28-APR-2013
American goldfinch, male
You always know spring is coming, whatever the weather says, when male goldfinches begin assuming a patchy vivid yellow, which eventually turns into this lovely, distinctive plumage. These birds are late nesters who time their breeding to the appearance of the thistle with which they line their nests. Hence, they begin nesting at about the time most other birds are finishing.
28-APR-2013
Eastern cottontail rabbit
Despite the cold winter, rabbits did very well at the garden, and are now quite noticeable. As rabbit populations fluctuate (they are cyclical), we have gone a few years with either no, or a few, rabbits. It seems this year might be on the upper end of the cycle, at least at the garden.
28-APR-2013
Downy Woodpecker
The ubiquitous little downy woodpecker, here caught by Diane on a birch snag. The holes made by these birds, and by the larger hairy woodpecker, create cavities for nesting chickadees.
28-APR-2013
Mallard, male
Diane caught the beautiful rich green colouring on the head of this handsome mallard. At present, there appear to be several males and one female that visit our pond regularly.
25-APR-2013
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
The first native spring ephemeral I've seen this spring. The bloodroot has just begun to grow, and if you look closely you can see a flower bud in the midst of these leaves.
25-APR-2013
Ctenucha moth caterpillar
This small caterpillar was on an old goldenrod stem. These caterpillars overwinter in this stage, and from now on, will grow quickly, going through one instar to another, before pupating. We'll see the spectacular black, blue and orange moths flying in late May or June.
25-APR-2013
House Finch, male
The lovely male house finch in vivid red breeding plumage.
25-APR-2013
Red squirrel with food
Reds are omnivores, eating almost anything, from seeds,nuts, fungi, fruit, tree buds and bark, sap, and also nestlings, eggs and small mammals. Here, the squirrel is eating a mammal, not sure which one, but I think it must be a mouse.
25-APR-2013
Installing the new bird box
One of four new swallow boxes Claudia and I installed today. Bruce made them for us, and I think the swallows are very happy because within the hour they were checking them out!
25-APR-2013
New house
Within an hour of installing this new box, tree swallows were checking it out. No doubt saying "Thanks, Bruce", for making them such a cosy new one.
22-APR-2013
Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
A very tattered mourning cloak, one of four I saw today as the sun warmed up the garden. This species overwinters under bark, or in crevices, waiting until warmth urges them out. If the weather turns colder, they will head back to shelter to wait it out.
22-APR-2013
Song sparrow at pond
This sparrow was busy gathering cattail fluff for its nest. Every so often, if stopped doing that, and hopped along the shore picking up something, perhaps seeds. Birds were numerous today and song sparrows in particular were heard all over the garden. Other birds seen today, Earth Day 2013, were:
Great blue heron 1, flying over, mallard, 1 male in the ravine's stream, american kestrel, pair, turkey vulture 1, flying over, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, barn swallow, tree swallow, american crow, black-capped chickadee (1 pair excavating a nest hole), red-breasted nuthatch (1 pair excavating a nest hole), white-breasted nuthatch,, ruby-crowned kinglets (many, all singing!), american robin, european starling, cardinal, dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, red-winged blackbirds including the first female I've seen this spring, house finches, american goldfinches, common redpolls.
22-APR-2013
Honey bee on willow (Apis mellifera)
Busily collecting pollen, the pollen sacs on this one's legs, were full!
22-APR-2013
Hover fly (Eristalis)
These bee mimic flies were common and busy around the willow tree by the pond. Sometimes landing on the catkins, sometimes on the grass below.
22-APR-2013
Red-winged blackbird, female
The first female blackbird that I've seen this spring, and others will follow closely. Nesting will now get underway!
22-APR-2013
Chipmunk
These irresistible little guys are scampering all over the BYG, finding tunnels under rocks, through the rock walls, and so on.
22-APR-2013
Andrenid bees, mating on a willow catkin
A good sign for Earth Day, 2013! These bees mating to produce more of these small pollinators!
21-APR-2013
Golden-crowned kinglet
A gorgeous shot, by Diane, of this lovely little kinglet. Neither this, or the ruby-crowned kinglet, are easy to photograph. They are very common in the region at the moment, as they are passing through in good numbers.
Diane reports this: " Near the pond there was one Red-winged Blackbird and Tree Sparrow. Walking to the old field I saw a number of birds inlcuding 7 Song Sparrows on the ground, one Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one Pine Warbler, 2 Juncos, 2 American Goldfinches. Saw 6 House Finches near the feeder in the old woods, 8 White-throated Sparrows. In the Butterfly Meadow sitting in the Norway Spruce there were 5 Golden Crowded Kinglets, plus a Belted Kingfisher flying over. To my delight, I saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch cleaning a hole to create a nest in a dead tree. I walked further to see the beautiful Kestrel up high in a tree. Squirrels were busy and I saw very briefly a rodent running around. They were a few Robins flying around the garden, but was glad to see my first Yellow-shafted Flicker of the year in the BYG plus more white-throated sparrows.
21-APR-2013
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Another view of this pretty bird.
