28-NOV-2010
FWG Christmas party
The party is a chance to relax and catch up with old friends.
28-NOV-2010
FWG Christmas party
The volunteers gather for the annual Christmas party, to celebrate another year of hard work, but many accomplishments, at the garden.
29-NOV-2010
White-tailed deer track
It was a beautiful day, sunny, mild, clear, and Jeewa was at the FWG this morning, where she had a very eventful day. She had a quick glimpse of a fox, then the beaver, and finally a deer! The deer vanished, but she took some photos of the tracks.
I remember when we first saw a deer at the garden, about 12 or 13 years ago. We were flabbergasted. It was resting on the south side of the ravine, lying down in the snow, in a patch of sunlight, and we had a perfect view from the windows of the centre. Since then, deer have been seen, if not regularly, at least every few years, or their tracks have been seen. Last winter two dogwalkers told me they had seen two deer at the garden!
Update (30 Nov). In today's "Ottawa Citizen" newspaper, there was a photo of a young buck who was found first on the ice at Dow's Lake, by the Arboretum, and then at a loading dock at Carleton University (!!!). Apparently he was tranquilized and freed on crown land outside the city (we hope this is so!).
29-NOV-2010
Beaver
Another beaver has decided to spend the winter at our pond. We are not thrilled by the idea, largely because the habitat is so very unsuitable for these poor guys. It is marginal at best. There is little food, and the animal has a very small pond area, with shallow water, in which to live. It seems to have taken over the bank burrow from the last beaver, and it is having to venture further afield to find food. It has taken down a few self seeded poplars, which is not a big deal for us, and in fact, may be doing us a favour, for they were crowding out other trees, mainly conifers.
However, some unkind souls have tried to break the beaver's dam. This is wilfull damage and demonstrates a vast ignorance of the animal and its ecology. Not that they probably care about that. What motivates them to do this, I don't know, but they have no right to interfere. Our new bridge is high enough off the ground that any residual flooding that might occur in spring will be insignificant. Furthermore, there is a large spillway now that will carry the water away. Soon, the pond will freeze, the beaver will remain below, provided it has enough food, and in spring we will see what happens.
29-NOV-2010
Beaver
Another shot of the beaver gnawing on a sumac.
29-NOV-2010
Bohemian waxwings
The Bohemian waxwings are around daily and seem to be attracting a lot of interest from photographers and birders. Jeewa took this shot of them down at the stream in the Arboretum, just below the FWG (our pond trickles into this stream).
29-NOV-2010
Bohemian waxwings
A nice shot of this handsome, sleek bird.
25-NOV-2010
Trees full of Bohemian Waxwings
This was taken in the Arboretum this morning. This is only part of the flock of these waxwings. I show it only because it gives an idea of the numbers of birds present. They took off in a noisy flourish to the FWG.
25-NOV-2010
American robin
In addition to the usual birds found all winter at the garden, such as chickadees, downy woodpeckers, house finches, cardinals, and so on, we sometimes see other birds that stop by for a few days, a few weeks, or only fleetingly. There were three robins in the Ravine this morning, and flying between the FWG and the Arboretum, a huge flock of around 250-300 Bohemian Waxwings. Yesterday, Jeewa found a brown creeper and a blue jay, neither of them uncommon, but neither found regularly at FWG.
24-NOV-2010
Red squirrel
All squirrels are very active now, as I keep saying! Jeewa found this pretty red squirrel with its tail highlighted by the sun.
24-NOV-2010
Blue Jay
Birds are coming and going at the FWG these days. Blue jays are irregular visitors, and over the last few days there were a couple of very noisy jays around, calling frequently, sounding alarmed as they often do.
23-NOV-2010
Yellow warbler nest
Once the leaves vanish, the nests of breeding birds at the garden are revealed. I have not done a thorough search this year, as I do most autumns, to look for nests. However, casual observations suggest fewer nests than in previous years. However, I have found several yellow warbler nests, including this one in a raspberry thicket. These warblers like nesting in the raspberries, which is one big reason why I am so adamant that people stay out of these areas in nesting season!
23-NOV-2010
Purple-tooth polypore (Trichaptum biforme)
A fallen and well-rotted birch tree, had a huge collection of these polypores. After a rainfall, they can turn a bright purple. These are less colourful.
23-NOV-2010
Woolly bear caterpillar
This is probably the most well-known caterpillar in eastern North America! Less well-known is its adult form. It turns into an attractive moth known as the Isabella Tiger Moth. The caterpillars are fairly hardy and can often be found out and about in late fall, and in early spring while snow is still on the ground. They overwinter in leaf litter.
23-NOV-2010
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) seedhead
The seedheads of this pretty native plant are very intricate and, when seen in sunlight, a lovely bronze colour. Each of the little packets in the cluster contains a seed.
23-NOV-2010
Red squirrel peering around the corner of the centre
Red squirrels are, as I have mentioned before, so noticeable these days, especially around the BYG. It is almost like "another day, another red squirrel shot"!!! But how can one resist?
19-NOV-2010
House finch, male
A beautiful shot of this handsome finch in the blue spruce.
19-NOV-2010
Downy Woodpecker
Another view of this little woodpecker, showing the very small bill, which is one of the ways to distinguish it from the larger Hairy woodpecker. You'd think size alone would be sufficient to tell them apart, but it is amazingly difficult sometimes to decide which is which, because of size variation. However, the very small bill is a giveaway.
19-NOV-2010
Downy Woodpecker, male
With the coming of winter, many birds that are around the garden all year, suddenly make themselves known! We see these small woodpeckers often in winter, less so in summer. They are around but keeping quiet during breeding season.
19-NOV-2010
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Even on a cool late November day, this honeysuckle was trying to bloom.
