Trumpeter Swans

 Trumpeter swans

Yesterday my husband and I visited one of our favourite birding haunts, a small wildlife preserve. Not many birds there right now as the water is higher than usual for this time of year.  But after a while, a pair of swans came fairly close, swimming amongst the blooming water lilies.

One wears a tag

Trumpeter swans are making a huge come back in Ontario.  Trumpeters are indigenous to Ontario but in 1886, the last Ontario trumpeter was shot by a hunter.

Nearly a century later, an amateur biologist introduced swans back into the province. It all started with swan eggs obtained  through the Canadian Wildlife Service and the western Canadian Province of Alberta's department of resources. Another kind of swan - mute swans - hatched them. Although the female mute swans didn't care that the trumpeter cygnets were silver-coloured rather than brown like mute swan cygnets, the males did care.  So the volunteer tinted the baby feathers...and the trick worked!

Now there are wild trumpeters even in this tiny wildlife preserve.

Water lilies

More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.


I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

End of June

McKenzie Marsh closeup

Saturday morning my husband drove to Mckenzie Marsh  (Aurora) to look for birds. Well, most of the birds were in hiding but the end-of-June wildflowers were lovely and certainly worth photographing.

Largest square: red-winged blackbird. Moving clockwise: hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum), oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vilgare), bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), purple vetch (Vicia americana), and bird'sfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).

Please note: I have included the botanical names because the common names vary from place to place but the botanical names stay the same.

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

Green Bee on Tradescancia

Tradescancia (aka spiderwort)

Tradescancia like the soil and light in my gardens, and bees like my Tradescancia!
I am linking to I Heart Macro HERE.

Butterfly on Cranesbill

Butterfly on Cranesbill Geranium

On a lovely sunny day, I was outdoors taking photos of my gardens when this little butterfly appeared.
I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Wagon Wheels

  Old wagon wheels and reflections #1

 Old wagon wheels and reflections #2

 Old wagon wheels and reflections #3

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Bird on a Wire

 Song sparrow on wire fence

If this guy didn't want me to take his photo, why was he singing so loud?

Another view of the same sparrow

Yes, when he realized I was pointing my camera at him, he flew away.

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

F/Alphabe-Thursday

Hang gliding in Pickering - last year

F is for FLYING

No, not me!  But I do enjoy watching other people do it. I have a fear of heights.

I haven't been posting to Alphabe-Thursday because my husband has been in the hospital and finding photos for this meme was way too challenging. But now that he's out, I'm b-a-c-k!

Coming in for a landing

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE 

Grumpy Ol'...

 Grumpy Old Man (or woman)

I confess this is from my archives as I have not been out birding for  a couple of weeks. My husband is home from the hospital, yes, but there are myriad jobs we need to accomplish before we can play (YUCK!)...

 Still grumpy

Get oil change for the car, purchase new cell phone, go to doctor's appointment, wait for home-care nurse to check in, be there for physio at home... it goes on and on! But my husband is HOME from hospital! That's the bright spot.

 

I AM smiling!!!

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Summer Begins!

My Yard on June 22nd

This is some of what you can see in my yard right now: a dark pink columbine, false indigo, ruby-red weigela, pale blue spiderwort, purple iris and overlooking it all - tadaa! - this robin (along with many other birds).


Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

Old Ford

 1938 Ford

I wonder what the original owner of this old car would say if he saw it painted yellow.  I bet he'd be surprised that it's still on the road!

 Closeup of license plate

 Front View

This car was at the Country Cruise-in I went to a couple of weeks ago.

The other side

As you can see, the car is in good shape all arond.

In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.

Shrub Rose

Rosa Glauca shrub rose

I am a BIG fan of this rose and wish it bloomed much longer in my garden than it does.  Although it's a cultivated shrub, I love its simple, wild look. The leaves are a lovely grey-green, the stems reddish brown and the flowers just a bit more than an inch (perhaps an inch and a half) across. In a few weeks the bush will bear orangy red hips.