21-APR-2013
Ruby-crowned kinglet
A super shot by Diane, of this pretty little bird, another one of those small, very fast-moving birds that are hard to photograph.
21-APR-2013
Red-breasted nuthatch
Diane made an exciting discovery... this nuthatch was excavating a nest hole in a snag. If they do nest, it will be the first nesting record of this species for the garden. They are not a rare species, but they typically tend to nest in coniferous woodlands, not in urban areas, or small natural areas within the city, such as the FWG.
21-APR-2013
Red-breasted nuthatch
Here, the nuthatch is leaving the potential nest site.
21-APR-2013
Tree Swallows at nest box
There are many swallows around the garden at present, so we are hoping that they will breed in greater numbers than last year.
21-APR-2013
Pine Warbler
The first waves of early returning warblers are coming through the area now, including these guys, and yellow-rumped warblers. This beauty posed nicely for Diane.
21-APR-2013
American kestrel, male
Diane photographed this gorgeous kestrel at the garden on Sunday morning.
19-APR-2013
Red squirrel with peanut
This squirrel popped out of the feeder that Gord made for us, in the ash woods. Someone must have put some shelled peanuts in there because he has one stuffed in his mouth. He was completely unconcerned about me standing so close and after a few long looks, settled down to eat his treat.
19-APR-2013
Red with peanut
Deciding I wasn't going to rob him of his peanut, this very pretty, fluffy, red sat on the roof of the feeder and daintily ate it.
19-APR-2013
Crocuses
This small stand of crocuses is near the ash woods. It was attracting lots of attention from flies and some honey bees. Although not native, these garden plants emerge early and being pollen laden, supply necessary food for early bees and flies.
19-APR-2013
White-throated sparrow
There was a small flock of these sparrows in the garden, found around the old field, ash woods, and here, in the Backyard Garden (BYG). Lots of birds today, and in addition to these guys, there were many song sparrows, a few chipping sparrows, about 4 or 5 fox sparrows (some singing their beautiful, almost finch-like song), two ravens, an eastern phoebe, the kestrel in his usual spot, several northern flickers, a few ruby-crowned kinglets, red-winged blackbirds, robins, chickadees, cardinals, american goldfinches, crows, common redpolls, white-breasted nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, and a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
19-APR-2013
White-throated sparrow
Another shot of the sparrow in the BYG.
14-APR-2013
Honeycomb
Last summer, I noticed an interesting sight. Honey bees were going in and out of a roosting box. These boxes were put up in case birds wanted to use them as a place for roosting at night. Birds showed no interest, but squirrels, both red and grey, did. A red squirrel continued occupying this box throughout the use by honey bees. Today, I asked Barry if he wanted to take a look inside. We found that the combs were affixed to the roof, and down the side of the walls. There were no bees, and most of the combs had been broken off. The roof and sides, where honey had dripped down, were chewed considerably. I assume the red squirrel (still using the box) thought it was manna from heaven when the bees took up residence and must have got fat on the contents, including possibly the bees.
14-APR-2013
Honey comb closeup
A close up of the honey comb in the roosting box.
15-APR-2013
Groundhog
A small groundhog has dug himself a den in a part of the garden. I hope he remains safe, as most are not. They get chased by dogs and killed by them too. Hopefully the location of this den will help keep dogs away.
13-APR-13
Tree swallow
One of the 10 or so swallows spotted by Barry recently. He said they were flying over the pond and checking out nest boxes.
13-APR-13
Staghorn sumac "cone" stashed in tree
This is a sure sign that a squirrel has gathered and stashed these cones or seedheads, for future use.
13-APR-13
Pileated woodpecker work
A pileated woodpecker has been a frequent visitor to the garden as the many holes, particularly in some of the conifers, can attest. Here, Barry has photographed the scene of a great deal of work!
13-APR-13
Song sparrow
These birds seem to be everywhere - whether I'm walking at the FWG, or east or west of the city, they are abundant. Barry photographed this one with what looks like a bit of green vegetation on its bill, perhaps from picking at seeds.
13-APR-13
Turkey tails polypores
These polypores come in small groups and large, and their colours vary greatly, ranging from the warm bronzed tones here to shades of blue-gray. Barry photographed this collection.
13-APR-13
Mallard, male
A double treat in this photo, with the mallard reflected perfectly in the pond.
13-APR-13
Northern cardinal, male
The rich red colour of the male cardinal is well caught in this photo by Barry. They will soon be breeding, making their large bulky untidy nests, similar to those of catbirds, in very sheltered spots.
13-APR-13
Cottontail rabbit feeding signs on sumac
Hungry rabbits will eat stems of many shrubs and plants through the winter, often standing on top of the deep snow to reach higher up the trunks.
13-APR-13
Willow catkins with pollen
Last Monday I photographed the willow catkins and said it would be good to see them with pollen which in turn will attract insects. Well, Barry photographed the lovely fresh pollen on the catkins, so bring on the bees...
13-APR-13
American goldfinch, male
Barry photographed this male goldfinch almost completely transformed into his rich yellow breeding plumage.
