Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds have arrived

  Yesterday on April 5th, 2013 we had large numbers of Common grackles in our yard.  They were very skittish and flighty but by the end of the day I was able to approach our windows

without seeing a mass black sheet of fleeing birds blocking my view as they left en masse.  Also we saw our first Red-winged Blackbirds of the season as several were mixed in among the Grackles.
A glimpse out my windows this morning sees many Grackles feeding already today.
Yesterday we only had one Song Sparrow feeding in Bird Alley, as well as Chickadees and Blue Jays.  The jays haven't been around much recently. Yesterday we were able to count 8 Mourning Doves feeding in the Alley as well as one male Downy Woodpecker.

 

It must be spring: a Chipmunk!

 I was pleased to see another sign of spring earlier this week:  a Chipmunk in Bird Alley. Also on the same day , a small group of Grackles, although the Grackles are very flighty and I have not gotten any photos of them yet.

 I have also been finding Canada Geese recently, and that is a sure sign of spring for me.

The tomato plants that I have started inside are stretching their flimsy stems towards the sun in my windows and they are gaining height each day.  I have yet to find a Coltsfoot which is most often my first wildflower sighting.  My daughter had one in bloom in her yard as of last week, but then her area often boasts the first Coltsfoot sightings.  I have some that do grow in our yard, but that will be later.  It is too early for mine to be in bloom yet, but I continue to check for it daily.

 

Weasel and Male Hooded Merganser

On March 19th, 2013 I found my first duck of the season, a handsome male Hooded Merganser, and that is not all I found.  While taking pictures of the merganser in an open area of water 

 I spied a small brown animal running  in my direction on top of the thin ice edging the water area.  It was too big to be a groundhog, but it was brown with a bullet shaped head  when headed in my direction from my perspective of sitting in the car.  I was disappointed at first that I didn't get many  pictures  when I first saw it,but I was focusing on capturing  my first duck sighting.  I stayed parked in my car beside the pond for a while and it was then that I noticed the little brown animal again running over the ice alongside the shore.

                                        
There is a big drainage pipe in this area leading from the pond under the railroad embankment there.  The little creature was very frisky in its movements., Almost as if it were running and jumping for joy!  Sometimes it would slip into the water and swim into the drainage pipe as the Hooded Merganser did

 I finally was able to take many pictures.
 One overexposed picture gave me a clue as to what this little animal might be.  In the overexposed picture I was able to see that it had a black-tipped tail , like an ermine has in the winter when the rest of its fur is white.  An ermine is a winter version of a weasel and so I have identified this little animal as a weasel. I love these pictures.  I have seen ermine twice but never had been so lucky as to photograph a weasel.  Oh happy day it is that I am able to post weasel photos!

River breakup Time

    Its that time of year again: river breakup: these pictures were taken yesterday and as usual there has been a bit of flooding and water over the highways.  The personification and pictures following were created a few years ago.

Personifications of a River Break-Up

As a child, the time of the 'ice going out' was always an anticipated event.

I can remember my brothers and I lined up by the old fence on the top of the hill; watching and listening to the drama of the powerful ice floes floating by in the river below.

This time of year, when the end of a long, cold, snowy winter is in sight; the changes taking place in the river ice are always strong reminders that there is definitely a seasonal change in the air.
The River Break Up

Pelting rains and furious winds
spurned slothful winter

and woodland streams swelled their banks
with prideful freedom
while disintegrating river ice abandoned its frozen grasp
and stretched its icy fingers towards the shore


geometric ice shapes played
layering and shuffling games

while jockeying for positions
along the swollen river banks
as tranquil mainstream remained in its solidity
reflecting in the strengthening afternoon sun
hillside grasses and dry stalks overlooked the changing scene
while springtime memories stirred in their roots
and jubilant waves and rushing rapids
raced down the river and disappeared around the bend.

Some red in nature for Ruby Tuesday 2

     there was a bit of excitement on the weekend when my husband began declaring that he had just found a wonderful sign of spring and insisting that I see it by looking out my kitchen window!!!!  What it was , was a ladybug crawling up our windowpane.  and yes, to us it was a sort of spring event, a spring happening.
with a bit of research I discovered that ladybugs tend to crawl on windows with a soutwest exposure!
And this window does have a southwest exposure!  So Spring, are you nearby... coming soon, I hope!

