The male goldfinches are finishing their spring molt. Such beautiful birds, their song is liquid gold, sweet and delightful to hear.
Sammy . . .
. . . and I don’t mean Sosa, or Hagar. One of our resident squirrels waits for Stella to be distracted before attempting to descend to the ground.
First sighting
Yesterday we saw the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of this season. This male visited our feeder during a very blustery afternoon. It is still around today. They are such incredible and intrepid animals, flying such distances. I posted my sighting on the Ontario Hummingbird Project web site.
Suspended, Lambton County
Suspended between the deep sleep, the rest period of winter and the animation, the activity of spring, this field awaits the planter.
Guard dog
I’m not a fan of cats being allowed to roam in urban situations for several reasons – caterwauling cats disturb my sleep and serenity, the appalling toll they take on urban bird life, the cats that are run over by vehicles.
This cat found its way into our backyard without my knowledge. I took a break from computing and let the cattle dogs out. Achilles almost immediately saw or scented, then cornered it. Chili is pretty cagey, while he kept it cornered he maintained a healthy distance. After about 20 minutes I lost interest and went inside. All remained quiet outside. After another hour or so Achilles lost interest and scratched at the door, asking to come inside.
I took this photo almost four years ago and as far as I can determine this cat has never returned to our backyard. Smart kitty.
Ruffled feathers
This Mourning Dove became a little dishevelled during a recent blustery evening.
Framed
Stella, seen through the trellis netting.
Achilles, resting
Several years ago Achilles and I participated in a fund-raising walk for the local chapter of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA). It was a natural thing to do since I adopted him from a shelter. It was a warm and humid day which made the stroll, largely out in the sun, less than easy. We took a break when we got in the shade of some tall trees. What a good boy he was that day, and is to this day.
Barn, Chatham-Kent
Convection
Taken with and posted on.the PlayBook
We had a day-long rain with a chill east wind, 23 mm of rain fell. A warm front has swept through, scrubbing out the rain (for now). We had a front row seat as a thunderstorm developed then moved off to our east. This is the trailing end of the storm, still building. Air is really a fluid, clouds accentuate that and are dynamic, compelling sculpture.
previouslytexan 