Paint Party Friday!

These 150th anniversary of Canada (2017) tulips have been a bit less than successful. They haven't remained true to their colour. They inspired my PPF sketch, however. You see? Some have some yellow.  

Here we go. Oil paint markers, coloured pencils, fine sharpies all contributed to the project.

This is the home that I put in the background.

Next time, I might try sketch the tower in Perth.

More: Paint Partiers

Hubby brought home some salads. A caesar for me, and a "Mskoka Salad" for himself. I'd never heard of it.

Down in the forest, the fungus doesn't mind the cool temperatures.

It's my daughter's 40th birthday this August. I managed to snag tickets to Come From Away. It's been an award-winning Broadway show all about post-9/11 stranded passengers, all 7,000, who were put up in Newfoundland. 

It wasn't easy. Some seats are $200 PER SEAT. Happily she won't be turning 40 again. It'll be a great mother/daughter night for us. We have the girls that week, I'll drive them in, and we'll go out to the theatre!

There aren't many seats left for late August!
Ticket sales opened up Monday.

We're in the 2nd balcony, nosebleeds!

Hubby said that's OK, he's just happy I'm not taking her to a Raptors playoff game!!!

  #WeTheNorth

@raptors

Birdies, birdies, everywhere

They have been amazing.

The house wren is still working on things. They circle around the nesting box, proclaiming territory from the lilac bush that is nearly ready to blossom.

We have phoebe, whose eggs hatched Tuesday: 🐣Phoebe.

great crested flycatcher

I was looking out a window, and spotted this bird.

Great Crested flycatcher

Wood duck box #1 is cleared out (May 27th – jump for freedom). Box #2 should hatch today, leaving tomorrow. Wood duck box #3 ducklings leave today. (More on that later!)
Here is box #3 yesterday. Once momma flushed from the nest, our morning ritual, I cleared out.
duck eggs from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The hummingbirds continue to visit the feeder and the flowers.

The female merganser: as I approached the frog pond, she was circling.

Merganser from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The flicker is attending to business in her nest. I have no idea her stage of nesting. Read more here:

• 🐦FLICKERS

Flicker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We have two female turkeys wandering around during the day. They eat bugs, bless their hearts!

Turkey basting: that's what I called it. She rolled around in the dirt, kicking up soil, having a blast.
They do this, says Standford U, to maintain the oil in the feathers. (Bathing and Dusting: "Excess plumage lipids, including preen oil, are absorbed by the dust and expelled along with dry skin and other debris.")

Turkey basting from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

May 27th – jump for freedom

7:38 a.m.

I've had to process this event a bit. I also have to remember that 10 ducklings are alive with their momma. She will work hard to care for them. She'll have to work hard. Their mortality rates are high. It takes another 60 days for them to be able to fly to escape predators. They really don't know survival rates. Estimates are between 10 - 70%. They are susceptible to predation, cold, disease and parasites. Predators in the wetland must be fewer than elsewhere. We don't have large fish, snapping turtles, and the mammals don't tend to be in the deeper water in summer. There are hawks, owls, gulls, herons and crows who will take them.

It's been terribly cold. Only 10 C. overnight. The other two nesting boxes are warm and cozy.

They went from eggs to hatchlings in one day. I cleared out the debris, and replaced it with fresh bedding.

The camera captured them leaving the nest. You have to watch carefully. (This isn't expensive equipment!) At about 27 seconds they fly out, and only a couple were on camera.
The next part is the lonely duckling looking for momma. 

ducklings from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

It was a tough day for us. The ducklings broke free at 7:38. Mom sat on the water, calling to them in the video above. I noticed the duckling roaring around the pond at 10 a.m., which means she didn't follow the momma into the wetland where they take off to.

She should have followed momma into the depths of the wetland where they are safe.
She roared around the pond cheeping. I last have her on tape at 12:00, and then nothing. I hope it was swift.

I managed to capture a video of an egg hatching. First you can see the various eggs in the other boxes, finally, box #1. They are born fuzzy, dry off, and ready to go.

Ducklings! from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Meanwhile, May 28th, on the dock, he was either mushy, or thought there was a bug on her face!

duck love from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

This female duck was chasing a male. This is unusual.
 
duck chase from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

House wren, a trip, and a turtle

House wren

The house wren is a new bird for me. They have been busy taking ownership of a wee birdhouse.
I've been watching them from the kitchen window. So was Hooper! Watching them, I mean. It is a perfect location for the nesting box. We've been here 8 years, and the only other guests were chickadees one year.

Road trip

Anyway, we took off to Carleton Place to pick up supplements for JB on Sunday. I waved in your direction, AC!
We rather ambled from Perth to Carleton Place.


There were several three-wheel motorcycles. I guess it's a good option for some.



Lots of old barns.


This poor woman's two little black dogs had fled the yard. I hope she found them.  They weren't on the road, which we told her. It's right across from a large forest.


The swamps and marshes are greening up!


OK, this image could spur a story. It sort of looked like a man carrying... a body?!
It was a drive-by photo shoot, and zooming in does not help!

The rivers and creeks continue to be high, but flood waters are receding. I feel badly for those affected.




A veggie garden in the making.


Hooper's street! I just noticed it.


I wonder what they are doing in this spot!


The traffic on a Sunday afternoon on highway #7 was heavy.


This is a walking trail, near to a horse farm. What an idyllic spot. It's an old train track, right beside a river and a riding stable.

Swollen river


The trees are in bloom. What a great spot to sit and watch the world go by.


Lots of homes are needing repairs.


This home is for sale. A great spot to watch the geese. This is Jebbs Creek.


Just about home, JB spotted a turtle. We turned around in our driveway, it was just back up the road. Happily, there are good people in the world. Another couple had done the same thing. He gave me a thumbs up from where he parked across the highway!


Safely home, Hooper had 🕷️TICKS 2019  #3. More on the duckling hatching tomorrow. I'm still processing it.