Ten-Thousand

Ten-thousand saw I at a glance at Grant's Woods this afternoon - much better viewing than bird watching.

The canopy of green below the blue sky:

Trilliums among the fallen birch:

The traditional -

The red -

And some unusual -

A lovely afternoon

You can't see "Trillium white"; so it must be:

Wise Old Bird in Lincoln Green?

The Heronry is occupied

He also serves who stands and waits - good birding.

Yesterday:

Just one of at least a half-dozen seen yesterday.

W O B

Orioles

I went for a long slow walk on Wednesday and was rewarded with many first time observations - most won't make this blog. Actually the one that I have chosen is the result of an encounter Vicki and I had today with Susan and Bob.

On Wed I saw some Orioles - I think 2 male and a female:

At the time I saw it as a colourful courtship display.

I took more photos but did not understand them:

Until today when one of Susan or Bob named this as a nest:

Just slide/scroll back 2 images to see the change between Wednesday and Friday/today.

Arni will be leading a walk on Sat and the leaves will be thicker so here is a zoom in to the nest:

I am about 13m north of the sign post marked "5" and am looking East. I feel extremely lucky to
a)  have photographed the nest while it was being built, and b) having met people who could tell this blind person what he had been so fortunate to see.

How shall I sign off ?

Much wiser but more humble old bird ?

Orillia perch Festival

Well the festival was very kind to the fish this year - only a couple of the 65 marked perch were landed, with maybe a few more sightings.

Better luck next time, as one might say. On the other hand I wonder how many marked fish went AWOL?  Like the one I spotted this afternoon on its way to a fish 'n' chips supper -

This was one of 6 osprey we saw today.

So I don't feel too badly signing off    -    Wise Old Bird   !

As I was walking that highway ...

This evening, I was out visiting friends when...

Please turn and talk ...

When I talk with the animals and they talk with me ...

And I forgot to ask whether moose know how to fly - I was speechless.


Wise Old Bird

Sunday May 6 - a white box with a black hole

We had stopped the car to look at some activity:

This is a nesting box - for Bluebirds - but being "courted" by an American Tree Swallow.

And since Sunday this image has haunted me, as "the square peg in the round hole".
From wiki:
"England under Seven Administrations, 1837, "Sir Robert Peel was a smooth round peg, in a sharp-cornered square hole, and Lord Lyndenurst is a rectangular square-cut peg, in a smooth round hole."
(I actually saw it as a round hole in a cube box but that is incidental.)

So misfits, if you will, but tenacious:

 - 2 different dragonflies.

An ornamental Dragonfly

And then what might appear to be a broach - but is not.

And it happens not just to flies.

Lots of beings don't fit.

And although there 12 months in a year, it is more like 13 moonths. And here is why:

Count the markings on the shells and then compare:

Obvious, isn't it. So if you are a square, be determined to be your best.

Wise Old Bird