After breakfast we checked out the bush road across Hwy 69 from my driveway.  These two birdies were a long way away from me but about 50′ from each other, singing alternately.

The Chestnut-sided Warbler is quite common, but Indigo Buntings are rare around here.  For some strange reason the Bunting always appears on the same branch of the same tree.  The only one that I photographed last year was on that branch.  I also photographed one there earlier this year.  One of these days I hope to get a lot closer to one, to do it justice in a photo.

Along Riverside Drive we saw some of the usual start of summer blossoms…

The wind was up, causing this nice rippling backdrop to this cultivar Iris.

Canada Anemone are now out in full bloom.

And the Wild Roses are almost over.

Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon!

Delicate starflowers are at their prime here now.

As are False Lily-of-the-Valley or another “Mayflower”.

Another “Silvery Blue” I think.

The “Blue Bead Lilies” are also at their prime right now.

As are the bunch berries:

Alas, this Massasauga Rattlesnake had been killed on Riverside Drive.  I think that it coiled with its last energy.  I moved it to the side of the road, where the local broadwinged hawk will probably eat it.

Why conserve a venomous snake?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

ENERGETIC TIMES*
In two weeks, on the afternoon (EDT) of June 21st the sun will stop in its noontime rise above  the southern horizon and start going down again.

Solstice:  “The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun’s path (as seen from Earth) comes to a stop before reversing direction.”

At Solstice our noon sun is (our Latitude + 23.4º ) about 69º above the southern horizon.  (46th parallel of North Latitude is just north of the HWY 69  bridge over the Pickerel River.  The 23.4º is the axial tilt of Earth.)

So the sun lingers near this high point for a few weeks having two effects:

1   Beaming solar energy more straight down onto the earth’s surface here resulting in a higher intensity of sunlight/energy.

and

2   Being visible in the sky for long days (~16 hours of daylight)

These two effects mean that a HUGE portion of the annual energy received at this location comes in during the 30 days centered on June 21st.  (The calculation of that amount of energy is left to Astronomers, Architects, Sundial Designers and other keeners who read this.   There are two integrals involved, one in each of the effects, both Cosine functions integrated over angle and/or time.)

Hence the HUGE change in  life activity during solstice,  since all life activity is energy dependent.

Although solar insolation is greatest at solstice, our average temperature is greater a month or so later due to thermal lag.  This was well studied by a guy named Joseph Fourier.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

*These days when it is politically fashionable to trash fundamental science I thought I’d remind us of the legacy that we all enjoy from non-mission oriented science.

Besides when I saw the subtitle I realized that I hadn’t  included much PRATTLE in earlier posts.

t

We took the truck for a short drive this morning and noticed that the warm weather had significantly advanced blossoms and bugs.  Some examples:

This looks like either Wild Sarsaparilla or Bristly Sarsaparilla.  I can’t see a  bristly stem so I think it is the former. An interesting member of the Ginseng family.

“Footsteps of Our Lord”:

Trail behind Camp Dore.  Trilliums, Blue Cohosh, Jack in the pulpit have given way to Ostrich Fern on this unused Snowmobile trail.

Here is the pond near Grundy Lake PP again.  One beaver seen.  No Bitterns.

Yet to be Identified moth/butterfly:

The Red Osier Dogwoods are starting to bloom.  They are great insect attractors.

Some sort of Hymenoptera or Diptera is pollinating.   That really IS its shadow below it.   Interesting reflection!

Fresh Nectar!

Another Skipper?

Tamarack cones are forming quickly

They are worth another view, eh?

Fleur-de-lis a member of the Iris Order, not Lillium.

The Swallowtail on the right is coming for a landing to join the couple on the ground.

Ménage à trois?   I have a lot of pix of these folks and will report my findings later.

You  can never tell where to find Clearwing Hummingbirds, eh?

Yes, this is the pretty, much maligned, Orange Hawkweed along the shoulder of Hwy 522.

Lots of stuff to see out there!

t

We went to Parry Sound on Friday.   I have never seen so many snapping turtles (7 or 8).  Some will appear below.  Saw a very wary black bear cub at Big Lake.  And had a surprise.

First some alien wildflowers indicating the start of summer:    The orange hawkweeds are just starting to emerge in open spaces, as are the goatsbeard, the oxeye daisy and the common yarrow.

This native Aquilera has a huge infestation of aphids.

