Day 151 - 31st May 2015 - Tree Swallow, Great Blue Heron, Yellow Warbler and Bleeding Hearts

Sunday morning - temperature is +17. Larry has the breakfast to work at this morning at our Fire Hall. I need to do some cooking for an event this afternoon and Larry's lunchboxes for the work week.  Going to be a busy day. Will try to get a little housework done as I go along too. Rain on the way.  No birding for me today.
The last day of May, hard to believe this month has flown by. The weather improved and we are now enjoying more summer like temperatures. Wild flowers are blooming and birds are nesting. Hopefully soon we will see some ducklings in the lake. I think the Geese may have finally decided to nest as I haven't seen them in a few days. Fingers crossed.  Found a nice little spot with Warblers (not in the hood), might be worth checking out again.

Our nesting Swallow took the opportunity to do some preening on the top of Larry's bean pole frame. Had to shoot through the netting.

Great Blue Heron in flight.

Not sure what kind of ducks this were.

Yellow Warbler.

Cedar Waxwing - they are really a stunning bird.

Lilacs are beginning to bloom.

Irene has some pretty flowers in bloom.

Love the Bleeding Hearts.







Enjoy your day!

Day 150 - 30th May 2015- Tulips and a Song Sparrow.

Temperature is +12. A foggy morning out there, assume it will burn off and be fine. Maybe we'll have a repeat of Friday.  Need to go grocery shopping this morning and maybe a little birding but somewhere near by. No travelling far. Might take a drive after supper to Upper Clyde and do some visiting. Been too long since we've been in that direction and I might spy a Warbler or two.
Well the end of the week finished off better than the rest for me. A few researchers, but some quiet time for me to pursue a few things. I went in early with Larry, so took a walk down along Dock Street, it was mostly quiet and foggy over the harbour. Stopped on the way home to Cathy and Harold's and bummed supper, I had a craving for barbecued hot dogs ( I know who craves hot dogs) Harold obliged and fired up the BBQ, Wasn't anytime at all and there were baked potatoes and veggies to go along with them. Family is good. Then it was home, Larry finished planting the kitchen garden and I puttered around.

Queen Anne's Lace.

I think this is a Quince bush.

There are some beautiful tulips along the edge of one yard.

I love these deep colors.

Sailboats are appearing in the harbour. This one was moored near the fisherman's memorial.

These tulips are pretty well spent, but the muscari was in full bloom.

And a little Song Sparrow popped out to see what I was doing.








Enjoy your day!

Day 149 - 29th May 2015 - Solitary Sandpipers, Wild Violets, Belted Kingfisher and Grandmother's Journal

Friday - another work week ends. Thick fog this morning, temperature is +12. Song Sparrows, Hermit Thrush and Mourning Dove are the sounds of morning. Maybe today I'll get a few things finished.
Thursday came and went. Did summer student interviews yesterday, will contact our choice today.  think we've made a good decision and look forward to a productive summer. Exercise class last night, thank goodness for Lois who prods me nights I don't feel like going. Although my knees will not thank her, it was a good work out.
Grandmother's Journal:
29 May 1976: Beautiful day, nice breeze, no flies - too much wind. I cooked, worked in the house. Planted a row of peas again. Cleaned up the grape vines down by the garden in the long fill. No company today. Got a lot of work done today. Couldn't see the new moon tonight. Birds busy - lots of songs. Love to be outside to hear them. 
30 May 1976: Beautiful day as the day goes along. Cloud came in, nice breeze to keep flies away. Bobbie, Bettie, Boys up for a short while this afternoon. Warners over for a visit and talking about light plant for lights etc. Planted carrots, a few beets. Rain showers before dusk. Kiacks being dipped. Many running today - can almost dip with your hands. 

The pair of Solitary Sandpipers have returned, one flew off before I took the photo. Will be nice to see the little ones again this year.

Bushes are blooming in neighbour's yards. This one has brilliant colors.

Wild Violets along the ground, small and pretty.

Every few days there is a new wildflower in bloom. Soon the Lady Slippers will be out.

Along the edge of the lake -  a mass of pink Rhodora.

My nemesis the Belted Kingfisher, who chuckles as he flies by me.










Enjoy your day!

Day 148 - 28th May 2015 - Song Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Apple Blossoms and Tree Swallows

Really mild and warm  - + 16. Rain on the way later this morning and maybe some thunder. I have summer student interviews this morning, will be good to get that little chore done and know I've got someone for our busy season. Then I'm hoping to move on to a quiet day and see if I can make some headway with other things.
It was good to be home on Wednesday, gave me  a chance to get myself re-grounded.  Enjoying a whole lot of nature around me really helps. Had a long chat on the phone with Irene too and that made a difference. Sometimes just getting it all out of your system helps. So seriously we are relatively healthy, have what we need and in a few weeks I'll reclaim some of my own time back. Life should be good - it's the glass is half full not half empty thing.  Went off for my morning walk, detoured a few times in hopes of finding something new and exciting but no luck. Some Northern Paurlas chasing one another, Song Sparrow at every corner and Mallards in the lake. I did spy the pair of Solitary Sandpipers. Heard the Red-Eyed Vireos. They seem to be returning to areas I've found them other years.

