed and delighted with daily nature sightings. This little rabbit above, we named "Clover" as he was breakfasting on clover on my son's lawn when we saw it. Two other rabbits seen previously were named "Hoppy" and " Lightening Bolt" But what kind of rabbit was it really? One look at its 'cotton-like blob of a tail sent me searching google for pictures of a cottontail rabbit. And "yes," I think I read the clues right. This rabbit in the pictures above is an eastern Cottontail Rabbit I think.

One day while walking along a forested trail near the pond. I saw movement on the trail in front of me. It was so tiny! Maybe only about half an inch long. From its body shape I thought a 'frog'! So after downloading the pictures on the computer and searching Google with the words 'miniature frog' I came up with nothing that seemed to match. Then I examined my pictures more closely and I realized I had not noticed any green on the little creatureSo I questioned my naming of it as a frog. Then I noticed red bumps on its body. And realizing a frog's body shape and that of a toad were very similar I did a search with the words,'miniature toad with red bumps'.... and voila! I found images similar to my little creature of a red-spotted toad!

Go figure!Its all in the naming isn't it?! Just follow the visual clues that nature has presented in trying to id what you have seen!! Have a great day everyone!

A Mallard Duck Family for Worldbird Wednesday

2011-07-27T08:07:00.015-03:00

Such a common , ordinary, often sighted species you say, "Why feature it on this meme?" Just count the number of ducklings in this group and you will understand why. Just count the number of ducklings!!! How many do you see? sometimes I count 13, sometimes I count 14! I know of two others who have seen this group and they say there are just 12! But such a large surviving group! Wow!Does anyone know the average expected size of a Mallard's clutch of eggs? When I saw them ahead of me walking on the same trail as I was, headed in the same direction, to a nearby pond, I couldn't believe my luck. And of course I followed them and watched as they entered the water, seemingly all in a jumble as there were so many of them.
If there were awards being given out for best duck mamas of the year I would nominate this magnificent Mallard Mama! She seemed very content and unhurried as she shepherded her large group into the pond waters. There must be few predators around as she appeared unworried as I stood close nearby taking pictures. I was anticipating and waiting for a shot of them all sailing across the pond, all in a line. But it never happened. They all stayed close to the shore in a group near their Mama.
I wonder if camaflogue is part of their survival technique? The photo above is the last time I saw them the next day, see how well they blend into their surroundings!

note: I have not re sized any of the photos so double clicking on each photo will give you a very large size view of each picture!

Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

What a TREAT THIS SIGHTING WAS!!!!

Cardinals for Ruby Tuesday

2011-07-26T08:45:00.016-03:00

While visiting London, Ontario ( the forest city),last week we often breakfasted outside on my son's upper deck. It was such a lovely setting with trees so close by. Here in New Brunswick it is a rare delight to see a handsome red male cardinal in our yard, but they were a daily sighting at my son's home. I often supplemented my breakfast utensils with my camera and photographed cardinals in the trees there nearby.

As a former art teacher I have always been fascinated at how a child's creative art work reflects their experiences and their surroundings. My young grandson, David, became aware of my interest in birds and would often point them out to me when he saw one in the trees. Before we left he drew a picture of my favourite bird sighting there and it definitely reflected the influence of the nature environment which had become part of his daily routine. David';'s family walk to the ponds nearby and on the forest trails daily.Well done David! I love the wings in flight! I notice David has included some black on the bird's beak. I wonder if this might be reflecting the black bearded area of a male cardinal's face.This tree above in David's drawing may have been influenced by the beautiful old Jack Pine seen in the center front view of the forest from their deck. And although we were wishing for rain all week, the rainbow in the picture was a beautiful image recalled from David's memory bank above, a jack pine tree

above a silhouette of jack pine needles

Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

A Northern Yellow shafted Flicker for Mellow Yellow Monday

2011-07-25T04:01:00.009-03:00

Each morning, while visiting my son in his 'forested back yard' home in the city, we were never sure of what what might see or find in and around his backyard. One morning a male Northern Cardinal was sitting on his deck table, another day a Gray Catbird was on the deck railing. In all we saw three rabbits lunching on clover on his back lawn area, but the focus of this post is the beautiful golden yellow seen on the tail of a yellow shafted flicker which had found the top of a fence post to its liking, and definitely to my liking as my camera focused on its beauty! Please double click on the photo below to be able to better appreciate this bird's golden beauty.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

