Happy Squirrel

This little fella was not bothered by my presence, but only interested in a good meal.  Today's menu consisted of seeds from this spruce tree cone.  They are always in search of nuts too and will eat just about anything in a backyard bird feeder.  Sunflower seeds and peanuts are a couple of favorites with our Northern Red Squirrels.  Sharing them with the backyard birds can be a challenge though.  I guess that is why they are known to most as pests.  You must admit, this little squirrel wins "The Cutest Pest Ever" award!

American Dagger Moth Caterpillar

I just couldn't help myself to share a little
bit of "humor" with these photos!!

This little fella is quite smart too!!
Maybe caterpillars can read!! (wink wink)
He is having a snooze under this ''caterpillar sign"

American Dagger Moth Caterpillars are large caterpillars that are typically clothed in long lemon yellow hairs.  The hairs turn pale yellow or white when they are near the cocoon stage.  They have a thick black tuft at the end and two pairs of tufts along their middle, which is a very distinctive characteristic pattern.

American Dagger Moth Caterpillars are a forest moth species.  They feed on maples, willows, poplars, oaks, and alders.  You can observe them until the end of October or November.  They will emerge the following summer as a brown moth after spending a winter inside their cocoons.

Dragonflies and Damselflies

When I first spotted this Golden-ringed Dragonfly, I thought it was simply resting on the tree branch, but as I walked closer, I realized he was eating what was left of a Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly.  Dragonflies will feed on large insects such as wasps, beetles, bumblebees, damselflies, and other dragonflies.  They are very fast fliers; one of the largest in the dragonfly family and have a wingspan of almost 10 cm....

A pair of Damselflies during courtship on the lake grass.

In Love...............

The reflection of their courting pose, makes a shape of heart from my point of view.

In reality, when damselflies mate, they actually form a heart-shaped pose or a mating wheel.

Hello Johnny

This was Johnny's favorite tree to climb

Now, Johnny sits and reminisces about the good 'ole days

Common Loon

Common Loons can be seen along the coastlines of rivers and lakes across North America.  Although very sensitive to human disturbance, we were lucky enough to capture this handsome male close by.  He was focused on meeting up with the female and her baby which we spotted out further in the lake.  They have a very distinctive call that echos across the wilderness and it is music to our ears every time we hear them.

Black-Eyed Susan

 

Black-Eyed Susans are one of the most popular wildflowers of North America and come in yellow, red and orange.

Bees and Butterflies, and a variety of insects are attracted to Black-Eyed Susans for the nectar. They move pollen from one plant to another as they drink the nectar, causing it to grow fruits and seeds that can move about easily with the wind.

Nectar Cafe

This fascinating Bumblebee is seen collecting nectar and pollen from a Black Knapweed.

This wild flowering perennial provides for all kinds of insects including butterflies, bees and wasps.  Bees are extremely important pollinators for agriculture which include many varieties of fruits and vegetation.

Black Knapweed can be cut down in autumn after flowering or left through the winter so that its seeds provide a food source for the birds.

St John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum)

St John's Wort flowers (Hypericum perforatum) were hand picked from our property and local area ....

St John’s Wort Oil is created by infusing the flowers in a fixed oil (I use 100% organic sunflower oil) and preserved for at least 6 weeks or longer in the sun....

The active components in St John's Wort are found in the buds, flowers, and newest leaves.

St John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) is a very effective anti-inflammatory.... It is excellent for treating insect bites and stings, cuts, burns, bruises, sprains and speeds recovery time dramatically... This amazing oil is a must have in a first aid kit.

