28-APRIL-2010
Mallard pair in Backyard Garden pond
Bill found this pair ensconced in the very small BYG pond! Wonder if they are the same pair usually found in the big Amphibian Pond, just hiding away in a different, cosier spot!
28-APRIL-2010
Mallard in pond
A nice shot of this handsome male mallard sticking his head above the vegetation.
Red-winged blackbird, male
John Robertson photographed this lovely male blackbird in a classic pose.
Mallard, female
And here is the female half of the Mallard pair, photographed by John Robertson, and showing the brightly coloured speculum.
Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
A nice view of the Blanding's turtle that has been calling our pond home.
Mallard, male
This handsome male is one half of a pair that have been around the Amphibian Pond for most of April.
White-breasted Nuthatch
This is one of our resident species, meaning it does not migrate but stays around the same general area all year.
30-APR-2010
Great blue heron
Although photographed at the Arboretum, these herons often make a stop in our Amphibian pond.
30-APR-2010
Brown-headed cowbird, male
Jeewanthi photographed this handsome male and the female of the species too.
30-APR-2010
Brown-headed cowbird, female
These birds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, mostly song sparrows, yellow warblers, common yellowthroats, and so on. However, many birds have learned to recognize the eggs of an interloper and will often build the nest over the egg and lay their own again on top, or they will turf it out. However, some species that have only recently had to contend with parasitism don't have the same coping mechanism. And even those who do cope fairly well, often end up with a huge baby cowbird. There is nothing more bizarre than seeing a little bird like a yellow warbler, feeding a very demanding (and huge in comparison) baby cowbird.
30-APR-2010
Green frog (Rana clamitans)
Green frogs are one of the last of the local frog species to start calling. However, they are also the frogs that are most often encountered in the pond throughout summer.
30-APR-2010
Stinkbug (Pentatomid sp.)
Jeewanthi photographed this stinkbug at the FWG today. There are many, many species of Pentatomids, not all easy to separate out as to ID.
26-APR-2010
Red-winged Blackbird, male
The water is relatively high in the pond making it difficult for the red-wings to build their nests. However, they are resourceful, so I hope they can find enough space in the cattails above the water to successfully nest.
26-APR-2010
White-throated Sparrow
These sparrows are moving through our area right now, being seen at FWG in small numbers at present.
26-APR-2010
Common grackle
These grackles have been nesting at FWG in the last couple of years and are making life busy for the red-winged blackbirds who hate them and are constantly chasing them away from the pond.
26-APR-2010
Tree swallows
Jeewanthi took this photo earlier today. The colours on these swallows are so irridescent. They are still checking out nest boxes, not settling on any particular one yet. It looks like there are about a dozen swallows in the garden, though they fly so fast and call so loudly that it seems like more. In fact, there may be fewer than a dozen.
26-APR-2010
Muskrat
I went back to the FWG this evening and spent a bit of time sitting by the pond. This very small muskrat was on shore eating some fresh cattail stems. Unfortunately, the second he got wind of me, he vanished into the water... which is what he is about to do here.
26-APR-2010
Muskrat
Here the little muskrat is eating fresh cattail growth. So at least one of the muskrats survived the winter. Last summer there was a family of two adults and at least two, perhaps three, young. I would imagine the young have been sent away!
26-APR-2010
Lady beetle (Coleomagilla maculata) on dandelion
This is one of our native lady beetles, common spring through fall, but particularly in spring.
26-APR-2010
Chaos! How many toads can you count in this photo?
It is the peak of American toad mating season and this looks like it is a good year for them. Last year the mating season was brief and there were not many toads found. Today it seems there must be between 70-100 or more in the pond. How many can you count in this photo? I make 26, but there may be a few I have missed! This is just a fraction of the toads found.
26-APR-2010
Calling toad (Bufo americanus)
Only the males call, so for every male heard and seen calling like this one, there is likely a female silently waiting somewhere in the vicinity.
26-APR-2010
Let me outta here! American toads
Like all breeding frogs, toads will jump on anything that comes close. I've seen them following turtles, even birds! I also watched this morning as one lone male saw movement and jumped... onto the back of a mating pair which promptly sank. he resurfaced (and so did they later), and jumped on this toad (middle) at the same time as another male did. I assume the toad in the middle is female, but not sure. Usually the males are much smaller, so possibly, although male toads will mistakenly jump on other males if they sense them moving nearby. Better to jump first and discover your mistake after rather than let a female get away, I guess.
