A Windfall of Warblers

Every spring tiny birds called warblers migrate north from their wintering grounds in the south.  Many are just passing through as they proceed even further north.  

I started thinking of them as a "windfall" because they are treasures that appear suddenly and often in large numbers due to strong winds bringing them down from the skies.  It was with that in mind that I wrote the following poem last year:

A WINDFALL OF WARBLERS

May’s warmth rolls back the blanket of white

and lays a carpet of green.

Warblers, blown north, spill jewel-like into the woods

quick to take flight for even more northern skies.

A windfall of warblers - a treasure - spent in a flash.

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

With the difficulties of moving around freely to bird-watch this spring, I was doubtful whether I would see many (or even any) in my neighbourhood.  I was therefore ecstatic to catch sight of nine species and to photograph eight of them.  

Nashville Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

And lastly, below, is the type that I wasn't quick enough to photograph so I am inserting a photo I took last year of the same species.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Iridescent Clouds

On May 17th I observed iridescent clouds as I was out looking for wildlife to photograph.  It was towards the end of the day and it added some excitement to my outing.  I have seen this phenomenon before but only in the winter.  

You can check here for a brief explanation of how this effect is produced:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_iridescence

The photographs were darkened using exposure settings and minimally saturated to bring out the colours.

Heat Wave

As Montreal endures a record-breaking heat wave (it was 36.6 degrees on Wednesday), I thought this post showing a Song Sparrow having a welcome bath was apropos.

I was intrigued when approaching the little bird while it was in the grass on the other side of a path.  As I moved towards it, it moved towards me and then it stopped and fluttered its wings.  I then noticed the puddle on the path and immediately realized that it wanted to have a bath.  I stepped backwards and, as on cue, it stepped forwards and entered the water.  Here is the incident in photos:

Keep cool little one!

Mount Royal Cemetery photography exhibits

Usually by this time of the year I have chosen which photographs I plan to display in the annual Mount Royal Cemetery photography exhibit held in May.

Sadly, after the retirement of the man who was the driving force behind this event, last year's exhibition was the very last.

I so appreciate the hard work and vision of that individual who created the exhibit in the first place as well as the friendly camaraderie of the fellow photographers and the supportive attendance of friends and family.

Below are my winning photographs from several years of entering:

TITLE:  Fox With Kits

Third prize (as selected by a jury) in 2008 - theme: The Spirit of the Mountain

TITLE:  Light and Texture

Artists' choice in 2010 - theme: Texture

TITLE:  Profusion of Purple

Second prize (as selected by a jury) in 2012 - theme:  Colour in all its Form

TITLE:  Camera Shy

Artists' choice in 2014 - theme:  Nature

TITLE:  Be Still My Heart

Third prize (as selected by a jury) in 2016 - theme:  Serenity

TITLE:  Patterns

Third prize (as selected by a jury) in 2017 - theme:  The Seasons of the Mountain

(Note:  if anyone thinks they can identify the subject of this photograph, please leave a comment) :-)

TITLE:  Raccoon Among the Flurries

Host first prize in 2019 - theme: Impression

The article below appeared in "The Montrealer" in early 2017

Below:

Photo of me with exhibition sign displaying my photograph of a Cooper's Hawk bathing in the cemetery's stream (2010)

I will always have happy memories of these events set in one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world.  It's very sad to realize that these good times are over.

Sky Watching

A recent quest of mine was to find the Big Dipper.  I associate it with my childhood when I could go out any clear night and find it easily.  These days with more lights (including powerful security lights) installed in the neighbourhood, I wasn't very hopeful.  However, with the use of a wonderful app called "Stellarium", I found it directly overhead and also found a nook between two buildings which blocked most incidental light so that I could get a good look at it and photograph it.  

Here is a photo "as is" and then the same image but with the names of the major stars added.  You will need to enlarge the images to get a better look (click on the image).

I also wanted to capture Venus and several accompanying stars and the moon (below).  The moon was a crescent but I wasn't able to reduce the exposure to show that without losing all the other celestial bodies.  You will definitely need to enlarge/expand this photo!

Now here is the crescent moon as I love it!  I find it such a beautiful phase of the moon.

And, lastly, here is the Flower Moon supermoon.  The exposure is not what I was going for but somehow I like the final result.

Even more neighbourhood wildlife

To continue to report on wildlife sightings in my area, here are a few more (including new photos of species already mentioned).

Brown Creeper

Chipping Sparrow

Raven and Crow

White-throated Sparrow

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Hermit Thrush

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Bee

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Northern Cardinal

And below is another shot of the Cooper's Hawk.  I have found their new nest and watched one pulling bark off a tree to carry it to the nest.  I guess they are in an early stage of preparing it.

I will just mention two other birds that were seen but not photographed:  a Common Flicker and a Brown Thrasher.

I look forward to more species as migration progresses!

The Kneeling Woman and other strange things

In the rather run-down area behind the college where I have seen the Broad-winged Hawks (see a previous post) there are some strange goings-on.  It is an overgrown place with dumpsters, untended garden plots and an apiary.  There is also a couple of "figures".  One is of a kneeling woman crafted out of chicken wire and what looks like fabric and plaster (and possibly human hair stuffing), and the other is a tall, black, long-eared  figure leaning casually on a tree with a shopping cart nearby. 

It was the kneeling woman who first caught my attention.  The area is adjacent to a grave yard with various statuary so at first I thought "she" was a statue.  Then on closer examination I saw how she was fashioned and it intrigued me.  I wondered who had made her and why.

I was going almost every day and although I never saw anyone, I would notice changes in the area.  One day I thought she was gone and then I saw her in a rocking chair.  Someone had brought the chair and put her in it.

On another day the chair had been turned around giving her a new view of the area.  That was a breezy day and as I viewed her from a distance, the wind lifted a scrap of the fabric on her side and it looked like she was lifting her arm (as though she were adjusting a shawl or reaching for something).  I have to say it startled me!

Then, a day or so later, the chair was empty and she lay smashed on the ground.  It felt like finding the body of a murder victim.  

All the other strange things (as shown below) took on a sinister aspect.

Ceramic fertility figure?

Scarecrow?

These two small structures were found hanging from branches nearby.

A fallen tree has silken threads wound around several of its branches.

All of it is rather strange.  I still go there but certainly only in broad daylight.