A New Wildflower Find For Me; Bluets!

 

I love wildflowers and it is always exciting and intriguing when I find one that I do not know; as was the case yesterday. Its always an adventure to discover something new!!!!We have recently spent a few days at Quispamsis and 

 

       we  had noticed many clumps of small white flowers on several lawns there.  

I took a few pictures and so I searched in a few wildflower books to find their identify as soon as I had returned home.  I found the flower in  a book titled:Wildflowers of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. This is a  lovely book  on wildflowers by Mary Primrose and Marian Munro .
I found pictures of and a description of Bluets on page 48,

   Bluets: 

So you see Tess, that is the name of those  pretty little flowers we  had found on our way home from the park yesterday! They are Bluets!
I have discovered that bluets a.k.a are also known as Innonce or Quaker Ladies1  who knew?

A Flowering Almond in the Rain.

Six years ago we bought this flowering almond tree as a gift to our daughter in honour of the birth of her daughter. We loved its beauty and the pink colour which  was significant to the occasion, the birth of our first granddaughter. When I took these photos yesterday ,the blooms were somewhat diminished in their beauty by the falling rain.  However I feel the raindrops added a dimension of beauty to the blooms which we had not enjoyed previously.  There are still many unopened buds on the tree and the promise of its spectacular blossoming yet to come is still being held within. May the next few days be sunny as they coax the beauty of the blooms  and may the day of our beautiful granddaughter's 6th. birthday coincide with the full blossoming of the beauty of this flowering almond tree.

 below;taken this afternoon after the petals have dried out a bit.

Warblers Welcome in Bird Alley

Each day recently there has been surprise feathered visitor in Bird Alley and yesterday was no different! 
 for the surprise outside our window was a handsome, male Chestnut-sided warbler.

As a rule ,warblers do not feed at feeders as they are mainly insect eaters, but sometimes, if we are lucky, every now and then will pause and stop on their way through Bird Alley like this one did yesterday.  Its a handsome little bird with a brightly coloured yellow cap. , white cheek patches and black between its eyes and beak.  It also had a white eye ring but that feature cannot be seen in these pictures.  It had a white breast and running down both sides are chestnut or reddish brown stripes.
also yesterday in bird alley we had a lot of Pine Siskin activity, and a white-crowned sparrow also dropped by along with many Goldfinch.  and the female Northern Cardinal dropped in also.  It could have been all of the bird activity that might have attracted the warbler,  We also had Mourning Doves, a Blue Jay, Chickadees  and Grackles.  I saw the hummingbird in the morning but there was no sight of it in the afternoon. You never know what each day will bring.  Its nature's treat outside our windows each day! Maybe a different species warbler will drop by today?

A year ago today we had Rose- breasted Grosbeaks at our feeders!!!  I wondering when we will see them in Bird Alley this spring? I am watching and waiting for this handsome species daily.  Maybe today?

The return of Hummingbirds

Spring is truly a magical time! Late yesterday afternoon my husband called out, " a hummingbird!!!!"
I had washed, and filled and hung out  our hummingbird feeders one day last week in anticipation of their arrival and we were rewarded yesterday with their enchanting  presence.  I couldn't get a picture of the visiting male at the feeder but I did get its photo while it perched on a nearby branch.  However . already this morning I have set up my birdcam beside the hummingbird feeder and I should get a few pictures of it or them ( we saw two yesterday) as soon as they begin feeding this morning.

               above, a male hummingbird perched in our sumac tree

 Already this morning I have set up my birdcam beside the hummingbird feeder and I should get a few pictures of it or them.

                                             Oh, Happy Hummingbird day!

A Possible Occupant at Swallow Swoop Inn!

How exciting!!! the Tree Swallows are back and I think we might have an occupant moving into our bird house today today.  We have seen the swallows checking it out other days but this one this morning looks more promising.  Please stay dear swallow!!!  Last summer was the first season since having put up the bird house in the early 2000's that we did not have a family of baby swallows fledge from our bird house house in late June or early July..  So we hope the tradition continues this summer and our bird house gets to host a beautiful Tree Swallow family again. Our very creative and talented daughter, Riel Nason named our bird house and painted the sign shown below.  We found the name very appropriate to the bird's swooping flying behaviour.

