Not again!

Winter has been checking in with us this past week. Snow was gone then returned three times. Enough of that persistence! A week without snow isn’t too much to ask, is it? I much prefer a walk outside rather than the treadmill, but that wasn’t always possible last week.

One day, when we could walk the boardwalk, I watched an area where various species of birds like to gather. During a 15 minute period I saw a Grackle, Blue Jays, Crows, a Gull, Mourning Doves, 

Tree Sparrows, 

Black-eyed Juncos, 

and Black-capped Chickadees

Meanwhile, in the stream nearby Black Ducks and Mallards 

fed in the stream. Robins looked for food nearby as well.

On the way home another day, Canada Geese fed in a field near our house. The look of this vegetation is typical of our area this time of year. The snow must go for more than a day before everything starts to turn green.

On Saturday, we attended our granddaughter’s last gymnastics competition for this season. Over the last year, Granddaughter 2 has gained confidence and improved her skills tremendously. It is always a pleasure to watch her perform.

At the competition, I sat next to a man I believe to be a Ukrainian immigrant. His daughter was competing and performed well too. When Russia invaded Ukraine, almost 300,000 Ukrainians came to Canada and a number settled on Prince Edward Island. They left when an aggressor invaded their homeland, in an effort to acquire their land and all its resources. 

I can’t help but wonder how these new islanders feel about the prospect of the same thing happening to this country at the hands of a different aggressor. Do they take the rhetoric seriously? Many people do.

We live in sad times!

About last week

At some point this month I had to do some Christmas shopping so I started this past week, though reluctantly. Time is running out however. I don’t enjoy shopping. My husband and I find it difficult to shop for the grandchildren these days as their taste and preferences are evolving as they grow. Our daughter accompanied me one day which was a huge help. It was nice to have that time with her too. Her father joined us for lunch which was lovely.

We didn’t get to the boardwalk as often this week as a result but the scene there certainly changed in that time. Early last week, a seaweed dam at the mouth of the salt marsh had resulted in flooding of the marsh which had then frozen.

On Sunday last week, as we walked away from the parking lot, ducks were flying overhead to the north. With no open water in the salt marsh, the ducks had headed out to look for some.

That day, I captured a photo of a Dark-Eyed Junco which was feeding along the boardwalk.

The Bluejays are always entertaining of course. A flock of the pretty avians will appear quickly along the bridge if one offers peanuts, one of their favourite snacks. 

The Chickadees require the shells removed from the nuts and wait patiently for them.

The vessel, Federal Ohio, came into port when Blacky left the previous week. 

From the photo of what looked like a Coast Guard boat further in the bay, you can see how much ice was in the harbour.

Gulls were a highlight another day. 

They played in the bay opposite the stream. 

We heard honking overhead and I found the Canada Geese quickly enough to take a photo.

The mild temperatures later in the week melted much of the snow and ice in the area. The dam of seaweed at the mouth of the marsh gave way and the ducks returned. 

When it turned cold again, they ice skated in the marsh to get to areas where the water was still flowing.

A Downy Woodpecker drilled into trees near the marsh 

and a Mourning Dove perched high above the scene watched everything with interest.

On a more serious note:

In conclusion this week, I have news of a scam which targeted seniors on Prince Edward Island. Two people visiting the island phoned various islanders, addressing those who answered the phone with “Hey, grandma,” or “Hey, grandpa.”

I answered the phone one day. It looked like a local number so I said, “Hello.” When a male voice said, “Hey, Grandma,” I hung up without saying anything further.

Apparently the caller scammed several islanders out of money, saying he was the person’s grandson and needed money for bail. One senior however, arranged a meeting to pass over money, called the police and the scammer was arrested at the appointed place.

There are so many similar and worse scams going on these days that one has to be alert and suspicious of everything, especially unsolicited phone calls, emails and the rest. 

Nature is an important reprieve from the worries of the world.

I wish you a scam-free week.

Spring around here

It is warming up with day time temperatures slightly above zero, longer daylight hours and the sun feeling warmer. We have kept our walks to the boardwalk where the signs of spring are more feeling than reality yet. Still that time in nature is precious and treasured amid the reality playing out in the world.

The bay is ice covered still though the ice looks more like sloppy snow now with a few areas of open water. Birds have found these openings on the bay with the American Black Ducks dividing their time between the freely flowing stream through the salt marsh and the bay.

One morning recently, fog shrouded the Confederation Bridge which is usually like a mirage in the distance.

Rafted ice in the Northumberland Strait looks ready to drop to icy depths.

The snow, plentiful along the edges of the pathway after storms, is retreating from the walkway, exposing the path we haven’t seen since last autumn.

Red Squirrels chase each other and chatter as mating season approaches.

Small birds such a Black-capped Chickadees, 

Tree Sparrows, 

Dark-Eyed Juncos 

and Song Sparrows 

join the ubiquitous Blue Jays foraging as they are wont to do. 

Around them the snow melts a bit more every day, a hopeful sign that spring will be more than a day on the calendar. For a few minutes everything is right with the world.

 

Lunch with friends

My friend Lucy invited me to lunch at her home in the central part of Prince Edward Island. The rural setting amid rolling hills is one of the rare areas on the island which isn’t flat. 

The snow-covered fields insulate the rich red soil from winter’s grip and brighten the landscape.

Lucy’s home has huge windows on the main floor which give a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. Outside her windows Lucy has several bird feeders, so we sat and enjoyed her delicious sour dough bread and seafood chowder as the birds enjoyed their lunch too.

There were blue jays, chickadees, mourning doves 

and goldfinch flitting around the feeders. I wasn’t quick enough to get photos of the first two but the goldfinch in particular were co-operative. The markings formed when the feathers furl are a natural beauty.

I don’t see any goldfinch along the boardwalk this time of year. It was a real treat to experience them at all and from the comfort of Lucy’s home was a double treat.

Her feeders attract many birds and work well for the little birds.

I will replace the one we have with some of these feeders which are more friendly to the smaller species. Our feeder attracts the neighbourhood crows now. I know crows have to eat too but they keep away the smaller birds. 

P.S.

A few weeks later I dropped Lucy home and as we drove up the driveway, a bald eagle flew overhead. Juncos were feeding from the seeds at the base of the feeders that day. 

The goldfinch 

were around of course as were the bluejays and chickadees. I fear I’d never get anything done if I lived at Lucy’s house.