Birds, Butterflies and Wildflowers of the Vermilon River. A Post to MWT.

Chipmunk

Wild Lupins

 The nice thing about My World Tuesday is I can be as whimsical as I please, and today is just a series of photos that I like, with the only qualification that they were taken this summer.

The chipmunk is a fun shot because he is obviously hiding from me.


The Lupins are in a clearing on one of the trails and are breath taking in colour and extent. The Mountain Laurel is even more beautiful now that I know what it is.

Similarly, the Chestnut-sided Warbler is a beauty and now recognizable in his fall and spring plumage. Go back two posts for the clearing up of that problem. The female redwinged blackbird who started off  screaming at me as I was too close to her nest, and then decided to pose.

The female Hairy Woodpecker who was busy and illusive, and then suddenly posed also.

And finally the Swallowtail, who is just as fluttery as the small birds, but stayed put for a few photos.

A Post to MWT@ http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Wild Lupins.

Mountain Laurel.

Chestnut-sided Warbler Fall Plumage

Chestnut-sided Warbler Spring Plumage.

Female Redwinged Blackbird.

Female Hairy Woodpecker.

Eastern Swallowtail

Eastern Swallowtail

Female Hairy Hiding.

Flora and Fauna of the Vermilon River. A Post to Camera Critters and Scenic Sunday.

Male Hairy Woodpecker

These woodpeckers are athletics of the first order as they play on the feeders. See how he holds himself with his tail.


Male Hairy Woodpecker.




Our Crow Hugey.



Things have been a little dicey for our crow as several grackles decided to move into his territory. Boy has the battle been on. I expect Huegy raided their nests and drove then out that way. Boom & I are glad they're gone also as the forest birds are back visiting us on a regular basis.


Our Crow




Queen Anne's Lace.



I'm pretty certain this is Queen Anne's Lace and not Yarrow from the leaves. And of course the Daisy is easy.


Wild Daisy




White Dame's Rocket.








The Dame's Rocket is in full flower and patches of the forest floor are awash in the whites, mauves and purples.


Mauve Dame's Rocket.




White Dame's Rocket.




Mauve Dame's Rocket.




Unknow.




I really don't know about this one!!




Same Unknown.




Male Evening Grosbeak




Female Evening Grosbeak.





Aren't these guys a colourful finish to a colourful post.


A Post to Camera Critters@ http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/ and Scenic Sunday @ http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Uneasy Skies of the Vermilon River. A Post To Sky Watch Friday.

Bright With Clouds

The weather has been hot and fairly sultry, but all this was to change with a rain weather warning almost totally across Northern Ontario. It resulted in a thunder boomer complete with rain and hail. After that, the temperature dropped to a noontime temperature today  of 7C say 40F.

 Did Boom & I miss summer? We don't have rain warnings, snow yes, but rain warnings that's for you southern guys.


A Change Coming




Growing Clouds.




Still Banking.




Still Banking.




From the North.



With the weather so unstable I'm not getting out as much with the camera, although Boom and I are in the forest every day. After all we need that exercise.



Song Sparrow






But we're fortunate some of our feathery friends came to see us.


Robin




Mourning Dove.




Mourning Dove.




Male Hairy Woodpecker.




Female Hairy Woodpecker.




A Post To Sky Watch Friday @ http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Woodpeckers of The Vermilon River. A Post to WBW.

Male Hairy

The first series are Hairy Woodpeckers with the red patch distinguishing the male. They are larger than the Downy ( see below ) over all, although they look alike. The beak is the give away as it is approximately the same size as the head. Another difference is the Downy has black markings on its tail feathers. But the colourings are basically the same and they co-exist, but do not interbreed.


Male Hairy Showing Red Patch.




Male Hairy Showing Red Patch.




Female Hairy No Red Patch and no black markings on her tail.



Male Northern Flicker with black mustache off beak.



Both Male & Female Have Red Patch.



Both the male and female Northern Flicker are identical, except the male has a black mustache running off the beak. So both have the red V.
They are ground woodpeckers feeding primarily on ants as well as using the formic acid in ants to clean their feathers. On the ground their plumage acts as a camouflage, so they're hard to photograph because you're on them, and they're away. Some people call them yellow shaft flickers, because the edge of their wing is a gold/yellow, and readily seen in flight. The Hairy and the Northern Flicker are large birds.

Female no black mustache off beak.



Male black mustache off beak.




Female no mustache.




Male Downy




Female Downy.




The Downy is smaller, but the beak is the quick id point. See how small it is in the above photo. In the photo opposite you can see the black markings on her her tail feathers. The Hairy does not have these markings. Sorry the Downy photos are not better. Although they co-exist, I generally see the Hairy's, so I was quite excited even to get these shots.

Male Downy in flight.



Pileated Male with red mustache off beak.





Of course this is the largest woodpecker of all, the Pileated. He's about the size of a crow, and his tapping is aptly called drumming. His call sounds quite wild and I think he is the roll model for the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker.

He's a male because he has a red mustache running off his beak.



A Post to WBW @ http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/   


Just a quick note: I was finding hiking and carrying all the camera equipment a bit of a chore with my old pack sack, so I purchased a proper camera backpack. The thinktank model called a pro streewalker, somewhat misnamed for the forest where there are no streets and few walkers, allows me to carry the camera assembled with the 150-500mm lens, plus tote my tripod and other lens. So far it's working out well; of course, losing 20 years would have done well also.