Migration Begins

It may not feel a lot like spring,but the birds are slowly returning to their nesting territories.

The Raptors may not nest in this area,for the most part,but they pass through here and that makes for some exciting sightings.

I spent almost an hour this morning photographing Eagles,Hawks and a Magpie.

This is not a great picture of a Bald Eagle,but they were sitting in the trees like this at various spots.

Rough-legged Hawks are also migrating through right now and one of them gave some great opportunities for photos. This picture is not cropped at all. I love the beautiful patterns and colours it displays.

Another picture that has not been cropped.Using the 400mm lens,I was not able to get the whole bird in the picture when it took off. I like how the wings and tail are lit up by the morning sun.

I have had very few chances for decent Black-billed Magpie pictures and mostly they have been in flight.Today was my lucky day,as one of them landed on this fence post and allowed me to shoot several pictures.

Last but not least,a Red-tailed Hawk in a clear blue sky is one of those sights that I never tire of seeing. I would have preferred to have this one a little closer,but the birds don't seem to care if I get good pictures or not.

I love getting the pictures of the birds,but what is equally as good is the time spent in nature and the visits with my birding friends.When the birds don't show up,there is always good conversation and fun times.

I found this quote in a calendar entitled 'The Beauty of Friendship', I think it speaks to what I experience at the Hawk Watch,as I visit with my friends.Each person I meet touches my life in some way.

No love,no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.

Last Year's Flowers

Allow me to dream a little,please.You are welcome to join me as I step back into the gardens with pictures taken last summer.

I really need to see something bright and cheery,so this is the easiest way that I know of.

As I sat on my deck,I noticed the Geraniums framed by the lattice and thought they looked pretty.

You know me,I enjoy going to the English Gardens in Winnipeg.This is where I can find lots of flowers and often quite a few birds.For today,I will choose to only look at the flowers.

Isn't this a beauty? 

I can't seem to grow Zinnias that look great,but they sure know how to grow them in these gardens.

Of course,what would a floral post be without roses.This one is so bright.

I'm not the only one who enjoys the flowers.This little butterfly seems to like them as well.

I hope you enjoyed walking through the flower garden with me.I know I did,and your company made it all that much better.Let's do it again sometime soon.

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today;

because if you enjoy it today,you can do it again tomorrow.

Spring Inside My House

We are only days away from the official start of spring,but I created a little spring inside my house.

Walmart had pots of Hyacinths and Daffodils,so I just had to bring some home.

I realize that the first picture is very similar to one on my last post,but hey,can we see too many spring flowers right now?

When I loaded this picture,I realized I had better look around a little more carefully next time,before taking the picture. I see my checkered dishtowel in the background.Oh well,consider that you have spent a few minutes in my kitchen with me.

Not only are the flowers pretty,but I also like the buds.The Daffodils are so small,but this bud has the promise of beauty soon to come. The plant I bought actually has eight flowers on it,so I am happy with that.

While standing at the door and watching the birds,I saw the White-breasted Nuthatch come to the peanut feeder.He worked hard and finally was able to get one peanut out of the shell.

The picture is not very bright because I was shooting through a set of windows.

The weather was comfortable that day,so I stepped out on the deck and looked for photo opportunities.I saw this one stem of leaves from the Mountain Ash,stuck in the snow and thought it looked pretty. I might add that right where that leaf was,I can now see the grass,so the snow is slowly disappearing.YEAH!!!!

You all know I love reflections and when all the ponds and streams are still frozen I have to become creative.The water in the birdbath had melted and seeing the tops of the evergreens reflected here was exactly what I needed.

In the parable of the Sower,Jesus compares preaching the gospel to scattering good seeds (Matthew 13:18-23) 

In a very real way,all of our words are like seeds.Make sure that you're sowing encouragement and wisdom in the lives of others.

Snowy Update and More

As promised here is the latest on the tagged Snowy Owl.

This bird was tagged in 2011,near Swift Current Saskatchewan.

The owl was likely 2 or 3 years old at the time.The information collected as a result of this tagging has shed light on the migratory patterns of these birds and also their lifespan.

This program has now been ended.

The owl I was privileged to photograph was the first tagged owl reported in Manitoba,so it is considered somewhat special.

It is a female as can be seen by all the barring on the plumage.

In keeping with a Snowy Owl,I wanted to show you one more frost picture.One day I noticed that the frost was especially delicate and looked like feathers on my windows.

Enough of wintery scenes,its time for spring.

When spring is slow in arriving outside I have to make it happen inside.a trip to the local Walmart was all I needed.A pot of Hyacinth and one of Daffodils and suddenly I have spring in my house.

Another macro of the small Hyacinth flowers.They look so cheery,standing on my kitchen table.

I made a stop at my local grocery store and what did I see.An American Robin,actually two of them,looking for small puddles of water on the parking lot.

Now that is a sure sign of spring.

Yours,O Lord,is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour,for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

1 Chronicles 29:11

March 7,2013

What happened on March 7,2013? 

Nothing earth shattering at all,except that in my area we had one of the most beautiful displays of hoar frost.

Today as the sun is melting the snow and the thermometer reads 6C or 43F,I will choose to look back at the beauty I captured last year on March 7.

Let me say that I am very ready for spring and am enjoying the sunshine and watching the snow disappear,but these pictures were such a joy to capture that I don't mind revisiting that day.

