crafting : painting : birding

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Back in mid March when I got into macrame, the plan was to complete a few easy projects to get the hang of the craft and then move on to create a boho bag.  That idea has fallen by the wayside since I have been having so much fun working on smaller more meaningful items.  This angel is the latest addition to my meaningful collection.  I took her out into a treed area to get a photo of her in nature.  She represents my Guardian Angel who loved being out in nature.  We spent many times in various parks over the years, she loved the sights and sounds and smells of these places. I know my Guardian Angel has my back!  

she now hangs in my home on the fairy light tree

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Another thing that has fallen by the wayside are watercolour painting sessions.  After painting twelve full moon scenes and a cover scene, for my 2025 calendar, over a short period of time, I then pushed all the supplies to the side, not wanting to even touch a brush.  Except for this!  These splashes and swipes of paint represent a logo I designed.  There's more to this than meets the eye!  That's all I will say for now!  Stay tuned!

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Lately, not a day goes by that I am not "out & about" enjoying nature in some form or another!  I was not feeling like I wanted to sift through my crocus photos so sifted through my bird photos from the past three days.  Covering thirty kilometres throughout Beaverdam Flats, Carburn Park and Inglewood, I came away with some nice surprises and unexpected sights.  Of course, I did see some of those usual suspects such of this male House Finch...

....and his cutie-pie friend!

While standing in a location watching the ducks do their spring thing, I was startled by a flock of Tree Swallows that flew from the tree, so much so that I let out a WOOW.  What a sight to see watching them fly over top then in a matter of a minute all settle back down in the tree.  

This is a close up of a few of them as they settled down on a branch.  

I mentioned in a previous post about wanting to capture a video of a drumming Northern Flicker but had no luck. Well, I had better luck this time around!  

It pays to keep your eyes peeled in every direction.  Movement in the water below caught my attention and when I was able to get a better look, I saw this muskrat swimming by.  It quickly disappeared into an area around that log.  

It was a blind corner for both of us!  

I think I was more shocked than the coyote was. 

It just nonchalantly did an about face and sauntered off trail into the trees.  

While looking into the trees to see where the coyote went, I saw a flicker of a bright yellowish green colour.  I waited, I watched, I looked to left and right then there is was again.  This is the clearest photo I captured.  While it is facing away from me, I was able to see that red patch on the head.  Seeing this Ruby-Crowned Kinglet was a nice surprise!  

Another nice surprise was seeing this male Harlequin Duck.  I followed it back and forth for quite some time as it swam back and forth chasing after his lady friend.  At first I wandered what it was chasing after as I forgot how the females look so different.  The reminder came when I got home and made the ID's of my sightings.  

This was an unexpected sight!  While seeing deer is a common occurrence, seeing one with one antler is not.  It will soon shed the other one. This normally happens during January to March after mating season.  Throughout the summer, they will grow back.

The nice surprises and unexpected sights continued!  As I walked out of the trees to the trail by the river, this thing flew up from the water and landed on the grass in front of me.  I was camera ready, you need to be these days!  Once I got home, I used my app to make the ID.  This is a Cooper's Hawk. 

Oh my, even another nice surprise sighting!  This is an Osprey!  It was easy to photograph because it hoovered in one spot for a lengthy time.  It was eyeing the water beneath it. I was expecting it to do a deep dive to the water to capture food, but that did not happen, it just eventually flew away.  

My gosh, the sweet surprises kept happening!  I heard the tune and I could name it in five notes!  This is my first sighting of a Song Sparrow this season.  I ended up seeing three of them and they were all singing their little hearts out. 

Early on this day, I stopped by the Bald Eagle's nest viewing location.  The Eagle was busy busy busy doing something but I could not capture a good photo because of all the movement.  Later, on my way back, I stopped by again and captured this photo.  I chatted with another birders who told me it appeared her activity earlier was that of feeding babies but they did not see the babies nor do they know how many are in there. I won't have another opportunity to head back here for a week or so. 

These spring days have been so fulfilling!