Day 134 - 14th May 2015 - Tulips, Purple Finch, Swamp Sparrow and Mallards

Little nippy this morning, temperature is 0 and thick fog. Can barely see across the yard. It will lift and turn into another nice day. It's kept the frost away. Going to be a busy day, meeting this morning, clients this afternoon and those are the things I know about.
Had a good day home on Wednesday. Wasn't quite as warm as I hoped, but still not bad and too windy for the black flies to bite. The dark stormy looking clouds rolled through periodically, but then the blue skies would pop back out again. Caught up on laundry, few other things. Got out for a good walk in the morning, although later than I normally go. Am seeing more Black & White Warblers darting through the trees. Bushes and trees are leaving out - soon to provide hiding spots for the birds. Spent some time in the flower beds, cleaning them out. Lots more to do. I see lots of spring growth coming through.

Blooms are coming, soon there will be berries.

All I see is male Mallards, the females must be on nests now.

I think this little guy is a Swamp Sparrow.  He sure did a lot of powerful singing and I spent 20 minutes waiting for him to appear.

Female Purple Finch. The Finches spend most of the day in the yard and feeders.

Lot of clouds over the lake.

Tulips are blooming.

Love the red ones.







Enjoy your day!

Day 133 - 13th May 2015 - Robins, Hermit Thrush and Black & White Warblers

Not a great night of sleep, seemed I was restless and kept watching the clock. Temperature is +9, looks like a nice day on the horizion. Peepers are loud this morning and I can see a sliver of the moon through the trees, surrounded by stars. Since I got a little housework done last night looks like I've freed up some time to roam the hood today. May also do a little work in the flower beds.
Tuesday was damp and wet, but not a great deal of hard rain. I almost left Big B. home but at the last minute thought...what if this is the morning I see something. And I did  - my first Black and White Warblers of the season decided to appear just as a shower was passing over. So not great shots but I know where they are hanging out along with several Northern Parulas which I'll catch another day. It was such thick fog, it's a wonder I could see anything in the branches. Sure couldn't see across the lake. Good day at work, beginning to gather up photos for the book as we get to the final week or so of research and compiling information. It's coming along. Although near the end of the editing I'm going to need a day home to finish up. Too many distractions at work.

I think this must be a feeding station for Pileated Woodpeckers - it's riddled with big holes.
















Robins are happy in the yard these days - must be lots of worms.

I don't think the Hermit Thrush was happy with the weather either. He wasn't singing.

Black and White Warbler - one of the few Warblers that fit their name.

They are pretty handsome.








Enjoy your day!

Day 132 - 12th May 2015 - Nests, Chickadee, Woodpecker and Hyacinths

Rain on it's way today, temperature is +8 so pretty mild.  I guess one day of rain won't hurt us and will help with the forest fire index. Good to keep the woods a little damp. It also makes being inside all day just that much easier.
A very smooth Monday - very nice. Maybe the whole week will be like this and everything will just fall into place the way it should. Making some headway on several things, a little more book research, found a few photos to use and read through a chapter. Not much activity in the hood when I went for my morning walk - I can hear a few song birds deeper in the swamps but they aren't out to where I am yet. Exercise class last night finished off the day. Larry got some more of the junk around the yard put out for spring clean up. Not sure sometimes why he has so much stuff around - must be a man thing!

A little pink glow in the sky yesterday morning, the sun was fighting it's way through.

A leftover nest from last year. Wonder if anyone will use it again.

I think he was waiting for the squirrel to leave from the feeder.

The Downy Woodpeckers are so darn cute.

I usually put water in this little holder but Larry threw seeds in it. The female Purple Finch seems happy about that.

Hyacinths- love the bursts of colors this time of year.








Enjoy your day!

Day 131 - 11th May 2015 - Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hummingbird and Canada Geese

And Monday has arrived to quickly once again. Temperature is +11, a little rain on the way some time today (maybe it will hold off til after my walk). The work week starts way to fast, but there is nothing we can do about that but enjoy the weekends while we have them. As usual there's lots to do, perhaps this week I'll make a little headway getting through the back log.
It certainly turned out hot on Sunday, I checked  the thermometer in the afternoon and it read +27. Summer may be here... I hope. Quiet around the hood, although I did finally see a couple of Northern Parulas. The Warblers are arriving to my patch, just a little slow showing themselves. Cindy had a Baltimore Oriole at her feeder so we took a quick run up the road to see him. Then to town to drop off some hanging baskets to Mom for Mother's Day. The rest of the day was spent doing my Sunday cooking, some housework and yard work. Got most of my flower bulbs planted. Larry has the kitchen garden beds ready for planting. Black flies are around but not in the biting stage yet - another few days.

The Baltimore Oriole - such a colorful fellow. Wish I had gotten a little sharper shot. He loves the oranges.

He's all but hidden in this big feeder.

Pussy Willows have gone to seed for another year.

It was bath time for Kate and William - I watched them for about 1/2 hour - what a show they put on.

