Saturday, August 31, 2013

Day 244 - 31st August 2013 - Lighthouse, Gull, Ferry and Heron

Am up early but that's nothing new. Just checked the weather and they are now calling for rain - lets hope this is one of those times that the weathermen are wrong!  I can hear a fog horn, which may have been what woke me up, not used to those in the country. Had Lexi out already this morning and it was foggy. Fingers crossed everyone that the weather doesn't ruin today's plans. This afternoon Roger has promised me a tour of the mudflats. I know that sounds fascinating but there are lots of cool things that live in the flats! Lots of places on the Island to explore.
Friday was definitely a quiet day at work, which I greatly appreciated. Got my head around some things. I felt better than I did on Thursday. Made a mad race after work to get home  and on the road. I had everyone in the truck by 4:50 pm - so we could catch the 7:30 ferry. We made it with time to spare and even a couple of minutes for Lexi and I to make a pit stop. Dorothy had supper all ready - a lovely cheese and broccoli soup which hit the spot. Now that it gets dark so much earlier there wasn't much time to roam around and take photos. Well the proverbial beans were spilled last night and Larry found out we were going Whale watching. Kind of funny since he mentioned it several times and I just replied "oh dear, you have to book those well in advance and they will be super busy this weekend since it's a long weekend".
Kind of a grey looking morning on the lake, Friday.
Boar's Head light as we were waiting for the ferry.
And of course there are always tons of seagulls around.
The ferry getting ready to dock at East Ferry to take us over to Tiverton.
I did spy this Heron as we waited, but didn't feel the urge to crawl down over the rocks to get closer.
He didn't hang around long.












Enjoy your day!

Friday, August 30, 2013

Day 243 - 30th August 2013 - Butterflies, Chickadees and Ducks

Friday has arrived. Feels like a cool breeze out there this morning. We are off to Freeport, Nova Scotia after work. Can't wait, the house sitter will be here before we leave and I so need a break. Looking forward to a visit with our good friends and roaming a different hood for a change. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping to get us on a Whale watching trip Saturday morning, but haven't told Larry yet. It will be a surprise for him. Every time we go over he says we should go, so hopefully this will be the time. Don't tell him! Truck is all packed except for the veggies we are taking to Dorothy and Roger. Larry will put those in this morning.
With all my positive talk, yesterday was still not a great day. Thanks Karen for giving me that little tap around the head to bring me back to reality last evening. Sometimes life sucks but there is always someone else much worse off than us and we need to keep that in mind. Exercise did help with some of the stress. Cindy announced that I was coming up to my 1st anniversary of the class, can't believe I've hung it out. I won't say that I love  it but it does make me feel better both mentally and physically - even when I hurt!
Grandmother's Journal:
29 August 1974 - Rain all night, all day, real heavy at times. Much needed. Saw 7 deer this morning, 5 or 6 partridges. Left here just before 8 o'clock. Great to sleep in until 6:30am and not having to hurry. Played 3 games of crib with Gertrude, 2 me 1 her. Big puddles every place. 
30th August 1974 - Bob not working today. Rain. Very foggy. Home early, no game today. 

 The water has been dropping, soon I'll be able to walk along the shoreline here.
 Windy yesterday morning, so the ducks were all sitting on Myrna's dock.
Now this is a much better looking apple than ours, came from a neighbour's tree.












 The Chickadees are out around the yard again visiting the feeders and resting on the fence.
 Still some Butterflies around enjoying the butterfly bush.














Enjoy your day!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Day 242 - 29th August 2013 - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Cobwebs, Parulas and Apples

Can see the moon and stars this morning, dawn comes much later now. It's +17.5, a lot different than the last few weeks. I truthfully prefer the cooler evenings and  mornings, things seem so much fresher. The humidity drags us down. Well off to work again, that midweek day off sure feels nice. Hoping to have a couple of excellent days to end the month. Back to positive thinking!
Had a great day off. Weather was nice, a little humid but otherwise good. Lexi and I did the hood, some housework, caught up on laundry and got clothes packed for the weekend. So a busy day too. Discovered late morning that the birds were visiting the trees around our yard. Guess this may be a sign that some of them are getting ready to move on to warmer climates for the winter. Last spring I saw a bunch of different ones in the yard and then they dispersed throughout the hood, now I think they've returned to say good by until next spring.
New one for me - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Couldn't believe it, he was hanging around in the Honeysuckle bush in the back yard.











 Morning webs
 The Phlox petals are falling.
 Starting to lose a few petals here too.
Apple season is fast approaching, some of the earlier varieties are ready.
 Most of ours are old and not all that great for eating. Or at least I don't think they are.
 The little hummingbird was at the Mallow in the yard.
 And there were a number of Parulas in the yard today too. Guess I should be staying home more and checking out the yard.

















Enjoy your day!


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Day 241 - 28th August 2013 - Woodpeckers, Parulas and the Lake

Day off and lots to do. Humidity is high and they are giving a chance of showers, hoping it stays clear for my morning jaunt. Woke up several times during the night, but at least I went back to sleep rather than toss and turn for hours. We are heading out to Freeport, Digby Co. Friday night for the weekend - another adventure. Hoping the housesitter finishes up any housework that I don't get done today while we are gone. Nice to have someone tend the homestead.  Looking forward to the trip, although it will be rushed getting away and on the road Friday. Everything will fall into place. Roger has promised me a tour of the mudflats on Saturday, so that sounds really cool, I'm sure I'll find some new birds. Have to clean my camera today too so I'm ready.
Tuesday was busy at work but much better than Monday. That positive thinking really does the trick! Someone hit me next time I start to slump. Making headway with some things, or it feels that way. Had a great walk in the morning. I didn't make it far as the birds were flitting around so I hung  in one area for about 45 minutes trying to catch them. Had a nice walk after supper, not much around but a Hermit Thrush, enjoyed a cup of tea with Lois on her deck, catching up and solving the problems of the world or at least our lives.
 I think this is a juvenile woodpecker, not sure if he's downy or hairy.
 The Northern Parulas were so fun to watch.

