Black Ducks

I have been looking for Black Ducks for days recently.  Last spring the first duck species I had found were Black Ducks.  Each spring I look for Ducks in two different sort of location.  First I find Mergansers and Common Goldeneye in the rivers and ponds and secondly, the nature of spring usually being that of melting ice ands rain showers, I often find ducks in field ponds; water pooled together in fields to create a pond like appearance.  But this spring has been so cold that I have found very few field ponds as the temperatures have been so cold.  Yesterday I found Black Ducks and Mallards in a few small field ponds.  Hopefully the temperatures will warm up soon and I shall find more dabbling ducks.

Above 5 Black Ducks in a small field Pond; then they got frightened off by the noise of passing traffic.

In the background was a lovely red barn

Tomorrow we are expecting freezing rain and ice pellets so I don't expect many more field ponds to be developing soon.

Wild turkey for Saturday Critters

Yesterday morning I was slowly cruising along in my village when I noticed a large bird walking alongside my cat.  I rolled

down my car window and there to my delight beside my car was a wild turkey walking along.. Its body reminded me of armour, It was a very striking looking bird.

I am linking today to Irene's Satturday Critters which can be found at viewingnature witheileen.blogspot.ca

A Pretty Merganser

We know that in the bird wold most often the most attractive gender of the species is the male.  But this week I found a female common Merganser that looked quite feminine to me and she looked sweet, almost pretty even.  She had such a gentle, pleasant appearance  I can't get over the surprise of seeing such aa sweet looking female duck,

Found a Killdeer

Its always interesting when finding a surprise when downloading pictures. Yesterday I had been taking pictures of groups of Canada Geese.  Upon downloading the pictures when back home I saw a smaller sized bird in the foreground of some Canadas in a picture!

After finding the small bird I decided to crop it out to study it closer and shown below is what I got. I believe it is a Killdeer!

A Turkey Vulture for Camera Critters

It isn't often that I have an opportunity to view a Turkey Vulture up close, however on Thursday of this week while driving along the highway I saw a large bird land in a driveway.  Being very curious as to what it was I shed the traffic behind me and turned and went back to look at the bird.  The large bird was still there and with my 300mm zoom lens I could see the red head and face.  I knew it was a Turkey Vulture. 

I had never had such a close-up view like that before.I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday's Critters

!which can be found at viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Beaver

It isn't often that I see a Beaver swimming in the water, but luckily I did yesterday!  I wasn't sure at first of it was a Beaver or a Muskrat, but I was hoping that the photos would show a portion of the tail and they did.  The wide paddle shaped tail told me that it was a beaver swimming there in the rive below me as I was standing on the bridge over the river!

Song Sparrow in Bird Alley

Yesterday I was delighted to see a Song Sparrow in Bird Alley!

This was a first for 2018.  Also we had a Junco visiting and a white- breasted Nuthatch, A little male Downey Woodpecker along with Goldfinch and many Chickadees. And a big surprise was a little Chipmunk feeding under the bird feeders! And we saw hundreds of Canada geese yesterday in the Keswick area.

Common Goldeneye found

 

Today I experienced my first sighting of s male Common Goldeneye for the spring of 2018.

It was in the company of two male Hooded Mergansers.

Hoded Mergansers for Camera critters

spring has been a disappointment so far.  It is slow in unfolding.  Our weather has not been springlike and perhaps that is why I have seen very few ducks.  I have found Hooded Mergsnsers only twice.  Earlier this week Ifound three males together in one location.

I am linking today with viewingnaturewitheileen.ca
\Have a wonderful weekend everyone and may it warm up soon.

My first spring duck sighting,a male Hooded Merganser

The same time period, the same location, the same species: This is what I love about nature, .loyaltly, dependability faith in it’s return migration. Every year at this time I go to the same location to stand on a highway bridge overlooking a river to find that HoodedMergansers have returned to the river . In 2017 , I saw the first mergansers there in the river on March the 10th. This year, 2018, I saw the first Hooded Merganser on March the 13th! Yes! I was standing on the bridge with my camera and I saw a dark speck in the distance and so I took a picture of the speck with my 75- 300 zoom lens.

After downloading my pictures at home I cropped

and zoomed on the distant speck and was delighted when I realized it was a male Hooded Merganser!!
I am anxious to return to that location as I expect ( hope) to find a male Common Goldenye there! However we have been experiencing a nor 'easter with a bit of now which is now blocking our driveway and we have not gotten our car out yet.  The storm warning has now ended and the rain which is expected this afternoon will ease the driveway s situation somewhat! And soon I can return to my bridge viewing location.

Bringing my birding activities indoors for the winter.

I don't like winter, especially the cold temperatures! This winter I have seen very few birds at our bird feeders, plus with the ice and snow on the ground I have had faced difficulties keeping the feeders refilled ( As I have a tendency to fall easily with precarious underfooting). And problems all winter long with a painful shoulder condition has kept me from driving out as much as I usually do, looking for birds,So what to do about birding? I solved my birding interests by turning to quilt making!  This winter I have made two bird quilts. The first quilt I have made was using a Birds in the Air pattern. I have just recently had it quilted by a professional who uses a longarm quilting machine.