Some native wildflowers:

Yellow Pond Lily, Solomon’s Plume (which I prefer to the False spikenard, False Solomon’s seal, since it is more descriptive.) and Bog Cotton :

Surprise!

Then I saw this beastie loping down the road towards me.  Long shot with the camera stuck out the window of the truck:

It  bounded into the bush and gave me this glimpse as it disappeared.

Porcupines are seen very rarely around here as the Ontario MNR has imported fishers to control them… and many other species, including domestic cats.

Complex facial “plates” on this Snapper!

This one was completing her third nest:

I cannot yet understand why turtles cross the road from one pond to another instead of using the culvert.

Ahhhh.  Safety!

I had to take this just to check out the camera.  Good lens.

And, finally, two artsy images in between rain showers:

You never know what you’re gonna see.

t

We went to P’s tp check on noisy brakes.  After getting the diagnosis we watched a Northern Cardinal show off at the bird feeder.

“Don’t I look pretty!”

“Do you have a signed Model Release?”

“It looks like there is some food down there.”

“I know that there are some other birdies around here, but I am prettiest.”

We took the Old Still River Rd home and saw this Chestnut Sided Warbler

Some sort of moth on  yet to bloom, Thalictrum, Meadow Rue.

I broke one of my rules in shooting feeder birds, but that Northern Cardinal and Common Grackles were quite special.

t

This is a continuation of today’s earlier post recording my adventures on Wednesday.

One the way back from Burwash, I saw some nice displays along the side of the road…

A bunch of unpronounceable Sisyrinchium angustifolium, member of the Iris family.

and a very early example of Yellow Hawkweed in a hot microclimate.

While stopping to observe a beaver eating a maple branch at a roadside pond ( just east of the Grundy Lake park entrance), I noticed a critter in the grass.

American Bittern in classic pose.  I heard its ca-klunk  sound.  You can hear that sound by clicking on this link.

Then I saw something that I’d never seen before … a  male Bittern in mating display…

A hundred feet away was the hen…

Here are the two, top right, mid left.

I looked for a while to get that link of a male Bittern in Display.

I found it at at author Mary Holland’s Naturally Curious blog.  A great resource.  I am pleased that I found it.

Then I just had to get a pic of the Canadian Beaver nibbling on its maple branch.

Moving to the east, the yellow waterlilies were emerging

And this turtle obliged by giving a nice 1/3 focus point in this nice reflective scene.

This time, a fly contemplating yellow:

Further east we say an inbound beaver carrying brush passing an outbound beaver traveling light.

The object of the beavers’ work.  4 were on the job.

The lookout gave the warning!

Then this beaver came back with another load …

and dove to continue the job of plugging  up the culvert.

A hundred feet away this tree is still standing, having been girdled several weeks ago.   If there is a strong North Wind it will block the highway.

On the way home we stopped to observe dragonflies

and see the last of the marsh marigolds

and the first of the Canada Anemone:

And this little racing striped rodent eating juniper seeds.

A full day!

On Wednesday we went up to the French River Inn (Jack’s) for a late breakfast with B & G of Smith Bay Rd.

On the way into the restaurant, this Swallowtail was visiting one of Jack’s pretty yellow flowers.

After breakfast this birdie arrived at the door and pecked on the glass.   I was lucky to have my camera with me (after taking the butterfly pic.)

At Neilly Lake, Burwash, there were a lot of Dragonflies around, giving us this lucky shot:

Another one, worth clicking on to get full size:

This old tree was in the former cemetery area of the Industrial Farm.   I suspect that those signs contain the names of folks that lived at the place.   I bet that there is an alumni organization around someplace!  (EDIT:   I have since learned that those signs contain the names of “alumni OF THE TOWNSITE” that visit annually.  Although it is near Cemetery Lake it is at the old townsite.   See: https://brtthome.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/20150829-31great-prairie-chickens-at-burwash-and-local-bugs/  )

Two mandatory warblers, Chestnut Sided and American Yellow.

One of Rebeca’s Bumblebees is visiting.

AHA!   A clearwing hummingbird moth.

a Vanessa atalanta also checked out the lilacs.

This fat fellow / expectant mother spent some time checking me out:

And, on the way out!

My FIRST good pix of the Bobolink.  The bottom one is worth clicking on.

Little bug visiting some cousins of the Irises

Although there were folks  (maintenance contractors?) around, and the numbers were up there were no soldiers around.

