This morning's Nature Adventure~

I  have had a wonderful start to my day this morning when I went out on my morning drive, At my first stop at Peterson's Rocks

I watched a Merganser family swimming upstream and climb over the rapids there.! I think this was the merganser family Tess, Eli and I had found a week or so ago. The adult merganser was with the group this morning.

My next stop was the lagoon where I found Wood Ducks. Most of them took off in flight as I approached them. I only got a picture of one male near the shore. Then on to Blissville where there are a couple of ponds there. It was a bonus location!

I found three Great Blue Heron and caught a picture of one in flight as I had startled it! Also at Blissville

I found three family groups of Canada Geese, each group being shepherded by both adults, one at each end of the younger ones. Unfortunately I missed a beautiful picture of a male Red-winged Blackbird showing its beautiful red epaulets in flight.
Have a wonderful day everyone! Its a it damp here this morning, but we need the rain and the temperature just just right.

Re -visiting a Black Duck Family

Yesterday morning I had found a handsome Black Duck,

but it appeared to be alone, after taking a couple of pictures of it. I moved on. 
However after downloading photos at home I discovered that duck had ducklings at her side!

I should have stayed around a bit longer to investigate! And  so today  I started the day with a purpose. I had determined I would find that duck family again this morning!

And I did! They were at the same location where I had seen them yesterday morning. Today I took my time watching and taking pictures from my car This was a fun adventure!

I discovered there were actually three ducklings, instead of the two that I had counted in yesterday's pictures!
Birding often holds huge surprises for us! That is one of the reasons why I believe that always having my camera with me is important!
As I start each day at this pond location I shall continue to track this Black Duck and her family.  I note that there seems to only be the one adult duck attached to these three ducklings. Mama duck has a huge job ahead of her, on her own, to safely raise these three ducklings and to teach them to feed, fly and to keep safe.  They already appear to be swimmers.
I am posting this morning to Anni's meme "I'd Rather Be Birding" found at http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com/

an Eastern Phoebe

I go out birding every day. this morning while crossing a bridge over a small brook I saw a small bird fly across the road and land in a bush beside the brook. I am starting to try to follow flyaways with my camera and I was very pleased to have captured this beautiful Easton Phoebe  on a branch shotly as it landed.

 I love the woodsy looking element to this picture!

A Catbird for Saturday Critters

I love a catbird, especially when it becomes a regular around our yard. IN the picture below  a Catbird makes itself comfortable perching on our clothesline.

This Catbird wasn't in our yard but near my favourite pond that I visit every day..

I am posting this morning to Eileen's meme, Saturday Critters which can be found at 

vuiewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com

Have a wonderful helthy and safe weekend everyone!

Merganser Ducklings for Saturday Critters

We have had a wonderful week finding ducklings.  These Merganser Ducklings seem to be quite advanced in age as is seems that they have already learned how to fish!

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mergansers are fish eaters and fish is their main food. The next picture shows another lucky catch!The duckling on the far right has   has a fish in its bill!

This Merganser Mama has 14 ducklings!  What a busy time she must have!  we were hoping to see all of her ducklings out in the open water and the next day we did!

I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday critters meme which can be found at
vireingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com

Clear wing Hummingbird Moth for Saturday Critters

Our Lilac Bush most often attracys clear wing Hummingbird Moths year and it has this

This second photo from a previous year shows the clear wings more clearly!

year also.
 I am posting this morning to Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at:
viewingnaturewitheilleen.blospot.com
My thanks to Eileen for hosting this weekly meme andalso to  those who visit and view my weekly posting.
ingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com

A Mourning Dove for Saturday Critters

We have a beautiful Ornamental Crabapple Tree near Bird Alley and its very beautiful in its blooming this year.I clicked this picture of a Mourmimg Dove posing with the Crabapple in the background.