13-APR-13
American kestrel, male
The kestrels appear to be hanging around the garden, with many people reporting observations of them. This photo is by Barry.
American robin
Large flocks of robins have arrived in this region over the last few weeks, their song and their calls sounding everywhere. The males have a brick-red breast, while the females are a paler red. Barry photographed this handsome bird.
13-APR-13
Tree swallow in nest box
The swallows arrived back while snow was still on the ground, and before the big snowfall on April 12. As they are insectivores, it would have been a tough couple of days for them, but now that the weather is slightly warmer, there will be midges and other flies around. Barry took this photo.
April 14, 2013
Pair of wood ducks on the amphibian pond
Several wood ducks have been seen in and around Ottawa this week, so we were pleased to find this pair exploring our pond.
08-APR-2013
Chipmunk
It was such a pleasure to see chipmunks again. This one scampered along the edge of the ravine, ducked behind the compost bin, and emerged onto the stone wall where it sat and had a quick grooming session! That stone wall is so well used by chipmunks in particular, but red squirrels too, and other creatures as well.
08-APR-2013
Two chipmunks under the feeder
There were at least three chipmunks around the BYG, and these two were having a great time feeding in the spilled sunflower seeds.
08-APR-2013
Red squirrel
This pensive little guy was sitting above the roosting box it has taken over.
08-APR-2013
Willow catkin
Here is another happy sign of spring. Soon, the pollen will turn these catkins yellow and the tree will be alive with early emerging bees such as Andrenids, Colletes, Nomadas, as well as beeflies and other insects. I can't wait!
08-APR-2013
Old field in snow
Looking at the old field, it still looks like deepest winter. But while deep-ish in part here, many other areas are snow free, or almost so. So, spring is coming...
08-APR-2013
Amphibian pond
Looking west to the red barn, we can see that the pond is still half frozen. However, at this end, by the bridge, the water is quite deep and running fast over the dam. It won't be long before frogs are breeding, red-winged blackbirds are nesting, and and aquatic invertebrates will be seen again.
08-APR-2013
Meadow vole nest
This big ball of grass gave shelter during the winter, to meadow voles, in their sub-nivean world. All over the garden, in open grassy areas, you can see, as the snow vanishes, multiple piles of chewed off grass, but this big pile was an extra cosy shelter for some!
08-APR-2013
Raspberry canes chewed by meadow voles
Early in the winter, I thought voles were pretty scarce around the area, including at the FWG, but walking around today, I see how wrong I was. As the snow recedes it reveals the network of tunnels created by these little creatures through the grass, under the snow. Here, is a pile of chewed raspberry cane bits.
08-APR-2013
New spring growth
Well, here is a hopeful sign. Daffodils poking through the soil in the BYG. Once they are in flower, they'll attract quite a lot of insects including many of the solitary bees.
08-APR-2013
Fly (Muscid) sp. )
Flies were quite abundant today, flying around the red barn (as here), the old field, the Interpretive Centre, etc. All the ones I saw were Muscids (Muscidae family), which are often the earliest flies to emerge.No other insects notice, though when the sun came out I was hoping for a mourning cloak or two! However, Arachnids were numerous - in many of the grassy areas, such as the old field area, there were literally hundreds of tiny dark spiders. I could not get a photo of any of them, they were moving just way too fast.
08-APR-2013
Hackberry bark
This rather intriguing looking corky bark, belongs to one of several small hackberry saplings growing in the ash woods. They appeared there many years ago, and I have no idea which species they are, but they are not the Celtis occidentalis, which is native to the area (though very uncommon).
08-APR-2013
Sumac bark chewed by red squirrels
Every year at this time, we see much evidence of feeding on bark of trees, particularly staghorn sumac. This is the work of the red squirrel.
08-APR-2013
American kestrel, pair
I had not been to the FWG for over 10 weeks, and it was very good to get back. I got out of the car to the sound of many song sparrows singing. And then, within a few minutes, I saw this handsome pair! We haven't seen kestrels around for some years, so this was a REAL treat!
08-APR-2013
American kestrel, male
After the female flew off to sit on the old barn, the male returned to the same perch they'd both been on, and sat there for a few minutes. Sadly, both birds then flew off over the Arboretum and I didn't see them again during the next few hours.
08-APR-2013
American kestrel, male
Another view of the handsome male kestrel.
08-APR-2013
Song sparrow
The songs of this lovely songster, filled the backyard garden today where there were at least 6 song sparrows. Around the rest of the FWG, there were at least another 15. Amazing. The garden was full of song, with jucnos trilling, redpolls with their high-pitched calls, calling away, robins and song sparrows singing constantly, and on and on. Another happy sight and sound was a lone tree swallow flying and calling over the pond! Other birds seen today:
American goldfinch
American kestrel (pair)
Common redpoll
Common raven
American crow
European starling
Red-winged blackbird
White-breasted nuthatch
Black-capped chickadee
Dark-eyed junco
American robin
Black-capped chickadee
Tree swallow
