Last nights Pine Siskin

These two are the images that would not post last night. I had to lighten these up to make the wee birds noticeable as day was done the birds blended into the dusk. It does not help clarity that I am shooting through double-pane glass either, but its to darn cold out there for me.

 Woke to icy windows again so its still darn cold out. As I sit by my window sipping coffee this surprise visitor  briefly flew in then out again. Its a Boreal Chickadee; they have a brown skull cap rather than a black cap. This fellow seems to be travelling with a small group of Juncos.

 Above is a female house sparrow and below is a male house sparrow. Images are dark as they were taken early this morning

 This wee bird is the size of the Pine Siskin yet has a beak the shape of a finch. I have no clue as to what it is? Do you?

 Two Pine Siskin enjoying the catch basket of seeds, they blend so well with the black-oil sunflower seeds don't they. These two are a lot whiter and have very subtle yellow which is hardly noticeable on their wings. The Siskin below is very pretty in yellow.

Red-brested Nuthatch was out early. The white-breasted one is about now also as are the black-capped chickadees which are presently dee-dee-deeing in the morning sunshine.

You Know it Cold When

 You know its really cold when red-breasted nuthatches and

White-breasted Nuthatches snuggle tree trunks.

You know its really cold when finches look like round christmas ornaments.

 Female finch.

Male finch all fluffed up.

 Even Junco's are sheltering from the cold in the evergreen trees 

and puffing up in the shrubbery gathering early morning sun-rays.

Black-cap Chickadee fluff-ball ornaments.

 Most of all you know its real darn cold when the berries freeze to your beak!

Fluffy male House Sparrow. These are illegals, european immigrants which were imported and released onto the continent mid 1850 and are now wide-spread much to the detriment of natural songbird species.

 Cold cold morning sunshine, I never bothered to check the temperature till mid afternoon, by then it was up to a balmy -20 Celsius.

Finches decorating the neighbours tree mid-afternoon.

Last year we put out a pop-bottle seed feeder which worked wonderfully except greedy female finches clashed beaks like crazy attempting to keep other females from the feeder. This summer Gerald scored a brand-new 3 level seed-feeder at a garage sale for $5.00. Now many more finches can get to the seeds without major clash-on-wing brawls happening which is good as the cold snap has brought a multitude of varied birds to the feeder as you can see by the photos.

My last wee sweet little guests dropped by as the light was waning. Which I believe to be Pine siskins.

I will have to post them tomorrow as the server keeps rejecting my last few images.

May warm hugs keep the frosty cold at bay.

A Hare of a Different Color

This morning when I arose snow was gently blanketing the city. Well before daylight finches squabbling over black oil sunflower seeds at the feeder station amused my ears as did the tinkling chirrups of Juncos greeting the morning air. As darkness softened in the subtle morning light I made out a visitor under the evergreen tree outside the sitting room window. Happily he was in no hurry to brave the snow and stayed long after children had passed by on the way to school which gave me the opportunity to shoot through the window when lighting conditions allowed.

Its still snowing steady but the rabbit has hopped on elsewhere.

Bunnikins stayed steadfast with barely a movement all morning in a hollowed out spot amongst the lily-of-the-valley Gerald transplanted under the evergreen tree in July. Next year this spot will be bushier and afford  bunny a bit more seclusion, but for now he seems content.

 This photo was taken the 6th of Oct, you can see a winter coat amid-progress.

 On a drizzly Sept day a soggy looking brown Bunnikins sat at the edge of the lily patch.

Grooming on a warm sunny Sept day. Rabbits tend to be very tidy creatures, I quite enjoy it when they visit. One elderly lady down the street leaves vegetable offerings for rabbits in the cold of winter; her husband in good humour fenced in the flowers they want to preserve for their springtime viewing enjoyment. Early spring when finding food becomes difficult due ice packed snow I've noticed city rabbits will eat the seeds birds spill to the ground.

I wish upon you all generous hugs to warm the heart. Share the love, share the joy.

Remembrance

 War Veterans Memorial Sechelt Nation

REMEMBRANCE with LOVE

Cemetery Guardians

Not far from where I grew up in the forests of cedar and alder is a beautiful clearing, where in the middle a few tall twisty strange trees from another world reside. Its a place of history, a place of memories, fantasies, love, loss, change, growth, as well as neglect and decay.

When I was young my mother, younger brother and I would walk through this hidden garden. I would wonder about those forgotten ones who were left to the brambles and thimbleberry brush that sprung up around the dissolving crosses retaken to the earth by moss and decay. Their names becoming part of the sword-fern undergrowth. Here the thimble-berries and black-caps grew full and sweet, and I swear old spirits brushed by us whispering their tales and dreams. I felt enchantment and wonder of such a place. As though a piece of heaven fell and left an impression. It is in this otherworldly place where my parents ashes and many other childhood neighbours reside.

Some years ago Derek was buried there, he was the first to be interred after many years of the cemeteries dis-use and neglect. After Derek's death I would wander up the road and recede into the dark musty forests embrace and talk with Derek while sunstars danced across dust particles through the clearing.

 Gerald considerately washed mom and dads gravestones for me while I wandered, chatted and photographed.

 This bear is one of the guardians at the head of my parents gravestones, the other is an eagle perched a few feet away on a stump. My mother loved wind chime music so my children and I placed the fairy chime for her after her interment.

This grove of enchantment is lovingly filled with variety that is not often found anymore.

Wind Riders

Click on this photo and look at the red circle.

A closer look at what is within the red circle. I was amazed at the para-sailors who ride the wind so far out. This one was way to far out to enjoy watching by the naked eye, I could really only see him through my 300mm lens. Taken on the the west coast of Vancouver Island

This shot taken on Sechelt Peninsula, This wind rider kept close in to shore which made the ballet of movement enjoyable to watch as he used his body weight to shift and turn the sail.  

Flight of the oyster catcher.

Meditation: Black Oystercatcher.

I wonder why they call them oystercatchers rather than oyster-pickers, its not like oysters have a chance to run and hide. I read that they will eat oysters yet prefer limpets which they pry off rocks.

They have the most amazing yellow and orange eyes which match their bill color and strangely pinkish legs.

Comorant.