Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Catching up........

      Over the past while I have been posting mainly about my recent visit to Cuba, so this post will comprise a miscellany of items.

At Home, Waterloo, ON

     Miriam's crows continue to be faithful and appear regularly knowing that they will be fed.


     Eastern Chipmunks (Tamias striatus), freed from hibernation, enliven the backyard by chasing each other all over.


     As mentioned above pampered crows come to be fed, and occasionally Miriam makes peanut butter sandwiches for them and cuts them into bill-sized squares.
     Sometimes, however, the squirrels get to it first.



The Mill Race, St. Jacobs, ON
07 March, 2024

     As might be expected, Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) were out in full force.


     It was exceptionally pleasant on this occasion to be joined by Mary Ann Vanden Elzen and Janet Ozaruk.


     Now that's a pair of joyful faces!

29 April, 2024
     
     A chipmunk and a Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) obligingly consented to appear in the same shot - and neither demanded royalties!''

     It's prime spring migration time for Zontrichia sparrows and the first to put in an appearance was a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis).


     It was followed in short order by its kissing cousin, White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys).


     Red-winged Blackbirds were common and not at all shy, especially males doing their best to entice females into their harem.


     Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is both common and delightful - and beautiful too.


     In wetlands around southern Ontario, Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) decorate the area in a most agreeable fashion. I look forward to their emergence every year.


     Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) graces us with its presence quite early in spring.


     Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) has been exceptionally prolific this year and barely a day goes by without seeing several of them.


     It was great to see Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius) back in all their familiar haunts.


     Even though I had no seed with me I "cheated" a little and stretched out my hand for a friendly Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) to land on.


     White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) were not shy either.....


      ..... and it wasn't long before one visited my fingers.


     How lucky we are to have this intimate association with a wild creature, and how wonderful it is that they do not flee from humans, fearing for their lives.
     A male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is always a show-stopper.


     A chipmunk is probably the most common mammal on our walks at this time of year.


     Later in the year they will feed on Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca).


     American Robin (Turdus migratorius) foraged on the ground, searching for tasty morsels of every description, both animal and vegetable.


     It's hard to rank the star of the show, but a frenzy of mating American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus americanus) was a candidate for the title. 


     At times it seemed like the single strategy was to jump aboard anything that moved!




     It was indeed a toad bacchanal, an orgy of lust.





     Whew!
     A White-throated Sparrow revealed itself nearby, but I doubt that it was interested in the super-charged goings on.


     Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a great favourite of mine, and it was prolific.


     It seemed appropriate somehow that a cardinal should be the bird to wish us goodbye.


     There is much more to catch up and I will intersperse those posts between other events of interest - and several book reviews.
     Life is never dull, I can tell you that!
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

67 comments:

  1. Definitely not dull. And very, very beautiful.
    Just in case you needed a reminder, you and Miriam are very lucky people. And we are too with the delights you share.

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  2. ...David, this catchup is fabulous!

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  3. Lucky Crows enjoying bill-sized peanut butter squares beautifully presented on a plate. The Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) does looks confused - do remember some seeds for him next time.
    I haven't been around - blogging is currently on the back burner.

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  4. Quite a cast of creatures grace your walks. I haven't seen any evidence of May apples here yet.

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  5. You snapped some super photos, especially of the toad amplexus. I love going to bed at night listening to the frogs singing. I'm not sure if Mom bluebird has eggs, but I haven't seen her much. Dad is hanging around a lot, and I even saw him chase away 2 squirrels, including a big old grey. Hurrah for the return of butterflies, chipmunks, frog and all the other creatures who are now gracing our areas. Have fun. hugs-Erika

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    1. We checked our nest boxes yesterday and one has five healthy bluebird chicks, around eight to nine days old I would estimate.

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  6. Totally love Blue Jay! And the close-up of the cardinal just gorgeous!

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  7. Your posts are a celebration of nature, David. I always enjoy them. Thank you!

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  8. I am so amazed that birds will light on your hand! Ours are much too shy for that. What a treat to be able to see them that close up.
    I laughed at the peanut butter sandwiches! My husband had a pet crow when he was a boy, and he said his crow would have torn up those sandwiches!

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  9. What a beautiful photo David.
    Nice the Eastern squirrels, they know exactly where to get something to eat.
    Also very beautiful are the Black-capped Tit, the White-crowned Sparrow and the male Northern Cardinal.
    So nice that the birds eat out of hand.
    I enjoyed the photos again.
    Greetings Irma

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  10. The toads are definitely out to steal the show. Great collection and variety of wildlife. Thanks for taking the time to share.

