Pine grosbeaks, pine siskins

One of my delights this winter is having a small flock of pine grosbeaks and a flock of pine siskins hanging around. The novelty hasn't worn off yet, and it's great fun having birds to photograph who are fairly tolerant of humans and who have been very cooperative in posing.

I stood quietly under the crabapple tree, and this siskin came over to check me out. While I took a few shots, about 5 more of them came over to where I stood and hopped about the branches right above me, they seem to be curious little birds. (That, or their chattering translates to "put the camera down lady and re-fill the feeder!")

It's entertaining to see the antics of the grosbeaks as they reach for the crabapples. All photos taken Tuesday afternoon, February 24, 2009.

Two good sightings today

It's been a while since I've been out and about looking for interesting things in nature. This morning I didn't have to go far, just walking the dog in the backyard, when I spied a bird up in the neighbour's tree that I thought to be a shrike. I went back inside for the binoculars, and saw that it was a pine grosbeak, so I ran back inside for the camera. It turned out there were 6 of them, and they let me creep near enough for some pictures while they picked at buds on a spruce tree. It's been a few years since I've seen these, 'twas a nice birding treat for the winter.







Later in the day Dad and I took a walk out to our summer property. The conditions are very good right now for hiking around, there was some rain last week and now it is clear and sunny and just below freezing, an adult human can easily walk on top of the crust. Along our laneway I kept an eye out for snowfleas (springtails), there were some, widely scattered. I spotted a larger creature moving on the snow, and when I stooped to examine it, saw that it was a snow scorpion. I tried to photograph it, got this lousy picture. I picked up a piece of grass and tried to "tickle" it into another position so that I could get a shot from the side, but the end of the grass touched on the snow, skipped and flicked my scorpion down into a crack. I probably could have dug it back out, but was afraid I might harm it in the process, so just let it be.

Trillium, pencil sketch

For this winter semester the local college has an art course on botanicals, so I got myself signed up. One of our assignments is to draw and paint a favourite plant, I chose the white trillium. After a couple days of doodling and sketching I finally came up with the drawing, though this is still a work in progress. There are a few blips and burps that need correcting, and no doubt after a good night's sleep I'll see the things that need finishing. I've learned the hard way that when you're tired, put the pencil/paintbrush DOWN and walk away.

Freshwater Clams

From November 10, 2008

Let me begin this post by stating that I am NOT in the habit of "collecting" artifacts from conservation areas, but knowing Fred's interest in molluscs, and wanting to find out more about these freshwater clams, made this exception. There was a cold wind blowing, and I didn't have my measuring tape with me, or I probably would have just photographed these clam shells onsite.

I was walking my dog at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area, at the south end of the dam/reservoir, and noticed some clam shells. I poked along the dam and found a few that seemed to be exceptionally large. I have found these clamshells in other locations, but none that I recall being quite this size. The smallest measures about 3 1/2 inches long, the largest just a hair under 6 inches, with a circumference of just under 8 inches.

Red squirrel

Red squirrels are quite common in our area, take a walk in the woods in any direction and you soon have one chattering, chirping and scolding at your passage. Trying to get a good photograph, however, is a bit of a challenge. Their jerky quick movements and habit of getting behind branches and brush make it difficult to get a clear shot. Yesterday I finally came across one sitting on the rocks, enjoying her snack of pine cones. You can often find piles of chewed up cones, but rarely catch a red squirrel in the act of actually eating one.

Bunchberry: Blooming in September

This morning I led a field trip for the Kingston Field Naturalists at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area just north of Kingston, in search of fungi. We found several species of mushrooms, boletes, and bracket fungi, a list of which I'll be compiling later. Other species of note: a wood frog, leopard frog, heard peepers and treefrogs, heard a catbird calling, saw a viceroy butterfly, and got chattered at by chickadees and scolded by bluejays. Two of us in the group of 6 participants thought we heard a grouse drumming, but couldn't be 100% certain. One interesting thing of note: we found a patch of bunchberries with 3 of the plants in full bloom.

Dragonflies

One of the things I enjoy photographing in late summer and early fall are dew-covered insects. I found these 2 dragonflies on the weeds down beside the lake in mid-September.