Just a few hours left in May......

it is cold, wet, and windy.... the forecast for tonight is only 2 degrees C. How do the little ducklings and birds in the nest keep warm? I have made sure the bird feeders are well stocked, and the humming bird feeders are refilled as well. The young starling show here has the right idea, lots of food..... he just did not seem to know what to do with it!

Mother and 17 ducklings

 

I was just about ready to put the camera away but turned around just in time to see this female Hooded Merganser with her 17 little ones. A good end to the afternoon.

A few snaps of Snipes

I was on my way to Magog, in the rain, and did not have the camera with me...... as I went past the pond on McGowan Road there were some very little snipes hopping around at the edge of the pond. I drove back to the house, got the camera, but by the time I had returned the little ones were safely tucked away. These two were having a lovely time in the rain. They were so well camouflaged that I could hardly make them out. I kept shooting, not knowing what I was going to get. The reflections were great, and one was certainly very narcissistic!!

Hungry??

More blue bird hunting today!

One more shot from earlier

Heron with reflection

The local heron seems to be using a different pond this season, maybe it has developed a more expensive taste....he did appear for a while this afternoon and allowed me to get several shots. His great reflection almost makes up for his spotty appearences

Male Common Yellowthroat Warbler and the Mrs.

in an apple tree by the side of the road.

Such a treat to see this old orchard in good shape again

cedar waxwings and warblers in the apple trees

The apple trees are in full bloom today, and the trees are full of birds.

Why wait for the apples when you can eat the blossoms

American Gold Finch in Apple Tree

While wandering around a friends' back yard today I heard the wonderful song of the American Gold Finch, apparently he likes the apple blossoms as much as we do.

Meet George

George sits on a weather stick outside our kitchen window. He keeps very close watch on the humming bird feeder.... I see him there from early morning till late at night. It is 8:15pm at the moment and he is still on guard. This was not a good day to see his red throat. More to come.

Getting behind in posting....

will get some done tomorow, but here is a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the rest of the long weekend

Blue Bird update

I have been worried about the Blue Birds and whether they made it through the cold nights we have had this week.....seems that all is well, both Mr. and Mrs. were offering lunch today.

The Cherry River Marsh in Magog, Que

I spent most of the day walking through the Cherry River Marsh in Magog, I finally met up with the Green Heron, who looks very much like an American Bittern, but is a bit smaller. It seems every bird in the Marsh today chose to stand behind a branch or more... I think the duck with its head poking out of its box is a common merganzer, but I'm not sure.

Apple and Choke Cherry Blossoms almost in bloom

The apple blossoms are just about ready to pop open.....soon the trees will be filled with bees and hummingbirds.... but for today I only have buds to show you. The wagon wheel in the field was a challenge...focus on the wheel or the blossoms... I chose the wheel.

Another Warbler

Going to build me a house...

lots of yellow warblers around the Cherry River Marsh today

Pine Grosbeak fluffed up to keep warm

Birds will fluff up their feathers to keep them warm on cold spring days,....this Pine Grosbeak was well fluffed.

If some of the photos on the blog are too small.....

clicking on the photo will bring it up to full size...

How does a robin take a bath?

First you need a good sized mud puddle, and of course supervision. Then you dunk your head, scrub your wings well, shake with enthusiasm. Somewhere last night, there were two very clean robins in a nest.

Bickering Swallows and Bad Quill Day

Tuesday morning I wandered around the Cherry River Marsh, looking for the Green Heron, it seems he only comes out by appointment, and I didn't have one..... I did see a couple of bickering swallows. They appeared to be arguing as to which one was going to fly away first..

Today, as I was driving toward Fitch Bay, in the rain, I came across the largest porcupine I have ever seen. He was in the middle of the road, and heading for the Narrows Hill.I parked the car, grabbed the camera and hurried after him. He did not move very quickly, and I could hear him huffing and puffing... He was not happy with me. I increased my speed, and got beside him and he moved over to the road side. I was able to get a side view shot. As the shots from behind will show, he was having a bad quill day. Maybe he was on the way to the hairdresser!

The End Of The Day

The sky was glowing from up on the hill, by the time I made it to the Village the light was just about gone.....someone got in his boat and headed home... a perfect way to end a day.

explaination of the photos

The moth/butterfly ,,....I don't know which.... was very still on the branch, and after a couple of shots I began to think I had managed to catch another dead butterfly. When I looked at the shots at home, it turns out she was laying eggs. So neat!
The bluebirds were just about ready to "make more bluebirds", as I discovered when I looked at those shots at home..... As far as I know the Osprey was just fishing!

Some Days You Win Them All

Spring is such a great time for photographers, it is all about the birds, and the bees......