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  11. The toads are definitely out to steal the show. Great collection and variety of wildlife. Thanks for taking the time to share.

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  12. I look after my birds well, but Miriam is spoiling them with with peanut butter sandwiches - I don't give my peanut butter away to anyone! And as for those toads....Hugs, xxxxxxx

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  13. That was certainly an interesting walk. Cheeky little chipmunks are so cute! I like the color of the blue jay, but the noise they make, not so much. I do wish we had cardinals here as they are so pretty!

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    1. I'll take the sounds made by a Blue Jay over lawn mowers, weed eaters, hedge trimmers, traffic, sirens........

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  14. Thank you for the catchup , David. I enjoyed all the lovely photos. Miriams crows are very beautiful. The Blue Jay is still my favoritebird. I have another Podophyllum in my garden, and it blooms right now with pink flowers. I like it very much.
    Hugs and kisses, Marit

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  15. Hari OM
    Such variety and entertainment - nature wins every time! YAM xx

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  16. Always a pleasure to visit your blog David !
    Visitors are cute/lovely/colorful and some, with beautiful smile ;)
    Have a interesting day !
    Anna

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  17. Las ardillas me resultan muy simpáticas y esa variedad de aves, que le da vida a los paisajes.

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  18. Never tire of seeing blue jays and cardinals. And not a blurry picture here.

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  19. "pampered crows come to be fed, and occasionally Miriam makes peanut butter sandwiches"

    And to think that it won't stick to their teeth and cause cavities! I don't guess they get enough of them to matter, but peanuts are said to be nutritionally empty for squirrels.

    I loved your photos, although they made me miss cardinals all the more, there being none here in western Oregon.

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  20. Wow, I love the Eastern Chipmunks and the Toads, hum, what did they do??????????

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  21. J'aimerai que les oiseaux viennent dans ma main :D
    Les petits écureuils sont si mignons <3
    Bonne soirée

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  22. Querido amigo David, que feliz soy de pasear contigo, me encantaría que pudieras pasear conmigo por España, seguro que no conoces Extremadura, parque Nacional de Mofrague, te encantaría, yo pondría el queso y un buen vino. Miriam también está invitada. Abrazos para los dos.

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  23. Your catch-up at home, David, is just as great photo-wise as your nature walks. The cardinal and blue jay are outstanding. We are visiting Prince Edward Island and yesterday caught up with mutual blog friends, Marie and Rick.

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    1. I hope you enjoyed your visit with Rick and Marie, and are relishing PEI in general.

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    2. Thanks, David, yes we did enjoy the visit and meeting up with a fellow blogger is always a wonderful experience, as you well know. As this was our first visit to PEI it made it even more enjoyable.

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  24. A wonderful series with such a variety of creatures. I especially like the Cardinal and chipmunk.

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  25. All those birds and chipmunks, too. Thank goodness the toad display is done for the year.

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  26. Thank you...I could look at animals and birds all day long....and into the night! :)

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  27. Nite nite!
    Beautiful moment you are living in Canada, spring explodes with life and color; i have loved the wildlife in Miriam's backyard. The crows, squirrels, and all the birds create a charming and lively atmosphere. Every creature has its moment to shine, from playful squirrels to majestic cardinals. This entire publication is an ode to joy and those toads... what a bacchanal!!! lol

    In Argentina, on the other hand, we had a cool summer and now it is very cold, it´s snowing heavily; i hope it will also snow soon in Buenos Aires, although it is more difficult to obtain ideal conditions.
    Oh, also mention that we´d a fabulous aurora australis, the sky turned intense red, it was wonderful.

    Wishing you a pleasant night, sending hugs and kisses to you two dear friends! ☾ ⋆*・゚:⋆*・゚

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  28. Wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing your walk with us.

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    1. Too bad you don’t live locally and you could come along in person. I’d give the chickadees and nuthatches special instructions to favour your hand above all others!

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  29. Hello David,
    Cuba or home, the excursions into nature are always unique, great pictures and sightings, I really like the cardinal with its beautiful red color.
    Greetings Frank

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  30. Certainly a wonderful catchup. Photos are lovely and the last one is excellent.

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  31. Hi David - great collection of catch-ups ... it's amazing to see all the 'critters' around - love the toads, the birds ... especially the sparrow and nuthatches and all ... together with the insects, and plants ... Spring life is wonderful - thanks for these - cheers Hilary

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  32. What a varied and lovely group to visit. I'm especially fond of the chipmunks and crows. :)

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  33. I am so happy to stay home.
    I've only seen one toad here in all my years.

