Cloudy Skies of the Vermilon River. A Post to SWF.

Cloudy

 The weather has been mostly cloudy or overcast with some rain. Probably as a result of Edna, although we are much out of her reach. Boom & I hope you are all fareing well.

Stormy Clouds

The Chickadees seem more active, and the male Goldfinch is starting his change to fall colours. In fact all around us the forest is starting to look a little more like fall.

Storm Clouds.

Chickadee.

Chickadee Side View.

Male Goldfinch Moulting.

Male Northern Flicker.

Male Northern Flicker.

Sparrow.

Red Squirrel.

A Post To SWF @ http://skley.blogspot.com/

Sunny days at the Vermilon River. A Post to SWF

Fair Skies

Much like everyone else we've had on again and off again weather. It's inhibited my hiking, but the forest is still healthy with the rainfall, and full of life.

Stormy Skies

Still Looking for a Sun dog.

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

Wild Chicory.

The Red Squirrel was pretty active which as I said  earlier is a surprise since he is on every one's lunch menu. We don't have grays or blacks here. It was great finding the Chicory, as I don't remember it from last year.

Common Milkweed.

 And I'll bet you didn't think common milkweed was so attractive when it flowers. I read on another web site that it has many medicinal properties.


It's that time of year for the goldenrod's to flower. Fortunately Boom and I are not allergic to them.

One of the Goldenrod's.

Ripening Blueberries.

We saw lots of human berry pickers out,but no bears. The berries are sold through co-ops and sold at a premium in grocery stores as wild berries although smaller are much sweeter than farm grown ones.

Vipers Bugloss.

Dragonfly

No post would be complete without some insects or birds. So here they are. I included some current shots of Huegy, our pet crow, and much to Boomer's chagrin a picture of his mate. Huegy, if you look closely has a gray feather on one wing. A scar from all the fights with the blackbirds. That's how I recognize him. He also calls out to us on our morning walks looking for peanuts probably.


I'll post this to Sky Watch Friday. And maybe to camera Critters and scenic Sunday. I'm putting this information here as the great Blogger/ Google is telling me there is no java script at the bottom of the page.

 Just a quick note: The new lens I referred to in my last post was new last year, not this year. I just think you sort of grow into technical things. It's a Sigma 150-500mm lens and I'm really pleased with it.

Female Goldfinch.

Mourning Dove.

Northern Flicker.

Huegy

Huegy's Mate

A Hike On The East Track of The Vermilon River.

NE Wetland.

 This hike was in and around the east track as a train was actually using the track for shunting purposes when I took the hike,which is unusual and very inconvenient.

Another thing that is inconvenient is Blogger/Google. I like the new format but I could not upload the photos in the new format's post section, and am therefore using the old format. I also appear to have lost my followers on the blog.

Anyway these scenes show the north wetland and the south wetland. The green hump in the centre of photo one is the track which bisects the wetland.

SE Wetland



South Wetland.




Fireweed




Pin Cherries


Fireweed gets its name from the fact that it is the first weed to regrow after a forest fire, and this clearing along the creek bed is filled with it. These are the first blooms. I'll get some more shots later to give you some idea of the colour impact.

The real concern is the pin cherries, not that they're ripe, but that they're eaten already. Of course the Cedar Waxwing below denied that he had been in them. But you can't believe a fat fellow wearing a mask can you?







A Very Fat Cedar Waxwing.




Fat Cedar Waxwing.




Yellowthroat Warbler.





This is only the second time I've seen the Yellow-throats but they're beauties aren't they?





Chestnut-sided Warbler.




Chestnut-sided Warbler.






The Chestnut-sided Warbler is just caught in a major wind storm, and having a tough time of it.


Great Blue Heron





I've sure seen a lot of Herons, so the wetlands must be filled with frogs for them.


Great Blue In Flight.




Male Northern Flicker.




Male Northern Flicker.




None of the Flickers were letting me close enough until this fellow actually seemed to pose for me.



The Song Sparrows were actually together when I started this post, but separated in the posting. I had commented earlier the heavier tree canopy was stopping me from getting close to them. But this guy sure reversed that.


Song Sparrow.




Red Squirrel




I was lucky on the red squirrel as he like the chipmunk is on all the other four legged animals' menu.




Red Squirrel




Eastern Swallowtail.








Song Sparrow.





A Post to My World Tuesday @ http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/


I'm posting this today to see if it goes well, so I'll put it on Scenic Sunday as well.