St John's Wort Oil (30 ml glass bottle) - 100% organic

It is also safe to use on your pets!!  We healed our pekin duck's foot... See how : http://shamik4.blogspot.ca/2012/09/homeopathy-for-my-pekin-duck.html

The St John's Wort flower is a favorite of the bumble bee

** The 2015 harvesting season is here and more of this wonderful oil will be available for purchase mid September. If you would like a custom order, please email us and we will be happy to accommodate. We have some excellent quality stock left from 2014 that can be purchased here: St John's Wort Oil (2014) or on our Ebay store

****This amazing oil has an excellent shelf life if stored in a cool, dark place

DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. Customers are reminded that it is entirely of their own accord, right and responsibility to make educated choices with their own, and their family's, health care. Always consult a physician prior to the use of any herbal product or service.

Little Green Grasshopper

Green grasshoppers indicate fresh starts
or new beginnings.

Grasshoppers symbolize GOOD LUCK !!!!

Grasshoppers definitely have meaning!  They teach you to take a chance, to leap forward – they don’t leap backwards.

They also have “ears” in their legs, so they remind you to trust your inner voice...

Fish Hawk

This Fish Hawk, also known as an Osprey

was in search for a meal

He sighted his prey and you can see his talons opening up as he makes his second attempt at entering the water....Osprey's can catch fish, on average, one in every four dives.

 

Landing on his prey!!

Heading back to his perch with supper!!

Did you know?

During 13 days, one Osprey was documented flying 2700 miles (4345 kilometers) !!

Watch Me Grow

Dark-Eyed Junco eggs nestled in the perennial garden by our house!!  The female incubates the eggs for 12-13 days and the nestling period is approximately 10-13 days!!

All four babies were hatched successfully

and are growing very quickly!!

Mom and Dad are not too far away!!

These little babies fledged the nest the day after this photo was taken!!  We are fortunate to have them with us year round!!  They will soon be introduced to our backyard feeders.... They prefer millet over sunflower seeds.  Dark-Eyed Juncos also eat insects including flies, moths, butterflies, ants, wasps and beetles.

Dragonfly

Are dragonflies symbolic to you?

• Dragonflies spend most of their lifespan under water during the larval stage. Then, they spend only a few short months as a flying insect.
• They are very fascinating to watch.  They can move each of their four wings independently.
• They can move straight up or down, and fly up to 30 miles per hour.  They can also fly backwards, like a hummingbird!!

Dragonflies are very inspirational and live life to the fullest with no regrets!!

Wild Iris

Wild Irises growing along the edges of our duck pond

Focused

Philly has no room for boredom here at the farm as he is entertained by our feathered friends outside....He is naturally curious and there is never a dull moment.

Canadian Geographic likes Philly too!!

Early Bird Gets the Worm

American Robin

The Robins are very plentiful this year and wonderful visitors to our yard!! They are one of the first to sing in the morning and the last to sing at night....

Depending on the area and the resources, Robins can have up to three clutches in a year....Sometimes the mother lays her second clutch of eggs before the babies leave the nest at two weeks of age.  The male assists with feeding the first brood for another couple of weeks until they are able to fend for themselves and are fully independent, while the mother tends to the second clutch, and if lucky, the third.

If you have a good supply of food, shelter and water on your property, you will be sure to attract all varieties of songbirds throughout the year....
 

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron, which is the largest North American Heron, is poised on top of this spruce tree by our fish pond.  His plan was to do a little fishing, but his view was slightly obscured this morning as he noticed our Pekin ducks were having their morning bath and there was a lot of splashing going on!! He only stayed long enough for me to snap a couple of quick photos and then he was off!!  He will return, as he does most days.  Great Blue Herons can hunt day and night.  They have a high percentage of rod-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision.

The Great Blue Heron has a wingspan of almost 7 feet and stands almost 4 feet tall!!

Bad Hair Day

Female Purple Finch enjoying some sunshine at the feeder

~

~

Then the next day....

~

What a difference a day can make.... !!

Despite the rain, our feathered friends were visiting the feeders all day long!!

(although soaking wet, she's still a little cutie)

Feathers For Our Feathered Friends

Our Pekin duck and chicken feathers are in high demand these days........ They are plentiful and free for the taking!!

