22-NOV-2011
Red squirrel on compost bin
This red had been burrowing into the compost heap, but when I came along, he scrambled onto the sides and looked guilty, or so I thought! Both reds and grey squirrels were very visible, gathering food or fattening up by gorging on crabapples, walnuts, grapes, Manitoba maple keys, etc.
22-NOV-2011
Frozen pond
It was cold enough overnight, and all day, to see the pond freeze. Hard to believe that only a week or so ago, I saw a painted turtle basking here. The water is very low on both sides of the pond now, and I am hoping that the turtles and frogs in here will be OK. During the last two winters when we had a beaver in the pond, the water was much deeper, which is good.
22-NOV-2011
Mourning dove at BYG pond
This is one of about 6 mourning doves I saw at the FWG today. It was in the Backyard Garden, trying repeatedly to get some water from the pond. It is tough for wildlife to get moisture in winter.
22-NOV-2011
European starlings eating grapes
The wild grape vine across the arbour in front of the Interpretive Centre, was a magnet for starlings, robins, and a few cardinals.
22-NOV-2011
Iris seeds
The seeds of the blue iris are very intriguing and pretty. Each pod has many seeds and they form an interesting pattern.
22-NOV-2011
American robin in red cedar tree
This red cedar tree was full of robins and starlings eating the abundant fruit.
16-NOV-2011
Chipmunk
Several chipmunks were scampering around the garden, one in the BYG, and this one near the Butterfly Meadow. It was still mild with temperatures at +12. I expect they'll retreat to their winter burrows once it gets colder.
16-NOV-2011
Creeping phlox
Although it is mid-November, this phlox was in bloom and as you can see, there are many buds waiting to open. The unusually warm weather is fooling lots of things into thinking it is spring, I think!
16-NOV-2011
Red squirrel
Reds are intelligent little creatures. Several at the FWG have made their homes in, near or under walnut trees. Thus, they have all the comforts of home and food right at hand. This one was staring at my dog Tasha, not in fear it seemed, so much as in disgust!
16-NOV-2011
Mourning dove
This dove was sitting on some old newspaper being used as mulch to cover over and smother some invasive plants. This was underneath a sumac and was a fairly quiet sheltered spot. THere didn't appear to be many birds around, at least in the short time I was there. A flock of robins (approx, 20) and several other individuals, chickadees, a few house finches, crows, and a couple of black ducks in the pond.
14-NOV-2011
Painted turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
This medium-sized painted turtle was basking for some time on the exposed mud. I am sure the unusually warm weather (+18C.) brought this guy out to soak up some sun. Not a common sight in November.
14-NOV-2011
Stinkbug (Pentatomid)
This large stinkbug was flying around near the Butterfly Meadow today. I also saw a sulphur species in the Old Field, and a couple of Polistes dominulus.
14-NOV-2011
Garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis)
I was annoyed, but not really surprised, to find a big growth of garlic mustard growing in an area I had completely cleared out in spring. The seed bank of this plant can be both prolific and long-lived so it will take much time yet before we get rid of this invasive species. We have cleared out this particular site many times over the years, and I think that one day we'll see less or none!
14-NOV-2011
Ash woods
A view looking north through the ash woods on a mild mid-November day.
14-NOV-2011
Amphibian Pond
There were a few black ducks and mallards in the pond, not as many as we saw earlier in the autumn. The amazingly warm weather (+18 today) brought out a painted turtle who was basking on the exposed mud.
14-NOV-2011
Low water in the pond
The water in the Amphibian Pond has been getting low since autumn began, and today there was quite an expanse of mud on the south side.
06-NOV-2011
Morning frost
Another beautiful view by Diane of highbush cranberry fruit with frost crystals.
06-NOV-2011
Frost
Diane captured the early morning frost on this highbush cranberry.
30-OCT-2011
Monarch waystation site
This is one section of our Monarch Waystation that was recently rototilled. This is done to try and control the invasive dog-strangling vine which would otherwise prevent other plants from growing here.
06-NOV-2011
Black duck
A lovely photo by Diane of one of the black ducks that can be frequently seen in the pond.
06-NOV-2011
Bee box
Diane put up this bee box, made by Bruce Burns. It is now waiting for next spring and bees to discover it. The last box we put up, a few summers ago, was almost immediately used by some leaf-cutting bees (Megachilids).
04-NOV-2011
Phlebia
This is a brightly coloured, but rather unusual bracket fungus often found on birch trees.
04-NOV-2011
South of the pond
A view looking eastward, and also showing the south side of the pond with its row of bird houses.
04-NOV-2011
Goldenrod gall
This was one of scores of opened goldenrod galls found in the cut portion of the old field. It is remarkable how neatly the gall has been chewed in half, and the little goldenrod gall fly grub extracted from its shelter in the middle. These galls are hard, not easily cut with a sharp knife, so it is all the more interesting that squirrels and mice can chew them open so perfectly, like this one.
04-NOV-2011
Cardinal nest
This is an unusual place for a cardinal nest, but during the earlier part of the summer, this is where the cardinals were coming and going. Normally, they like the protection of cedar trees or other conifers, or even shrubs such as tartarian honeysuckle. However, in summer, these vines were thick and dense with leaves so there was certainly good cover.
01-NOV-2011
Polypore (Daedalopsis)
A common polypore, this one had grown around an Oriental Bittersweet vine in the Birch Grove. Barry and Jeff removed the vines today and in so doing, left a small amount of the bark in this polypore.
01-NOV-2011
Blue-stain fungus (Chlorociboria aeruginascens)
When blue stained wood is first encountered, people wonder where the colour comes from, and often suspect it is of human origin. First time I saw it, I thought someone had splashed blue paint on logs. I eventually learned that this is the hyphae of a very pretty sac fungus. After a good rainfall, gorgeous little blue sac fungi appear on rotting logs. Well worth looking for.
01-NOV-2011
Dark-eyed junco on Sorghum
Adjacent to the garden is a field of Sorghum which is attracting big flocks of juncos.
01-NOV-2011
Sorghum
There is a crop of sorghum growing adjacent to the FWG. Here, you can see the seeds that attract birds such as juncos to feast on them. Sorghum, of which there are many species, is a grass that has long been cultivated as a grain both for human food and for fodder.
01-NOV-2011
Red squirrel
Found this little guy on the edge of Old Field.
01-NOV-2011
Amphibian Pond
Looking across the pond on the first day of November. I guess it won't be long before we see ice and snow covering this tranqil scene. There were about a dozen black ducks and mallards on the pond.
01-NOV-2011
American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
While the Birch Grove is overrun with the invasive Asian Bittersweet, there are still a few plants of the native species around the garden. This is the seed head of the native plant.
01-NOV-2011
Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
This small patch of reed canary grass is growing near the Old Field and I don't recall having seen it before! But this grass has a way of appearing, and disappearing too.
01-NOV-2011
High-bush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum)
The pretty glistening red fruit of the high-bush cranberry. It looks similar to that of the non-native vine, deadly nightshade. Although this shrub is touted as a good food source for birds, we find that few birds or animals eat the fruit. It may be that the shrubs we have are cultivars, grown for their lack of appeal to wildlife, ensuring the fruit stays on all winter. But I don't really know.
