Day 151 - 31st May 2014 - Cobwebs, Lady Slipper and Cedar Waxwings

Nice morning out there, birds are singing as usual - love that sound to start the day. Looks like a good weekend ahead. No idea what we are doing - hopefully some birding either today or tomorrow. Grocery shopping will be among the highlights and I'm guessing Larry will be working in the wood pile and garden. Sounds like lots of excitement - well sometimes that's all you really need.
Friday was a slight improvement over Thursday but not much. It would be really nice if I could start something and actually finish it without being distracted by 20 other things. Some days I feel like screaming but usually try to do it in my head!  Quiet walk in the morning and another one after supper. However, when I got home and went to have my tea on the deck the apple tree yielded very well indeed. Cedar Waxwings had arrived, a few Northern Parulas, Red Breasted Nuthatch and a Humming bird. That made the evening end on a better note.

 The cobwebs were spectacular yesterday morning.

 Ladyslippers will soon be in bloom, this one looks very pale and may actually be one of the rarer white ones.

 The Cedar Waxwings have rather an exotic look.

I counted at least 23 in the tree, the second time I went out to look.

The Apple blossoms are all most as big as this Northern Parula.









Enjoy your day!

Day 150 - 30th May 2014 - Reflections, Twin Flowers and a Song Sparrow

I'm up way too early this morning - it's going to be a long day. Temperature is cooler at +2.1 so there just might be a frost. Stars are all out. We've got a few things planted but they should be all right and Larry's Tomatoes and Peppers are in the greenhouse and protected. Guess we better soon get the rest of the vegetables planted, maybe this weekend we can find some time to tackle that and scout out some birds. Next weekend is a write off with obligations for both of us. Fingers crossed for a better day!
Thursday was not one of my better days - stress was high and my head pained quite a lot. Anyway before the day was over I think I got the issues sorted out and today will move on more smoothly. It was another quiet day in the bird world. Thought since it was such a nice morning I would see something for sure, but next to nothing. Heard a few - no sightings. I'm getting kind of discouraged with this. Not sure what the problem is, last year this time I was almost tripping over those little Warblers.

I was lucky this morning - behind some bushes but she knew I was there. She keeps those babies pretty close.

 Another quiet morning on the lake - set for reflections.

 Soon my favoutie wild flower will be blooming from these little stems - two pink bells known as Twin Flowers. Probably the smallest of the wild flowers but you can smell their beautiful scent before you see them.

The Song Sparrow sneaks into the feeder early in the morning and evening.






Enjoy your day!

Day 149 - 29th May 2014 - Lily of the Valley, Hermit Thrush and Lilacs

Slept in a tad bit this morning, felt good, temperature is +3.4 but it doesn't look like we had frost here. Sun is coming up over the lake in full glory. Looks like it will be a nice day. Oh well I'm off to work - lots to do there, fingers crossed I finish up a few things today and tomorrow.
Wednesday was another day of finicky weather. Started off cold/cool and overcast - but no flies, then finally the sun broke through although it didn't hang around long and back came the flies. I spent way too much time trying to convince that Magnolia Warbler to come closer, no matter how I coaxed or pished he refused me. He stays in the same area all day so perhaps he's married with a family coming soon. Some day I will get him. Heard an Ovenbird, saw and Great Blue Heron in the lake but missed him. It was a day of more misses than hits.

 There are lots of Yellow Rumped Warblers around, even if I don't see them I hear them.

 Lily of the Valley are in bloom.

 When was trying to coax out the Magnolia Warbler, a Hermit Thrush appeared.

Always friendly - the Hummingbird.

Lilac bush is beginning to bloom.

Some apple trees are in full bloom others are just beginning to pop open.









Enjoy your day!

Day 148 - 28th May 2014 - Lake, Rhododendron and Squirrel

I slept in a little this morning, but then I was awake 2-3 times during the night. Overcast looking this morning, maybe a few rain showers on the way then it's suppose to clear but that's anyone's guess. I'm home, it's my day off. So it's going to be a day of housework and maybe some roaming the hood if the weather breaks.
Tuesday morning the sun was out, birds were singing so I headed out early for my walk and to meet Nancy. By the time I got over on her road, the wind picked up, the sun left, clouds rolled in and the birds weren't singing. Our weather changes rapidly. Yesterday went well, got lots done. Finally got that research finished as well as another one.  Lexi got her booster shots yesterday afternoon so that's looked after for another year.

Some pretty stormy looking clouds but you can see a band of blue over the trees - Tuesday Morning.

Another rhododendron in bloom, love that bright pink color it certainly pops.

She was keeping her babies close - female Mallard but I'll have more chances for photos.

Didn't look much better Tuesday evening.

Squirrels seem to plentiful and everywhere.

The ferns have really opened up the last few days.










Enjoy your day!

Day 147 - 27th May 2014 - The Lake, Cedar Waxwings and A Woodpecker

I woke up during the night to Lexi laying on my head - should have known it was thundering and lightning. She settled down after awhile. Cloudy out there this morning, hopefully it will clear and turn out fine, at least it's mild, +11.3. Also would be nice to have a little warmer weather. Here it is the end of May and I keep thinking we should be a fire in the furnace. The only problem with that is then you are too hot.
A fairly successful day at work - didn't finish the research I was doing, really need to rethink some more places to dig for information. Managed to get 2  panels done for the display, still need to do 2 more and label everything before next Tuesday. This week and next are going to be so busy, hope I'm up to it. Exercise class last night - was good to get back to it, but my head was starting to feel tired before we were through. It will come by Thursday I'll be stronger than I was on Monday.

