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For the Joy of Flowers celebrates the natural beauty that surrounds us.

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Friends,

This will be my last entry for "Nature At My Doorstep".

I have had fun doing this nature blog. To all those who visited - a Big Thank You! It has been such a pleasure meeting you.

Have a great summer. I will be in my garden or out exploring the nearby woods, and I will continue to take pictures of what I see.

Take care.

Sincerely,
April

NOW CLOSED!

A Chance Encounter With An Immature Trumpeter Swan

I had been down at the lake one day taking photos of the swans and geese. Most of the time, they keep well away from the bridge and are instantly alert to any human activity. To get as near as I can, I usually have to resort to using the zoom feature on my camera to the max. Well, on this day, after photographing the birds in the water and on the ice, I turned my attention to the other side of the bridge, hoping for a rare glimpse of an otter or beaver. I looked directly down and was quite startled to see an immature Trumpeter Swan feeding in the shallows below.

As the swan raised her (?) head out of the water, I stood back a bit not wanting to frighten the poor bird half to death.

The swan quickly realized the potential danger she was in and began paddling away.

Paddle, paddle, paddle.

She gave a couple of quiet honks and continued down the river channel.

Let's Be the Earth's Friend

taken June 2008

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Enjoy the Earth gently
For if the Earth is spoiled
It cannot be repaired
Enjoy the Earth gently

~ Yoruba prayer

Unusual Sightings

On our drive today we saw hawks skimming the fields. I am not sure what kind of hawk this is. Could it be a Rough-legged Hawk?

It was amazing to watch these hawks hovering.

Trumpeter Swans and ducks in a saturated field at a highway intersection.

Mallards on heaps in another field. There was a watery area below.

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Usually the only species of deer I see are Mule Deer, so this was a complete surprise.

On This Peaceful Morning

I sat for a while
on the front steps
with my dog &
a steaming mug of tea

That's when I saw my first butterfly of the season
fluttering in the air, then landing on a piece of
firewood in the open woodshed, finding the sun.

By the time I got my camera, the butterfly
was no longer there.

I looked around for several minutes
spotted those rust-coloured wings again,
watched as the butterfly came to rest
in this spruce tree.

The next place I found the butterfly
was on these sun-warmed stones
near the driveway.

This is the Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum).

Note: The Compton Tortoiseshell hibernates as an adult and can survive until the following June. source: Butterflies of Canada

What is most remarkable about this particular sighting is that the Compton Tortoiseshell was the last butterfly species I saw before the cold weather set in last year. At that time (October), one of these amazing butterflies was looking for a place to hibernate. Most likely this is not the same one I saw in the autumn, but I think it is fitting that the Compton Tortoiseshell is the first butterfly of the year to appear in my yard.

Temperature: 7C (44.6F)

Sunshine and Blue Sky

Yesterday, while we were in town, we visited the park by the river (Nechako River) to check if there was any open water yet. The spring thaw is well under way.

A small pond has formed on the other side of the river, bordered by the ice and the opposite shore.

Another zoomed in photo of the same pond, swans feeding, geese resting.

I almost missed these two trumpeter swans.

Dark-eyed Junco and Canada Geese for Bird Photography Weekly

The first thing that greeted me this morning when I opened the door was bird song. A Dark-eyed Junco was sitting facing the sun and singing for all he was worth. Sing on little junco, sing on!

I had gone out with the intention of taking pictures of the Canada Geese feeding in the adjacent field. These wild geese are very wary birds so I could not get too close without disturbing them. I crept along the road stopping briefly every few minutes, but I know they saw me. Not wanting to make them fly up, I soon left.

To join or see more beautiful birds please visit
Bird Photography Weekly.

Early Morning

Temp. 3C (37.4F)

There is a very brisk cold wind blowing this morning. I was dressed more for winter weather than spring when I went out earlier. As the sun was beginning to come up, the Canada Geese began arriving to the stubble field. In twos, threes, sometimes ten or twelve at a time. They are here every day, now that the snow has melted to expose large patches of bare ground.

6:30 a.m.

A Beautiful Spring Day

The snow is fast receding, and we are seeing more and more brown patches in the woods and fields.

Enjoy the weekend! Happy Easter.