I had driven out of town looking for anything that might be picture worthy.Little did I expect to find the beauty that I did.

Each twig was coated in a heavy layer of frost and glistened in the sunlight.

It was one of those days when it didn't matter where I turned,it was all gorgeous.

Even a fence and a small shrub created a scene of beauty.

Getting a wider view at the landscape,you can see the frost on all the trees.

I took many pictures that day and kept most of them.Each picture had it's own value.

Right alongside the road was a small hill,created while making a pond.It was still somewhat cloudy and I liked the way the hill almost melted away into the sky.

Zooming in on the top most branches of a tall tree,we see still more beauty.

I love times like these and I was so thankful that I chose to drive out of town that day.

Overnight God had transformed the landscape into such beauty that no camera could really capture it adequately.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures as much as I enjoyed getting them a year ago.

Who is like You among the gods,O Lord?

Who is like You,majestic in holiness,awesome in praises,working wonders.

Exodus 15:11

Snowy Landscape and Snowy Owl

The temperatures are slowly climbing but still winter is hanging on.

This picture was taken in January,but the landscape still looks much the same.

I do know that with a few warmer,sunny days that will change quickly.

 I am often fascinated by the shadow patterns created on the snow by the trees. I know,I see things differently than many people do,but to me this is an interesting sight.This is on my yard.

While on my way to my hairdresser's on March 6, I saw a Snowy Owl. My hairdresser lives about 2 miles out of town.The owl was still sitting there on the way back,so I hurried home to get my cameras.Sure enough,that owl was still sitting there.I was pleased.It allowed me to drive right up next to it. This picture has been cropped a little to show the owl better.

When I first lifted my camera up to get a shot,I noticed that this owl had been tagged.Notice the tag on it's wing.I took several pictures with the tag showing,because I knew that I needed to find out more about this.I have since found out that this owl was tagged in Saskatchewan. I am waiting to hear about more details.

Back at home the birds that visit my feeders are quite predictable.The White-breasted Nuthatch is a regular.He usually doesn't hang around long enough for a picture,but I finally got at least one decent shot.

Folks,winter may be hanging on,but of this we can be sure,spring will come.

Let's take the time to enjoy each season and the beauty it brings.

A Favorite Psalm and a Few Pictures

Allow me to reflect on a specific Psalm today.

Psalm 139 has been a favourite for a long time and the more I read it the more I am in awe of just how big my God is.

I have been longing for spring and as I opened the Bible to this Psalm,my attention was drawn to verse 2: You know when I sit down and when I rise up;you discern my thoughts from afar.

God knows that I am waiting for spring and at just the right moment He will send the warmer weather,but until then I want to be content with where I am and what I have.

The other day as I was photographing the roses outside,I tried a picture with just the leaves.I kind of like how that turned out.

Verses 17 & 18 of Psalm 139 say: 

How precious to me are your thoughts,O God! How vast the sum of them.

If I could count them,they are more than the sand.

To use those verses with this picture I would say that God's thoughts are more than the snowflakes that cover the ground.

WOW! That is awesome.

The wind whips the snow into drifts,as seen in the above picture,but in the next shot you can see that the snow becomes dirty very quickly when a little dirt is added.

 The next two pictures have nothing to do with the verses I will share,but I love the pictures and these verses are ones I bring to mind often.

Psalm 139:14, 

I praise you,for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;my soul knows it well.

Psalm 139:23 & 24,  

Search me,O God,and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,and lead in the way everlasting.

For anyone who would like to read the rest of this precious Psalm,here is the link;

Psalm 139

Dreaming of Spring

Once again I am sharing iPhone shots,so keep that in mind.The phone takes great pictures,but can just not compare with a good DSLR.

It is March 1,and by the calendar it should soon be spring,but when I look at the thermometer,it does not feel or look like it.Right now my thermometer shows -26C or -14.8 F.Either way that is cold.

I have been dreaming about spring and the first event that happens and is actually underway right now,is the annual Hawkwatch at the Pembina Valley.

So far the numbers are very low,but as soon as those temperatures moderate,I am sure the activity will pick up.

Here are a few shots taken in 2013.Looking at them,makes  me long for this time even more.

You can see that the early stages of this event are not for the faint of heart.There is still snow on the ground and any wind makes it feel very cold. It may be cold but the friendships and fellowship are warm and makes one want to go back time and again.

Given a little more time and the snow is gone and the weather is much more enjoyable.

You can see by the short sleeves that it must be a pleasant day.Notice also the blue of the sky,that is mostly a good thing. Sometimes it seems that on a clear day the birds fly much higher than on cloudy days.

Spring will come as it always does.I am waiting for the time when the ice will have melted and I can again get pictures similar to this.

With the warmer weather the variety of birds increases.Hopefully it won't be too long before I can head to Winnipeg again and have a photo shoot with the Canada Geese.

It's not all about birds and cameras in spring.Suddenly I realize just how dirty my windows look.

Steve is so gracious as to clean them for me when I ask.It takes him a lot less time and the windows are nice and clean.Kai just likes to enjoy the warm spring days and run around without heavy boots and jackets. You may have noticed some marks on her face.She had  her face painted at some party.

As I wait for the warm spring weather I need to remind myself of the following:

Do not anticipate trouble,or worry about what may never happen.

Keep in the sunlight.

Benjamin Franklin