 Beautiful morning on the lake!

 A couple of lazy Mallards hanging out.

 There were Cedar Waxwings in a tree in front of the Newspaper Office in town yesterday. Unfortunately it had started to rain again when I was trying to take these.

 We should soon have them in our yard too.

Maybe this Woodpecker thought he was a Cedar Waxwing, he was with them.








Enjoy your day!

Day 146 - 26th May 2014 - Cat, Birds and Canadian Mayflower

Here we are back to Monday and the work week, sure hope it's better than the last few have been. Little nippy out there this morning - temperature is +3.9. They were giving a risk of frost but I think we may just miss it. Birds are singing again this morning, love hearing them first thing in the morning. So the next couple of days I need to finish off a couple of research projects and get the photos posted and labelled for the display we are putting up next week. So much to do in these upcoming weeks. Exercise class tonight, hoping I'm going to feel like going.
Sunday remained rather cool and windy most of the day until about 4 pm then the sun broke out, warmed things up and brought the black flies back. Well guess you can't have everything! A day spent mostly around home, walk in the morning and afternoon. We took a quick drive up the road in search of the family of Geese - don't think they are William and Kate as they would have come in our direction. These may be the "noisy" ones we've heard fairly regularly in the lake but I think they have actually nested in McKay Lake. I keep telling Lois we need to tag them so we can tell who is who!

 Lois' cat - she's such a cutie.

 Handsome looking Robin.

 This apple tree only ever seems to bloom on one side.

 There were several Northern Parulas hanging out in the apple trees today.








They seem to like the apple blossoms.

 Rather blurry but a Magnolia Warbler, now that I know where he is, I'll get a better shot.

 Red-tailed Hawk. I've seen a couple of these in the area two or three times, thinking maybe they are nesting nearby.

Canadian Mayflower are blooming, the forest is full of them.










Enjoy your day!

Day 145 - 25th May 2014 - Chickens, Beaches and Gulls

Cloudy and windy out there this morning, but I think it's going to be a fine day. If the wind stays it should keep the flies away so we can do some work outside. Probably won't go too far today, although I should go check out the pair of geese with young ones that have been reported up the road in a couple of other lakes.

It's amazing how quickly the morning can change. Yesterday when I got up at 4:45 am it was very quiet and cloud covered, within a half hour the sun was coming up over the lake and all the birds were singing. A great way to start the day. I headed out at 6:30 am, thinking those birds must be somewhere around. After 2 hours I was back home, heard some, saw my standard Yellow Rumped Warbler and almost got run over by a deer. I was so surprised I didn't even get my camera up and I think at that point I was too close when she veered off. Home and had breakfast, I did some work inside, Larry outside and then we took off around 11 am heading to Sand Hills Beach. I was positive we would see some shore birds there but not a single one. Baccaro, Port LaTour, then up towards Clyde River and on to Shelburne. All along the way we checked out ponds, etc. and not a thing. Maybe I should go back to taking photos of cobwebs, cause I'm sure not finding any birds. I think I over did myself yesterday, by supper time my eye felt really tired and had enough. An early night for me.

 A little mist rising up of the lake in the morning.

 So one of these is a rooster but he has the saddest Cock-a-doodle-do you have ever heard!

 Sand Hills beach - one of our finest in the county.

 If nothing else I can always find a few Gulls and...

 a Crow.

 Bunch berry flowers are in bloom.

I couldn't resist another Dandelion.






Enjoy your day!

Day 144- 24th May 2014 - Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Mallard and Apple Blossoms

An early morning - still having problems at night but it will come. Lexi is happy to have me feeling better, dogs are very intuitive when it comes to those kind of things. Suppose to be a sunny day, but risk of frost tonight. Tide is low just before noon today so I see some birding and beach time for us. Should be some shore birds around and maybe some Warblers. At some point on our travels will have to grab a few groceries too. Larry wants to work in the woodpile too this weekend since the winter wood arrived the other week, time to start cutting and splitting it. I need to finish planting bulbs that I got as well. Busy weekend, but weather sounds good so will try to be outside.
Struck out early yesterday morning for a walk and to meet Nancy  for my ride to town. Flies were not too bad. Mosquitoes are out now and I can handle those better than the black flies. Could hear some twittering in the trees but not close enough to catch a glimpse of those that like to tease Had a good day at work, weather was fine and warm but we had our daily dark clouds at 4 pm but no rain. Another walk after supper, chat with a neighbour but very quiet except for the female Mallard who decided she was tired of the guys chasing her.

 The Yellow Rumped Warbler seems to be the only one I'm finding in the hood these days.

 Can't believe how many more apple blossoms there are in just a few days.

 Dragon flies are here.

 Me and my shadow!

 She was trying to avoid a couple of male Mallards.

Beautiful evening on the lake.









Enjoy your day!