A Savannah Sparrow for Camera Critters

A second returning sparrow species visited Bird Alley this week. The very distinctive yellow lores of this Savannah Sparrow immediately alerted me to its presence. Earlier this week a Chipping Sparrow (photo below)
was presentand its red rufus cap made its presence known.Thank yousparrows for bringing the excitement of spring to my yard with your visits! Hopefully my next returning sparrow visitor will be a Fox sparro with its foxy red colouring.

My appreciative thanks to Misty for hosting this site. To see other participant's photo contributions just click HERE or on the Camera Critters logo on the side panel.

Some Mayflowers to Welcome May

Beginning growth for later blooms for Green Thursday

This green growth above is outstanding with its rich green colour of new growth filled with the promise of many beautiful Tiger Lily blooms later in the summer. However the lush green attractiveness caught the attention of a hungry deer and the results are shown in the photo below.This is the half-eaten greenery left behind. I had heard that deer would not eat Crocus and so I planted some a couple of years ago as it was disheartening to see my beautiful Tulips eaten each spring. So far we have had luck with Crocus and shown below is the first garden flower in bloom in our flower beds this spring. I expect to see many more over the next few days.
This lovely healthy greenery below holds the promise of a wonderful yield of beautiful large red Poppies later this season.From springtime onward my garden is a joy of greenery and beauty as it yields its hidden treasures of colour and design. It's full of magical wonder as the promise of its greenery unfolds its miracles within their healthy buds.

To view the visual greens that others have contributed to this new meme Green Thursday just click on the Green Thursday badge in the side bar. My thanks to Pagan Sphinx for hosting this meme that is so full of promise. You might even want to contribute something youself.

Chipping Sparrow for Ruby Tuesday

Yesterday morning when looking out upon Bird Alley I was quite sure I had seen a CHIPPING SPARROW flitting about the old twigs and leaves on the ground under the trees. I was able to verify my sighting in the afternoon by taking this picture below of two of them.Welcome back little Chipping Sparrow. You're just in time to show your red head on Ruby Tuesday. To check out other postings on Ruby Tuesday just click on the Ruby logo on the side bar. My appreciative thanks to Mary/the teach for hosting this meme.

Dandelions for Mellow Yellow Monday

They're a very eye catching yellow! And they are survivors. These three pictures above show the deep determination these wildflowers have to grow. Dandelions can put on quite a show of yellow beauty as can be seen in the above and below photos of a couple of fields full of them.

To view a wonderful variety of yellow-themed photos from other bloggers around the world, just click on the link below.

They're Back! Tree Swallows! For Camera Critters

I stepped out onto the back deck to look at the Tree Swallow house and as I had hoped, there they were, two of them. One in the house and another standing guard on the roof. They return every year and raise a brood of baby swallows providing us with all sorts of delight watching the fledglings leaving their home in early July. Welcome back loyal friends. May your stay be a successful one! It's a beautiful blue sky day today with anticipated high temps of +20C .
My nature search for the day is to find Mayflowers in bloom! Hopefully!

My appreciative thanks to Misty for hosting this site. To see other participant's photo contributions just click HERE or on the Camera Critters logo on the side panel.

Cloudy Skies for Skywatch

This photo of cloudy skies above the Mactaquac area of the Saint John River Valley gives the weather tale of the past few days - dark skies and rains, although the green grass in the foreground is suggestive of how refreshing the moisture has been to the grass.
Cloudy skies were also to be seen in Fredericton above the Lighthouse on St. Anne's Point Drive this afternoon.

My appreciative thanks to the hosts at SKYWATCH. To see other offerings of this meme just click Skywatch Friday .

Expecting the expected

Finding the expected where and when you expect to find it is a reassuring characteristic of spring and I love this reliability that I trust. Yesterday we went to Hazen Park in Oromocto to see if the Ospreys had returned yet and we found that they had. I think that their old nest had wintered well. The photo above urges me to get out a pencil and sketching materials. The layered structure of sticks and twigs upon the power pole top has an appealing beauty to me.As we stood watching the Osprey on the nest we heard a familiar "cheep. cheep" call very close to us and we easily found it perched in a tree nearby. The branches of the tree did not allow for many clear pictures of this magnificent bird as it took flight. Another expected spring find for me was on the weekend when I found this Coltsfoot growing in one of my flower gardens. This was a happy experience to find my first bloom of spring where I expected it to be. I think it is beautiful.
An unexpected find in the Oromocto River yesterday was a Loon. Perhaps this will become an expected yearly sighting as I had found two loons at this same location last spring on May 13th. I shall have to remember to check this out next spring .

At this point I must express my happiness at being home and blogging again. I am so pleased that Riel stepped in for me and did such a great job. I am also happy that you were able to meet my fine daughter in such a way. Thank you all for your response to her. I am sure she will contribute a post for me again some time in the future, but not for the same reason. I am back for now and well.
Ann

Smith Falls

For Watery Wednesday ...

The following two photos show Smith Falls, not too far from Hampton, New Brunswick. The falls are absolutely stunning, but due to a lot of snow and ice on a steep incline I would have had to descend to reach the base, I could only go halfway down to take photos. The first picture shows some of the upper falls, and the second, the lower. I am anxious to go back again when all the snow in the woods is melted as I think the view of the whole falls together will be amazing.

Posted by: "Guest Blogger" Riel. This will be my final post as guest blogger, as I am thrilled my mother will be back to her photography and blogging again.