23-APR-2010
Weasel, probably long-tailed
This little guy was found by Jeewanthi near the FWG. Not having seen it, and not being able to see the entire animal, I'm not sure if it is a short-tailed or a long-tailed weasel, however Jeewanthi said the tail was very long, and another of our volunteers saw what he is very sure was a long-tailed weasel in the winter. So.... The former is more common, but the latter is also seen.
Such an adorable face! But a ruthless little predator! some of you may remember when we had a short-tailed weasel living in the hollow door frame of the centre about 11 or 12 years ago. The adult carried three youngsters up into the frame and then went and killed a young red squirrel, bigger than her, which she proceeded to drag up into the door frame!
23-APR-2010
Weasel, probably long-tailed
Another view of this gorgeous little Mustelid. YOu can see how closely related they are to mink, otter and fisher.
23-APR-2010
Weasel, probably long-tailed
Another shot of this cute guy.
23-APR-2010
American toads (Bufo americanus)
Late afternoon yesterday I went down to the pond for a short while. As soon as I drew near I could hear a lot of toads calling. I saw several pairs mating but no photo. However, today, Jeewanthi saw five mating pairs and managed to get a couple of very nice shots of one of the pairs.
23-APR-2010
American toads (Bufo americanus)
Another photo of the toads. They, like just about everything else, are early this spring. Typically we don't hear them until the first week in May or even later, but here they are... Once mating is over, they'll head back to their upland habitat. As these guys mate, the female releases long strings of eggs.
22-APR-2010
The fence expands
As you can see, the fence has grown. The other day, AAFC came and extended the fence into the pond and down the ravine, in an attempt to prevent people from going where they are not supposed to. Will it work? Stay tuned!
21-APR-2010
Song sparrow
Jeewanthi caught this sparrow in full song. She also saw white-throated sparrows at FWG, as well as rough-winged swallows, amongst other species.
21-APR-2010
White trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Ontario's floral symbol, this beauty is growing in the Ash woods.
20-APR-2010
Rough-winged swallow
These lovely little swallows breed along the canal, but can often be found feeding over the FWG
20-APR-2010
Cottontail rabbit
Jeewanthi came across this rabbit, one of several at FWG, and he is clearly looking at her too!
20-APR-2010
Spring azure (Celastrina ladon)
These gorgeous little blue butterflies are around the garden, and around the Ottawa area, in increasing numbers. The warm spring has meant that a lot of butterflies have emerged earlier than usual, sometimes several weeks early. When the male of this species opens his wings the jolt of blue is electrifying!
19-APR-2010
Chipmunk
This little guy was in the BYG and had obviously been rooting around in the soil. He popped up when he heard me and watched for a few seconds, before carrying on with his nosing around.
19-APR-2010
Nomada bee on bloodroot
The bloodroot flowers were also attracting bees.
19-APR-2010
Hermit thrush
Jeewanthi photographed this hermit thrush today. There were many flickers, goldfinches, house finches, robins, tree swallows, cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, crows, starlings, chickadees, song sparrows, etc. at the garden.
19-APR-2010
Ostrich ferns
The ferns are already well on their way! Jeewanthi captured this lovely shot with the sunlight angling down on the unfurling ferns.
19-APR-2010
Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
One of the many plants flowering now in the Ash woods.
19-APR-2010
Nomada bee on forget-me-not
The forget-me-nots were also abuzz with bees!
19-APR-2010
Bloodroot seedhead(Sanguinaria canadensis)
Already the bloodroot flowers are losing their petals, and all that is left are the big leaves and the seedhead. Soon, they too will have vanished. Spring is such an ephemeral time of year here in Ontario, and the spring wildflowers are also ephemeral. A few days delay means having to wait for next spring to enjoy them! The red trilliums are out in full flower, while the white trilliums are still in bud. The false solomon's seal is coming up quickly, and the large-flowered bellwort is also in bud.
19-APR-2010
Nomada bee on daffoldil
There are two large stands of daffodils, one in the Butterfly Meadow and one in the BYG. Both have swarms of bees around them. I think the smaller ones are one of the Halictid bees, but there are also many of these yellow and red Nomada bees around too.
19-APR-2010
Green frog (Rana clamitans)
This is one of two green frogs in the little pond in the Backyard Garden, that I saw today. We have had as many as 9 (or more) in that pond.