I am linking to Sunday Stills  HERE

I am linking to I Heart Macro HERE.

Mama Duck and Ducklings

 Mama and two of her babies

I was hoping this duck would move in closer but, sadly, she saw me and slowly swam away.

Isn't she lovely?

I think she's a mallard hybrid but I'm not sure. Can anyone identify her?
I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Pond Reflections

 Serious photographer with serious lens

Last weekend my husband had an overnight from the hospital and since the weather was awesome, we went birding for a few hours. The guy above was also out looking for birds. I have no idea what he was looking at through that lens as mine isn't that strong. All I could see were mallards, Canada geese, one Great Blue Heron away off in the distance, and him.  Luckily for me, he was casting a neat reflection.

Same pond, same day

FYI: The hospital released my husband on Wednesday after 99 1/2 days. I'm glad that's over!

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Fences

 Fence #1

Yep, I know you can barely see the fence here, but isn't the garden pretty? If you want to see a better view of a fence then...

 Fence #2

here's one! (It's surroundings are not as pretty though!)

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Spotted sandpipers have ...er...spots. Or not. This one does because it's breeding season. By fall its breast will be spotless.

Foraging for a tasty tidbit

Handsome birds, me thinks.

Stretching

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Another Man'sTreasures

Outside a Collectibles shop

You never know what you'll find! I don't need any of the items here but it's still fun to look.

In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.

Cruise Night

 Old car arriving

Saturday evening, June 17, my brother-in-law,  sister-in-law and I attended a cruise in held every Saturday night (weather permitting) behind the East  Gwillimbury Civic Centre.

 Cruise in banner

 Another car arriving

It was a warm. sunny evening so the owners of vintage cars of many makes and models attended.

 Truth in advertising

Part of the fun for me is reading the license plates.

Even trucks are shined to perfection!

More photos from Our World can be seen by clicking HERE.

Oriental Poppies

 Poppies are blooming!

Bold in colour and size, poppies are showing off in my gardens right now.

Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

Chickadee Parent

 Chickadee with worms

A chickadee family is living in a birdhouse in my garden. Here one parent is sitting in a mulberry tree on its way with worms to the nest.

Watching me, wishing I'd go away...so I did

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE.

Country Cruise-in

Back side of car mirror

Last Saturday my sister- and brother-in-law and I attended the Cool Country Cruise In behind the East Gwillimbury Civic Centre.  Besides photographing old cars, I caught a few fun reflections.

 Modern white E.G. Civic Centre reflected twice in side of old red Ford

 People who love their old cars sure do keep them clean and shiny!

Back of East Gwillimbury town hall

To enjoy reflections from around the world, visit James at Weekend Reflections HERE

Retiring Soon!

Yellow "Corvette"

My husband will soon say goodbye to his wheels as he is walking well with a cane. Whoo hoo!

On Guard

Residential street, Port Perry

This may not look strange to you, but the guard rail in the middle of a residential street seems very different to me.  The street runs parallel to Lake Scugog. On the left side of the photo, cars drive toward where I was standing (a dead end). To go back down the street, they go to the right and up over the hill. 

I am linking to Good Fences HERE.

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)

This plover was on its way north to its tundra breeding grounds. A little over a week ago, it and a couple of others had made a short stopover at a small pond where my husband and I look for shore birds this time of year.

 OOPS! I think it spotted me!

 

Perhaps you prefer this view?

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Pedal Car

For sale 

Last Saturday, my sister and brother-in-law took my husband and me on an outing to Port Perry. Among other places, we visited  an antiques and collectibles shop where I spotted this old-timey vehicle.

Barbie and her friends sure traveled in style back then...whenever that was. Does anyone know what vintage this car is?

Here you can see the pedals

In celebration of the old and wonderful "stuff", I  am connecting to Rubbish Tuesday HERE.