“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.” Carl Sandburg On this eve, the Moon, in a Waxing Gibbous phase was definitely very present for any lonesome person to talk to. In this part of it's phase, it's approximately 92% illuminated, but not yet a Full Moon according to Moon Giant. For a moon that is not considered fully illuminated, it sure was bright. In most of the photos that we took, it looked almost looked like photos of the sun and makes the term "midnight sun" very understandable. The clouds also gave it a sundog look. Surreal is how it was.
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At first sight, these two seem to be uncaring of the other's presence, but that was short lived. The Chipping Sparrow has its nest in the bush right there and wants the chipmunk (aka Mr. Chipper) no where near this bush or railing! It was quite entertaining watching as the sparrow chirped at the chipmunk and jumped toward it to show its displeasure. Eventually, the sparrow jumped on the chipmunk to let it know that it had come too close to the nesting area. Mr. Chipper finally got the message and high-tailed it out of there.
You can learn more about the Chipping Sparrow at the Cornell Labs website, including hearing their calls. To learn more about Chipmunks, you can visit the Hinterland Who's Who site. “There is nothing more musical than a sunset.” - Claude Debussy A short walk over to Shetland Conservation Area was made complete with a beautiful sunset. I took Mehmet Murat Ildan advice: “When the sun is setting, leave whatever you are doing and watch it." I stopped in my tracks and watched the view. The colours were a magical palette that even master painters would be envious of.
Another bird has migrated back and added some colour to the landscape. The Baltimore Orioles have been seen at the feeders and, of course enjoying some fresh-cut oranges. They can often been heard singing in the nearby trees, too.
Here are some interesting facts about the Baltimore Oriole from The Cornell Labs website:
You can learn more about the Baltimore Oriole and hear it's call at The Cornell Labs website. With all of the spring flowers coming into bloom, it's time to start foraging and making the abundant blossoms into edible treats. Violets make a beautiful tea and that tea can be made into a bright and tasty jelly! There are so many different plants that are spring to life that can be made into jelly, tea, salad, coffee (well, a sort of coffee or coffee substitute) and so much more. We are undoubtedly in a very blessed area of the world. This year's crop is in the field! Corn is what has been planted this year. It will be fun to watch and see how fast this will appear and grow. Let's all hope that the weather cooperates and this is a bumper crop year for our farmers!
Please, take care on the roads, too. There are a lot of slow moving vehicles about as farmers are starting to prepare their fields and plant. The quote: “But even when the moon looks like it's waning...it's actually never changing shape. Don't ever forget that.” (Ai Yazawa, Nana, Vol. 14,) perfectly suits the moon in the sky last night. We didn't need to use the telescopes to see and enjoy this fantastic site on the horizon. The feeders were filled in anticipation of these colourful beauties would return and here they are! It has been a lot of fun to watch them. It is the first time that we have ever seen the male's mating ritual of flying back and forth like he's on a swing and the flaring of his red bib. There is always something more to learn and see.
Here are some cool facts about the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds from The Cornell Labs:
You can visit The Cornell Labs website to learn more and hear the Ruby-throated Hummingbird calls. Despite the warming temperatures and the promise of the spring blooms, the snow was back this morning. You really can't be mad waking up to this sprinkling on the ground and trees when the landscape is so breathtaking in the golden sunrise. Even in this layer of frozen crust, there are still promises of warmth and colour to come.
There are glorious signs that spring is here, including the budding of the weeping cherry (above) at the front of the house and Mrs. Bunny (below) visiting the feeders through the day. The temperatures are rising and the snow has shrunk away, though it is a little too early to start celebrating the snow's disappearance. Well, we could have a wee celebration in gratitude for the return of the flowers and the colours that are bursting forth. |
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July 2023
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