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  34. Love that shot of the chipmunk and the blackbird - what a glorious bird with that red wing. David I saw a glorious segment on PBS last night on Amy Tan and her book on her backyard birds with her own drawings, etc. I thought you might like it. https://www.pbs.org/video/amy-tan-turns-her-literary-gaze-on-the-world-of-birds-1716419123/
    XO
    WWW

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    1. Thanks for this link. I will go to watch it right now.

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  35. The innocence of squirrels is perfect.

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  36. Such incredible photos--a delight to see them!

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  37. I enjoyed this post. So many familiar faces! I love that the birds perch on your hand. I'm not sure that they would do that for me.
    Chipmunks are a favorite.. I love watching them skitter with their tail straight up in the air. My dog used to go after them when they ran up downspouts. I was always afraid she was going to get her nose cut....
    I love that Miriam makes sandwiches for the Crows..


    The toad segment reminded me of when I used to have a pond and frogs would come from miles around. The scene was very similar until they all disappeared several days later.
    Nature is grand!!!

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  38. Always impressed with your photos, so sharp and clear and thoroughly enjoyable! thanks David!

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  39. This is a wonderful post, Davd.
    And it is clear you live in a total different part of this world. No bird in a forest here would come to sit on your hand. They have reasons to be afraid of humans.😥

    Best regards, Corrie

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  40. OMGosh. So many wonders. And the birds eating out of your hand. What a blessing. They must sense you'd never hurt them. I've only seen that on EC's blog.

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  41. I did enjoy this post, so much to see, great photographs.
    I can see that 'Life is never dull'

    All the best Jan

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  42. The toads are the stars of the show.
    How cool to have the birds eating out of your hand!

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  43. A beautiful collection of photos. The best life is a life that is never dull. I always enjoy your interesting walks.

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  44. Dear David!
    I love your walks and beautiful photos showing wonderful creatures such as birds and squirrels. The Cardinal stole my heart. It's a wonderful bird. When I see beautiful plants, I am very, very happy.
    Sending greetings to Miriam and to You, David :)

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  45. Happy weekend, David. Enjoy it to the max. That beautiful cardinal is a purrfect pic to end on.

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  46. Hello,
    A great report on your outing. The toad series is a favorite, I do love all the birds.
    I especially love the birds being hand fed, great closeups. Thank you for linking up and sharing your critter post. Take care, have a great day and happy weekend. PS, thanks so much for leaving me a comment.

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  47. Chipmunks always bring a smile to my face...they are so adorable. Love the butterflies you've seen this Spring too!

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  48. David, your photos are always so impressive. Thank you.

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  49. Peanut butter sandwiches! I should try this with our squirrels, maybe they leave the bird feeders alone then. Although I doubt that... The toads are hilarious, what a "show"! Hugs - Carola

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  50. Hello David, I enjoyed your walk and it felt like I was walking with you and meet all the birds and animals. (I wish). But I am afraid this will not be possible. The photos are most wonderful!
    Have a nice day and stay safe.
    Warm regards from Belgium
    Roos

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  51. Dear David,
    Miriam spoils your visiting animals very much. As a “fee” they model for pretty photos! And I think there were advance payments for the Black-capped Chickadee and White-breasted Nuthatches before, which is why these birds landed so kindly in your hand. It was nice to accompany you, see all the natural plant beauties and friendly animals and also the wild toad orgy ;-) I confirm that life never is dull for people with passions.
    Thank you for telling me about your Tasmanian experiences in your comments!
    All the best and a good start into the new week, Traude

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  52. I always love your miscellany posts, David -- and I live in awe of the many creatures you see, practically in your own back yard. I ran my Merlin app walking through the ditch and heard many, many different birds but only saw the red-wings, robins, a cardinal, a jay and a grackle (besides the water birds). I think the rest are too high in too-leafy trees to be spotted!

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  53. You have so much more species of animals than we do here in Finland. Beautiful photos and findings!

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  54. I don’t know how you got birds to come to your hand without seed. Awesome.

    I felt a little awkward watching the toads. I hope they don’t mind.

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  55. Hi David,
    Great Post! What a variety of animals, beautiful!
    The red cardinal is of course outstanding!
    Greetings, Maria

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  56. What a great observation trip, how many beautiful species you have seen at close range! And how wonderful it is that birds land in your hands! I imagine it has been a nice meeting of people who love birds. Very nice post

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