Day 182 - 30th June 2016 - Palm Warbler, Spider Web and Clematis

The last day of another month - good bye June. A rain drop or two came down, barely more than that is my guess. Late morning, had a restless night. First time in a long time I've not slept well. Had a late cup of tea - perhaps that re-wired me plus the humidity and heat. It's my day off so will putter around and do some housework and roam the hood.

A young Palm Warbler - I think.

Lovely big web

Clematis.

A basket full of flowers.









Enjoy your day!

Day 181 - 29th June 2016 - Red-Winged Blackbird, Ducks and Common Yellowthroat

No rain yet but it's foggy over the lake.  They are giving showers, let's hope we get some, everything is really dry and the lake is lower than normal for this time of year. Back to work today, this afternoon we are doing pressed flowers for the weekly activity. Should be fun. Hopefully I'll get a little jaunt it this morning around the hood.
Tuesday was another nice day. The First Aid course went great, but then Bill the Instructor is darn good at teaching it. Big B. didn't go to town with me today, she wasn't interested so stayed home. I kind of wish I'd taken her since when I was waiting for Larry to get off work I saw a few Warblers flitting around near by. Maybe over the weekend when I work I'll get down a few minutes early and take a peek around there.

Female Red-winged Blackbird.

I flushed a couple of ducks.














 Common Yellowthroat in the morning light.














Looks like she's got an itchy foot.








Enjoy your day!

Day 180 - 28th June 2016 - Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, White-breasted Nuthatch and Peony

Beautiful morning - cool, no wind yet. Birds are singing, sun rise is creeping through the trees. Looks like another nice day on it's way. Awake a little too early this morning. Off to a First Aid course today - always good to be prepared when working with the public.  Roast  going in the slow cooker this morning for the next few days. Have to go in this morning with Larry so there will be no haunting the hood for me today. Maybe I'll get out for a stretch after supper.
Monday was a nice sunshiny day with a lovely breeze which of course turned into gales later in the afternoon on the waterfront. Just as I headed out for my morning walk I heard the drumming of someone on the mail box - the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker had returned. Followed him around until he finally settled on the power pole where I could snap a few shots. I think there may be two as I heard what I thought was a second one across the road. Maybe we have a family. Further along my jaunt I ran into a flock of White-breasted Nuthatches. At least 11 of them, I've never seen so many at once.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.



















Oh, he's got an itch.

One of many White-breasted Nuthatches.

The Peonies opened over the weekend at the museum garden.







Enjoy your day!

Day 179 - 27th June 2016 - Common Yellowthroat, Least Flycatcher and White Admiral

 Looks like another good day out there sun is up, birds are singing, great way to start the work week. There will be lots to do at work. Hopefully the plants in the herb garden have taken hold and perked up. What we really need is some rain - water table is really low for this time of year.
Day 2 of our adventure brought us home. Seems like we never have enough time to do all the things we want when we go to the Island. A good drive  with a few stops along the way, the sun was out and  was hot even early - summer is definitely here now. Caught up the laundry, a few other  things but decided it was too hot to do too much when we got home. So it was mostly a lazy afternoon. Cathy came for coffee and brought me my cake (love her cake), so I'm now guaranteed to put on 10 lbs this week!

Common Yellowthroat with
breakfast.

I think this is a Least Flycatcher. Some of them are so hard to tell apart unless you hear their songs.

Front view.

A beautiful serene morning along the cove.

White Admiral









Enjoy your day!

Day 178 - 26th June 2016 - Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, Boar's Head Light and the Ferry

 The sun is up and looks like another beautiful day in the making. Sadly we'll have to head back. Want to get home early enough to do a few things around the house and get ready for the work week ahead. But for now, another coffee then I'll go for a roam while everyone else is still in bed.

We started off  fairly early Saturday morning - but of course with a birding stop and a few pit stops we didn't get to the ferry terminal in time to catch the 9:30 am crossing but we made it for the 10:30 which actually left early. So that was fine with us. I took a quick spin around to see what I could find but it was warming up a lot by then. Catbirds, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Red-Winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows showed themselves.  I think Saturday was all about food - we had a huge dinner with lots of goodies including a chocolate zucchini cake, then off to Tiverton for a community supper which consisted of Lobster Chowder and Strawberry Shortcake. Dorothy, Mary and I decided a long walk was in order after that! Roger and Larry opted to play the handy men and fix a few doorknobs etc.

