14-MAR-2011
Red-winged Blackbird
It was a joyous sound, the song of the red-winged blackbird that greeted me early this morning at the FWG. It is the first I have heard this year. Spring really has arrived with these cheery and hardy birds. Even if it snows, even if the temperature drops again, it won't be long before spring comes to stay!
14-MAR-2011
Still lapping up sap
You can see that this squirrel was really getting into the sap! The contortions he underwent to reach this first tasty spring treat were comical in the extreme!
14-MAR-2011
Red squirrel lapping up sap
This little guy was very busy running all over a large Manitoba maple nipping off bits of bark and lapping up the sap which was flowing freely. He was completely oblivious to me, concentrating on the sweet treats.
14-MAR-2011
Crow with twig
It was a glorious morning at FWG today. The sun was shining, it was mild, with just a nice nip in the air. There were signs of spring all over, including this crow, one of several, gathering twigs for nest-building. Like us, the animals have no doubt been waiting for more signs of spring: lengthening days, warmer weather, sap-running!
07-MAR-2011
Amphibian pond
The pond is certainly snow-covered now. We are making up in March for the snow we didn't get earlier in winter! The beaver seems to be keeping under the ice as we've seen no sign of him since the last big snow dump. Hope he is OK. The beaver from last winter stayed under the ice as soon as the pond froze over, but this one has been chewing holes in the ice and going about the business of finding food, until recently that is.
04-MAR-2011
Northern cardinal, female
Jeewa took this beautifully crisp shot of the female cardinal. The females are often overlooked when near the males who certainly catch the eye with their vivid red plumage. But I think the females are equally beautiful!
04-MAR-2011
Northern cardinal, male
And here is the male, resplendent in his red feathers. They are singing more and more, and the other day I noticed three or four males together, all chasing each other. No surprise that there was a female nearby.
04-MAR-2011
House finch, male
On this beautiful sunny but cool day, Jeewa visited the FWG and commented that she saw a number of cardinals, a pair of juncos,a small flock of house finches hanging around the garden, along with some crows and four mourning doves.
03-MAR-2011
Red-tailed hawk
This hawk was sitting on one of his favourite perches, the top of the red barn. Of course, this makes him a very visible target for any passing crow. And sure enough, a few found him and began dive-bombing. It was funny, however, to watch how cautious they were. They'd dive at him, but if he shifted slightly in their direction, they veered wildly and scrambled frantically to get out of reach. You could almost hear them muttering "oh sheesh, that was close!".
01-MAR-2011
Crabapples (Malus)
As this blue sky shows, it was a clear, sunny day today. Yesterday, February went out with a roar as a big snowfall dumped much snow on the region. In contrast, today was sunny, mild and perfect. Some crabapples still have fruit on them, an indication that they hold no interest for wildlife.
01-MAR-2011
Three Mourning doves
There were 6 mourning doves sitting in their favourite crabapple tree this morning. It is a bit like one of those puzzles where you have to really search to find the hidden objects. Looking at the tree you see first one, then two, then three and sometimes as many as 7 or 8 of these doves, who blend in well with the gray bark and branches. These three, however, had come for a feeder visit.
01-MAR-2011
Pond
The Amphibian pond lies under a perfect blanket of pristine snow, unmarked by any tracks at all. Which is a bit sad, because usually a fresh snow fall the day before provides a clean canvas on which the nocturnal visitors can leave evidence of their journeying. Here, this would normally mean rabbits and foxes. Even our resident beaver has been conspicuous by his absence in the last 8 or 9 days. Up until we had the big thaw and re-freeze, he'd been chewing open holes in the ice. But alas, he has either had an accident or has decided to remain below the ice for the duration, meaning (we hope), that he now has enough food to see him through.