15-APR-2010
Northern Flicker, male
These large woodpeckers are now back in good numbers, and can be heard all over the place, including the FWG. They typically feed on ants and so are frequently found on the ground, as in this photo.
15-APR-2010
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
This native plant is another of the early spring flowers to emerge in woodland settings. The tiny intriguing flowers lie close to the ground, usually hidden by leaf litter.
14-APR-2010
Red trillium (Trillium erectum)
This is a nice shot by Jeewanthi of the red trillium which also grows in a woodland setting.
13-APR-2010
Tree swallows
According to both Chris Bruce and Jeewanthi, the last few days at FWG have been quite exceptional for seeing all sorts of neat things, particularly spring migrants and flowering plants. Chris was photographing the Amphibian Pond when this tree swallow landed on a nearby box. They have been checking out boxes for the last week or so but are not close to nesting yet.
Chris said: "Other bird notes: a Fox Sparrow was singing in the trees between the pond and butterfly meadow and there were many singing goldfinches all around the garden. The goldfinches were very vociferous today. In the ash woodlot there were a number of Ruby-throated Kinglets working the trees."
13-APR-2010
Amphibian Pond
Chris took this nice wide-angle view of the Amphibian Pond today. In addition to the swallows noted here, Chris also saw a Milbert's tortoiseshell butterfly! Chris saw a spring azure and mourning cloak near the Ash Woods today, as well.
13-APR-2010
Forsythia
A nice shot of the forsythia blooming just below the Woodland Walk section of the Backyard Garden.
13-APR-2010
Daffodils
Taken in the BYG by Chris Bruce, this makes for a dramatic shot! He mentioned that the daffodils in the Butterfly Meadow are also blooming. Things are just jumping ahead by leaps and bounds at the moment!
13-APR-2010
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
A beautiful closeup of this spring ephemeral in the Ash Woods.
09-APR-2010
Virginia ctenucha moth caterpillar
These are quite common around the garden from early spring until late fall. The moths are day-flying and quite striking, with bright orange heads, dashes of bright blue on the thorax, and wings of a dark indigo verging on charcoal. The moths usually start flying in early June, but this year, who knows? Everything is early.
12-APR-2010
Brown creeper
Although this was taken in the Arboretum, we get brown creepers at FWG of course, particularly in the Ash Woods.
08-APR-2010
Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
In this shot you can see one fertile cone, and some sterile stems. Horsetails are very primitive plants, considered to be close allies of the prehistoric Calamitalies which were very tall tree-like plants that once flourished on earth millions of years ago.
08-APR-2010
Magnolias
When I was at FWG on April 7, the magnolias were in full bud, and on April 8, Jeewanthi photographed open flowers! I went to the Arboretum yesterday to check out the magnolia trees there and they are flowering! This is about 3 weeks early, at least since I've been keeping track. I'm sure they will flower earlier than the usual late April-early May dates that I am most familiar with.
07-APR-2010
Eastern Phoebe
Phoebes are back in good numbers around the FWG, the Arboretum and many other local areas.
07-APR-2010
Another attempt to prevent people from crossing the unstable bridge
It is very evident that many people are walking around the fence on the Ravine side. The raspberry canes are flattened and broken, evidence of more than a few people refusing to abide by the "No trespassing" signs. I watched a dogwalker do just that, climb past the fencing and cross the bridge. This is a woman who comes to the garden daily and has done for years. Wouldn't you think she might have a little bit of respect for a place that she clearly enjoys walking in?? I confronted her and she wouldn't stop, but instead called out that her mother was in hospital and she had to visit her, otherwise she would have gone around. Yeah, right! So I grabbed some heavier tape (the yellow "Caution" tape) and once again tried to cut off access. How long will this last? A day? A few hours?
07-APR-2010
View of the bridge and beaver dam
Here you get a better idea of the water flowing through the breached dam.
07-APR-2010
Beaver dam breached - again
It disturbs me no end to see how cavalier people are in disregarding the multiple signs we have put up asking them to not use the bridge and to not break the beaver dam. While the dam was intact on Tuesday, when I returned on Wednesday it had been broken again and the water was pouring down into the Ravine at a fast pace.
07-APR-2010
Trying to climb onto the raft
I watched this painted turtle swim around the raft a couple of times before attempting to climb onto it. He got his front paws on the raft but as he tried to pull himself up, he did a backflip into the water. Poor thing.... he then swam around it a bit more before moving off. Not sure why he was having trouble, as he often sits on the raft. Nearby was the red-eared slider. I didn't see the Blanding's but apparently it was very visible the other day for I just had an email from someone who saw it around the time that Sandy did.