 I always hear Song Sparrows on my walk and early in the morning.

 The apple blossoms are beautiful.

 Had a Magnolia Warbler in an apple tree, maybe I need to stay home and bird in the yard.

 I think he has an itch - Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

 Chippy was having a snack, I don't mind him. He's not greedy like the squirrels.

 The guest house is occupied! First time we've had Swallows nesting in the yard for a number of years. Although I'm not sure how this will work out. Larry put the house just above the door of his workshop.

They spent all day gathering nesting materials, back and forth they went.

 I don't think dandelions are all that bad. They are kind of pretty and the bees like them.






Enjoy your day!

Day 147 - 27th May 2015 - Gray Catbird, Canada Geese and Purple Finch

Temperature is mild this morning at +13. Looks like a sunny day in the making. Quiet out there, with just a few peepers, but I'm up early. The birds will soon be singing. Will get a few things done around here then head out early for my walk. Thinking I better lather on the fly dope, the blackflies will be hungry. A bit of housework and yard work and lots of roaming the hood with Lexi today should round the day out nicely. Fingers crossed for some of those elusive Warblers.
Tuesday produced a little rain, a little sunshine and lots of black flies. Another day that I felt like I was spinning my tires. I think there comes a time that you feel like you are drowning no matter how much  you get done. I snapped yesterday, or came close to it. It's not only the workplace that's overwhelming, it's my own time or what used to be my own time on the weekends. Seems all of a sudden people are calling - can you cook this, can you work at that. Here's what I learned to say a few years ago that stopped all that - NO.  If I offer fine, but don't call and ask me. I swore I wouldn't volunteer for another cause unless I dropped one I'm involved in and things are creeping in.  So once again, I'm going to take back my time. I know it sounds selfish, but that's life. Larry and I enjoy our birding and outings on the weekends and that's what we are going to do.  My rant for the day, sorry!

The Gray Catbird sang for me again, although he hung in the shadows.

A silhouette of a Robin looking at the lake.

The apple blossoms are just about in full bloom.

When we drove in the yard at supper time, last night, the Cedar Waxwings were sitting in the apple tree by the driveway.

So we think the Geese may finally be on a nest. They are not showing up in pairs and hanging around all day sun bathing on rocks.

He was pretty vocal last evening.

Still lots of Purple Finches in the yard, what a noise lot they are!








Enjoy your day!

Day 146 - 26 May 2015 - Gray Catbird, Ferns, Painted Trillium and Hermit Thrush

Some showers on the way today, temperature is +13. Rain this week, but I notice the lake is starting to drop so maybe it's not a bad thing. Although most days they aren't calling for much. it helps to dampen the woods for fires as well. Hoping for a nice quiet day at work, maybe I can clear a few more things and make myself less anxious.
Lovely summer day Monday... technically it's still spring, but you know what I mean. A busy day at work, not sure if I'm making any headway or not. Seems I get 2 things done and 3 more crop up. I seriously have to get back to working on the book to get that finished up.  Time if flying by! I skipped exercise class last night, was wiped out and just felt like a quiet walk.

Gray Catbird singing yesterday morning.

Ferns are unfurling, I like these big ones.

There were 2 Hermit Thrushes - neither of which really want to hang around for a photo shoot.

Myrna has some colorful pansies planted overlooking the lake.

The Loons seem to be hanging close to the seawall in the harbour.

Nice to see the Painted Trillium in bloom.

There were several nice clumps of them in the woods.






Enjoy your day!

Day 145 - 25th May 2015 - Summer Tanager, Common Terns and Seaweed

Here it is Monday again, it comes so quickly! Temperature is +9, that's warmer than most mornings lately. Should be a good morning to see some Warblers on my walk. No clue about weather, one site says chance of showers this morning, one says sunny. Guess the best idea is to just be prepared. Fingers crossed I get some things finished off this week.
It did eventually warm up on Sunday but not til after lunch. We headed off to Bear Point in search of the Summer Tanager (red birds on Sundays). Found him, then on to Cape Sable Island where we ran into Johnny and Sandra (local birders) they said it had been quiet around. So since we didn't have a lot of time we headed to Baccaro to check out Crows Nest Beach. I was rewarded with a Piping Plover, a Willet and a number of Common Terns. Naturally there were gulls there and at the Lighthouse. Larry didn't go to Pleasant Point in the afternoon, it was pretty windy and he's got the beginning of the "man cold", dare we have to suffer through that again.

Summer Tanager - a new one for my lifer list.

He's certainly a stunning bird.

Common Tern flying along Crow's Neck Beach.

They nest in the area.

I didn't go too close - didn't want to disturb them or cross through the spots designated as Piping Plover nesting areas.

Lots of kelp, seaweed etc. along the beach.

Not snow, just sand covered.






Enjoy your day!