  She did a lovely job . The Birds in the Air quilt is large measuring 58" by 82 "

And now all I have to do to complete the quilt is to put on the binding, I might be a while before I get to sewing on the binding as I am still working on quilting the second bird themed quilt I have made this winter. I have decided to quilt the second quilt myself and am still working on that task.

  My second quilt is about Crows.  I call it  The Crow Quilt and I have loved making it!

The Crow Quilt shown above measures 39" by58"

I am quilting the Crow quilt myself and my dining room table could easily be renamed the quilting table as it has seen very little use for dining this winter as it has been  all about birds.

I think I have discovered the perfect solution to getting through the dreaded winter months... quilt making, and I am almost looking forward to next winter, when I plan on making a couple more or so quilts.  but my birding activities and interest remains  as I am now busy with my daily spring duck hunt.  We saw a duck on Monday but I haven't been able to find it since but each morning I focus my activities on my hunt and my camera is very bird hungry.  Maybe this morning will be my lucky day!

Ladybug for Saturday Critters

My critter today is small but mighty in terms of predicting
the approach of spring!! The same window in our kitchen which  faces a south-westerly  direction is always the window of choice each year for our first ladybug sighting. We just saw the one on our window and my husband removed it carefully by sliding

a sheet of paper under it, then sitting the paper on our kitchen table for a better picture-taking location.  After the photo session the lady was returned to the window.  In recognition of this uplifting seasonal event I am using my Ladybug mug today for my morning coffee. 

I think perhaps next winter I shall make a Ladybug mugrug to celebrate this optimistic eventful sighting!
I am linking today with Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at, viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Wild Turkeys

When my husband shouts to me" Bring your camera and hurry!", I know something interesting is around and when he shouted at me today I was very eager to see what was about!
It was Wild Turkeys! and they were unusual yard bird sightings to me!  I had never seen Wild Turkeys before until this autumn past ..and various people had reported having seen five wild turkeys .around the community at various locations.  A friend had called me when they had visited her yard and I went to her property with my camera to take pictures of them.  That visit had been a life bird sighting for me. Today it was our turn to be visited by these magnificent birds.
Apparently these birds have overwintered around or about our community these past few winter months and today we saw all five turkeys visiting on our property!

I think this species is a handsome bird as  is shown below, in the picture taken on our side lawn today.

A Robin in Bird Alley

Yesterday, January 21 we saw a beautiful Red Robin in Bird Alley. We don't usually see this species at this time of year so it was an optimistic uplifting and a reminder that spring is coming in a couple of months.  The bird looked very healthly with a round belly and a beautiful colour.  I am hoping it will reurn today to feed on our bountiful American bittersweet berries.

And just playing with photo editing this Robin became evewn more colourful and beautiful !

An early sign of spring!

I saw a sign of spring this morning!!!!! It is so cheerful to remember that this cold, wet, icy, snowy winter will have an end. My cheering sighting was a Starling with a yellow bill!! It is so comforting to be able to recognize the various signs of spring!

American Tree Sparrows, a winter bird migrant

American Tree Sparrows are Arctic winter migrants who migrant southern to warmer frigid climes during our winter months.  They are very welcome little feathered visitors to Bird Alley and I love seeing them outside our windows.

Wild Turkeys for Saturday Critters

Yesterday I was able to add a bird species to my life list.  Wild Turkeys were seen in my community. I had never seen Wild Turkeys before!  There were 5 of them all moving along

 together!  It was a lovely sighting!

When they left the property where we were viewing them, they walked along in a group on a path through a wooded area there!

I am linking today to viewing nature with Eileen.blogspot.ca

Red breasted Nuthatch for Saturday Critters

When we saw our first White breasted Nuthatch in Bird Alley, we kept hoping and watching everyday for a red breasted Nuthatch to appear and it finally did!

Its favourite choice of food is peanuts in our peanut feeder in our peanut feeder.

 and also I occasionally buy a cookie shape suet sort of feed in a net bag.  This is another favourite of this sweet little bird species.

I am linking today to Eileen'sSaturday's Critters which can be found at viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Which one???A deer in an Apple Orchard.

This orchard used to be fenced in, but the fence has been taken down and the local White-tailed Deer are taking advantage of the tasty treats. 
This first deer  picture shown below shows a deer with its tongue  out in anticipation of savouring a tasty apple!

"Ahha!  I think I will  choose this one!"

White-breasted Nuthatch for Saturday Critters

It was lovely this week to welcome a familiar bird species back to Bird Alley.  The peanut feeder was the object of enticement and  it was a definite bird high to spy a White-breasted Nuthatch feeding there.  It feeds daily , sometimes making several visits!  It is the best of viewing out my living room window. Our kitchen view is that of a little nuthatch exploring all of the grooved crevices on the big, thick , old trunk of an ancient Maple tree along our driveway.  Whatever the location, welcome dear little bird.  we love you!

I am linking this morning to Eileen's Saturday Critters. Thank you Eileen for this Saturday oppoertunity to share and post our nature observations here.

viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca