First Signs of Spring on a Sunday Afternoon

This past Sunday afternoon my dear wife encouraged me to take the afternoon between church services to enjoy the warmer (relatively) temperatures and head out for a little trip to see what might be stirring in the sunny weather. Compared to the cooler temperatures which seem to be lingering on, it seemed pretty warm, but thankfully I still threw the gloves in the car when I left... the breeze still stole most of the warmth from the sun's rays.

male Downy Woodpecker

I headed first to Jacob's Wood, our local woodlot/park in town to see what might be stirring.  I heard the familiar local sounds of the Chickadees, Blue Jays, a Cardinal, and then saw a nice bright male Downy Woodpecker.  The crusty but deep snow in the forest was still quite deep and hindered me from following quietly and quickly.  But at one point the little bird flew into a dead pine tree right where I was standing.  I lost sight of it and was searching all over till I realized it was almost right above me.  I couldn't get a good picture, though it would have been a great, full frame shot. Although it knew it was there, it stayed on the opposite side of the branch, taking quick peaks at me.  This next picture was the best shot I could get.  Then the crusty snow gave way as I shifted and as I fell a good foot through the snow, the little guy startled away.

Downy Woodpecker

As I walked the outer trail loop, I noticed fresh work of a Pileated Woodpecker in a big live Pine tree. Though we're in their usual range, I think they tend to like more secluded woods than this. I've only ever seen one before out here, though briefly as it flew across a roadway as I drove. I'll have to go back and check soon... it would be great if there was a pair taking up residence there, though I won't count on it.

Pileated Woodpecker's work.

Pileated woodpeckers make these holes with an aggressive woodworking that leaves wood chips the size of quarters. With a series of holes like these, they're usually digging for their favourite food - carpenter ants. They actually listen for activity in side the trees and then start their seemingly brain numbing excavation to reach them deep inside.

I left this little forest and headed east of town to a closed road that crosses Fairchild's Creek.  I noticed birds drinking and bathing in the snow melt waters running down the eroding old gravel road.  It was a large flock of Cedar Waxwings.  They were flying between a big stand of old spruces some farmer had planted for a windbreak for the farmhouse years ago, and a large area covered with vines with berries a plenty.

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwing

A large group of very plump Robins was also enjoying the same opportunity.

American Robin

Another group of House Finches were busy there as well, though they were not feeding on the berries.  But the males were heartily singing away with their rambling song.

male House Finch

I finally made it down the Creek which was running fast with the waters of little snow which had managed to melt till then.  On the icy edge of the creek's bank was a deer skull, likely the victim of the cold, snowy winter.

Deer skull

Heading back, I heard the familiar scolding of a Red Squirrel.  It was nice to hear that sound as an indication of the spring warmth making it active, but also because I've not seen one about our area before. I'm accustomed to seeing them more up north.

Red Squirrel

A little further up the path, an Eastern Chipmunk also chattered at me and then nicely posed for a picture.

Eastern Chipmunk

As I arrived home and warmed up inside in the kitchen, I caught site of another welcome spring sign... a Song Sparrow had joined the crowd at the bird feeder in the back yard.  The House Sparrows are also back, being noticeably missing this winter, having been replaced with a large group of regularly visiting American Tree Sparrows. Even today, Juncos are still feeding on the ground - a sign that winter is still not gone?  I took a quick shot through the sliding door window instead of going back into what had become a window, cold afternoon as the sun had lost its warming strength.

First Song Sparrow of the season!

Till next time...
Keep enjoying HIS handiwork!

A Lot of Tails

So yes, except for one of the items in this post, they all have a common element - a tail.

A few weeks ago we were able to take a week off and head up to the Lodge for a week, first with some good friends of ours and then family joined us for the rest of the week.  Being up at the Lodge during the fall is completely different than during the summer.  The bugs are gone and we can actually hike in the trails in the bush, the colours are already started compared to home which is a couple hours south, and the crisper temperature mean the woodstove is on to warm the place up.  Evenings are inside with games and talks in the great room.

Our good friends Adam and Kerri have boys almost the same ages as ours, so we hiked all but one of the trails in the "back forty".  Coming back from the trails, the boys brought back tales for the moms (Ok, corny and a stretch!)

Crazy gang of hikers!  Adam and his boys with mine.

Some bright fungi on a log.

More fungi on a tree stump.

But, on our way back from one hike, we must have just scared off something eating a Garter Snake it had caught.  The kill must just have happened because even though it was half eaten, when touched, the tail would still constrict and grip your finger.  I really wonder what we scared off.  Too bad we didn't see it.  The boys were quite fascinated by it though.  (There is tail #2)

Half-eaten Garter Snake.

Throughout the week, I was also glad to get a number of  opportunities to get some nice pictures both around the grounds and on an outing to Bancroft one day.

In a canoe ride fishing on the lake with two of my boys, we were surprised by a big splash and soon spotted a beaver. We were close enough to shore to go back and get the camera in the fading afternoon light and followed him around to get quite close.

