Critters big and little, furred and feathered....

June 20, 2026

 Happy Solstice tomorrow!

So, to recap a bit, here is Hubby up the tree mounting the owl nest box. 

It was a bit of a struggle getting the long ladder in to the chosen tree, and then extending it up. I was under the ladder holding it against the tree for dear life as firmly as I could, so he could go up the first time and ratchet strap the top of the ladder to the tree for the stability needed to affix the box. Meanwhile, it was a hot, humid day, and we were both being eaten by swarms of biting insects. With a pulley ratchet strapped to the tree, and a long rope, we got the hefty box up, positioned and affixed. It is mounted on a large branchy hemlock beyond this ridge from which we have a vantage point to see it. 

Meanwhile, in the bush, the lady slipper orchids are fading, but they were beautiful, and I am always amazed at how well those bright pink ladies hide amongst the greenery.

The glossy leaves of Goldthread is carpeting the ground in more moist areas of the bush.

I pulled up a bit to show the reason for it's name. The roots have medicinal properties, and from childhood, I remember folks who harvested and used it. 

Robins are the first birds to herald the dawn, and here is a picture off of Bird Cam, capturing the moment!

We know the catbird has been hanging out around here, proven by many pictures of it on Bird Cam.

Furred, as well as feathered critters are using the net-ball of roving in front of the camera. Regular visitors are chipmunks, (perhaps it is lining it's burrow?), flying squirrels, and mice.

This picture was captured on a trail camera last week. 

Last evening, a doe and fawn wandered in the driveway and the doe browsed her way along the south edge of the clearing, the little one keeping close to her. 

This morning's trail camera surprise was this...

Darn, just missed you!



 

 

Blogger is thwarting me....

 June 14, 2026

Blogger has been giving me issues, particularly refusing to let me post photos. I wanted to show you the owl box being put up. That involved a lot of bug bites, bushwhacking and sweat, but we are happy with its place over on the back side of the property, in a place far away from trails and roads. A few years ago, on a walk through the area, I encountered two fluffy owlets watching me curiously from above, so I know the owls like the territory. 

I'm pretty sure the Gray catbird is nesting in the lilac bushes. It is quite a dense tangle, and the birds frequent it all the time. We've seen her popping in and out, foraging for bugs on the ground throughout the flower bed. Eastern phoebes have a nest up under the eaves of the verandah, and Hubby was sure he heard little peeping sounds yesterday. An American robin has chosen to nest in the top of one of the pyramidal cedars out front, just under the eaves, behind the drip line of the verandah. Robins have tried that spot before, unsuccessfully, as Blue jays raided the nest that time. We also found the robin's nest in the woodshed on the ground...raided we think by raccoons. The same critters, and perhaps maybe a skunk has been doing some unauthorized cultivating here and there in the food and flower beds, so everything is strategically covered in screens and hardware cloth. Once the plants get big enough, I'll feel okay with removing the deterrents. The deer have been doing a little nibbling on my fruit trees, so a batch of homemade anti-deer spray is being concocted to go into service before the store-bought stuff runs out. Gardening is an on-going battle. Yesterday the trail cameras showed a new member of the herd, a tiny, spotted fawn following her mom by one of the cameras. A new inductee into the art of garden raiding.....

Mother Nature has been good and consistent about giving us sufficient rain and warm temperatures, so watering has not been needed, although we are ready, with the big tanks pumped full. 

The gardens are starting to show their mettle. Now is my favourite time, waiting, watching and doing regular maintenance on the plants. Every early morning garden reconnoitre is a new adventure.

 

 

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It's Apple Blossom Time...

 May 31, 2026

The crab-apple tree just west of the house has pretty much lost all of it's petals in the ferocious winds we endured Friday afternoon and evening. She was a thing of beauty, her aroma permeating the air all around, full of buzzing life, and an amazing bird magnet...

A flock of at least of 10 Cedar Waxwings made daily visits to the tree, to eat the blossom petals, and I got occasional glimpses of a warbler busily flitting about, harvesting bugs. I think it was a Nashville warbler, but it never held still long enough to give me a good view. We will be inundated with fruit late this summer, if things go well.