16-NOV-2010
American crow
Another of the visitors to the feeder. Not that he could actually get seed from the feeder, but he hung around on the ground with the squirrels vying for a chance to glean some of the spilled seeds.
16-NOV-2010
White-breasted nuthatch at suet
This nuthatch was one of many birds at the feeder this morning. Chickadees of course, and many house finches, juncos, goldfinches, cardinals, mourning doves, and downy woodpecker. There was one robin in the ravine, and a raven could be heard over the Ash woods.
14-NOV-2010
Irpex lacteus
This is a very, very common fungus. You have probably seen it a million times. It looks like thin white scars or scabs on twigs and branches. Only when you look at it through a macro lens or with a hand lens do you see the enormous detail. Then it looks more like a tooth fungus than a polypore!
14-NOV-2010
Beginnings of a beaver dam
Last winter (2009-2010), a beaver spent the season at the FWG Amphibian Pond. That beaver left in the spring when its dam kept getting broken, and no doubt prompted by lack of food. A month or more later, another beaver stayed briefly in the pond, and then with fall came the visits of at least two beaver, one stayed briefly, but the other has started to build a dam. We wonder what will happen this time. There is now a new, raised bridge, so a dam won't impact (or shouldn't) on the bridge. On the other hand, there is not a lot of food, and we notice that the beaver has gone some distance from the pond to gnaw down a few poplar.
14-NOV-2010
Nannyberry bud
I really like the buds of Nannyberries. They are very distinctive and, to my eye, attractive in both colour and form. Also, they are one of the easiest shrubs to ID when the leaves are gone :-)
14-NOV-2010
Ash woods, looking south
The sun was intermittent early this morning, but when it peeked out it was very welcome. Here, we are looking south from the middle of the trail through the Ash woods, toward Carleton University. The yellow leaves on the tree and the ground are Norway maples. Like many non-native species, they retain their leaves much longer in the fall than do native species.
14-NOV-2010
Stay away from my walnut!
This was a very busy red squirrel. He apparently had a stash of walnuts under the stone wall and was busily protecting it from all the other marauders. When I turned up, he grabbed his walnut, leaped on a stone and scolded vociferously.
14-NOV-2010
Shelling the walnut
A little later, the squirrel grabbed a walnut still with its husk, and proceeded to strip it off in seconds flat. It was amazing to watch how quickly this occurred. In no time there was a pile of black walnut husk on the rock, and nearby a very large pile showing that many walnuts had been husked at that spot.
10-NOV-2010
Black-capped chickadee eating sumac seeds
Jeewa was at the FWG for a short time at noon. She said there were lots of chickadees, juncos, cardinals, and a couple of very noisy blue jays (as only blue jays can be!). Well, crows too. In fact, all the members of the Corvid family are pretty gregarious and noisy.
09-NOV-2010
Bruce spanworm (Operophtera bruceata)
These moths, also called Winter Moths, are quite common right now. I saw two on the building at the garden, and more fluttering ghost-like through the vegetation.
09-NOV-2010
Goldenrod gall
The goldenrod galls can often look like pieces of ceramic sculpture. This one is particularly lovely. Sometimes they look like burnished metal.
09-NOV-2010
Double goldenrod galls chewed open by squirrels
These hard round balls on goldenrod stems are galls made the Goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis. In early summer they lay eggs on the newly growing goldenrod stems. The plant tissues react to this intrusion by forming a hard ball around the egg which later hatches into a larva, which in turn attracts the attention of squirrels, mice and birds such as downy and hairy woodpeckers and chickadees, all seeking the juicy larva inside. Sometimes you see double galls like this, and even triple galls, but usually there is one gall per plant.
03-NOV-2010
Giant puffball
Jeewa measured this puffball at 9 inches long and 8 inches wide. Now that is quite a size!
03-NOV-2010
Wild raspberry
The red leaves of the raspberry, etched by frost is perfectly beautiful.
03-NOV-2010
Dog-strangling vine/Pale swallowwort
Even the invasive DSV looks beautiful and ethereal with frost on the pods.
03-NOV-2010
Frost on the leaves
Jeewa was at the FWG very early this morning and said it was cold and frosty. It did, however, provide her with some terrific photographic opportunities and you can see from this and the next few shots how much beauty there is to see in the garden, on even the coldest morning.
Birch seed
This photo was taken a couple of years ago through a microscope. It shows the beauty in the minuscule birch seed. These seeds are layered, one on top of the other, in a small cone-like cluster on birch trees (see previous photo).
03-NOV-2010
American goldfinch eating birch seeds
Goldfinches really enjoy birch seeds, as do redpolls and various finches. It is not unusual to see a group of these birds busily extracting the tiny seeds from the little clusters you can see here.
03-NOV-2010
Ash woods, looking north
The Bill Holland trail leading through the Ash woods where, as you can see, the leaves are still golden in part.
03-NOV-2010
Common Milkweed seeds
There are still seeds in some of the milkweed pods, and in today's sun they were like fine silken threads.
03-NOV-2010
New bridge
Our new bridge is just about ready to use. There is a bit of tweaking to do yet, but it is nearly there!
03-NOV-2010
Downy Woodpecker, male
A very pretty little male downy woodpecker with the patch on his head matching the colour of the feeder, was busily occupied at the suet cake.
03-NOV-2010
Red in roosting box
This little guy wasted no time in staking a claim to this roosting box which was only erected on Saturday, Oct. 30. I watched for some time as he made multiple trips, each with a mouthful of leaves and DSV fluff, which he busily stripped from the plants.
03-NOV-2010
New bird roosting box
Here is one of 7 beautiful new roosting boxes for birds, made for us by a local scout troop. They did a phenomenal job!!! Not only did they make these impressive boxes but they installed them as well!