    To make sure this ladybug didn't fall on the floor after we had scooped it off the window with an envelope, I corraled it with a ring.  Later, after its photoshoot we returned it to the window pane we had found it on

Getting the day off to a  good start with nature and a cup of coffee.

Birdcam Photography for Thursday Challenge

 Last spring/summer I purchased a birdcam and it  has been the source of many photo delights to me.  When I had seen Rose-breasted grosbeaks in my yard, last spring I rushed to set my birdcam on a tripod to catch the beauty of this bird!  And my quest was successful.  I am eager for this season's return of the birds.

photography is this week's photographic theme for Thursday's Challenge. To view more photos posted on this theme, or to join in on the fun yourself, just 'click' on the highlighted name.

A Helicopter in the Sky for Skywatch Friday

 

Its quite a surprise when driving down a busy highway encountering many headlights of traffic coming towards you, but it is quite a different experience when you see a headlight in the sky flying towards you. The unexpected headlight in the sky was a helicopter from nearby CFB Gagetown.

 

 

 My thanks to Yogi, the new host of Skywatch Fridayhttp://skyley.blogspot.com/ for continuing to host this very popular Friday skywatch meme. If you would like to post your own photos or just enjoy looking to see the photographic offerings of others, please scroll down this page and look upon the right hand side to click on the skywatch logo to go to the meme. A happy Friday to all

Happy Valentines Day!

  I could not believe the patterning on this Calico Pennant Damselfly when I found it several years ago.  I have not see this species since, but its image has served me well on previous valentine's Days.
A wish for a HValentines to all viewers and followers!

Hungry Birds During the Blizzard

 

Common Repoll on the snow

 here were lots of little Redpolls around yesterday during the big snowtorm.  They were swarming this Plum  tree (shown above)where  a feeder was hanging on a lower branch

   and the ground under the feeder was full of little birds

The sock feeder full of niger seed was the most popular feeding spot.
Throughout the stormy day we were also host to Blue Jays, Tree Sparrows, Red polls and one Harty Woodpecker.

 

Did we get snow? Yes , lots of it and today we have to get our driveway cleared out. The lions share of the job goes to my husband, but I will be helping  too.

stray Cats

Yesterday afternoon I saw two stray cats in Bird Alley.  The little grey one I had seen walk through our yard before.  The beautiful orange one though, I had not seen before.  Both cats looked healthy and in good condition.  I think perhaps they have homes as they appear to be well fed and strong. I don't think they are feral cats.  I hope not.
  Early this morning before full light the smaller grey cat was in Bird Alley again, perched on a railing in our pergola.

A plea to Groundhogs out there

Dear Mr Groundhog,

Don’t be afraid,

If your shadowy image you see

Please DO NOT FLEE!

Stay around without fear

And let us know that spring is drawing near.

A sunny or cloudy day

Shouldn’t a legend make

For, anyway, many think you’re just a fake

Enjoy your day that’s named just for you

And please give us a good report, please do!

Because dear Mr. Groundhog,

I believe in you.

sunset for Skywatch Friday

                                    The colours in the sky were vibrant and rich.  Above is what I call a ribbon candy sky

                    And as the colours began to depart the clouds changed into thin strips of colour.

  Above, a calm of beauty and colour reflected in the early evening sky, a pastel mix of pink and blue.

  After a full day of high winds and rain and power outages, the evening sky took on a beauty as if a peace offering for the violent weather of the day; spreading calm and beauty over the early evening.  but the colour  was as fleeting as was the temperature of the day ,which was a high of +10 C, a wonderful change from our freezing temperatures of the previous weeks,  but January is now past, welcome February.  I hope you have good weather days in store for us.

 y thanks to the hosts of Skywatch Fridayhttp://skyley.blogspot.com/ for continuing to host this very popular Friday skywatch meme. If you would like to post your own photos or just enjoy looking to see the photographic offerings of others, please scroll down this page and look upon the right hand side to click on the skywatch logo to go to the meme. A happy Friday to all