Beaver.

 A bad picture of the "splash and dive". (but tail #3!)

By the lodge, I got a couple other pictures of interest... One of a daring Red Squirrel which chewed into Holly's plastic container to get at some homemade Sweet-Marie bars, got it open and managed to get a way with a huge square.  Later, it was found licking off the spoon from one of our Apple Crisp desserts.

Red Squirrel finishing off our Apple Crisp.
(tail #4)

I saw only one butterfly the whole time up there, but it was one I hadn't seen before.

Morning Cloak Butterfly

Morning Cloak Butterfly -
missing its characteristic blue spots though.

This post is going to have to end here as I should be off to bed, it's getting long, and I obviously ran out of tails!

I'll post the rest of the pictures from this trip soon where I did my day trip out towards Bancroft.  The trip ended up going way longer than the couple hours I had planned as I kept bumping into more creatures...but I'm getting ahead of myself. :) And I won't torment you with more corny themes like "tails".

Shots from the Lodge Part 3

This is my last post of three (part 1, part 2) from our family vacation up north at the cottage.  This time I am going to keep my commentary short and just let you enjoy more pictures than my ramblings.  I have a few other posts in the queue from a couple other picture taking opportunities... and I don't have a lot of time to type up something long here.

American Bullfrog

Ant carrying grasshopper leg.

I wonder what the weight ratio is of cargo to carrier?

Eastern Chipmunk

The next two pictures aren't the clearest, but I managed to capture this Chickadee hanging on a leaf which had been modified into a home by some insect.  It got the bug (larvae?) out and you can just see it in the second picture.  (click on the picture to see it larger)

Black-capped Chickadee -
foraging in rolled up leaf 

Black-capped Chickadee with bug

Life bird # 96 was found in the same Birch tree as the chickadees, busy searching not the leaves, but the crevices and crannies of the rough bark.  I've seen many White-breasted Nuthatches since starting this hobby, and it was nice to finally see its cousin.

Red-breasted Nuthatch 

Here's life bird #97, last of the cottage birds... a Hermit Thrush.  I'm quite sure that is what it is anyway.  The side shots weren't clear enough for posting, but from them I believe I have the right ID.

Hermit Thrush

This Red Squirrel wasn't shy - once it noticed me, it set up a ruckus and came directly for me through the trees, and stopped about 4m away and scolded me soundly!

Red Squirrel

Right around the lodge, the grounds are very sandy and there were many, many little excavated holes from these little Sand Wasps.  They dig their holes in the sand like a dog, flinging the sand quite a distance between their legs.  They are digging burrows where they will bring prey (other bugs) which will be come the food for the larvae from eggs they lay underground.

Sand Wasp digging a burrow - you can just see the sand flying.

Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly

The next picture represents some fun, but also the loss of some Uncle points with some of my nieces.  My nephew John-Michael and I were wandering around the edge of the land and noticed a large Smallmouth Bass protecting a whole school of its young.  We caught a Leopard frog and I tried to take some pictures of it.  Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, and more than few frogs gave their lives for the cause.  My conscience was appeased by the small dent in the frog population this would make, but my nieces did not agree with this.

Smallmouth Bass catching Leopard Frog

Just an interesting shot showing how waves (the physics ones too!)
actually bend around an obstruction.

Fuzzy juvenile Loons with parent in the background.

Tawny Crescent Butterfly

Eyed  Brown Butterfly

One thing I added to my wildlife list was a beaver.  There have been beavers on the lake in the past, but this time we were able to follow one in the canoe.  I was out with the boys sans camera, so never got any pictures.  He seemed to almost be enjoying the game and popped up either side of the canoe numerous times.

That ends the summer version of the Lodge shots.  We hope to go back there in the fall with some friends and family and we'll see what we see then.

August at the Lodge

I seem to have completely forgotten to post of our second summer trip to the Lodge in Bancroft this August...It's been a busy summer. But again we enjoyed great times up with family, this time Holly's sisters and parents and all us married in brother-in-laws along with the nieces and nephews; 35 of us in all if I count right.  We celebrated a 100th birthday combination of Mom and  Mark that week, some good laughs being had during a short program after a great birthday meal.

As for wildlife and photographing thereof, I had some fun with that too.  Here are a few shots of things around the grounds.

Cabbage Butterfly

I couldn't quite confirm what this one was.... It's either a type of skipper or dash butterfly I think.

Long Dash??

One afternoon, I headed out to a little larger lake a little ways from the Lodge where I had often seen an adult and young common loon.  I was rewarded with a bit of patience as they ended up coming to that end of the lake for a short while.  The adult was bringing small fish to the young one.  It appeared that the adult would catch a fish, bring it near the young one, then let it go a short ways away for the young one to chase and catch itself.  Fun to watch.

Common Loon adult and juvenile - Learning to fish