Come walk with me

This will a photo heavy post so I'll put it up early this week rather than waiting until Saturday.

Between curling games on Sunday, I took myself out for a walk.  It was a beautiful morning, about 13C (55F) in the sunshine. I hadn't walked outside for over a week and I was eager to spend some time outdoors.  I wasn't sure how my back would feel so told my son I'd go the short way round but once I was out there, I didn't.

As I walked through the little park at the end of the block I noticed several children in their masks playing in the playground.  They were running around and climbing on the equipment and just having a good time.  I smiled as I walked past to hear the sounds of happy children.

A short distance beyond the playground the path takes a slight turn out of the trees and into an open park area with just a few trees. The park is bordered by houses on one side and a church parking lot on the other.  Here I found the hares.  Does the first one not have a look of "don't you dare come any closer" on it's face?

As I leave this park, I turn right and head for the crosswalk to enter another park which shares it's space with a school and several condo units.  Today the city had a crew digging up the street at the crosswalk to my left. I was glad to be walking away from the noise.

This park is large, and the path curves around an open are past the condos where I often see hares (not today), then a series of townhouses on the left, followed by several houses on the right before reaching a point where the path comes to a T.  As I passed the houses to my right, I spotted a robin bobbing around in the grass. It flew into a tree as I took out the camera.

When I went to put the camera away, I spotted movement in an evergreen a few meters away.  I saw the flip of the tail and knew there was a squirrel in there so I waited for it to makes it's move. It went bounding through the grass and stopped once to check something out.  

This is my favorite shot of the squirrel - it's just flying through the grass!  It's definitely not Hoover since this one is much thinner.

I took the path to the left at the intersection to reach the creek and was disappointed to see the water level is so low there were no ducks about.  I decided to venture across the bridge and take the unpaved path on the other side of the creek back to the street.  I'm glad I did.

Someone obviously brought the chair down to watch the creek, and I thought it was funny.  (Small things, small minds?)  As I walking closer I heard a sound of a bird that I didn't recognize and I wandered about this area to find the source.  Of course, the bird stopped calling but then started again. It took me a minute or so before I looked up, way up the pole and spotted this bird.

I had no luck identifying it on my own so I sent the photo to my brother.  He advised it is a flicker, either a Northern or a Yellow Thatched flicker, as those are the two we see here.  It's the first time I've seen or heard it in the park, and I'm hopeful it will stay for awhile.

I continued my walk along the creek, keeping an eye out for gopher holes - I could hear them calling to one another as I passed by, but none were brave enough to show themselves.  Further along the creek I did find a few ducks and a marbled Godwit! There were a pair of Godwits last year, and I'm hopeful they'll nest here again this year.

You can see how very shallow the water is.  I'm hoping we'll get some rain in the next week or two, so that the level comes up.

This is the marbled Godwit.  I took several photos and this is the best of the lot.  I was afraid to get too close as it would have flown away.

From the end of the creek, I turned right to reach the crosswalk, crossed the street and walked the half block to the pond.  And guess what?

Babies!!!  I was a bit surprised to see two families with young ones already.  It's been pretty cold at night with temperatures below freezing.  

Just beyond the geese was another bird I didn't think I'd seen before.  

I had to send the photos to my brother for help identifying it.  He informed me it is an Avocet.  It has a unique curved beak. 

There were lots of ducks and several geese at the pond. 

Most of the ducks were paired off and napping in the grass/weeds along the edge of the pond. It won't be long before there will be baby ducks too.

As I walked along the path beside the pond (to my left, condos to my right) I spotted a small bird flitting along into the small trees.  Every time I would get close, it would dash off to the next one. Finally, I was able to move slowly enough that it stopped long enough for a couple of photos.

I would not have been able to identify it, had it not turned it's back to me.

It is a yellow-rumped Warbler! I don't think I have ever seen one here previously - or perhaps I wasn't paying attention.  I had seen on another blog recently so this was a nice surprise.   

By this point, I'd been out walking and stopping and taking photographs for nearly an hour; it was time to head for home.  The path past the pond brings me back to the residential area where I live. A right turn, then a left and a couple of blocks in, I  cut through one of the bays and back into the first park. Most of the children were gone, I assume to their homes for lunch.  Great idea, and I did the same.

Hope you enjoyed the virtual walk!  Have a good day everyone.

A Brief Reprieve

The cool weather moved out and we're enjoying a few days of absolutely gorgeous weather.  D, Eli and I walked on Sunday and Monday, and I headed out this morning.  I had my camera with me today, and have some photos to share.

