Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Garter Snakes on a Warm, Sunny Afternoon



I've been checking every day now for the past week to see if any of the garter snakes had emerged from their winter den.  This afternoon when I was out walking around, there were two on the grass warming themselves in the bright sunshine.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Hope

Dark-eyed Junco
Hope Is The Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson

"Hope" is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird 
That kept so many warm -

I've heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Crow Pair

It's wonderful to see them again. 


Here they are under the bird feeders.  Look at their glossy feathers. The crows returning to the surrounding woods to nest are one of the earlier signs of spring here.

There are a few snowflakes falling, and the temperature is about 1°C this morning. 

Saturday, March 14, 2015

On a Rainy Morning

I observed a Pileated Woodpecker visiting one of the tall Spruce trees. She preened a little, looked this way and that and eventually flew to the adjacent property.


Pileated Woodpecker, female
Red cap isn't as extensive as the male's
Female has a black mustache

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Steller's Jay



This shy bird has been with us all winter.  Despite being constantly harassed by a squirrel, the jay has always returned to fill up on seeds.  Luckily, the squirrel wasn't around on this day, and the jay spent many peaceful minutes on the ground.

High: 14°C  We are having unusual weather for this time of year.  The snow is melting rapidly.  

Monday, March 9, 2015

Good Morning

Temperature: 6°C



The deer are beginning to shed their winter coat.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Monday, March 2, 2015

Wildlife

on the way to the city

a fox with a white-tipped tail,

about to cross the road,

turned and trotted back toward the woods

to wait until we had passed by.

later, on the way home

a moose browsed on the other side of a fence

and didn't look up.

 on the home stretch

we slowed down for a deer

in the middle of the road.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Deer Browsing on Hillside


I watched the deer browsing on the hillside this morning.  They are the same four individuals which travel through every few days.  My initial sighting was of a deer resting a ways down the hill.  Or was it a rock that was shaped like a deer?  I've made similar mistakes before, but this time the "rock" flicked her ears.  Then I saw the other ones.  The deer in the photo was the closest for viewing and stayed in that spot pulling at branches, twigs and tufts of lichen or moss.