Lots of Bird Song and Activity.

We had a few flurries yesterday and this morning everything has a thin coating of the white stuff. It won't be long disappearing once the sun is up. We picked up the paint for the outside of the house yesterday afternoon so the first few warm sunny days in a row we'll be ready to go. In a way I'm excited about it and another way I'm sort of dreading it. I expect I'll start on one side and himself will start on the front.

There has been lots of bird activity this past while. Crows were here all day yesterday and I expect they are nesting close by. Again today in the early morning they were back again so 6:00am. I was mixing up some food for them. They really seem to like the new feeder we put up.
I have to say that they are one of my favorite birds. I managed one picture. Isn't he or she beautiful.


There was an old box in the bushes just up behind the house and one of the chickens decided to lay her eggs in it. After I got the first egg, I got some dried grass and put some in the box to make it more comfortable. I figure if it makes her happy to lay eggs in the box, why not let her.



I happened to go outside around dusk two nights ago and way up in a large Birch tree very near the back door was a grouse. I knew they could fly up in trees but didn't know they could get up that high. I got two photos though not very good. The second one is just to show the colours in the feathers. She or he then flew down on the roof.



I think this is a Purple Finch but not entirely sure.



I'm not sure what this bird is either. Probably a Pine Siskin.

The male and female Pine Grosbeaks come back and forth together each day. Another nest close by I expect. They make a lovely couple.


Female.

Male.


That's it! If it warms up today, I'll be out in the garden.

A Sunny, Warm, Wonderful Weekend!

Usually the general topic of conversation here is the weather. I kept asking myself "Is this really Newfoundland in April?" Well, we experienced summer like conditions this weekend. It was fabulous. Parents arrived on Friday and we spent just about all afternoon sitting outside. The same for Saturday.

It's been quite the weekend one way or another. As the parents were heading for the door to leave for home early this morning and me coming behind them I all of a sudden scream "Stop, nobody move." "What's wrong, what's wrong," they said. I could see out the window in the door and there was an American Goldfinch on one of the feeders. So, I'm yelling while running for the camera, "Don't anyone dare to open the door, don't want to scare him away." I'm beginning to think that maybe I'm cracking up, lol. Well, it is the first one I've seen this year.



And...my very first flutters of the season. So exciting.



Even the house flies were about.


And, I found two more Crocus. Can't figure where they came from.



Another Magpie Moth


Chick a Dee


Nuthatch

A Walk Through My Woods

It was a glorious day yesterday. Early in the morning I got the camera and decided to go over by the stream and take a picture of the last bit of snow. After doing this, I stood there watching the stream and listening to the sound of the water running gently over the rocks. Then my eyes started spotting various mosses on rocks and bits of wood so I started snapping. I have a good portion of woods on my property and years ago I use to walk around it quite often but in recent years I've hardly done this. I really must do it more often as it's so quiet there and the sunlight comes through the trees at times making it magical. Not to forget the smells, especially in the fall when the leaves have fallen. There must be a lot of rabbits as there was an awful lot of rabbit poop. More than I've ever seen.

So, here are some pictures of water, rocks, mosses, etc. Click on pictures to enlarge.










Chicken in bottom left.

If you look closely there's a squirrel on the branch.


Last of the snow.

Spring has Sprung.A

The weather has been marvelous this past few days. There's still some patches of snow in among the trees in the woods but the rest is freed up. Laurie has been here since Friday, going home today. Yesterday was almost like a summer day. A friend of Laurie's came for lunch. I made a big pot of split pea soup and must say it was quite good. After lunch Roger put up another platform feeder for me and it didn't take the birds very long to make use of it. We were wandering around the property when I spied a grouse and tried to get a picture but as it was in among the trees it was difficult. Today is suppose to be lovely once again so I expect I'll be working at the gardens and hopefully get a chance to re-do the screen door. It's time it was up now.

The various bulbs I have around are now poking their heads up and my one crocus...I don't know where it came from, is now in bloom.


Pine Grosbeak and if I'm not mistaken, he's with his lady friend.


I do believe that I have another squirrel here. He or she looks somewhat different than the usual one. A bit more raggedy. Unless of course he's been courting and has started looking a bit frazzled.



The Grouse that I couldn't get a good picture of...


Putting up a new feeder. As you can see if you look to the left, there is still a wee bit of snow here and there. No leaves on the trees yet so everything looks terribly bare.


And, so I'm off to start my day.

Fox Sparrows have Returned.