Thanks to Watery Wednesday. The theme of Watery Wednesday is water; for a wonderful variety of watery scenes from other bloggers around the world, just click on its name.

A Spot of Sun: For Mellow Yellow Monday

The sun was warm even through the trees in the forest near Smith Falls, New Brunswick.

Posted by: "Guest Blogger" Riel. To view a wonderful variety of yellow-themed photos from other bloggers around the world, just click on the link below.

A Walk in the Woods

Today was a beautiful sunny day for a walk in the woods ... and there was much less snow than I expected. This photo was taken near Smith Falls, New Brunswick.

Posted by: "Guest Blogger" Riel

Coltsfoot

Please Note: This item is from the archives from April 16, 2008. But I wanted to repost it now as I saw Coltsfoot all along the roadside today as I drove through town (without my camera of course). Riel

earth's first wildflower offering

herald of better days to come

Coltsfoot - cousin to Crosus and Robins

harbinger of sunny summer days

A simple trip to the store this morning turned into one of surprise and pleasure when I

discovered my first wilflower of spring. Growing amongst last fall's leaves; Coltsfoot - like minature yellow suns, lent its warmth and optimism to my anticipation of more wilflowers to come. Below, a pollen gatherer finds a yellow treasure.

Pussy Willows: For Ruby Tuesday

The red hue is soft and subtle on these Pussy Willows photographed today in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada.

Posted by: "Guest Blogger" Riel. 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.

Shelter From The Storm

This is the same little Song Sparrow that was featured in yesterday's post. Later on in the day it found shelter by perching under the feeder shown in today's; picture .It still looked cold though. I haven't seen it yet today. I won't be back with another post until the end of the month and Riel will continue filling in for me until that time. Thank you all for your continued support. Ann

A Song Sparrow in the Snow

Song Sparrow
foraging in the snow
perhaps wondering like me
where did spring go?

It was quite a surprise this Easter Sunday morning to look out the window and see the snow-covered ground! This little Sparrow was unmistakeably a Song Sparrow, with its shuffle shuffle, scratch scratch rhythm of searching for food on the snow-covered ground. Also, its body markings with the center dark cluster identify it as such with its rounded-striped breast.

Snowshoe Rabbits and Easter Bunnies

This is s rerun of last year's Easter post. Happy to all.

The chocolate duplication of this pose above, of a Snowshoe Rabbit, also known as a Varying Hare, can be found on many store shelves at this time of year in guise of the Easter Bunny. Bunny Rabbit toys have often been a favourite of small children and adults as well, and can be found in many forms. Although this rock bunny above does not appear to be welcomed by my antique door stoppers, our family has its own legendary Hunny Bunny , which has now been welcomed lovingly into the arms of the next generation.

Focusing back on the real world of rabbits, or hares, this composite photo above, of a Snowshoe Rabbit, gives an indication of the origin of its name for its feet are oversized and huge looking, such as snowshoes are when attached to your feet. I have been hoping to get a picture of a Snowshoe Rabbit in its white, winter camouflage but it hasn't happened yet and probably won't. The next best thing to a picture of an all white rabbit is this one above, in its transition from winter white to summer brown taken on April 8, 2006. Another picture, this one to the above right, taken in May of a previous year, shows that except for just a few small white spots, the change back to brown is almost complete.

Hippity, Hoppity: Coming Soon

Happy Easter!

This rabbit was photographed years ago using my old Sony Mavica camera. You can see the bunny had a little of his winter white fur still left and had not completely changed over yet. The picture was taken in Campbellton, New Brunswick.

Posted by: "Guest Blogger" Riel

Temporary Waterfalls: For Watery Wednesday

The sign may warn of falling rock, but this time of year it is falling water. All along the roadside cliffs just across the Kennebecasis River from Gondola Point, New Brunswick, there are temporary waterfalls caused by the spring melt. Some start far, far up the hill deep in the woods and are quite spectacular. I find the photos do not do justice to how great the water was to watch ... and of course the sound was wonderful.

Posted by: "Guest Blogger" Riel. The theme of Watery Wednesday is water; for a wonderful variety of watery scenes from other bloggers around the world, just click on its name.

a belated welcome to spring

So far until yesterday my experience of spring has been looking out the hospital window. however today I am home on a weekend pass and when I saw three Robins out the car window yesterday I felt like shedding tears at their wonderful sight. the poem included below I had written several years ago and had planned on posting it at the beginning of spring this season however on March19th I was undergoing surgery to have a blockage removed from my carotid artery, which had been responsible for the stroke I had had. I would like to express

my appreciation and thanks to all who have expresed their well wishes and prayers for my recovery. and to my daughter Riel for her fine job of continuing with this blog in my absence

Welcome Spring

spring whispered and I listened as trees swung bare branches in welcome
pussy willows basked in warm sunlight
lulled by blended sounds of mating melodies singing ageless songs of hopeful renewal
spring sighed and I watched as
melting snow created lawn ponds
awakened roots in the moist earth
quenched their frozen winter thirst and yearned to stretch their green shoots upward
spring shouted and I felt its power as disintegrating river ice abandoned its frozen grasp
pelting rains and
furious winds spurned slothful winter and
rivers swelled their banks with prideful freedom while
egg laden fish dreamed of journeying home
spring returned today and
I smiled and was content secure in my knowledge of its enduring loyalty