On the way back to the Killarney turn-off, we saw these :  Labrador Tea and ….

… calla.

On the way home we stopped off at the little pond betweed Grundy  Lake PP and the Pakesley crossing to see some interesting things …. to be posted later.

Another interesting day!

t

We spent some time “downtown” today getting “chores and duties” done.

Along the way we were serenaded by this American Yellow Warbler:

and given a flying demo by this gull.

While enjoying this splash of color from Doug W’s wild rose.

Remember to click on the image to get a close-up view.    (No links in this post.)

Tomorrow: up for lunch at French River.  Perhaps a tour of the countryside?

… and with it some warmer afternoons.  (Until June 2 am when a frost advisory is posted.)

This painted turtle takes some sun on a log in the creek between K and G’s places on the Old Still River Rd:

(Bit of an illusion, eh?)

The Trilliums continue to fade and lose their blooms, but the leaves are working hard making food stored in those rhizomes.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail  or  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail?

Meadowhawk?  Sympetrum?

Fly, a green one.

Milkweed is growing rapidly and will be feeding nectar to the Monarchs, who will lay their eggs on the leaves.  The resulting caterpillars will eat the leaves including the bitter tasting and poisonous latex.  Birds and other prey know, somehow,  not to eat Monarch Butterflies.

Right next to the Milkweeds some Barren Strawberry, I think.  (I have some pix that show 5 petals.)

There is a lesson here!!!

Have a look at this.

And if you are interested in the details, have a look at this.

Yes, the above blur was a Clearwing extending its proboscis (nectar sucking tube) into a wild cherry blossom.   The shot is a “provisional”, (just in case I can’t get the camera  set up quickly enough to get a good photograph).  At least I learned that Clearwings appear early to feed on cherry blossoms.  They move quickly, just like when they feed on Milkweed nectar.  I got the above image and it was gone.  Tomorrow??

Another BLUE!  These,  and their cousins,  were quite common today.  I think this is a Cherry Gall Azure.   Even Rick Cavasin has difficulty with this one.

And Rebecca’s bumblebees were pollinating the Clinton’s Lilies, (which were called Blue-beads yesterday!)

Red Osier Dogwood is starting to bloom now.

An Arctic or Chequered Skipper feeding on a beautiful yellow wildflower.

The Pale Corydalis are fading quickly now.   But the seed pods are ripening.

This hairy beastie …

…. had a run-in with this beastie on that twig of the ash tree.  No issues, they just clambered over each other.

I remember the first time I saw these miniature cones on this very common hackmatack.  Very nice colour.

And I can remember tasting this sour grass   many years ago.   Its cultivar is occasionally used to spice up salads.

Sorry to leave you on this sour note!!!

(Current temperature is a couple degrees above the Dew Point (~5º).  So a lot of heat will be released IF the air cools down to 0º.   I think that my fuchsia is safe.  On the other hand some radiation fog early in the morn really is very nice to photograph!)

t

PS  Welcome back to “The Bay” D &D!  I saw the kayak on the jeep.  We need a report of what you’re seeing out there!

A few years ago good friend Rebecca made a web site celebrating the life of Maxwell, a mathematical physicist of the same stature as Newton and Einstein.  In addition to his other contributions to science he developed the first demonstration of using Red, Green and Blue  (RGB) filters to construct a colour image in 1861.

Rebecca’s web site contains some great poetry along with some photographs taken in the Britt and Iron Bridge neighbourhoods.

There are two pages of poetry/photographs here.    Worth enjoying when you have a few minutes.

Here is an example, an experiment:

http://meetingmaxwell.tumblr.com/image/37667733234

After you get the image, click on the button upper left to get the image + poem.  Then you can go back to the Meeting Maxwell site or come back Here.

Have fun!

t

Although yesterday was very windy and cool, we managed to make a few photos in the neighbourhood.

Proud parent:

Being visited by a brood of Mallards

“Peek a boo!”  says this American Yellow Warbler.

What is that red structure on this Jackpine branch?

Three pix of Starflowers.  (Worth clicking on to see the delicate structure of the blossom.)

Starflower photography was interrupted by the songs of this American Redstart Warbler, some distance away.

It looks like a good blueberry crop this year, good crop of blackflies right now.

Adult photo

Young couple enjoying a bit of warmth, out of the wind.  What was that kind of iridescent coloration  called?

Those duck features are really very nice up close!

Have a good week!

T