I think this rabbit thought he was hidden in the shade.  Sorry, buddy you won't be hidden until the snow flies.  Just the other day, the rabbits I saw were still mostly brown, but they're obviously changing fast.

I was surprised to find geese at the creek.  Two were standing guard while the others fed.

There were ducks too, enjoying a feed.

Over at the pond, the geese were flying in and landing.  These four chose to land on the ice.  I laughed as they skidded about 3 to 4 feet!

We had a high temperature yesterday of 20C (72F).  Even with the warm temperatures the ice on the pond didn't entirely melt.  The water level is dropping significantly - with the sand bar in the background.  I'm guessing this is being done by the city though I don't recall it this way last year.

These geese took the more traditional option of landing in the open water.

The thistles have dry remnants of themselves.  I thought about clipping a few and bringing them home but I'm sure they'd just fall apart.

Finally, from Sunday evening a couple of photos of the eastern sky over the neighbour's homes.

The sky was so pretty, and I lucked out as the show lasted just mere minutes.  D went out with her phone when I came back in and missed it entirely.

The nice weather will be with us through Thursday, then we'll see the temperatures drop back to just above the freezing mark on Friday and even colder over the weekend.  Along with the cold, we may get as much as 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) of snow!  I'm definitely going to enjoy this lovely weather while it lasts.

Take care everyone!

October comes in with a bang

October has arrived bringing cool temperatures but thankfully, so far, no hard frosts.  The water in the bird bath did have a bit of ice in it this morning, though.  I still have a few containers of flowers out and I expect I'll pull them today or tomorrow.  A FB memory popped up on Sept 29th that showed we had a bit of a snow shower last year (melting as it hit the ground).  I'm grateful there isn't any snow in our forecast yet.

In advance of the changing weather, I had my tires changed over on Tuesday.  When I called for the appointment, I was told that bringing it in before the end of September would garner me a $25 discount.  Woohoo...of course, what they didn't tell me is they've raised the prices so the difference was minimal.  Oh well, it's done and I learned that both sets of tires still have at least 50-60% tread left.  As little as I drive these days I'll probably not have to buy new tires for a long time yet.

I walked to and from the tire shop - it's only a 15 to 20 minute walk from the house and had my camera with me.  The geese continue to gather at the pond and this day I spotted what appears to be one-legged goose. 

Here's another angle, if it was holding up a leg (which I've seen them do, especially when it is cold), I couldn't tell.  It apparently doesn't affect its ability to feed...that's one fat goose!

I've not seen the Godwit at the pond before.  I just think these little birds are so interesting. The cormorants are there occasionally still but the ducks are gone except for a few remaining at the creek.  

It was cool, just 3C (37F) when I woke on Wednesday, and not much warmer when I went for my walk.  But the day was sunny, I bundled up and wore a pair of mini-gloves and was fine.

The ducks and Godwits were busily feeding in the sun.  I'm thinking the water must be pretty chilly!

D and Eli arrived on Thursday morning and after some additional breakfast - that kid can eat!, we headed out for a walk. 

I don't recall the cormorants having this much white on them.  I wonder, do they change color like our bunnies?  Time for some research.
 

Eli was showing off his Marshall finger puppet.  If you've no small children in your life, you won't be familiar with the Paw Patrol, a group of pups that turn into heroes rescuing people and animals from all sorts of trouble.  Marshall is the loveable clumsy pup who (obviously) is in charge of the fire truck. My friend K gave me a set for him, and he absolutely loves them.  On our way home we stopped at the park and he enjoyed running up and down the hill, and playing on the equipment.

Thursday night was a long one for all of us.  Eli started showing signs of an ear infection - covering his ears with his hands, rubbing his face and lots of whining. He was awake off and on all night - at one point he asked to cuddle with G'ma but he continued to sleep fitfully.  Thankfully D had an appointment with her G.P. on Friday morning so was able to get a prescription for antibiotics. The pharmacy was backed up but she was able to pick up the meds about 2:30 p.m.  We gave him a dose immediately...much against his wishes.  By 4 p.m. he was fast asleep on the couch, slept through dinner, and woke about 7:30 p.m. happy and hungry.

I kept him up with me, while his mom went to bed about 8.  At 10 p.m., I tucked him into bed with her and except for a bathroom run about midnight, and a request for a drink of milk at 3 a.m., he slept well. His nose is running like a faucet - the meds seem to be working. D has a sinus cold as well so she was happy for the sleep.  They headed home early this morning and I expect they'll spend the next few days resting.  He won't be attending pre-K until he gets over this cold/infection.  