The wind on Friday afternoon was scary, 55 to 70 Km/hour wind gusts, lasting into late evening. Doubly concerning, was the appearance and smell of fresh smoke. What a burst of adrenaline that causes, living as we do, surrounded by bush that could use a good rainfall. How does one report a fire when one doesn't know where it is?? On contacting the fire chief, we found out there were 3 fires to the north of us, caused by arcing where the wind had downed trees onto power lines. The bush is tinder-dry, as we haven't had rain for a while. We are so thankful for the folk who dealt with the fires.

Saturday morning Hubby scouted the road with a chainsaw before we headed out, and did have to remove some obstructions. Our destination was a tour of St. Francis Herb farm in Barry's Bay. 

It is early in the season, so the fields were being prepped and the greenhouse was full. 

https://stfrancisherbfarm.com/

 Off to the side of the fields, their pollinating partners...

On Thursday, we built something I've wanted for a while....

An owl nesting box. We made it out of spruce boards from trees harvested and milled on the property, but had to do a little 'board and battening', as the boards were not quite wide enough. We may need a chain hoist to mount it when we find the perfect place! It is too late for occupation this year, but putting it out now will allow the critters and birds to become accustomed to it, and hopefully it's garish new wood look will weather a bit.

On the subject of owls....These pictures came off of Bird Cam today.

Our resident Barred owl really likes to sit up on the branch in front of the camera. A good solid place to preen his/her toes...(click on the pics to get a better look at those amazing talons.)

The Gray catbird who has been hanging out and serenading us from the crab-apple tree and the lilac bush for quite a while, took a break in front of Bird Cam, and in one shot appeared to be pulling wool roving out of the ball of nesting material.

In the woods, things are blooming. 

Fringed Polygala,
 

Star flowers....

and Lady Slipper orchids. 

In the garden....hopefully tomorrow, the tomato and pepper plants will get planted out, and seeds for warm weather crops put into the ground. The forecast for the next two weeks shows gradually warming temperatures, particularly the overnights, which have been very inconsistent about reaching the 10C (50F) mark so far.

 

It was just a matter of time...

 May 24, 2026

...until these guys spotted the pond and green grass,

so now the Geese Wars are on. Usually we only have to open the back door to start them on their merry way, but I walked toward this pair, and they continued to graze some more before they waddled away complaining, and finally took to the air. 

It's Time .... to start planting! Today I planted out my well hardened off little celery plants and put a few marigolds among them, then covered the bed with hardware cloth propped up on bricks. For whatever reason, the local fox family have to investigate by digging, anywhere I have disturbed the soil, so until plants grow and fill in a bit, the hardware cloth stays on. 

The pea patch is up, onion sets, seed onions and garlic are looking good, and yesterday we got the anti-cabbage moth, anti-deer, anti-any other critter netting stretched over the brassica patch. 

Some potatoes have been planted, carrot and beet seeds are in the ground, and there are young lettuces almost big enough to start harvesting a few leaves. 

In the kitchen, processing lovely, young, fresh rhubarb for the freezer, for winter pies and puddings.

When Mother Nature gives you so many dandelions, it's time to try your hand at making dandelion wine....

Picking all these blooms is a brutal exercise for one's back. Yep, those are tweezers for picking out any green bits I missed.

Time will tell how well I succeeded.

In the bird department, some pictures taken through the window. Credit goes to our son for the shots. Somehow he was able to focus between the bird anti-collision dots on the windows, and avoid any blurring.

An iridescent Grackle on the seed tray,

two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the nectar feeder,

a female American Goldfinch in the crab-apple tree,

and a male Purple finch, ditto. 

This spring we have been daily serenaded by a Gray Catbird, who seems to like sitting up on the highest twig of the crab-apple tree. He has quite the song repertoire.  

Out and about, Marsh Marigolds are blooming in the ditches,

 and Lady Slipper Orchids are budded up.

The week that was...

 May 17, 2026

 This was Monday....

We had a torrential downpouring of hail. With the wind and cool temperatures, one could be excused for beginning to think that warmth would never come.

