Trip to Ottawa

 We toodled into Ottawa for Mother's Day. Aster had her birthday party the night before. She was gifted  Lego plants. She is all set to take driver's lessons now. 

Jean-Luc made us a feast for lunch.

We said our goodbyes and drove home. It was a lovely day. 

There were a ton of people out visiting, walking the trails, as well as cyclists. There are lots of green spaces for people who like nature.

We had hail!

 Monday, May, 11th

It was quite unusual. A cell moved in. It melted rather fast, but I worried about the poor hummingbirds! They returned on Sunday.

xxx

After the storm!

Wetland wonders as I wander

 Wetland wanders led to some observations. It's a good time to be out there, since the mosquito larvae are close to leaving the water.  Close but no cigar!

There are tadpoles growing. 

Things are moving along.

   

 Barry has been harvesting the Aspen.

 

It is teeming with life!

 

Barry has been renovating the wetland. It's not very deep, and it is evaporating, going into the groundwater, and disappearing quickly.  He is living in a little bay, I'll call it, which is an ingress into the land. 

Here he is Nov. 25th, 2025:

The blue line in my graphic shows the deepest water ↑. What Barry is doing is pushing mud up from the bottom of these little canals, to make it deeper. (I assume!) 

This trailcam yielded only one video.

I've since moved it, but two days in a row there was a bug that looks like a firefly. 

 

P.S. We had our first hummingbird yesterday. 'Film and news at 11!'

Buds & blooms

While we are back in the coolish weather, the buds are doing their thing! This is the horse chestnut tree:

lilacs

The trillium are in bloom in the forest. Tulips and Grecian windflowers are in bloom.

More good news, the lily bugs are awake. I shall have to dig out my bug collector.

The Forsythia is at its peak.

The pileated woodpecker is doing a number on the tree. I haven't noticed it but I have heard it.

Aster and a beginner's driver's licence! She drove part way home!

Saturday's Critters

Having fun with the new trailcam, I threw out a bread crust. The crows dispatched it. The one on the left won! 

Coyote:

Fred:

Phoebe has 5 eggs, which should hatch next Friday. They sit on the purple pencil, swooping down to catch a bug. I hope they don't poop on the trailcam!

I cleverly lowered the camera, as the skunk just missed! Love that tail!

MiniFred was sent to back to her burrow (which Momma Fred dug) in no uncertain terms!

   

 Momma Fred took umbrage and resorted to doggy digging under the deck. 

   

 The phoebe is still sitting on the nest. They like my purple pencil. 

   

 Busy spot, coyote at night, deer and Fred in the day. 

 

Saturday's Critters # 647 for more critters, visit Eileen's blog.