friday's foto wrap-up...

The week is about over...already.

I was just looking through my pictures taken this past week...

and thought I'd post a few favorites.

A bit of this...

and a bit of that!

We had breakfast under this lovely chandelier earlier this week...

at my sis-in-law's table...

in Kelowna.

The chandelier always brings back memories of the many times I sat beneath it over the years...

and enjoyed fine food and the best of company.

It was my mother-in-law's chandelier...

a gift from dad long ago.

First it was in their farm-house.

Then it hung in the dining room of their house in the suburbs.

Then it went with her to her condo.

Eventually...

Martha took ownership and moved it to her dining room.

I've heard say that my niece plans to hang it over her table one day.

I like that...

the the gift of light keeps shining!

The eagles are back in our neighbourhood full force. 

 

I took this photo from my kitchen window one morning...

of eagles gathering in the tree across the field.

I love to step outside and listen to them  'squeak'...

their way of communicating with one another.

And just outside my kitchen window are the wee birds...

feeding at the free buffet I provide for them.

Here's something we haven't had in a long while...

 

...huge smooth sheets of ice on our grass fields...

with grands and their friends having a wonderful time out there!

I pass by this wee cemetery often...

and never really 'see it'.

Maybe it was the snow-capped peaks behind it...

that called me to stop and take a picture.

A peaceful picture...

the Tzeachten Cemetery in Chilliwack.

And those are my picks on this winter's day.

Well, let me add one more...
taken yesterday!

Tennis...
in January.

We are loving this weather.

Have a wonderful weekend!

big white birds...

Trumpeter swans winter along the southwest coast of British Columbia.

Many of them have decided that my neighbourhood is the perfect place to rest awhile.

The sun came out for a wee bit yesterday...

and I took a photo of these swans in the field across the road...

from my front porch.

The photo didn't look all that great with hydro wires running through it...

so put on my shoes...

walked to the road...

and took a few more pic's (sans wires).

Who needs binoculars?

They let me come up close and personal.

Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl species in North America...

with an average wingspan of 77 inches.

They can live up to 24 years in the wild...

but most do not make it to that age.

The adults are pure white...

while the young ones (born in spring) are greyish coloured.

They fly 20 miles an hour...

...so have that camera ready, because there's not much time!

Once they were within 100 birds of extinction.

Now there are 20,000 of them...

and half of those spend their winter in this part of the world.

Hubby thinks most of them are

feeding on the farmlands around here.

They particularly love the winter wheat...

and seem to think it was planted for their eating pleasure!

So we kind of encourage them to go feed elsewhere.

To no avail...it seems.

As long as they are not on our field...

I think I can say...

they are an amazing bird!

eagles in the mist...

I had no post planned for today...

on this grey and dreary March the first.

But when I looked out the back window this morning...

and saw the eagles congregating in my backyard...

I decided I would do a post after all.

This one's for you, Robyn!

They were flying in by the droves...

and soon there were dozens.

Some gathered in the tree...

...others on the ground below.

There was a lot of squawking happening over there.

I'm thinking maybe it was a 'field trip' for all those young'uns...

the ones without the white heads.

Last week my nephew and his wife (Thomas and Robyn) from Manitoba...

spent a few days with us.

Robyn was on a mission to get some good eagle photos...

and I told her they often gathered in that tree.

They chose to meet elsewhere while she was here!

I know she got a photo of this nest...

though I'm not sure the mamma was on guard at that time.

Did you know that the typical nest of a bald eagle is 5-6 feet in diameter...

and three feet tall ?

It doesn't look quite that big when taken from the distance.

On the last day of February...

our bonus day...

we had blue skies in the morning.

It was the perfect backdrop for taking eagle photos!

Soon the eagles will be on their way.

Spring is just around the corner!

 

Monday morning murmation...

The skies have been grey these past few days...

and the picnic planned for yesterday afternoon was moved indoors.

It seems that fall has arrived.

There are clouds of another sort gathering over here as well...

...on our roof-top

...and lined up along the power lines.

A murmation of starlings.
(While geese travel in gaggles...
crows in murders...
and eagles in congregations...
a group of starlings is known as a murmation.)

They are waiting...

for the corn to be brought in from the fields.

Corn in the bunker...

a buffet for the starlings!

The European starling has another name...

a scientific one.

Sturnus vulgaris. 

Stern and vulgar...

seems fitting!

Shakespeare speaks of starlings in Henry IV.

In 1890 a Shakespeare fan named Eugene Schieffelin released 60 starlings into Central Park in NYC...

and another 40 the following year.

So began a biological nightmare.

It is now the most common bird in North American cities...

and I think they prefer the country!

They definitely like hanging out at my house.

On to birds of another feather...

the turkeys.

The turkey chicks that arrived in spring...

were a source of amusement for the grands and grandpa over the summer.

They were treated royally...

and had all but outgrown their digs.

Last week one day they left the farm in cages...

...and came home in the trunk of the car the next.

We are almost ready for Thanksgving over here...

other than the crops still in the fields.

The corn harvest may happen after Canadian Thanksgiving this year.

Have a wonderful Monday!

a bird for all seasons...

Some like to swim....

...and stay for the winter.

The great blue heron is a common sight in our area...

and in our neighbourhood...

and even on our fences...

year round.

Though we would like to see the starlings fly south (or north...or east) for the winter...

and every other season as well...

they too like to hang around  all year long!

And then there is Tom....

...who is our 'bird of the day'.

