Friday, March 20, 2026

wonderfully wide-eyed

A simply painted cheerful daffodil was the task accomplished before heading out the door to find even more cheer.  Just like the tulip, daffodils represent re-birth and new beginnings. It's that time of year as spring has sprung, where everything seems to come alive.  Before heading out the door, I took a quick glance at the flower and thought while it looks lovely on its own, there does need to be something else with it!  I will think again about that another time!  For now..... 

.....it was time for a visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary!  What a difference a week makes!  Last week's visit to the Sanctuary was like full on winter!  This was my view on this morning as I turned the corner onto the main trail. WOW! I was wide-eyed! I see new beginnings with all the open water in the lagoon and the trail clear of ice and snow! 

How wonderful!  This was my first sighting this year of a Bohemian Waxwing!  I did see where many have been sighted.  It's that time of year where they are passing through this area heading up to the far north where they will spend spring and summer. 

Well, the male Wood Duck sure looks wide-eyed!  
I was when I saw it, being my first sighting of one this season. 

Some Northern Flickers spend the winter here, but over the past couple of weeks they have been arriving by the dozens. Their calls echoed through The Sanctuary while their frolicking added entertainment which was wonderful to watch.  

"What are you looking at?" says the White-breasted Nuthatch!
It is all relative, while its eyes are tiny, they are still as wide-eyed as can be!

The Mountain Cottontail had a buffet for breakfast!

The Richardson's Ground Squirrels were out in full force. This was the first time I saw one this season. They are a rodent which gets a bad rap! They are cute though! AAAAH!  I just had a thought! I know what this Squirrel needs, it needs..... 

.....to be in the painting with the daffodil! 

I knew there was a Squirrel there yet it took a bit to fully find it!
WOW!  It perfected the art of camouflage!  

The male Mallard Duck was a bit more skittish than the female 
as they worked their way from the ice to the water.  

This is my favourite photo!  Talk about being skittish!  It was hilarious watching this deer cross the ice. Do you see what I see? Just be a little more wide-eyed and you will spot the deer at middle left watching.  It watched and it waited!  I wonder what a deer sounds like when it laughs! Instead of crossing the ice, it just needed to walk the short distance along the edge.

This was a day where I was bug-eyed and wide-eyed for the entire visit here!  
As each day passes, there will be more and more reasons to be wonderfully wide-eyed!



17 comments:

  1. There are large flocks of waxwings here. They've been here about two weeks. They put on some very fancy flying exhibits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I once saw a very large flock of Bohemian Waxwings putting on a fancy flying exhibition, it was mesmerizing!

      Delete
  2. Lots of lovely images on your walk. Beautiful nature at its spring best. B x

    ReplyDelete
  3. You captured so much life! The photo of the deer is hilarious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I took a video of the deer crossing the ice but it is not a good quality video.

      Delete
  4. I like that little nuthatch and your paintings. What a fun outing and inspiration for your art! Happy Spring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Happy Spring to you too! It seems all my art is inspired from nature of some sort or another!

      Delete
  5. Hello,
    A lovely collection of photos from your outing. All the birds are lovely, It is heard to pick a favorite. I love them all. The ground squirrel is a cutie. I hope the deer made it safely off the ice. Your paintings are beautiful, the daffodils are a cheery sight. Thank you for linking up and sharing your critter post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The deer did safely get across the ice. Once it did, it stopped, turned around and looked back.

      Delete
  6. Fabulous post ... lovey photographs and paintings.
    Happy Spring Wishes.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Spring Wishes to you! I look forward to seeing what spring recipes you will be sharing with us!

      Delete
  7. “Just like the tulip, daffodils represent re-birth and new beginnings.” I love the way you think about things. You put it into words perfectly. Lots of really great images. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At times lately thinking about things in a positive light takes a little extra effort!

      Delete
  8. Great pictures, but the Waxwing is my favourite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Waxwings are beautiful and sing such a sweet soft song!

      Delete
  9. WOW what a difference from last week, that is pure spring for sure! Thanks for the laugh looking at both the duck & deer trying to manage the ice. And yes, the squirrel is a perfect addition to the daffodil. ❤️Norma

    ReplyDelete

I look forward to reading your comments! All comments are moderated.