Showing posts with label bird. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bird. Show all posts

Thursday, 16 September 2021

Frogs and fountains

 First, let me vent. My MPP bragged that he voted without a mask. How can this happen at the polling station? It's not right. He was sent back to his car at a local store to get a mask. A Perth resident told me he wore a face shield in Ontario Parliament. 

"If Hillier entered the polling station he probably wore a face shield like he did when he had to vote in the legislature. He would never publicize that, none of the anti-maskers would admit to wearing a mask in some situations."

I found out how... and it ticks me off.


He'll retire with a great MPP's pension and continue to schill for the PPCs, a crazy right-wing party in Canada. They are fomenting anti-mask vitriol. No one is free, unless they live off-grid on 100 acres and don't drive, need healthcare, medication, or groceries. 




OK, back to our regular news. We've a sweet bird hanging about, freshening up in the fountain.





There is a time of year when one must wash one's windows. I'm nearing that sweet spot. The sun shines into the window in the afternoon. If it gets too cold, the cleaning fluid freezes on the window. Let's see how long I put this off!


I love the tree frogs. There were three on the corning of the railing.



 🐻SNUGGLE Bears – they are studying world geography! This globe was a Christmas gift for JB awhile back. I loves his maps.



Sunday, 14 February 2016

Nuthatch close up

It flew into the window, eventually it flew off! No cats were involved.
I love seeing them close up! I might try sketching it.

Saturday, 27 June 2015

Cedar waxwing nest building!


Cedar waxwing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
I wrapped the bark of our Horse chestnut tree. Woodpeckers were pecking holes and burying seeds in it. The Cedar waxwing took advantage of it. They are building a nest in the pine tree in the backyard!


Saturday, 26 July 2014

A new bird for me: Common yellowthroat

It seems the male was more shy than the female! My bird book tells me that it is common in North America, but unusual here in Southeastern Ontario. All About Birds has more info. Bless its little heart, it eats bugs!


Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Phoebe song, osprey nesting; it's spring!


Phoebe choosing nest site from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
The pair have been around for days, going around the house, searching for the perfect nesting site.  The male singing his song all around the perimeter of the tree line.
 
So tough to capture an inflight photo!
They seem to favour under the back deck, but Daisy is on it. The first year it was the tree house (that didn't go well) - I had to block the doors from cats, last year they nested in the shed.

 The Osprey are back at their nest in Merrickville, too!

Osprey Merrickville from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
They're back. Spring is here!

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Wildlife is on the move; snow bunting, chipmunks!

Yes, more signs of spring. The chipmunks have woken from slumber, sharing the scattered seeds under the feeder.  
hungry!

love how they can get along

They are friendly, if not demanding, buddies!

However, another exciting sight for me: a Snow Bunting. I haven't seen one of these since we lived in North Gower. They migrate south for winter, a ground feeder, they eat weed and grass seeds, and bugs.
Come April, the boys go back north, prepare a (warm) nest for their girls, who migrate 4 -  6 weeks later. 

They are social, and even when creating their fur and feather-lined nests, they come together in flocks of 30 to 80 birds to forage.

They nest in the high Arctic, in deep cracks or rock cavities.

The male feeds the female, since she must keep the eggs warm in what can be -30 C. Arctic spring temperatures. What was unusual, is that this little guy was all alone. It was on the ground feeding, then flew up to the tree when I got out of the car to take his photo.

He was still there when we returned from our errands!
The linky is up for Saturday's Critters. Eileen spotted blue heron, while I'm still sighting winter birds!

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Mystery bird : female red-wing blackbird

Not a starling? Can you help me ID it? We DO NOT have greenery like this right now, this photo is from last year, but this bird is giving me a hard time.


I think Margaret is right! uCornell shows them!





Sunday, 15 December 2013

Winter birds – take care large and small

Our feeders have been mad with activity, what with -20 C. temperatures, there have been feeding frenzies. 
We delivered a loon to a bird centre in Napanee last week. heaven knows what happened to it, frozen in the cold, stuck in a field, with a hurt wing.
The Goldfinch lose their yellow in winter, but s/he had me fooled with the beige!
a pair at the feeder
woodpecker
sparrow

junco
Pileated woodpecker

Pileated after those bugs!

   ♪♫ ♬ Say a little prayer for me!


chickadee

Wild turkeys in snowstorm