Although I didn't have many exciting sightings this week.  I did see a Belted Kingfisher near a favourite pond.  I usually see a Kingisher there every spring but this year it did not seem to be around!. However I was so very pleased to see one on the power lines above the shores of the pond this week

I am posting today to Eileen's viewing nature with Eileen's Saturday Critters meme which can be found at;

viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com

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Painted Turtles Glinting in the sun.

On these recent sunny days I am finding many painted turtles seeking out the sun to expose their sun attracting panels on their backs of their dome shaped shell home.

Grey Catbird Today

A Grey Catbird today!!

I had never believed that a bird could mew like a cat until I had heard one.; then I had finally seen one. I always consider it a delight when one drops by Bird Alley, which this little bird did this morning!. . I wonder if our cat hears the Catbird outside? Does it confuse my cat? I find catbirds intriguing! These birds like to nest in wild rose bushes. We have an old wild rose bush in Bird Alley and that is where I had spied this bird this morning.. One year a Catbird nested in our Rose bush, and it played 'King of the Castle' all summer long that season  by mewing all over our garden area while perched on our fence. It was delightful! Maybe it will happen again this summer?! I certainly hope so!

Ruby throated Hummingbirds for Saturday Critters

The Ruby throated of this male hummingbird illustrates the source of this species name.

Humming birds are most often seen sipping liquid food from hummingbird feeders.  To see it’s open be is often a surprising view.

The female of this species does not display a ruby throat.

 Shown above is a female ruby throated hymmingbird. I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at: viewing naturewithweileen.blogspot.com

A Spotted Sandpiper for Saturday Critters

I search for water birds at this time of year,
earlier this week I had found a Greater Yellowlegs and I was delighted with my discovery.  The next day I returned to the sae location hoping to see it again.  However I did see a small grey bird but it flew away when it became aware of my presence . so I watched as it landed quite a distance away and I took pictures of where it had landed hoping that I could identify what it might be.
 Spotted Sandpiper
I took this picture from quite a distance and only when editing the picture did I see the spotted breast! This was a surprising discovery for me.

I then edited a second picture and I was able to see its spotted breast again as the bird was taking off in flight.

I edited my second edit a bit closer and the spots were even more evident!

Wonderful, I was even more pleased with my Spotted Sandpiper discovery.

I am linking today with Eileen's Saturday critters which can be found at

viewingnaturewithweileen.blogspot.com

Greater Yellowlegs photos

And of its breast markings and another of its beak

 Now to see its very colourful legs and feet.

Trout Lilyin bloom

This is my favouritewildflower. As a child I knew it as a Dog-toothed Violet, thus named as its root contained a white canine shaped tooth like portion. I dug one up one year to check out this fact. This wildflower now a days seems to be most often identified as a Trout Lily, because of its leaves resembling the spots  found on a trout’s body. It is also know to some as a fawn lily.

Tree swallows looking for a house for Saturday critters

Today I didn’t do my usual nature drive.

There was too much bird activity to enjoy here at home and in Bird Alley and around our yard..For many, many years now we have enjoyed Tree Swallows at this time of year finding our Tree Swallow house and deciding to nest in it for that season. 

During our many days of other than spring weather this year, on one very fiercely windy night our Swallow house blew down off the end of our garage.Earlier this week David had unattached the bird house from the pole and cleaned it out preparing to give it a needed coat of paint.
However a gang of six to eight Tree swallows appeared in our yard today examing our
Chickadee bird house in detail. They signified their interest as they usually do

by going inside the house and positioning themselves on top of the house

or setting on the fence close by, such as these two in the picture above, or by making a few close fly bys to check out the house.

David immediately realized that he should reestablish our regular Swallow house for the visiting Swallows, as we had watched them check out its previous location on the end of our garage.

So our old Swallow house has now been painted and positioned awaiting feathered tenants for this season.

Hopefully we will see a claiming bird sitting on top of the house tomorrow morning. The bird house in the pictures included above are of our Chickadee bird house which hosts a Chickadee family each spring/summer season. 
I am posting today to Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at:viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca