Some Local Beauties

      I thought I would share with you a few of the local beauties in my life, all seen around here recently. I beg to assure you that the list is not exhaustive!

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

     This common bird, is uncommonly beautiful.

     Rarely a day goes by without a Blue Jay, but they are never less welcome for their familiarity.

I know you're ready for more of Lily!

11 November 2021

Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON

     My mom always confers with David and Miriam about where we should go for a walk, and I was glad that they chose Bechtel Park. That's where you can see an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) and that is very special.

     It occurs to me that I may have seen a screech owl more times than anyone my age.

     My Mom always tells me the correct name - no baby talk - and David says that he is going to make sure I learn the scientific name too!

Two Cuties

      In Bechtel Woods there has been a very cooperative Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) of late, and it has generally been perched at its hole when we have gone to see it.

      Captured in a picture like this the owl is quite visible, but I can assure you that in life you could walk past it a hundred times without seeing it.

     Any encounter with an owl makes for a great day!

06 October 2021

Riverside Park, Cambridge, ON

     It has been a while since I brought you news of Lily, so get ready for a feast of photos!

     Riverside Park has a long boardwalk where all manner of people have for years brought bird seed to feed birds that have become increasingly willing to take food from the hand.

     Lily wanted to give it a try!

     

     Oh, look at that!

     That was fun, huh? 

     Wow, Mom, you know how to do it.

     How much fun is that!

     I'm going to try again.

     I don't think I've quite got the hang of it, but I can watch all the pretty birds anyway.

     I'm even starting to recognize their calls.

     Let's give it another try.

     It's time to go home for lunch, but we sure had fun today. I can't wait to feed the birds again.

14 October 2021

Columbia Lake, Waterloo, ON

     Some of you will perhaps recall that when you first met Heather as a biologist helping us with bird banding at SpruceHaven, she was usually joined by Daina Anderson, equally dedicated and proficient. 

     A couple of years ago Daina moved to Alberta to take up a new job, and was visiting Ontario for the first time since then. COVID prevented an earlier visit "back home".

     It took no time at all for Lily to say hello, in between bites of a cookie, that is.

     Oh how I like Daina, she brings me leaves and flowers to study.

     I can start training to be a flamenco dancer. Do I look sufficiently seductive?

     Adults are crazy; they just walk past a metal sign without realizing how much fun it is.

 

     Thanks, Daina, a little girl in cowboy boots needs a helping hand to walk on a narrow concrete kerb.

     After that you get tossed in the air. I sure hope that Daina comes back often.

     Adults always like to pose for group photos, so I just go along with it.

     I forgot to introduce you to Daina's beau, Rob. That's him on the right. He's an engineer who works on drones and he could tell you all kinds of interesting facts.

     This has been a great outing.

     Doesn't it sound great when you smack this sign?

     As always, all too soon it's time to say goodbye for another week.

     I heard that my mom is going back to work in January, so I'm not quite sure how we will be able to have our walks then. I hope we can work something out.

     Bye for now. Hugs and kisses from Lily.

Sand Martins (Bank Swallows) and Lily

     Franc and Carol have purchased a large RV and needed a place to store it while they are not travelling the highways and byways. And there is a whole interesting sidebar to the place they chose.

     Almost as soon as they entered they saw Sand Martins (Riparia riparia) flying around (this species is known as Bank Swallow in North America). One does not encounter Sand Martins frequently these days. It is a species at risk, its population continent-wide having declined a staggering 98% over the past forty years.

     They knew that I would be interested in seeing this colony, in addition to a group of Barn Swallows nesting in one of the buildings, and kindly invited me to go there with them.

     Let me add right away that the photographs in this section are Franc's. Anyone who has ever tried to capture a swallow in flight knows the challenges involved, and the images are quite remarkable.

     The colony appears to be of a decent size with nest tunnels excavated in different sections of a suitable cutaway bank.

     The swallows enter and exit the holes at such speed it is impossible to get a picture unless they pause briefly at the entrance.

     Franc has vowed to return with a tripod, a seat, more time and a surplus of patience to see if he can do better!

     What was of greatest interest, however, was not the natural bankside nest site. Large concrete blocks have been used as a retaining wall, and there is a hole in the centre of each block, used to lift them if I am not mistaken.

     The swallows have readily adapted to this nesting habitat and were observed constantly flying in and out of the holes. There is apparently sufficient space for nest construction inside the block and room for the bird to turn around to go back to foraging.

     The blocks, lined up one after the other must in some way resemble a natural site.

     Maybe we can talk the owner into installing a second layer!

     The current regulations in regard to COVID permit groups of five people from different households to get together outdoors, so we were finally, after several weeks, able to resume our walks with Heather and Lily. It is hard to believe but on 20 June, a mere twelve days from now Lily will be a year old.

     

Mommy slathering on sunscreen.

I will have to decide whether I like that or not.

I already tossed one shoe on the ground. Here comes the next!

Gotta let everyone know who's in charge here!

Time to say goodbye. See you next Friday.

     Heather and Lily wish everyone a happy summer. See you again soon.

Lily and Other Beauties

      I know that many of you look forward to regular updates on our darling Lily, so here are a few shots from our latest walk.

     What a happy face!

     At least until mom tried to put on her sunglasses. However, once they were in place she seemed to forget they were even there.

     How about those teeth? She still has only two, but I suspect there are more to follow soon.

     She was happy to be out in bright sunshine, alert to everything going on around her. Having developed a special affection for dogs she follows each one and chats to them excitedly!

     We always take a picture of Heather and Lily as they are about to leave. Two beautiful young ladies if ever there were!

     It is always cause for elation and excitement to have a new bird visit the yard, so we were delighted to have an Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) pay us a very brief visit. Despite searching frequently since, it has not been seen again.

     Miriam did manage to get one reasonable picture through the bedroom window. It does not show the whole unobstructed bird unfortunately, but it was the best we could do.

     Last Sunday we had our first COVID-19 vaccination and on the way to the clinic we stopped at a storm water management pond where a pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were keeping company.

     It is such a handsome little duck. The hairdo on the female would rival Lily's earlier unruly coiffure!

     At SpruceHaven we saw our first Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis l-album) of the spring. 

     The picture is lacking to say the least, but I don't even have another picture on file, so I present you with our only image of this species. To her credit Miriam followed this insect around for several minutes but it would touch down for only the briefest of moments. She did well to capture what she did.

     Three male Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) have returned to SpruceHaven, right on schedule, but in terms of posing for pictures they were barely more acquiescent than the butterfly.

     On the way home we spotted an unusually pale Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). Finally a willing accomplice in having a picture taken!

     It was very muddy along the Benjamin Park Trail when we went for a walk, not unexpected of course given the warm temperatures of late and the rapid snowmelt.

     Buds are popping everywhere.

     An Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) fluttered and teased us, but finally landed and we were able to capture an image for posterity.

     Already, so soon after emerging, the right wing looks a little worse for wear.

     Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopia), always one of the earliest butterflies of the spring, were seen several times, but declined to tarry a while, and went on their way.

     The following picture was taken on the same trail in a previous year, so it is authentic and shows this handsome species well.

     Each day holds the potential for recent arrivals at this time of the year. We'll see what the next post brings.