 

This adorable male Tree Swallow was playing with this feather before going to the nest box with it.... Clean, loose feathers are important for Tree Swallows. They line their nests with them, lots of them....It keeps the babies comfortable and dry.

They are everywhere... I found this feather hanging onto a dandelion.... The first thing in the morning when the ducks and chickens emerge from their house, is the best time to capture this spectacle!!  The Tree Swallows are not far; look up, and you will see them swooping and gliding everywhere.... In the meantime, they are in search of a freshly preened feather from down below.... don't blink if you want to witness the take, because they are fast!!

There he goes!!  As you can see, there are a few more feathers close by, but they won't be there for long....

The male Tree Swallow was having a little bit of a problem getting this feather in the nesting box.... He was trying so hard.... I looked closer and noticed that the hollow shaft, also known as calamus (the pointed end pictured just above his head) was too long to fit in the nesting hole.  I waited until he eventually dropped the feather.  I assisted by snipping the calamus off.  Then, I tossed the feather into the wind and a few seconds later, he caught it in mid-air!!

And there he goes with it to the nest... !! Oh, you're welcome, glad to help out (wink, wink)

We have been watching the Tree Swallows collect many of these naturally shed feathers and take them to their nest over the past two weeks.  Here's a peek when they arrived.

The female and male both work very hard in the nest making process....

Rise and shine.....

Say hi to Squirt....she is happy, along with all of the other Pekin ducks to contribute her soft downy feathers to the nesting Tree Swallows!!

Our Tree Swallows are Back !!

Our tree swallows arrived a couple of weeks ago and there are lots of them....they are so amazing and fun to watch!!  They fly so fast and are darting everywhere....They perform awesome acrobatics while chasing after flying insects...

This male tree swallow is stretching.  He has been sitting on this branch for a few minutes keeping a close eye on his female.

We have a breeding pair nesting in the box again this year....When the female is producing her eggs, she needs extra calcium, so we offer some crushed egg shells for them to eat.  We raise laying chickens, so there are plenty of eggs!! And, our pekin ducks help out too....When the tree swallow prepares the nest, they are looking for soft bedding and one of the supplies they seek are freshly preened feathers.

Here is the very dedicated female looking quite comfortable and ready to lay her eggs!! If you want to read some interesting facts about the tree swallow or see some more images of them, stop by over here and check them out!!

For the Love of Hummers ~

I am dedicating this blog post to my Grandmother....

She means the world to me and I love her very much....

We both share our love for birds.  Sometimes, I will call her and ask her if she saw this kind of bird, or that kind of bird, or I will say, "Can you check the bird book Gran", but one thing we know for certain is, we love our hummers.... and Gran always says, ''Make sure you put a little extra sugar in their water before they fly south.  It gives them extra energy to make their long journey".  So, that is what we do....

They are amazing little creatures.... iridescent powerhouses

This is an adult male....

He is called a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

but I call him ''Sweetie'' because he is exactly that....

Hummingbirds are known for their ability to fly backwards, upside down, and to hover. Few other birds compare in their ability to perform such aerial tricks. They also possess the fewest number of feathers ever counted on a bird.

Hummingbirds are known for their ability to fly backwards, upside down, and to hover. Few other birds compare in their ability to perform such aerial tricks. They also possess the fewest number of feathers ever counted on a bird.

Hummingbirds are known for their ability to fly backwards, upside down, and to hover. Few other birds compare in their ability to perform such aerial tricks. They also possess the fewest number of feathers ever counted on a bird.

Hummingbirds are known for their awesome abilities....!!

They can hover, fly backwards and even upside down....!!

I remember last year, we rescued a hummer.... That turned out to be a lot of fun!!  And, she had a cozy crib for the night... You can read all about her adventure right here !!!!

I am hoping one of these days, that I will be able to find the female in her nest.  I would quietly photograph her from a distance with her babies....That would be awesome!!

Until next time.... or as Gran J would say "Loads of Love" xoxo