The Pond

2011-07-24T10:34:00.021-03:00

We have just returned home from vacationing in southern Ontario where we were visiting with our son and his family. There were two, among other, beautiful, much appreciated, features of their new home, firstly: central air conditioning, which was a huge PLUS considering the extreme high temperatures last week and secondly the forested area adjacent to their property which contained two ponds! A nature watcher's dream. Me on one of my daily walks, the above photo was taken by my five year old grandson, Jesse. Jesse immediately caught on to framing a subject within a camera lens. good job Jesse!
Me and my camera feasted on its delights each day! The week was like an idyllic nature retreat to me.

Shown above the first and closest pond featured ducks, goldfish,frogs, a turtle and a belted Kingfisher.
Each day began with a visit to the pond and a sighting of this adult female duck, shown above with her three ducklings, they were always swimming about in the first pond.
A wonderful delight awaited us when it was discovered that this pond held many cold water goldfish!What an amazing sight to see the schools of these tiny gold fish near the pond's surface. They did not come to be here naturally but must have been released into the pond by some previous goldfish owner. There are so many to be seen here they appear to be thriving in this pond environment.

I shall continue to post this coming week many of the delights and discoveries I encountered during my week in this pond and forest setting.

Sunset on Lake Huron

2011-07-21T16:11:00.007-03:00

We have been vacationing in southern Ontario this week and enduring days of extreme heat! Earlier this week, in an effort to enjoy a break from the unrelenting heat we drove to Grand Bend, Ontario which is located on the beautiful sandy shores of Lake Huron . The end of a beautiful refreshing day came to its conclusion with the viewing of this beautiful sunset. I wish we were there today as it is within the 35 degrees C range this afternoon.note; please click on the pictures to enlarge them to further enjoy the full beauty of the sunset.

An early morning sunrise for Skywatch Friday

2011-07-15T07:10:00.005-03:00

An early morning dramatic sunrise is always an invigorating start to the day! On this particular morning we were up early and already en route to a destination three hours away by car. It was my day for part two,of and the last root canal session which has been begun ten days ago. No l;onger did I have any fear of what was ahead of me. Everything had gone so well and painless during the first session that I was anticipating the same for this time. The sky boasted some dark clouds but they only told of a shower later that morning. we did we a slight glimmer of a rainbow further up the highway, but only a glimmer, which proved to be evasive of my camera lens.

This tree topped version of the sky proclaimed a wonderful day after early morning showers.

A happy day for everyone and have a great weekend please.
Skywatch Friday is a long standing meme where sky views from all over the world are posted at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/Why not participate as well.

Meanwhile back at the Milkweed Patch

2011-07-14T18:34:00.011-03:00

This post is pretty well a repeat of the species I had posted earlier today with the addition of a Virginia Ctenucha Moth. isn't it so pretty with its yellow and blue colouring!As well as its neck and shoulders being blue, so is its body. I saw tens of these moths on the milkweed blossoms today.

And as I had said this post contains some species repeats from this mornings post like this Clear-winged Hummingbird Moth. The one shown above remained stationary on the leaf of the milkweed, maybe asleep? It was lovely to get such a good view as these little moths are usually seen in motion.
And this White Admiral butterfly appears to be a bit tattered, torn and worn on the outer edges of its upper right wing. What a precarious existence many of these beautiful creatures have, oh, the dangers and hazards that must confront them!

A fascinating winged creature-A Clear-winged Hummingbird Moth

2011-07-14T09:41:00.007-03:00

The Clear winged humming bird moth has long fascinated me. I await its arrival every spring with eagerness. I first saw this species this spring when our lilacs were in blossom. Now their favourite place where they seem to thrive is on the blossoms of the Common Milkweed. While at my favourite milkweed patch a few days ago, the blossoms were a buzz with them. I could count them in the tens! (like you can estimate by the hundreds, by the thousands, Can I say by the tens?) There were decades of them!!!! You know what I mean?

You might want to click on the photo above to better appreciate this little moth's beauty! It is an amazing little creature!

