Monday, September 30, 2013

A New Feeder

I haven't had a Blue Jay in my yard since last winter!
Today, I had a couple (as in male and female).

Obviously they like the new feeder!




The female, almost identical to the male in appearance, but smaller in size.

Feed them and they will come!
 
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Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Fly

Blue/Green Bottle Fly - Calliphora spp.


Talk about extended families: Houseflies have more than 152,000 relatives—and those are just the ones that researchers know about.

Blue bottle and green bottle flies are a serious pest of farms, stables, gardens and bin areas. The females lay their eggs where they feed, usually in decaying meat, garbage or faeces. When the larvae hatch from the eggs they immediately begin feeding on the decomposing matter located around the hatching area. More than just a nuisance, these flies are carriers of diseases in both humans and animals.

 
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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Friday, September 20, 2013

Random 5 Friday -1

 Beep, our granddaughter testing the water in Georgian Bay, while on vacation with us.


sharing with...Nancy's Random 5 Friday  at A RURAL JOURNEY
 a weekly meme
where you share 5 random facts about you, your day,
your pets, your kids, whatever!
 
1. Georgian Bay has extremely cold water even in the summer.
2. Our granddaughter is a waterbug. She spent most of her time in the lake.
3. I still haven't finished sorting through my 1,800 or so vacation photos.
4. I always need a vacation after my vacation.
5. I still have itchy red bug bites on my legs and feet.
 
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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Finch On The Feeder(s)

 
This guy seems to think he is a Baltimore Oriole!
But, he's House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), a bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
 
 
After sampling the grape jelly, he returns to the more familiar fare. 


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Thursday, September 12, 2013

Dust In The Wind

A very typical sight in rural areas on the way to the cottage.
 
The majority of people living in turbine areas (and proposed turbine areas) are saying nay to these so called efficient "green" energy generators. In reality, wind turbines are unreliable and inefficient (on average 17-25% efficient), they are not “green” – need constant backup, so C02 emission is not reduced, and they are expensive – will cause electric bills to go up (30-40%).

Other common reasons for not wanting industrial wind turbines in an area are;
 
Loss of property value, studies show 20-40% decrease in property values within a 2-3 mile radius.  
 
Loss of right of quiet enjoyment, views and comfort of property is disrupted. The natural beauty of the area is changed for at least 50 years
 
Human health impact, people are said to be suffering with Wind turbine syndrome: sleep interruption, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, anxiety, concentration issues, and tinnitus. Shadow flicker from the blades passing between the sun and the home has been known to trigger migraines.
 
Animals, (farm and wildlife) are often affected, unexplained deaths after turbines were turned on, stray voltage problems, unexplained nervousness and irritability in livestock. Wildlife often leaves the area permanently.
 
According to a recently published scholarly article in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, it is estimated that wind turbines batter about 600,000 birds, and kill 20,000 to 37,000 annually. Birds of prey and other large species are particularly at risk.
 
For or against these turbines, everyone has an opinion. In my part of the world, debate continues, protests are getting louder, pitting neighbour against neighbour and community against community.  The “Not a Willing Host” movement grows and pressures the government to bar the industrial turbines from rural Ontario, where 1,200 have already cropped up.

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Sources
www.wind-watch.org
www.windaction.org
Wildlife Society Bulletin
Wind Concerns Ontario

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Cottage Birding

The cottage on Georgian Bay is in the middle of a nature reserve. That means it's well wooded.  It's not an easy place to get bird shots!
 
Bird feeders can't go up until the winter, as the black bears in the area love to snack on bird seed, and load up on calories in late summer for their big sleep! As much as I would love to get a photo of a bruin, I wouldn't want one on the front porch!
 
So, this is all I got. 
 
Yellow-throated Vireo

American Robin
 
 And on the water...
 Red-breasted Merganser
 
Juvenile Cormorant
  
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Saturday, September 7, 2013

Leaping Leopard

We are back from the cottage. A wonderful time was had by all!
 
I have 1,853 photos to go through... YIKES! Hubbers lost the bet, he said I must have taken over 2,000! Since I'm still in vacation mode, it's going to take a while to get those pics sorted. 
 
Today, I am sharing one of the many frog pics I took. He just happened to be the first subject on the random memory card I pulled from the pile.
 
Northern Leopard Frog
 
The Northern Leopard Frog is an extraordinary leaper! In a single bound, it can cover 1.8 metres. This is 15 times the length of its body, which is between approximately 50 and 110 millimetres. 
 
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