30-JAN-2012
Enjoying the sun
In the sun and out of the breeze, this red squirrel was having a snooze. He woke up long enough to give me a look, but showed no sign of distress. I took only two shots though and moved on. Reds were pretty noticeable today at the garden, in all their usual (dare I say "traditional") haunts around the garden.
30-JAN-2012
Lapping sap
Every year at about this time, red squirrels can be seen nibbling at maple branches to get the sap running, which they then lap up. This little guy was so busy on a Manitoba maple that even though I was standing nearby, and he knew it, he kept on working. He ran up and down the various branches, hung upside down and contorted himself into all sorts of positions to get at the sap. Here, you can see his little pink tongue licking away.
30-JAN-2012
Hanging out the mushroom to dry
Squirrels, both grey and red, but mostly the latter, will hang up mushrooms to dry for later consumption. This one had been stuck into a tiny hole in a tree.
30-JAN-2012
Fox tracks on pond
Nice fresh snow on the pond showed up these fox tracks well. Almost every year we see the tracks and scat of this urbanized wild canid around the site. Nice to know that we share the garden with such lovely visitors.
30-JAN-2012
Mallard pair
This pair of mallards was sitting in the sun by the BYG feeder where a grey (black) squirrel was feeding. They sat there for a little while and then flew off over the Arboretum. Last winter, we also saw mallards under the feeder, sometimes in pretty good numbers!
30-JAN-2012
Mourning dove
It was a brilliantly sunny day at the FWG, and although the temperature was only -6, it seemed colder. I didn't see the white-throated sparrow that Diane saw recently, but did see 3 mourning doves, about 5 robins, 7 house finches, 10-15 chickadees, and a crow. Oh yes, and a couple of mallards underneath the feeder in the BYG!
22-JAN-2012
White-throated sparrow
Diane was at the FWG and was happy to see this white-throated sparrow, perhaps fooled into lingering by the warm winter that occurred before Christmas. Occasionally these guys spend the winter in Ottawa, but not in big numbers. As long as he has food and shelter and no hawks get him, he should be OK.
22-JAN-2012
White-throated sparrow
Another view of the sparrow, this time a lovely head-on shot, by Diane.
14-JAN-2012
House finch, male
A gorgeously bright red male house finch fluffed up against the -17celsius temperatures.
14-JAN-2012
New garden shed in winter sun
This photo by Diane makes the new garden shed look even more impressive! Set against that pretty winter scene it looks quite beautiful.
14-JAN-2012
Cooper's Hawk
Diane said that while it was very cold at the FWG, it was also sunny and looked like a winter wonderland. It was quiet at first in terms of bird life, but after a little while she ended up seeing mourning doves, chickadees, a robin, cardinals, and this adult cooper's hawk!
14-JAN-2012
Winter scene at the FWG
After the 10-15 cm of snow that we had on Thursday and Friday, the garden looked gorgeous under deep blue sunny skies, as shown in this pretty photo by Diane.