They are really a huge bird when they put out those wings.

I now have 2 male Hummingbirds at the feeder. It's hardly safe to sit on the deck!

The female Young Rumped Warbler has arrived. They were both in the yard yesterday.








Enjoy your day!

Day 130 - 10th May 2015 - Tree Swallows, Willets, Canada Geese and Piping Plovers

The temperature certainly went up overnight, +13 now. Looks like a cloudy morning, with some sunny breaks later. Think I'll bird around the hood this morning, since we really need to stay home and get some work done around here. I've also got flower bulbs to plant and need to run to town later to do Mother's Day.
We had a great day doing the bird count, even though it was a tad bit chilly along the shore. Started off about 7:30 am and traveled down through Port Clyde to Blanche. A little disappointed that the ponds along Thomasville and Reynoldscroft didn't yield anything but that's the way it goes.  Willets, Gulls, Greater Yellow Legs, Canada Geese and a Green Wing Teal. From there we stopped at Crow's Neck Beach in Baccaro finding more Willets, Gulls and 3 Piping Plover. At the lighthouse we saw a number of Ducks, Gulls and Cormorants. It was a quiet drive along Villagedale but when we got to Barrington Head, the water was filled with Cormorants - 106. Tree Swallows at every stop. Plans were to go grocery shopping in Barrington but we detoured and had dinner at West Head Take Out and visited friends for a few minutes in Clarks Harbour. Groceries and then homeward. Did a quick run to Lois' to check out her feeders and area and counting at my feeders finished off the day.

The telephone lines are always a great spot to find Tree Swallows.

This pair of Canada Geese were out for a stroll on the road at Blanche.

Green Wing Teal - he was on the other side of a pond of course.

Willets were at every place we stopped.

Piping Plover - we saw three at Crow's Neck Beach. Hope they have a successful nesting season.  I could only find a band on one of them, think it was this guy - C7.

Another Willet.

Black Scoter on the rock, assume those are females in the water.

Just a few of the Cormorants that were at Barrington Head. Think the Kiacks must be running.

Male Yellow-rumped Warbler - a female was with him yesterday, nesting will soon begin.







Enjoy your day!

Day 129 - 9th May 2015 - Daffodils, Broad-wing Hawk and Reflections

A little cool this morning, temperature is +4. Suppose to be mostly sunny but doesn't look like it will warm up a lot. It's Spring Migration Bird Count Day! Rah! We are off to count birds this morning. Think we'll go to Port Clyde, down through Port LaTour and Baccaro. Might be something interesting in the ponds along the way and at Crows Neck Beach.  I'll check out the hood after we come home and see if there is anything interesting around.  Some where in there I have to do grocery shopping and Mother's Day shopping. Larry has his end of the season dart get together this evening so I'll have the evening free.
Well I jinxed myself yesterday when I said about no furnace fire, it was certainly cold enough for one when we got home, but we didn't bother. I had things to do around the house, Larry worked outside til almost dark.  Not a bad day at the office, but I've come up against a brick wall with research I'm doing.

I know more Daffodils, but some are different than others - there are lots of varieties.







Broad Wing Hawk. I love watching the raptors.

Purple Finches - male and female at the feeder.

A beautiful morning on the lake.

I love days that are calm and the reflections strong.

This little Goldfinch hasn't quite got all his summer plumage yet, still missing a few yellow patches.






Enjoy your day!

Day 128 - 8th May 2015 - Hermit Thrush, Hyacinths, Goldfinch and Grandmother's Journal

It's Friday! Temperature is +5. Looks like another nice day in the making. Last day of the work week. Let this day go swiftly and smoothly. It's been a week since we've had to build a fire in the furnace, maybe summer is on it's way. Perhaps that last little bit of wood we've got in the basement can be saved for the fall. Now if our wood would just arrive that we've ordered, we'd be all set for the next season.
Quiet walk yesterday morning, all I saw were the regular Grackles, Robins and Blue Jays but heard the Hermit Thrush. Not sure if I'm too early or too late when I go. Busy day at the office; by afternoon my head was throbbing from the early morning.
Grandmother's Journal: 
7 May 1976: Overcast. Bob had work done on the Blazer. Then to MC to plant trees. Brought Tom back as its a stormy night. Maybe a tempest. Ruth and I went to Arsenic and Old Lace. Enjoyed it very much. Pouring rain when we came home at 15 before 11 o'clock. 
8 May 1976: Bob, Tom and I left for MC early morning, pouring rain which has been good for the new trees. Late afternoon came out fine. Cool, wind high. Bob worked at trees. Bobbie, Bettie and Boys came up to plant trees. Have worked real hard. Had a cabbage and corned meat supper. Many birds are singing now. 

Another shot of the Hermit Thrush.

The Yellow-rumped Warblers love those high branches.

A little burst of color.

Male Purple Finch was hiding in the branches.

Hyacinths are beginning to bloom.

This little Goldfinch thought the telephone line would be a good spot.











Enjoy your day!