Yellow Warbler - a young one by the lack of markings.

The Petite Princess on her way back over to East Ferry to pick us up.

Boar's Head Light at Tiverton.

Yellow Warbler.

Common Yellowthroat has snagged a worm.

Day 177 - 25th June 2016 - Red-Eyed Vireo, Song Sparrow and Peony

Well the week finished on a great note and I'm off for the weekend. Time to get in a little adventure. Off to visit our friends in Freeport (Digby County) not Maine or the Bahamas. House sitter arrives later this morning and we'll get an early start (hopefully). Have to make a stop at Bear Brook to check out the Swallows and hopefully a few Warblers and Flycatchers then we'll zoom on. By the time we get down on the neck, it will be time for a pit stop I'm sure. Been a while since we've been away so I'm looking forward to it. Looks like it's going to be another beautiful day, birds are all singing as the sun comes up over the lake.

Finally snagged a couple of good shots of the Red Eyed Vireo.
















And you can see where he gets his name.

Song Sparrows are always around.

The Peony is beginning to bloom in the garden at work. I'm sure by the time I get back it will be in full glory.





Enjoy your day!

Day 176 - 24th June 2016 - Northern Parula, Canoe and Wiegela

Well can't believe it's Friday once again. The weeks just fly by. Pretty foggy out there this morning. When I got up there was an orange haze around the moon - not sure what meaning that has but it did look pretty spooky.  My last day for this week, then I'm off for the weekend.
Good day on Thursday, did my morning walk. I hear more than I see, everyone is nesting these days. A Northern Parula, a few Yellow Rumped Warblers and Song Sparrows peeked out at me on my travels.  Work went well - we moved the Rhubarb patch, did some stitching, research and had a few visitors through. Had lunch with my Dad, love spending time with him. Housework and laundry when I got home - that's pretty dull, I know.

The acrobat - Northern Parula fetching grubs.














An early morning canoeist rounding the corner.

Wiegela I think.






Enjoy your day!

Day 175 - 23rd June 2016 - Cedar Waxwing, Starling and Beach Peas

A little fog out there this morning, but looks like it's disappearing quickly and the sun is coming out. Crows, Loons, Song Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes were singing earlier. A good way to start of the day. Need to get a few things done around here this morning, ran out of time last night after supper, then it will be off for my morning walk and work.
The fog lifted, the sun shone and the wind ....well at least it wasn't blowing a gale. Made my walk along Dock Street. Great day, we did candle making in the afternoon and a few tourists joined in and had fun as we did. Planted potatoes in the morning and did some other gardening. Always something interesting on the go.

Cedar Waxwing.

Starlings were searching for breakfast along the waterfront.

 The flower baskets have been hung on the light posts. They really liven up the walk along Dock Street.

Beach Peas







Enjoy your day!

Day 174 - 22nd June 2016 - Northern Parula, Sheep Laural and Chickadee

Seems to be a foggy morning out there, but it will no doubt clear and the sun will shine once again. It's Wednesday so my early morning traveling with Larry and checking out what the Town may offer for sights and sounds on my morning walk. Chicken going in the slow cooker this morning for supper tonight. Hopefully there is no wind this afternoon as we want to do candle making and won't be able to if it blows. If not it will be the fine art of felting.
Every day is a good day at work. Not a lot of visitors in but those we have are as interesting to us as we are to them. Seems to be a lot of tourists around for this time of year (not quite prime season) and many are from very far away. We are also finding a number of "Nova Scotia Tourists" checking out their own province which is really nice to see.

The Northern Parula joined me part way through my walk.

Sheep Laural

Foggy morning on the lake.

 Every morning a couple of Chickadees are around this old tree that has broken off. Not sure if they are stashing food or have a nest there.






Enjoy your day!

