22-MAY-2012
Eastern grey squirrel family
The youngster is poking its head out under mum's tail. Another young one, this one a melanistic phase squirrel, climbed up the tree. Both are sitting on the roof of a roosting box which they took over as being a dandy squirrel house!
22-MAY-2012
Arctic skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)
It was overcast, breezy and later, rainy, not a great day for butterflies, but I was pleased to see this tiny skipper, whose scientific name is bigger than it is. While common and even abundant in some areas, I don't see it often at the FWG.
22-MAY-2012
Water avens (Geum rivale)
This beautiful little native wildflower is in the same Genus, and very similar to, the more familiar prairie smoke (Geum triflorum), which has been growing in our rockery for some years. This one, is planted near the Backyard Garden pond, for as the name suggests, it is happiest near wet areas.
22-MAY-2012
Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
These are the beautiful seedheads that give this native wildflower its common name. Easy to see how the name came about! They are native to prairie-type habitats, hence the "prairie" part of their name.
22-MAY-2012
Hound's tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
There are many names for this introduced species and several ways of writing the most common English name: hound'stongue, hound's-tongue, hound's tongue.... At any rate, it is considered a serious invasive in some areas, especially out in Alberta, much less so here (though as with any exotic species, this can change). It is on this plant that I normally find the caterpillars of the native moth, confused haploa, a striking brown and white, triangular shaped moth.
22-MAY-2012
Red-winged blackbird nest - sad news
Do you remember I posted some photos of a female red-winged blackbird laboriously and carefully creating a wonderful nest? This was a few weeks ago. Today I was saddened to find the nest half torn from the cattails and tipped sideways. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing a predator came along and took the eggs, destroying the nest in the process. Could have been crows, as one was being vigorously chased by blackbirds in that area last week. Or raccoons. Or red squirrels.
However, there are still several other nesting pairs of red-winged blackbirds at the pond. I had a sneaking suspicion that something would happen to this nest as it was in a very exposed location.
19-MAY-2012
Virginia ctenucha caterpillar
Lots of these little guys around these days.
19-MAY-2012
Great blue heron on the turtle raft
This heron is just one of many creatures who make use of the turtle raft that has now been in the pond for several years. Turtles do use it, but so do dragonflies, other insects, ducks, green herons, great blue herons, and even songbirds occasionally.
15-MAY-2012
Chipping sparrow on the bird bath
The large bird bath in the Backyard Garden is often well-used, as here with the chipping sparrow.
16-MAY-2012
Red admiral egg (Vanessa atalanta) on stinging nettle
Claudia photographed this egg with a macro lens, giving us a very detailed view of this gorgeous and very, very tiny egg. The stinging nettles all over the place are full of red admiral eggs right now.
15-MAY-2012
Grey Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
A tiny little guy that I found sitting in the bottom of a burdock leaf, while weeding out garlic mustard. Yet another reminder of why it is important to be careful when working in the garden. Too easy to step on this little one, or worse.
15-MAY-2012
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
A very intriguing native woodland plant. In fall, the vivid red berries add great colour to the woods when most else is brown.
