21-MAR-2014
Red-tailed hawk, front view
Through the branches, I was just able to get a front view photo of this handsome hawk. You can see that dark band across the chest which is one of the indicative marks of this species.
21-MAR-2014
Red-tailed hawk
I saw this hawk fly towards the Arboretum from the Fletcher garden. It was later re-located in the Arboretum, looking quite content until the crows found it and created a mob scene.
21-MAR-2014
Willow catkins
This shrub is in the Arboretum, and every year it produces catkins long, long before other, native willows do. This one is from somewhere in the far east, and seems very able to withstand our prolonged winters, and begin budding out early on, often in January.
21-MAR-2014
Grey squirrel, black phase
One of many squirrels seen today. They are now resorting to the few meagre natural food sources left, as well as feeding on any spilled sunflower seeds under the feeders. It has been a harsh winter for wildlife.
21-MAR-2014
Amphibian Pond
The pond is still frozen, but as can be seen, the ice looks to be softening, and there is open water, just out of the photo, by the bridge. Spring is coming...
21-MAR-2014
Food stash
A roosting box, long since taken over by red squirrels, always has a variety of food bits and pieces around it. A gnawed walnut sat on the roof, while several sumac seedheads were stashed very close by.
21-MAR-2014
Ash woods
Brilliant sun created strong shadows in the ash woods. If you look closely, you might see the myriad of red squirrel tracks on the snow.
05-MAR-2014
Growing plants
It may be cold and snowy outside, but inside the Fletcher Wildlife Garden Interpretive Centre, there are signs of spring. The first set of seedlings has been brought over and set up under the grow-lights. Soon, there will be many more, as volunteers carefully tend the growing plants in preparation for the early June Native Plant Sale, an annual fundraising event at the garden.
05-MAR-2014
Gray-headed coneflowers
A tray of tiny seedlings which will one day grow into tall, striking gray-headed coneflowers.
05-MAR-2014
Butterfly weed
A native plant in southern Ontario, this also grows fairly well around here. We had our doubts about butterflies being attracted to this particular Asclepias, but then one year we found monarch butterfly caterpillars on the small stand of butterfly weed in the Backyard Garden!
05-MAR-2014
Fletcher Wildlife Garden
This is the western edge of the garden, looking north across the field to the red barn. Fresh fluffy snow from yesterday and overnight, created a pretty landscape.
05-MAR-2014
Red squirrel nest
Being clever creatures, red squirrels generally have several places in which to seek shelter during winter (and summer too, for that matter). This big grassy ball-shaped nest is near an old bird box that has been used by red squirrels for years and years.
05-MAR-2014
Hairy woodpecker work in Ash Woods
Although the hairy woodpeckers are not seen that often, signs of their recent and frequent presence are unmistakable and abundant. Here, the bark has been stripped from the ash trees, from top to bottom. They are, of course, looking for the emerald ash borer larvae.
05-MAR-2014
Two female downy woodpeckers
Taken at the Backyard Garden feeder. These two female downy woodpeckers flew in together and landed on either side of the feeder, working away at the suet. The one of the left eventually flew to the serviceberry tree nearby and proceeded to push a huge quantity of suet into a crevice in a branch.
05-MAR-2014
Black-capped chickadee
As can be seen, it was a blue-sky day, and sunny. But it was still quite cold at -12c, and there were very few birds around in the hour I was at the garden. A pair of cardinals, about 8 chickadees, a lone crow cawing away, a few house finches singing while hidden in some shrubbery, the two downy woodpeckers of the previous photo, and a huge flock of starlings which landed briefly in the Backyard Garden and then flew onto the willows in the Arboretum, where their cheery, gurgly song could be heard right across the garden.
05-MAR-2014
Grey squirrel, black phase
Under the blue skies, there was an abundance of fresh soft snow, but few animal tracks. Some faint fox tracks heading west of the pond, but not on the pond itself, and of course grey and red squirrel tracks, and a few signs of cottontail rabbit feeding. Red squirrels were not quite as much in evidence as they usually are, though I could hear them scolding from various points. Grey squirrels were the most common mammal around the garden, apart from dogs and their humans.
