An American Redstart: for Ruby Tuesday

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 as it often spreads and fans it to startle insects in the surrounding vegetation.
To check out other Ruby Tuesday postings, just click HERE, or click on the Ruby on the side bar. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this site.

The Baby Bird Factor

I have mentioned before the difficulty I encounter sometimes with trying to identify young warblers at this time of year. Sometimes the season's fledglings appear very similar in looks and features to the female of the species and I am not sure if it is an adult or first season bird I am looking at. However, at other times, although the features appear very similar to that of an adult, there is a gist or a look about the bird that is a bit of a giveaway; such as of this one in the photo above wearing a rather innocent or perplexed expression on its face. And then, seen below in another pose, there was no doubt of its age when it looked directly at my camera with a 'feed me' reaction to my presence.

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Perhaps of interest to some is a new blog which I have started today. It is called Gallimaufry Gleanings and it will contain a hodgepodge of items and observations. Today's offering relates to three old dolls I had found at a flea market which I attended this past week. You can get there by clicking on the highlighted link. I hope you enjoy!

Indian Pipes

Indian Pipes, also known as Ghost Flower or Ice Plant, is not an easy wildflower to photograph because of its whiteness. Most Indian Pipes are white in colour but some also have a pinkish tinge with a few black flecks. Indian Pipes are lacking in chlorophyll and this accounts for its whitish apperance. This flowering plant gets it nourishment mainly from decaying roots of trees, instead of from sunlight.

The Red on a Painted Turtle for Ruby Tuesday

To check out other Ruby Tuesday postings, just click HERE, or click on the Ruby on the side bar. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this site

Red Leaves

Well, here it is, almost mid-August, and we are already starting to get a few hints of the seasonal changes to come with the approach of September. Last week I photographed these red Maple leaves that have already changed colour. These are the exception, rather than the rule, but a few early ones can always be found, giving us a hint that those lazy, hazy days of summer and humid heat will soon be drawing to a close.

Watery Stairway: One Single Impression

stairway of water
headlong rush to falls below
impetuous plunge

When I saw the prompt word was stairways I immediately thought of this beautiful, rugged waterway that I had visited last summer. After hiking for almost an hour we came out of the woodland trail at a higher elevation above the falls. The staggered rockbed there, with the water running down it, reminded me of a stairway.
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This haiku was created in response to the word, 'stairways', which is this week's prompt at One Single Impression. For more poetry on this theme please visit the hosting site.

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home: Camera Critters #18

I do wish these pictures were clearer but as often is the case when photographing nature you take what you can get at the moment and be glad that you got what you did. That is how I felt about these pictures for I was happy to be able to capture this Ladybug in the action of opening its wings. It had landed on the window frame of my car as I had stopped by a pond where I was hoping to get a picture of a Painted Turtle that is always there. Here, above, you can see the colourful, fleshy portion of this Ladybug's body that is protected under its hard outer shell.
.This is the sort of positioning that I usually get when I post Ladybug photos; but these photos today hold more than the old standard shot.
Here you can see the polka-dotted panels on top starting to open and below you can see its wings extending in the picture below.The blurry movement in this last picture shows the wings in motion.
I will always look at a Ladybug a bit differently from now on. Does anyone remember the Bricklin?
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My appreciative thanks go the host of Camera Critters. To see other participant's photo contributions just click HERE or on the Camera Critters logo on the side panel.

C is for Common Yellowthroat: ABC Wednesday Round #3

I never have a problem identifying this male Common Yellowthroat Warbler for its black mask leaves no doubt as to what it is. Identifying the female is sometimes more difficult but on the day these first two pictures were taken the female was with the male flitting about in the trees and bushes along the railroad tracks. The female is lacking the conspicuous black mask but she has the same yellow throat as the male and also the same colouring in other areas.

Yesterday when I took this warbler's picture I was at first confused about what its identity. However, after having looked at photos of female Common Yellowthroats I think that is what it perhaps is, or better yet, I think it may be a first year juvenile of that species.

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My appreciation and thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place for hosting ABC Wednesday Round 3. To view more ABC Wednesday posts via Mr. Linky please click HERE. For viewing the new format of ABC Wednesday Round 3 where all posts can be seen in the same place, please click HERE.

Ruby-throated for Ruby Tuesday

Even in the semi-darkness of the foliage the ruby throat of this Ruby- throated Humming -bird radiates a message of its presence. It is only the male of this species that has the brillant red throat. The Ruby-throated is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America.
To check out other Ruby Tuesday postings, just click HERE, or click on the Ruby on the side bar. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this site.

Orange Butterflies in My Garden

An American Copper
A Silver-bordered Fritillary

A faded, torn and tattered Northern Crescent

The most frequently seen butterfly in our garden, a Great-spangled Fritillary.

Folly: One Single Impression

she saved everything
materialism filling

her full empty house

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it would be folly
to not believe in magic

metamorphosis

I have only seen one Monarch butterfly this summer season but yesterday found two Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars in the same area where I had seen the butterfly. Two summers ago I brought a Monarch caterpillar home with me and watched the magical changes of metamorphosis take place and finally a beautiful Monarch Butterfly emerged and opened its wings.

This haiku was created in response to the word, 'folly', which is this week's prompt at One Single Impression. For more poetry on this theme please visit the hosting site.

Camera Critters: Dragonflies and Damselfly #17

Dot-tailed Whiteface
male Twelve-spotted SkimmerSuperb Jewelwing Damselfly

My appreciative thanks go the host of Camera Critters. To see other participant's photo contributions just click HERE or on the Camera Critters logo on the side panel.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

It gets a little more difficult as the summer progresses to identify warblers. At this time of year the first season appearance of new babies is introduced to the mix as well. Wearing their transitional patterns, colours and design their identification can often be a confusing mystery. I was pretty excited when I first saw this little warbler earlier this week, with its olive cap and very prominent white eye ring! I was quite sure I had found a new life bird to add to my life list, but with a check in my Sibley's, Birds of North America, I found that I had photographed a first winter non-breeding female Chestnut-sided Warbler wearing its August - March seasonal garb. The photo above is of an adult Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Painted Lady Butterfly

The beauty of the colour and design of some butterflies totally amaze me when I get a very upclose look; such as I did yesterday of this Painted Lady Butterfly which was feeding on Coneflowers in my garden. Notice in the first photo the subtle change in colour from pink to orange on the inside of the upper wing. I think Painted Lady is a perfect name for this butterfly! This open wing view above gives no hint of the beautiful pink colour that is on the underside of its wings. Below is a view of both, the
inside and outside wings.

Black and White Warbler

I found this Black and White Warbler when out walking yesterday morning. There were little bugs everywhere in the air and the trees seemed to be full of birds flitting about, darting here and there among the leaves. It is not a species I see often although the times I have seen it it has been around my home area. Before checking it out in my Sibley's Guide to Birds, I had been thinking maybe it might be a Blackpoll Warbler but it was easily identified as a Black and White when looking at it in the field guide and seeing the white stripe on its crown. The Blackpoll wears a solid black cap. Another feature that identified it as a Black and White was the streaked undertail coverts. Sometimes its quite annoying when a bird turns it back on you when you're trying to get a good picture of it, but in this case it worked out to my advantage.