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.I  just love the beautiful blue sky in the background  accented with the green of the emerging Birch leaves behind the bird house.

Daffodils

lilting in warm spring breezes these beautiful Daffodils

                                                    skirted in yellow and white,

                                                                 are beautifully gowned

                                                                          and delicately
                                                     fashioned for this, their spring debut appearance.

I am linking  today to Donna's 'flower themed' personal challenge at: http://apersonalphotochallenge.blogspot.ca/

A surprise visitor in Bird Alley!

A cardinal is always a delightful treat and surprise to see in Bird Alley.  Their visits are infrequent. This winter we had a Cardinal pair show up frequently at our feeders, bur I have never seen a Cardinal in bird Alley at this time of year, so it was an amazing sighting this morning to see a female Cardinal in Bird Alley!!  Her beak and crest were so much more red than I am used to observing!  Isn't see beautiful?!
I do hope she reruns again.  I shall have to replenish the sunflower seeds I have scattered around in Bird Alley.

Leaves

Our local  world is now at that delightful stage of spring when the trees are beginning to leaf out; the leaves on some trees now appear to be about the size of mouse ears!
As an example I include this photo taken at Christ Church Cathedral yesterday in
Fredericton. The newly opening leaves of the tree screening the stone walls appear as if small lights in the morning sun.

White-crowned Sparrow most recent arrival

 This little White-crowned Sparrow was a delightful surprise outside my window this morning.  I checked its markings carefully as the other species of sparrow which wears a white-striped head, a white-throated sparrow was feeding near by, however the White-crowned sparrow does not wear a white bib at its throat as does rhe white-throated sparrow.

                         In the picture above please notice that the white stripes on the head of this little sparrow cross at the back.  Oh Happy Sparrow day!

Signage appropiate to this blog!

We found this sign today at the entrance to lovely nature trails behind the New Maryland Center at New Maryland.  If only it also had included the words..." and camera trails."  The trails are very invitational and are well kept and are easy walking and could easily become camera trails to one looking for a beautiful nature filled environment. 
For anyone living close by in Frederticton who  would like to explore new walking trails, then I would suggest these trails to you which are  close by at the New Maryland Center.   Happy walking!!

This most beautiful patch of Coltsfoot along a nature trail at New Maryland enticed my camera to take this lovely picture!

Finch Day in Bird Alley

Yesterday we had many Purple Finch arriving in Bird Alley and the golden yellow male goldfinch were there too.  So it was a very colourful day at our bird feeders.  As well we had Song, White-throated and Chipping Sparrows.  Also Hairy and Downey Woodpeckers showed up along with  many Grackles and Red=-winged blackbirds too and we had our daily share of Mourning Doves also.  Plus Chickadees and Blue Jays.completed our bird viewing of the day.
And a pair of Cowbirds ( above) were surprise visitors!

Word must have quickly spread after this above was posted  this morning for shortly after, this colourful group of finch cousins, Evening Grosbeaks arrived in Bird Alley.   After having seen the first grosbeak I quickly spread a feast of black-oiled sunflower seeds out for them, and the invite to lunch was soon accepted!

The colourful yellow grosbeaks are the male of the species and as is often the case  in the bird world 

 

the duller coloured  ones ( the gray ones shown above) are the females of the species!

Nest building , A Spring Activity for Thursday's Inspiration

Earlier this week I chanced upon a couple of busy Chickadees flying too and fro from a hole in the wall of a public building.  I took a picture of the hole and I could see clues of nest building activity going on.  In the pictures included you can see that they( the Chickadees) had already managed to  deposit and accumulate bits and pieces of materials, etc. in the hole

                                             above nest building materials can be seen protruding from the chosen nest site

the appearance of his busy Chickadee above reminded me of the "Grumpy Cat" as it watched me from its chosen nest

              This Chickadee is checking me out!  They have been busy as can be seen  from the bulging materials in the hole in the wall.

I could almost hear this one loudly tweet at me as it flew  towards me away from its nest site:
                                                      "Outta my way lady!"

I am linking this "spring"  themed post  laster today with Mary's, Thursday's Inspiration at her Dear Little Red House which can be found at:http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.ca/

This Chickadee nest is just across the street from me.  I think I will check up on their progress later on today! Have a great spring day everyone!