Cedar Waxwing for Saturday Critters

On Wednesday of this week we had our first snowstorm and also a large flock of Cedar Waxwings.  there would have bee over 100 waxwings  They flew from a three point feeding station area.  First to a flowering crab-apple tree to the side corner of our lawn, then to the top of our bower which was covered with rosehips and then into Bid Alley where we have another flowering crab-apple tree covered with small tiny, crab-apple and then they would take a rest in their foraging by landing en masse in our old Maples along our driveway.  As it was snowing and I hadn't yet gotten out my winter boots I did't go out top try for better pictures but just keep watch out of our windows.  It was lovely!

I am linking today with Eileen's Saturday Critters at http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca/
Have a wonderful Saturday everyone. Ann

White-breasted Nuthatch

 This beautiful little Nuthatch is a daily visitor feeding daily on our peanut feeders.

Robin

The Robin in this picture is considering the possible feast before it.  The red looking  like berries are actually Rose Hips.  A few summers ago a wild tiny white Rose started growing over our bower. ever since then Robins find this feasting site at this time every fall and fill up on the Rose Hip

s there. They  also provide a feast for Cedar Waxwings.  Before the fall is over the vines and bushes  will be stripped of these tasty delights.

Killdeer

We hadn't seen a Killdeer all year, that is
until I spied a shorebird down by the river.  after taking a few pictures of it I returned home to download and id it.  The shorebird I had seen was a Killdeer so I loaded my 400mm lens on my camera and returned to the river to get some more pictures.
And my favourite capture of these Killdeer was when two of them lifted off in flight.

Canada Geese for Saturday Critters

I was sitting in my car alongside a pond this morning when I spied a small group of Canada Geese. I lowered my car window and put my 400 mm lens on my camera and took a picture of the small group.

And then much to my surprise \I heard the muted honking of many geese.  I looked up and so many, many geese.  They had just appeared./  They hadn't flown in but just swam or floated there.  What a lovely scene they created, having appeared almost magically   it seemed.

 

I am linking today with viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone!

Painted Turtles

Today I have a new goal in mind.  I am hoping to find a bale of turtles! Yes, I used the collective noun for turtles, a whole bunch of them, a bale!
Earlier this week I took a picture of a Painted Turtle resting on a partially submerged log, just the one turtle with its reflection in the water below it!

After having taken the picture shown above I drove on up the highway but before I returned home I passed by this location again and snapped another picture! Imagine my surprise when downloading my second picture at home to see not one , but three painted turtles there!

As I enjoy seeing turtles, yesterday I decided to go and see if I could see the same turtle at the same location.  I looked and yes, there was one there!  I took its picture and a surprise again upon downloading. Not one but two turtles.  see the smaller one on the log to the right!

Now my question. I wonder what are my chances of finding many, a bale of turtles on the log there in the pond?  I shall follow up the possibilities during the next few days.  "Hello Pond, I'll be there shortly this morning."  Oh Happy Days of discoveries.  How wonderful nature is!!

Female Wood Ducks

Almost every morning I can  usually find female wood ducks in my favourite pond.  Today I think I will take my 400 mm lens with me when I go there to have a look for them again.  I think these ducks are the young of this year's hatchlings.  the fuzzy looking head of the female reminds me of a baby creature .  I love the outstanding white patterning surrounding the female's eye.  There is no mistaking her identity.

 I think this one above is probably a young male

Traffic Stopping Canada Geese

Regent Street in our city has been a source of frustrations this summer  as traffic has been rerouted in that area since early June due to an extension construction project..  On Thursday, while driving on Regent Street, all traffic ahead of us came to a halt.

Attempting to see the

cause of the stopped traffic I scanned ahead between the stopped line of traffic and spied the source of the stoppage ahead walking slowly and calmly across the street in front of the stopped traffic.
My husband, David alerted me to a small group of geese to his left.  Aha!  This was obviously the geese's destination.  A patch of green grass adjacent to the street on the other side.  Methinks that  this venture probably was influenced the  whim that " the grass looks much greener

on the other side"!

As we patiently waited we saw the progress the crossing geese had made when we saw them appear at the front of the traffic line to our left.
                   
Just step up to the curb Goose Buddy and you have reached your destination!      

Yes, They have reached their destination!

And then traffic was moving once again.

When we were leaving the area, we saw a large flock of geese to our right.  This was obviously the source of the crossing geese, where they had come from.  Hopefully they did not all want to cross the street, or maybe those that had crossed earlier may want to return to their original destination. 

Drive safely everyone and keep your eyes on the road watching for walking geese!

Twin Fawns for Saturday Critters

It sure was my lucky morning on Monday of this week when I chanced upon this beautiful White-tailed Deer family consisting of: the adult doe and twin fawns.  The fawn were sticking closely to Mama as they fed and wandered

about in a small grove alongside the highway.  Traffic was wending its way around me as I had stopped my car carelessly in almost the middle of the road when I had sighted them!     