The milkweed blossoms are very popular with beautiful winged creatures such as this white admiral butterfly shown above.
I also thrive around a milkweed patch and me and my camera have a delightful time. I have two locations where I visit almost daily. Bye for now, the excitement of the patch is calling me. Later, hopefully with something visually exciting to share!

A Black and White Warbler for Worldbird Wednesday

2011-07-13T08:35:00.011-03:00

Its as if this little warbler is saying,"Hello there!" and my reply would be. "How nice to see you again, Its been a long time" I have seen black and white warblers in our yard before but not often. Its such a visually lovely little bird with its crisp black and white stripes. Its naming is obvious isn't it? although I wonder if I showed it to my grandchildren if they might call it a zebra bird. Its so delightful!

I checked my blog archives and found a previous posting of a black and white warbler sighting on July 10th, 2008. The timing of their appearance coincides. There are a couple of identifying characteristic tips in this post found at:http://naturetales.blogspot.com/2008/07/black-and-white-warbler.html

See the white stripe down the center of its head in the photo above?!

Got pictures of birds you would like to share? Why not post them on Worldbird Wednesday? http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/To find out how, please scroll down the right hand side of this page until you come to the worldbird logo, click on it and follow the directions from there

A yellow-headed blackbird for mellow yellow monday

2011-07-12T09:09:00.008-03:00

This beautiful yellow-header blackbird was photographed by my brother Roger who lives in AirdrieAlberta, Canada. I have featured some of Roger's photos before as he graciously shares them with me. I once saw Yellow-header blackbirds many years ago( but definitely not here in New Brunswick, for they are not native here) while en route to Alberta traveling through North Dakota and Montana along U.S. highway #2. This handsome species fascinates me. Well done Roger.Thanks for sharing . Roger paints in oils and recently( currently) has one of his paintings on exhibit by Airdrie Transit having had one of his paintings selcted for Airdrie Transit's Art In Motion Program. Well done , Roger I anticipate seeing this Yellow-headed blackbird on canvas soon. My apologies for being a bit late with this posting as I was busy yesterday participating in part two of a root canal It went very well and is all done now! Glad to have it finished!

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

a juvenile Hairy Woodpecker with a red crown for Ruby Tuesday

2011-07-11T19:24:00.008-03:00

The reddish crown on this woodpecker almost confused me totally as I an used to seeing the male Hairy having a couple of red patches on the back of its head, but my husband insisted that it was a young Hairy Woodpecker and I believe he was right!. I checked my favourite bird field guide, ,The Sibley Guide to Birdsby David Allen Sibley, published by Knopf , New York, 2000 and an illustration was there on page 313 of a juvenile Hairy Woodpecker with a red crown and noted (July and August) the time period is rioght on.The juvenile Hairys are still here. This picture above I took this morning just a few minutes before thid posting. and it still has its red crown. We have so many woodpeckers (both Hairys and Downys anf their familys)around here lately that we wonder if we should change the name of our bird feeder area from Bird Alley to Woodpecker Alley.
Got photos with red? Why not share them by posting them to
Ruby Tuesday. To find this delightful red focused meme, please click here.http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Deer Out For A Stroll for Scenic Sunday

2011-07-10T07:58:00.007-03:00

This doe and her fawn were out for a stroll up the middle of the highway as we came along. A beautiful scene but not a good idea.Its a good idea Mamma to lead your baby awayfrom the dangerous highway!

Follow your Mamma , Baby! Keep safe and be wary of highways!

Scenic Sundayhttp://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/ is a meme where you can share the beauty your camera has captured for your enjoyment and for the enjoyment of others too. Please scroll along the right side of this page to the scenic Sunday icon and click to share with others and also to view what others have shared. Have a wonderful day!

Catbird on my clothesline

2011-07-09T16:51:00.005-03:00

It rains every Saturday it seems, but a bit of cheer was added to my day when I took this picture of a catbird sitting on my clothesline. Isn't it colourful!!!!! The plastic clothespins really added much colour to the scene! kind of like a rainbow I thought!Six little dresses dancing merrily in the breeze, presents for little Molly. There was enough sun later in the afternoon to create shadows!