We are having Thanksgiving dinner here today.

Can you smell the turkey?

The harvest is done for the year...
and so having Thanksgiving dinner tonight seems appropriate!

Have a wonderful day....

to catch a thief...

The crows have been mighty busy...and noisy...around our place recently.  They are also quite skittish...and don't care to pose for the surveillance camera...but every so often they are caught unaware!

I noticed that my roses were being picked...and picked apart...without my permission.  Saturday I watched the crow club in action.  First they called a meeting on the fence...and then they went at it!  By the time they were done...the roses looked defeated...and the crows were caught red handed by my trusty Canon.
 
Last week as I was mowing the lawn...I noticed cream coloured disks lying on the grass...and in the flower beds.  I finally stopped to take a closer look...

...and noticed they were sand dollars.  Rather odd...since we live quite some distance from the sandy shore.

About that time I noticed a crow struggling with his heavy load...as he left my front porch.  Aha!  Now I knew exactly what was happening.  I have a basket of rocks from our travels...and sand dollars from the beach...sitting on the porch.  The crow is going after the almighty dollar...but he will discover soon enough that the loonies don't have much value these days!  

Oh...it looks like he's brought in the troops!  When they start making off with the rock collection...I'll call in help as well.

 Have a great day...

eagle spotting...

During the winter months there are many eagles in our valley. 

They come to dine on salmon in the Fraser River...but then spread out to the farmlands...where they take what they can get.

I watch them from the kitchen window...often sitting in pairs in a tree along the ditch...or playing tag with the crows. 

Last week...when the grass lay in swaths around our house...the eagles were on the hunt for mice.

 

Though not as carefree as the crows...

...they actually didn't seem to mind being photographed at mealtime.

 The majestic eagles will soon be leaving the valley...not to be seen again until next winter.  I'll miss them! 

There may not be much action on My Front Porch today...as I'm away on a business trip...one that is mostly about pleasure. 

Have a great day!

something to sing about...

I have been entertaining some rather lovely birds in my back yard this spring.

Well...actually...I provide the seeds...and they entertain me!

And the grands see to it that I keep the feeder loaded. I have no idea what kind of birds they are...and have to photograph them from the safety of my kitchen...as they are rather skittish.

May you all find much to sing about this lovely spring weekend! As for me...I have hills to climb...concerts to attend...friends to meet...and a lawn that needs mowing.

ETA... Thanks to Marian for identifying my mystery bird. It is a western meadowlark.

Happy spring...

eagles in the city...

Now out here in the country, eagle sightings are a common occurrence...

...we need just look out our window during the winter months. The city dwellers, however...may never see the real thing in their neighbourhood.

On our recent visit to Vancouver...we were surprised to see many eagles. They were not exactly like our country eagles...

...but were positioned to greet us at every corner along the waterfront. Eagle art...quite intriguing. I stopped to read the signs...and take pictures, of course...and soon got the scoop.

The eagle sculptures are part of an art project sponsored by the B.C. Lions Club to raise funds for children with disabilities in our province. Each eagle is a seven and a half foot bald eagle, formed of fibreglass...and custom painted by a commissioned artist. The completed works of art are on display in prominent public spaces in many of the major cities of our province.

It was only upon my return to the country, that I discovered we have eagle art on display at our own city hall as well. So I stopped by to check it out...

...and thought it was most appropriate for our 'city in the country'. It looks a little more realistic...but then out here we know what eagles really look like.

In April 2010 all the eagles will 'fly the coop'...when they will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. If you are interested in having an eagle all your own...check out the details at Eagles in the City.

Or if you are more interested in seeing the real thing...the eagles are beginning to arrive in our area...drawn here by the spawning salmon. We have one of North America's largest gatherings of bald eagles nearby...with many excellent opportunities for eagle watching. Every November our community and several others along the river, play host to the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival...a chance to view the majestic birds and gain a little knowledge. Why not?

thinking spring...

We have those brief little reminders that spring is just around the corner...and we are ready!

The robins returned...I saw the first one last Friday morning (February 20)...and took this photo through the window...so as not to scare him off. Right next to where he sat on the branch...the red winged blackbirds have been busy at the bird feeder. It seems they are back from an extended winter vacation as well. The wee snow birds are having to share their seeds now...but they seem to work it all out.

As for the ducks...they have seemingly lost all concept of seasons...and decided that our farm is a good year-round retreat. They are not aware that they have long worn out their welcome...and seem to be inviting their friends and relatives to join them.

It's time to start thinking about gardening. I was most surprised yesterday to see a few of the early shrubs in bloom! The pink blooms in the collage...

...are Viburnum Pink Dawn. The chives are ready for harvest...and I've already done some snipping.

Also in my herb garden...are many of the little green sprouts (centre top). I did the sniff test to see what they might be...so early and prolific. Hmmm...it smells very lovely...rather like spearmint. That is a bit of a problem...since I had the mint in a container...as I had been warned it is VERY invasive. It seems to have jumped out of it's cage...and is taking over!

A few pansies...and a wee bunch of daffodils...are now brightening up the front porch. It's beginning to feel like spring...and I like that feeling.

There's always the good and the bad...in every season of life...

...and so it seems the slugs have also returned. The battle for my garden boxes will soon be on once again!

The eagle is still keeping watch...but once spring has truly arrived, I will know....as he will be vacating his post until next winter. Aren't seasons just the best...especially spring?

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;

if we did not sometime taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

Anne Bradstreet