Gradually the week has warmed up, until the last two nights, when the temperatures have held above 10C (50F), and all my seedlings have stayed out on the verandah overnight. Today it is 23C (73F), and finally it is verandah weather for us as well as the plants!

A few things got accomplished. We replaced the rotting framing on raised garden bed #4 with thick cedar boards that Hubby milled for this purpose. Number 4 was the third bed we created either in 2017 or 2018, framed with poplar lumber the previous owner had left, so it has lasted pretty well. 

Over the last couple of warm days, leaves are coming out, blooms are swelling, and this morning my little plum tree has gone from bud,

To bloom....

 Our lilac bush is going to put on a really good show this year. There are tight little grape-like bud clusters all over it. 

 Back in the bush we saw moose tracks, and when the camera chips were checked...

On Bird Camera, a pretty White-throated sparrow, 

a Red-winged black-bird, his red epaulets showing up much better now, as the breeding season advances. 

Finally, "Are you looking at me??"

A curious Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

Found while bush wandering, a beautiful blooming aromatic patch of Trailing Arbutus, and later in the week, on another hike,

lots of White trilliums. 

Most of the expected migrant birds are back, the Chestnut-sided warbler and Veery were the latest arrivals. Between the frog song at night from around the pond, and the bird music by day, there is no peace and quiet here any more!

Orange and yellow, black and white, red, blue and grey....

May 10, 2026

The migrants are filtering in, filling the yard and bush with song. Some warblers and some thrushes have arrived. Yellow-rumped, and Black-throated blue warblers; Hermit thrush, Wood thrush, Northern water thrush and Oven bird. Blue-headed vireos have been here for a week or so. 

In a flash of beautiful orange and black, a male Baltimore Oriole showed up early this week, hung around for a day, then another male showed up. They harassed each other a bit, decimated the oranges we put out for them, ignored the nectar, and have now moved on. How brilliantly orange they were, sitting up in the crab-apple tree, surrounded by spring-green baby leaves, in the morning sunlight. 

The results....

The male Rose-breasted grosbeaks arrived a few days ago, and have just started to sing around the clearing now that the girls are here as well. 

We spotted this guy, perched high in a cedar tree singing, with the morning sun warm on him. 

I splurged on some expensive finch food and filled a tube feeder. It goes down by thirds every day.

Purple finches, Gold finches and particularly Chipping sparrows are enjoying it. The Grosbeaks perch precariously on the little pegs and flutter their wings madly, trying to feed from it as well. 

A few pictures off of the Bird Camera.

A Blue jay, looking so jaunty in his spring duds...

One of the Orioles, looking puffed and chilled, even though the temperature wasn't too low that day.

 

A favourite of mine. White-throated sparrow. 

There is a flock of about a dozen hanging out, foraging beneath the tray and finch feeders every morning, accompanied by a couple of White-crowned sparrows.

Grackles and Red-wings are still here, and this morning a couple of Brown-headed cowbirds appeared among them. The Chickadees are scarce, no longer frequenting the feeders, and just one lone Junco was seen this morning. 

There have been very few days that the temperature has risen enough to even begin putting plants out to harden off, and even those warmer days have been accompanied by a brutal wind. There are a few asparagus spears poking up, and maybe tomorrow there will be enough to harvest. Some perennials have been moved, the raised beds have been broad-forked, and some lettuce and radish seeds are in. The broccoli and cabbage seedlings have been planted out with wind protection. They germinated and grew in the hot frame, so no hardening off was needed. The onion sets are slowly, slowly poking  green leaves up, but so far, no sign of the peas.  

Tightly sheathed green blossom buds are visible everywhere on the crab apple tree, always the first tree around to leaf out, and this is it's biennial year for bearing; but apple tree buds are just starting to visibly enlarge, too soon to see bloom buds, and one can just begin to vaguely see darker tips on the lilac bushes, where blooms will be. 

 By this date in May, black flies are usually out, but it is too cool, so no sign of them. We have had a fire every morning so far, and on several days, including today, have kept it going all day long. 

I guess this is what the old folks call a 'late spring'.