Yesterday D and I did a bit of crafting - I'd seen a video on FB and decided it would be a fun and easy project for the two of us to work on.  I picked up ten spoons and several bottles of paint at the thrift store, and the bows and berries at the dollar store.  D brought me some white paint as I couldn't find any.  While Eli was sleeping we finished the painting and this morning I added the bow and berries to one.  D took her spoons home (with bows) to finish off at home.  She plans to add these to jars of brownie mix as Christmas gifts for the teachers at pre-K.  I'm not sure what I'll do with mine but I did think they were cute so I'm sure I'll find a place to display them.

Today, I'll spend some time tidying up, putting toys away, washing sheets and other laundry, and just generally setting things to right. It should be warm enough for a walk this afternoon too. And I won't be surprised if there is nap at some point too.  We're forecast for a lovely day tomorrow so I'll hold off on the yard work until then.  

Take care everyone, stay well, and happy October!

Walking my way

I'm posting an extra post this week because I've lots of photos to share from my daily walk.  Don't feel like you have to read any further if you're tired of seeing these.  

The smoke from the California/Oregon fires arrived here on Monday.  The sun didn't stand a chance, and there was an almost yellow glow to the air.  It didn't smell smoky though and it was quite warm.  I can't imagine what it is like where the fires are burning and my heart goes out to all those who are affected by them.  

Autumn has arrived, seemingly overnight as these photos would suggest. At least I don't recall seeing the colors when I walked on Sunday.

I know for absolute certainty that this tree had leaves the prior day.  It's the only one that has dropped all of its leaves so I assume there it is stressed for some reason.

Tuesday was a walk with lots of critters! First up were the bunnies in the closest park, but none of them would pose for me.  So here's a photo from the following day instead. 

Over at the creek park I ran into a fellow with his dog.  The owner told me the dog loves to have his photo taken, so of course I obliged, after a few scritches and pats.  What a handsome boy!

The ducks and the Godwit were at the creek too, but I have taken so many photos of them I carried on over to the pond.  The geese were gathering, with pairs and larger groups flying in overhead and landing on the pond.  This pair made me laugh, I can almost hear the one saying to the other, "landing gear down!".

I get so excited when I see something different on my walk and this day it was a snow goose.  Normally when I see these, there are out in a field north of the city.  R said that he's not seen them this far south this early in the year before.  I wonder what they know that we don't.

A bird or an alien?  It looks a bit like both!

Today's walk took me to the creek again, where the ducks and Godwit were seen.  Along the banks the vegetation is still green  but the rest of park is pretty brown and dry.

The jack rabbit hunkered down as I passed.  If it weren't for the bit of green he would have been hard to see.

As I arrived at the pond it was evident the geese are gathering. My goodness the noise!

There was another surprise for me at the pond too. This was the best photo I could get, and I'm pretty sure it's a beaver.  I've send the photo to my brother to confirm.  It  headed into the water after this photo and dived under and though I stood and watched I couldn't get another photo of it.  (Update: Kea mentioned it may be a muskrat and my brother has confirmed that is indeed what it is.)

I've heard of having your ducks in a row, but never one's geese.  What can I say, I'm easily amused. 

No birds in this photo, I just love the colors reflecting on the pond.

The smoke has cleared and the sun is shining brightly this afternoon.  The cats are in the sun room and I'm going to join them there in a bit. 

Take care and stay well everyone!

Before the wind blew

The sun is shining on this Sunday afternoon and the wind is a'blowing with gusts anywhere from 20-70 km/h (12-43 mph). This wasn't unexpected so I decided to walk earlier this morning. I'm grateful there is a great walking paths nearby and especially grateful for the wildlife that show themselves to me as I walk.

These two headed my way as other walkers were headed their way so they were caught in the middle. I'm sure they were wishing we'd all go away!

I walked over to the creek hoping to find some red-winged black birds.  The city has obviously cleared the banks and removed all the plants that were there.  It is very disappointing as the birds won't have places to hid their nests or the reeds to sit and sing from. 

This bunny was keeping an eye on me as I skirted past him.  

I heard this gull before he flew over me. (I won't tell you what my brother calls them, it isn't polite)

Why did the goose cross the road?  Well, based on these next few photos it was all because of a female.  She stayed on the shore and let the guys duke it out.

I've never seen these ducks before; I believe they are canvasbacks based on my internet search. I've sent the photo to my brother for confirmation. He was a conservation officer before he went into policing.  

Along the way there were a number of pairs relaxing in the sun.  These two didn't even budge as I walked by.
Finally, what a difference a week makes.  Last week the pond was still mostly covered in ice.  Not today!

There didn't seem to be as many birds around either, but our local man-made lake a few kilometres away is likely open as well. Hmmm...maybe it's time for a walk around the lake!

Take care and stay well everyone!