I always feel that Spring has come when I see the first Fox Sparrow. I remember the first time I saw them many years ago. It was fall, the leaves had fallen and it was a sunny day. I heard a racket coming from the woods as if something big was walking through, kicking up the dried leaves. Curiosity got the better of me so getting up enough nerve, I quietly walked over towards the sound. I didn't see anything at first but then spotted leaves flying up from the ground. There they were, two Fox Sparrows. They would jump ahead then pull a pile of leaves back off the ground and look for goodies. At that time I didn't have a clue what they were but on checking in the bird book I had at the time, I found out.

There has also been a Nuthatch here since yesterday. The first one I've seen this winter. It's strange because last winter they were here for the whole season.

If you look down on the bottom left you'll see the Fox Sparrow. He blends so well with the dry leaves. You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge.




Black Capped Chick A Dee.


Siskins still about as well.

Wednesday

I had plans to bring the garden ornaments out and place them around this morning but it's snowing again. Fortunately it's not staying for long on the ground. They called for sun today and maybe later this will happen. I saw the first Robin of the season this morning. I heard an unfamiliar bird singing and on looking up it was high up in one of the trees.

I washed a lot of clothes, sheets etc. yesterday and although it was snowing, I hung them on the line saying to himself that we were getting sun tomorrow so it wouldn't matter if they were out on the line over night. This morning they are frozen solid and it's snowing again, lol. I'm living in hope here that the sun will shine.

We went down to the beach yesterday as I wanted to get bags of seaweed for the garden. Just as we got out of the car I saw two dogs headed for us at a run, barking, and the owners not far behind. They were cocker spaniels. One mostly black and quite large and the other a golden one. I said hello to them, let them smell my hand and must say they were sweet dogs. By then the owners had caught up and we started chatting. The woman is British and the man Irish. We must have talked for half an hour at least and had a few laughs. So, then we gathered up a half a dozen bags of seaweed and came on home.

Monday I had to go to the hardware store and buy some screen for the screen door and one of the bedroom windows, also some 1 inch nails to put new plastic on the greenhouse doors. Himself wanted to pop into the Goodwill so we headed there. I bought this sweet heart shaped box for just 25 cents.

Afternoon.....
Well, snow or no snow I spent a good part of the morning working outside. Took all the garden ornaments out of the larger greenhouse then mixed seaweed, leaves, compost, hen manure into the soil already in the greenhouse. Then gave it a good watering. Hauled out a large patio table that was shoved under the deck for a few years and hosed that down. I have to get some paint for it as it's quite stained. After lunch I figured I'd go out and do a few more things, tried to but it's damn cold. Came back inside and am calling it a day.

I'm Back.

Myself and a friend set off for St. John's about 8:00 am Monday morning. It was thick with fog for the first two hours and I was a wreck. A wreck only because I couldn't see the sides of the road and the danger of a moose coming on to the highway was very real. As you can see from the first picture, if you look closely at the bottom, you can barely see the lines in the middle of the highway.



The third hour was fine, everything clear. I spent the first night with my parents and brother. My brother is such a wit, the whole time I was laughing so hard that I had a belly ache. It was a great evening. The next day I went to Lauries for two days. I'm afraid there are few pictures as it was raining most of the week and she has sold her car so we didn't get around too much. We did get downtown by bus to the Hemp Shop where I bought some of my favorite incense, then walked for ages going into shops that perked our interest. We stopped for lunch at a fine vegetarian restaurant then got a bus back to Lauries. My legs are still aching from all the walking. It did clear up after supper that evening and we decided to go for another walk. A few pictures.

Cabot Tower in the distance.


I really liked the colours of this house, very Gothic I thought and was considering painting my house these colours but am having second thoughts as my place is just a small one storey and I don't thing it will work.


The central Fire Station. Just down the street from Lauries.


And for you cat lovers, three of Lauries four cats. Willow wasn't co-operative so no picture of her.

Angus.


Sagwa.



Skipper, the little one eyed cat.

I arrived home on Friday and the first thing I saw was Iris's poking up through the ground. What joy....a lot of the snow had gone but still patches around. Yesterday was a glorious day, sunny and warm. I figured I'd do some weeding so got the shovel, my kneeling pad, garden gloves, etc. and went out to get started. I didn't realize it but there is still frost in the ground and couldn't get the shovel through. I spent most of the day cutting back plants and cleaning up some. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw two butterflies. I don't know what they could possibly live on as there is nothing in bloom and won't be for some time yet. My body is aching from head to toe this morning. We are suppose to have some snow flurries today, changing to rain so at least I won't be tempted to go in the garden again today.

Lots of bird song these days. Must be spring, lol. The Boreal Chick a Dee is still here, also the Pine Grosbeak with his lady.