I am linking this morning to Eileen's Saturday's Critters at viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

I have looked for this deer family several mornings since but I have not seen them again, however an esarly morning drive with my camera is never a regret and I often chance upon something interesting.  Wishing everyone a lovely summer's day.

Pink Primrose Moths

Whenever I notice Common Primrose in bloom along the roadsides I start looking for the beautiful little night moth that feeds on it. The first time I saw a pink Primrose moth nestled within a closed withered blossom, I had thought I was looking at a new wildflower that I had found.  Not so, for as I got closer I discovered it was a tiny, pink moth within the bloom.  These little moths only inhabit the Primrose blossom at night and as night comes to an end the Primrose will close its blossoms and the moth becomes stuck within the blossom as can be seen within the yellow Primrose blossom below. 

                                
shown above is a moth on the blossom , not within it.
It is great fun examining Primrose blossoms and finding a treasure within.  The link included here will give you lots of fascinating information about these beautiful little pink moths.http://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/primrose_moth_and_its_lovely_hangout

Happy moth hunting!

A Great Spangled Fritillary for Saturday Critters

I know I can always find fritillaries at a certain Milkweed Patch, however I am also quite sure that sadly I will not find any Monarch butterflies there, So with my eyes scanning the Milkweed leaves in hopes of seeing a Monarch caterpillar, I am excited when I find some beautiful Great Spangled Fritillaries feeding there as I just did this morning.

I am linking this morning to Eileen's Saturday's Critters at viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

the pattern on a Chipmunks back for Thursday's Challenge

We are blessed with a view on nature when standing in our living room, However we encourage nature a bit by providing food for the taking for the many and varied visiting creatures.  Just last week we spied this beautiful striped Chipmunk helping itself to a newly filled cage feeder and I had left the top off of the inside cylinder so that the Chipmunk was easily reaching the food. The 5 stripes
pattern on the Chipmunk's back adds much to the pleasing visual beauty of the feeding creature.

                       

.I am linking today to Thursday'sChallenge.  Today's theme is: "NEAT" (Orderly, Tidy, Trim, Uniform Pattern, Clean,...)

If you wish to contribute to Thursday's Challenge today you can find the linkup at www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

Camera Critters at the Milkweed Patch

One of my favourite places at this time of year is to visit a milkweed Patch.  A variety of flying creatures can be found there, and each day the group visiting there may change. 
Just the  other day I found one of my favourite warblers there.  A male Common Yellowthroat, but because of its black mask like feature  over its eyes We have nicknamed this warbler;

The Lone Ranger- bird

The main reason why I am enticed to a Milkweed patch is in the hopes that I might see a Monarch butterfly; and for sure I often see many Cabbage White butterflies there as shown below. there and also often Swallowtail butterflies, shown below, can be found there,

y there. I have seen no Monarchs there lately. A Milkweed Patch can also be quite buggy, with creatures such as this fellow which takes its name from this location.  This Red and Black Milkweed Beetle ( see below) is often present along with other bugs, bees and wasps.

 Other winged creatures around a Milkweed patch are often dragonflies, Sorry I didn't take the time to id this one.

I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday Camera Critters if I'm not too late for the link at:.viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

A Monarch Butterfly for Saturday Critters

Last year we didn't see any, but yesterday we saw two. I almost didn't believe our sighting but I took several pictures and when I downloaded them I said to myself, "Yes, a Monarch butterfly.
There are two milkweed patches in my area that I like to visit often when the milkweed is in bloom. Not all blossoms are now out , but many are.  I am hoping that I will be able to find a Monarch butterfly caterpillar and bring it home and watch it as it goes through its metamorphosis process. I have done this two or three times already and its magical!

I am linking today to viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Snapping Turtle Laying Eggs

Its that time of year again and the search is on to find Snapping Turtles laying eggs.  I had searched yesterday morning, looking for turtles but had , had no luck.  However today was my lucky day. I was almost ready to give up and go home when I saw a turtle walking toward my car along the roadside.

There was no action to see other than the turtle wandering around and a couple of times tried to cross the highway, however I directed traffic calling attention to the turtle on the road by gesturing toward it  and drivers caught on, saw the turtle and avoided hitting it.  I took a few pictures of the turtle nosing around on the edge of the roadside.

    These huge reptiles are big, ancient  , pretty ugly looking things; but I still find it fascinating when their rhythms of nature can be tracked every year.  After my first turtle sighting I went home and downloaded my pictures and then went down to the river area again AND  this time I found a turtle laying its eggs in a hole dug in the sand alongside the roadside.  Wow!!! What a lucky day I was having!  The exciting thing about this second sighting was that I got a picture of a turtle egg being dropped into the hole it had dug.  As soon as the egg dropped the turtle immediately put its hind legs in motion to draw sand from the sides of the hole to cover the eggs it had laid.

                 The turtle egg is the round, white ball in the center of the picture above.  Good job Mama Turtle!!!
I shall mark September 20th on my calendar as a reminder to check on the possible hatching of  this nest site.  The average incubation period for these newly laid eggs will be about 90 days!

                                     Above the turtle can be seen covering its eggs nest with a sweeping motion of its strong, powerful hind legs.