wildlife

Pileated Woodpecker

Posted by Ellie
Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker

Some birds are more ungainly than beautiful, like this pileated woodpecker who is certainly striking (literally and metaphorically). It was demolishing my bird pie the other day, when normally it will be destroying the trunks of half dead trees, looking for insects and other delicious edibles. Below you see one doing just that. Their beaks may be designed to be bashed into trees, but the tip of the beak on this bird looks as if it is rather the worse for wear compared to the one below. I wonder what caused the damage.

Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker

And here you can see the results of steady assault by these voracious birds.

Pileated tree
Pileated tree

Spirea Japonica

Posted by Ellie
Spirea Japonica
Spirea Japonica

Our neighbourhood holds so many hidden delights. This lovely Spirea was hiding behind a rose bush across the road from me (next to the marshmallow). As I was photographing it for A Flower a Day, a tiny visitor climbed over the top of one of the flower heads and went about her business. She seemed to be totally unaware that her colour should have clashed with the pink. But in the end I didn’t mind either. It was so lovely just to see a hint of normality going on in the natural world. I hope this helps to cheer your day, my friends. Clicking on the image below will take you to the Tiny Wildlife Gallery where there are many such little delights if you have time to take a look.

Spirea Japonica with ladybird
Spirea Japonica with ladybird

The Flower a Day Gallery with current content is below. Each day a new photo will be added. With today’s post there are now 31 to view. Click or tap to view full size.

A gallery of flowers shared on a daily basis to cheer myself and hopefully you, the viewer too, during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic period.

If you wish to you can subscribe here if you have not already, to be sure to get my daily flowers in your inbox!

Winter Feathers

Posted by Ellie
Feather - Ellie Kennard 2012
Feather – Ellie Kennard 2012

It is winter again and the birds are looking for feeders and for seeds and leftover harvest to glean. We have fed the birds for 20 years but now no longer do so. We had a warning about a disease spreading via birdfeeders among the finches in our Province of Nova Scotia. Although winter was apparently not considered a high risk period for this disease and many people began to put their feeders out again, we decided against it. We had too many fatal instances of bird strike and we just couldn’t bear it each time it happened.

We still see the birds, but in the trees and bushes around us, we just have to keep watching for them. 

This photo was originally taken in a snow storm in 2012, of a chickadee flying toward a feeder and about to land. I submitted it for a Scavenger hunt entry in that year for the theme “Feather”. It got awarded 1st prize from one of the judges, which I was delighted with, especially so early in my photographic journey. I have rescued the photo to 

Sci-Fi Insects?

Posted by Ellie

Unknown insects found on a porch step of a tiny house in the woods - Ellie Kennard 2016
Unknown insects found on a porch step of a tiny house in the woods – Ellie Kennard 2016

This pair of insects appeared on the porch of a little house in the woods. While everyone was inside (it was a really really tiny cabin) I tried to get some photographs of them, to be able to identify them later on. The time was late afternoon and the trees were shading the area heavily, so the light was very low, making it more difficult, but I did get a couple of them. When I enlarged them I was able to see these amazing eyes and formation and markings of the bodies. They are so delicate looking with those long legs and fine wings.

If anyone knows what these might be, please let me know. They look like something from outer space!

Unknown insects found on a porch step of a tiny house in the woods - Ellie Kennard 2016
Unknown insects found on a porch step of a tiny house in the woods – 2 Ellie Kennard 2016