06-APR-2010
Red elderberry (Sambucus pubescens)
In addition to all the plants I mentioned yesterday, the red elderberry will soon be in flower. They are always one of the first shrubs to produce flowers, but I don't know... this year they may have competition from other shrubs and trees, given how everything is just rushing to burst forth.
06-APR-2010
Dark-eyed Junco
This little junco was one of about 5 in the BYG. There were another 3 or 4 over by the Ash Woods.
06-APR-2010
Red squirrel eating sumac
This squirrel, or one of his buddies, had placed sumac cones all over the place. There was one on the downed Manitoba maple over the pond, three in the Manitoba maple above the pond (in which he is sitting), and two in the walnut tree at the west end of the pond. Earlier, I had seen a red (maybe this one), running along the top edge of the pond with a sumac cone in his mouth. There isn't a lot of food available yet for animals, so squirrels such as this, are still relying on last year's sumac, any buried nuts they may find, stores of cones (if any are left), and seeds at the feeder. They do, however, have fresh tree sap and buds to eat.
06-APR-2010
Blandings turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
The Blanding's turtle was the star of the pond on April 6, for several people were able to see it. Ben Mancini took this photo.
6-APR-2010
Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
In addition to the red-eared slider and painted turtle in our pond, today Sandy found this Blanding's turtle. I assume it is the one that was there last year, but if we see another one of a different size, well, we will know we have two. Isn't it amazing all the life that our small pond supports.
05-APR-2010
Sedge (Carex pedunculata)
One of our early blooming native sedges.
05-APR-2010
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
One of the earliest native spring ephemerals to appear in woodlands in Ontario. They are out in force in the Ash woods. Typically I see this plant blooming at the FWG in late april. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 the dates I first saw them were between 22 and 27 of April, while last year, I saw them on 17 April.
05-APR-2010
Scilla
Every year the clumps of Scilla in the garden slowly expand. A few here and a few there... We didn't plant these garden flowers, but they must have come in with the leaf mulch we use from people's gardens.
05-APR-2010
Black-capped chickadee excavating nest hole
There were two pairs of chickadees excavating nest holes. Both the male and the female were working on the excavation. Sometimes they'd chuck out the soft wood with their feet, but mostly they gathered mouthfuls and flew a short distance where they deposited it on branches from where it would disperse in the wind. Every year they do this at FWG, and invariably one or two of the snags they choose fall over. One year, after this happened, they moved to a nearby nest box.
There were lots of house finches and goldfinches singing, many robins, red-winged blackbirds, a few song sparrows, starlings singing, a raven circling the garden, crows harassing the raven, etc. I hadn't been to FWG for five days and fully anticipated seeing tree swallows as I've seen them in good numbers elsewhere in the city. But then, they usually do take a bit longer to arrive at FWG! Nor did I see any eastern phoebes, another bird I was expecting, for again, I've heard and seen them elsewhere in the city. No doubt phoebes were around and I just didn't see them.
05-APR-2010
Painted turtle on turtle raft
It was very nice to see this turtle making full use of the raft we built for him and his buddies!
05-APR-2010
Red-eared slider
To my surprise, the red-eared slider (a species indigenous to the southern US, but popularly sold in the pet trade), survived the winter, and was sunning himself not far from the painted turtle. Also in the pond a few, very few, wood frogs were calling. Nowhere near the chorus of a few years ago. I went down to the pond a couple of nights ago, on one of those warm evenings, but again, only a few wood frogs calling.
05-APR-2010
Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
I saw two mourning cloaks today, and two spring azures, the former expected, but the latter quite early. I would have been more surprised if I hadn't heard that someone else had seen a few elsewhere in Ottawa! No chance of a photo as they were moving constantly, sometimes low across the ground, other times twirling around each other high into the trees. In addition to the butterflies, there were good numbers of bees (Nomada, Andrenids, a few big bumblebee queens), flies, Asian ladybeetles, and a tiny, tiny Braconid wasp,
05-APR-2010
Asian ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis)
This little beetle was covered in pollen dust from the willow flowers. A few beeflies and dozens of Andrenid bees were also swirling around the willow, as they do every year, but none were landing for more than a second.
