07-MAY-2010
Yellow warbler
The yellow warblers are back and they too will soon be nesting in shrubs around the garden. Again, please stay out of thickets and out of the Old Field habitat. It is too easy to step on or dislodge a nest of birds such as these and the song sparrows which nest on the ground or close to.
Birds are really pouring through our region now. There are Nashville warblers, yellow-rumped, these yellow warblers, Baltimore orioles, vireos, etc.
07-MAY-2010
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Another native woodland plant, with a very appropriate common name!
07-MAY-2010
Mating Tree swallows
Swallows, and other birds, are getting serious about nesting now! These mating birds will soon be busy with eggs and then young. Please refrain from getting too close to their nest boxes. They have enough stress to deal with and don't need to worry about humans standing close to their nest site.
07-MAY-2010
False solomon's seal (Smilacina)
A woodland species that has spread greatly in the Ash Woods.
07-MAY-2010
White-spotted sable (Anania funebris), #4958a
A very pretty little moth that is common in our area.
07-MAY-2010
Tartarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)
Every day brings new life to the garden. More insects, more birds, and of course, more flowering shrubs and other plants. This tartarian honeysuckly is beautiful and the birds eat the fruit, but it is an invasive species, almost on a par with buckthorn in its ability to take over a natural area and exclude native shrubs. It is probably a more serious problem south of us, but it is certainly very invasive here. I have seen areas in Ottawa where this is the dominant shrub where once there were native species such as leatherleaf, pin cherry, chokecherry, hawthorn, etc.
05-MAY-2010
American Lady/Vanesse de Virginie (Vanessa virginiensis)
This is another migratory species in the Vanessa genus, along with the red admirals we are all seeing everywhere in great numbers. Diane Lepage photographed this beauty at the FWG's Butterfly Meadow, appropriately enough.
05-MAY-2010
Flowers from an ornamental tree
Diane photographed these lovely flowers, which look like either ornamental pear or plum blossoms, in the Arboretum.
American toads (Bufo americanus)
This little toad looks like he is taking a break from all the frenzied activity in the pond to take a look at something else.
05-MAY-2010
Muskrat
John Robertson photographed the resident FWG muskrat this morning early. The best time to see these little guys is either quite late in the afternoon or early morning. This is not to say that they aren't out and about during the day, they are, but they prefer the beginning and the end of the day.
Yellow-rumped warbler
This lovely shot of the yellow-rumped warbler was taken by John Robertson. These warblers continue to be common around the garden.
04-MAY-2010
Forget-me-nots in the Backyard Garden
This little pathway is on the edge of the Woodland Walk. The forget-me-nots are popping up everywhere. Although this one is not a native species we have left them as they attract a myriad of bees and flies.