 I think they are one of the cutest warblers.
 Looks like a female or young Northern Parula.



Still a few wildflowers around.
 Another lovely evening on the lake.
Hermit Thrush was acting shy.




















Enjoy your day!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Day 240 - 27th August 2013 - Waves, Lighthouse and Birds

Guess the power must have been out during the night I woke up to the clock flashing and my fan off. So I'm really amazed I have internet, won't jinx it though. Looks like the sun will break through and then a few days of showers. Larry will be pleased with that, the garden is starting to get dry. Positive thoughts for a good day. Life is too short to be mired down, I just need to remember that when difficult people pass my path. Just smile and let it go. They'll never know what's making me smile!
Glad we got past Monday. It started out great on my walk, more birds flitting around my head than I could get photos of but went downhill once I got to work. The afternoon leveled out though. Wish I had another half hour to settle in on a good rock while the birds were so active. I could stand in the road and they just buzzed back and forth over my head, pretty cool but too fast for me to decide which direction I should point and focus my camera. Maybe another day.  A supper of leftovers -  haddock, potatoes and beans from the garden. Larry's been freezing beans pretty steady lately for the winter, he's got most of the first batch done up, by next week there will be more ready to pick. Exercise class last evening, I think I was in pain before I left!
 You can't go to the shore without a few waves.

The Baccaro light.














 A beautiful morning on the lake - the fog lifted quickly.


 Maybe a Northern Parula.
 Black and White Warbler.
I'm quite sure this is a Northern Parula.














Enjoy your day!















Monday, August 26, 2013

Day 239 - 26th August 2013 - Another adventure and Shore birds

Monday is here again, oh how I'd like to continue the weekend. Nice to think about but guess the real world must continue. Work today and I'm on my own now, our summer student finished on Friday, will miss her. She's been such a great help this summer and truly a wonderful young woman. Hopefully she'll return to us next year. Now it will take me a few days to get back into the swing of running things solo again. Have people coming to do research today and it's hard to say what else the day will bring. Guess I'll just go with the flow. Exercise Class tonight, with all the walking I've done this weekend I should be limbered up!
Another fabulous weekend. Sunday turned out lovely and fine, once the fog lifted. Went for my walk in the morning, then we had breakfast at the Hall and I got  some work done at home, Larry watered the garden and we took off after lunch for another adventure. Decided to head down towards Baccaro to see what we could find along the shores. Great afternoon, and a lot cooler. When we left home it was +26 C, down at the Baccaro Light it was +16 C. Sorry to friends and relatives in the area that we didn't stop by but there was a mission in place. We checked out Fort St. Louis and then down to Blanche and then home around 5:30 pm.  Supper, dishes and all that jazz. Took a lot of photos so I spent most of the evening going through them to identify what we had seen and editing them.
Thick fog on the lake Sunday morning.
A Gannet. Actually there were quite a few that flew by.












Willet at Baccaro Light.














 Turkey Vulture, we actually saw three of them which was kind of cool.
Great Blue Heron. He just finished eating a frog.













 Yellow Legs - the large one on the left is a Greater and the others are Lesser.















Enjoy your day!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Day 238 - 25th August 2013 - Ruddy Turnstones, Yellowlegs, Marsh Hawks, Plovers and Sandpipers

Finally slept after two restless nights and early mornings. Feel so much better this morning, temperature is only +8.9 that may have something to do with it. Breakfast at our Hall this morning, we don't have to work but maybe we'll head up later. Better do a quick whip around the house, but would love to get back out somewhere. If nothing else I'll get around the hood, not that I've seen much here lately, but you never know where we might end up.
What a fabulous morning Larry and I had together. Drug him out of bed on a saturday morning at 5:30am to go hunting for Shore birds. We headed out around 7, took us about an hour to get there, I was trying to work with the tides. Glad I had used my bug repellent as the mosquitoes on the walk down to the beach were brutal! But it was so beautiful and there were so many birds around it was well worth it. Met another birder who was on his way back and he offered some good tips. I have lens envy when I saw what he was using. Guess I better save my pennies, well nickels these days. Stopped and did the grocery shopping on the way home. Got some lunch, made a chocolate zucchini cake, laundry etc. Larry put some more wood in the basement. Before you know it will have to turn the furnace on, not too soon I hope. Headed to the Park for supper with friends - a great evening.
 Ruddy Turnstones - juveniles or non breeding adults.
 And they fly off but return quickly.
 Semipalmated plovers or Sandpipers.
 Semipalmated Plover.
 I'm sure the one on the right only has one leg.
 Least Sandpiper.
Greater Yellow Legs - he was so photogenic - just posed and posed.
Great Blue Heron
 Marsh Hawk
 Greater Yellow Legs.
 Ruddy Turnstone.
 Semipalmated Sandpipers.
 Love the reflections.














Enjoy your day!