Day 173 - 21st June 2016 - Black & White Warbler, Twin Flowers and Dragon's Mouth Orchid

The morning birds have started the choir. Back to work today, giving a chance of showers - well we need it. The lake is really low for this time of year and there is already a fire band on. One thing - rain or shine can always find something to tackle at work. 
Had a fabulous day off, sun was hot hot but there was a gentle breeze most of the day. I wrangled a lot more time outside than I really should have, but it's best to seize the moment and enjoy the day. My walks usually involved the senses - sight and sound but yesterday smell was really tempted with the sweet aroma from those tiny Twin Flowers are now at their peak. Most of the time you don't even notice them. When I wasn't roaming I did managed to get some thing done in the house and got to exercise class last evening.

Black and White Warbler with lunch.

 Twin Flowers tucked away in the forest.

Arethusa Bulbosa or Dragon's Mouth Orchid. A great find for me yesterday. I don't remember seeing them along my regular trails.

Daisies sit along the road side waving in the wind.







Enjoy your day!

Day 172 - 20th June 2016 - Irises and Peonies

Well it's the first day of summer, the birds are all tuned up around the yard. I can hear a Blue Headed Vireo out there this morning along with the usual Song Sparrow, Ducks and Crows nearby. My day off, but going to be a super busy. Lots to get done - cooking, cleaning and of course I need to get out in the hood and see what I've missed the last few days. 
A lovely Sunday, pretty quiet though but it gave us a chance to start moving plants into the herb garden. Things are beginning to take shape. It feels so good to see our vision of something actually happening. Turned really windy on the waterfront as the morning went on. Nice evening at home.

The Irises are beautiful.

I'm not sure what this is.

The Peony will soon be in bloom







Enjoy your day!

Day 171 - 20th June 2016 - Palm Warbler, Hermit Thrush and Grandmother's Journal

 Happy Father's Day! I'm  lucky to  still have my Dad in my life and am very thankful. Looks like it's going to be another hot day. Working again today, maybe we'll get some gardening in this morning while it's quiet and cooler. Yesterday was good - people started moving around before lunch so then we got quite busy and remained so most of the remainder of the day. Can't believe how fast the time flies. It's always fun working with the other "Senior" Senior Guide!  Spied a couple of Cedar Waxwings in the Lilac bushes and of course the resident Song Sparrows were around. My camera has spent the "night in the museum" - can't believe I forgot her there so have had to go through some older shots for this mornings post.
Grandmother's Journal:
19 June 1977: Overcast, rain early this morning. Overcast all day. Down to Scott's for an hour this morning. Barb here when we got back. Bob, Bettie, Mike & Kim up (Father's Day) with a present. Kim to stay all night.  Rindy in heat - started today. [Rindy was one of the dogs]. 
20 June 1977: Kim and I to town early. Overcast with misty fog. Home early. Bob home alone to day. Gertrude over to play crib. Bob's back in a different place acting up tonight. I'm upset as usual. Tom outside tonight. Deer in new apple trees last night.  

 
Palm Warbler with breakfast.
















Windblown Hermit Thrush.

 Cedar Waxwing

 Red Winged Blackbird

Dandelions gone to seed.








Enjoy your day!

Day 170 - 18th June 2016 - Red-Eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler and Kayaker

Beautiful morning, having my coffee and watching on the sun come up over the lake through the trees. It's pretty noisy out there even though it's early. A few ducks are swimming along the shore talking, Song Sparrows, Hermit Thrushes and Mourning Doves are singing around the yard and woods. Lovely sounds to start the day off. I'm working, but think I'll get the grocery shopping done before I go rather than after. Saturday evening is truly a horrible time to try to find anything at Sobeys. I expect we'll do some gardening this morning before it gets too hot. 
Finally we had a hot day with minimum amount of wind. A couple of more student groups through and then after lunch we worked in the garden. The new herb garden is coming along very nicely. My greatest excitement on my morning walk was the accidental finding of a Red-Eyed Vireo nest. I spied two of them feeding along the trees and was following, trying to get a good shot or two and one landed behind a leaf. I was so surprised to realize she had actually landed on a nest. I took a few shots from a distance and moved along, leaving her in peace.

Red-Eyed Vireo.
















Behind the leaves you can see the nest she sits on. I'm always amazed at what actually holds them in place.













Hiding in more leaves and branches was a Magnolia Warbler.

A morning Kayaker on the harbour.









Enjoy your day!