18-FEB-2011
Fungus: Phlebia radiata
There were long streaks of this running for some metres down a dead ash tree.
18-FEB-2011
The pond melting on a warm day
The pond is only temporarily melting. With the very cold temperatures called for in the next few days, today's warmth will seem like a dream, and the pond will freeze up again.
18-FEB-2011
Cedar waxwing in crabapple tree
Taken in the Arboretum. I was counting birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count today, and came across 6 cedar waxwings in a sparsely fruited crabapple.
It was a fabulous day, with temperatures at +10, sunny, very springlike. Walking was not easy, there were huge puddles of melting snow all over the place, and the snow was soggy and soft and easy to sink into. However, it was such a fine day to be outside that wet feet were a minor problem. House finches were singing up a storm, as were cardinals and chickadees, and there were even 7 ring-billed gulls on the melting Canal.
18-FEB-2011
Cedar waxwing in crabapple tree
Also in the Arboretum, but close enough to FWG!!
18-FEB-2011
Face-rubbing
This grey squirrel was vigorously rubbing his face along the branches of this serviceberry in the BYG. I watched for some time as he rubbed and rubbed in this position, then sat up and wiped his face with his paws over and over (like a cat), and then proceeded to do a full-body scoot along another branch, leading with his face and ending up splayed along the branch. When I saw the photos at home I realized that his face was very wet. I have no idea if he was trying to rub off whatever it was, but his actions seemed to suggest this. I remember a year or two ago, seeing a red squirrel with a very wet, almost sticky looking face, just as this guy has. Perhaps it got into something like oil, or maybe the warmth has caused some tree sap to flow, though I didn't notice any. Whatever it was, it seemed to be disturbing the poor guy quite a lot.
18-FEB-2011
More face-rubbing
In this shot, you can see how wet and sticky looking his poor little face is!
18-FEB-2011
Chewing on plastic
This squirrel was chewing away on the plastic "bucket" being used as a squirrel baffle. No doubt very annoyed that it was preventing him and his kin from accessing the feeder in the Backyard Garden.
15-FEB-2011
Sumac in late day sun
The fuzzy stems of the Staghorn Sumac catch the sun's rays sometimes, and look almost silvery in the light. I have tried and tried to capture what I see, but my photos never succeed in showing the true beauty of the sight.
15-FEB-2011
Moon over the Fletcher Wildlife Garden
Coming down the trail toward the centre in late afternoon, I noticed the pale moon against the deep blue sky with a couple of trees poking above the roofline of the centre.
15-FEB-2011
Amphibian Pond
Or as some people are calling it now, the Beaver Pond. This area looks like it was probably open water yesterday in the thaw when we had rain and above freezing temps. Wonder if it will open up again in the warm weather anticipated for the next few days (today it was very cold!).
15-FEB-2011
Mallards under the birdfeeder
Mallards are such funny ducks! A couple of winters ago we had about 150 in the Amphibian Pond (hard to believe) most of the winter. There were mallard tracks all over the snow, marching up to the parking lot, in the parking lot, around the map sign, etc. This winter we've been seeing them under the bird feeder in the Backyard Garden. I think 40 is the most that have been counted. The other day I saw one, Friday there must have been 20-25, and today there were about 9. Notice the squirrels are quite indifferent to them!
15-FEB-2011
Rabbit scat
After saying I'd seen no signs of rabbits for some time around the garden, today I was proved wrong. I saw quite a collection of fresh rabbit scat in one area, so there is at least one around.