Winter Visitor: a Northern Junco

We always know when the cold weather is coming for the number of Northern Juncos that appear wanting food from my ground feeder.   The one in the photo below is in a Japanese Maple tree beside the feeder.  He kindly waited in the tree so I could take his photo.

Feeding Under the Light

My last post featured an Anna's Hummingbird sitting on the light which warms our hummingbird feeder.  In this post she has moved to the feeder and then in the second photo she is feeding, not minding the heat from the light.

Keeping Warm

Our winter has been very mild thus far, but arctic air has moved in, we are having our first snowfall, and an Anna's Hummingbird has chosen to rest near the off-on switch on the light which warms the hummingbird feeder when the weather is at or below zero.  It's feathers are plumped up and that helps to keep the little creatures warm as well. Photo taken from inside our laundry room looking onto the deck.

This photo is also featured on my photography blog at WordPress called My Vancouver Island Life.

A Strange Illness and a Little Miracle

Again its been almost one month since I last posted and it has been a very unusual month.

About 3 weeks ago I was very agitated but did not know why.  Then 2 weeks ago my body began to go into slow motion: I moved slowly, talked slowly and quietly.  My husband said that I was mumbling and that  it was like I had taken an overdose of tranquilizers even though I am not on tranquilizers.  My brother phoned and when I answered he asked me if I had just gotten up.  I had a very difficult time coming up with words I wanted to use, my brain was very foggy in its thoughts.  I lost desire to eat and forced myself to get something down.  One afternoon I sat in the backyard on a chair dozing most of the afternoon.  Then it became difficult to write or type, had to slowly write the letters, forming their shape like a child would do.  I used to be able to type along with sermons but now that would be impossible as my speed has slowed so much.  Other parts of my body were out of whack as well, something was clearly wrong with my bladder and kidneys.  I lost my balance and started banging into things.

This past week I began to improve, but went to our family physician with a written list of what had happened and after doing an exam he had an appointment made for me the next day at the local hospital for a CT scan on my head.  He also phoned an internist and an appointment was made for two days later.  Most people have to wait weeks or months for either of these, but he considered it important enough to mark it "urgent" so space was made for me.  He said my heart was racing so he ordered blood tests, an EKG and a cultured urinalysis.  I went next door to the clinic and had the EKG, had blood drawn, but I was shocked and a little scared to find blood in my urine.  When I returned to the doctor's office and handed him the results of the EKG, I mentioned that it was scary to find the blood but he said that some of my symptoms were scary.

Little Sparrow in a Deodara tree with Psalm 102:7

As the Lord watches over all, this little sparrow was also very attentive to what is happening from his perch in a Deodara tree.

The Creation - American Dipper

This bird is a most wonderful part of God's creation.  I have often seen them at Goldstream Provincial Park either standing on rocks beside the stream, dipping for food as photographed above, diving into the water and swimming downstream.  I often wondered how they could swim in fast moving water, but they have huge feet for the size of their body. The second photograph shows their large feet.  They might not be brilliantly colored as some birds are, but their habits and strength make them very interesting and fun to watch.

Here is an in-depth article regarding this amazing bird. 

http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/portraits/dipper.htmhttp://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/portraits/dipper.htm

The Creation: The Raven

The photo below of a Raven on an old post was taken at the Cowichan Estuary.  I have seldom seen them on the ground, and when I have, they were impossible to photograph as they are wary of people.  Sometimes from a distance Ravens and Crows look similar but close up the Raven is much larger and has a completely different head.  They are often seen souring above. I counted myself blessed to have been able to photograph the regal pose of this beauty.

 

The Creation: Male Harlequin Ducks

These male Harlequin ducks are simply beautiful.  They look as though a paintbrush swirled color throughout their bodies. This photo was taken at Piper's Lagoon, Nanaimo B.C.

Here is more information on Harlequin ducks:

 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Harlequin_Duck/id

Beauty in Everything: Love Is In The Air

Just because I need a smile today, I am posting this photograph taken when the Mallard Ducks at the local pond were pairing up for the coming nesting season.  I don't know if Mallard ducks mate for life or not, but these two were definitely in love.  But then, I do tend to humanize the wild things.

 

Beauty in Everything: Trumpeter Swans at Somenos Marsh

I love to see the Winter rains because if they are hard enough, the local marsh called Somenos Marsh will hold enough water so that the Trumpeter Swans that arrive in Winter will be frequent visitors.  This photo was taken a couple of years ago when there was enough water.  I love the color of the grasses contrasted with the white of the Swans and their similar poses reflected in the water..

 

God's Perfect Timing: An Osprey Fishing

Ecclesiastes  3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."
Ecclesiastes  3:11 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time....."

Yesterday was a wonderful day of God's perfect timing and blessing and being able to witness His creation in action.  We went to a place called Mill Bay, a short drive of 15 minutes.  This beautiful place is missed by probably 90% of the traffic driving north on the Island Highway who don't bother to take what is marked a scenic drive in their rush to get wherever they are going.  There is quiet road that leads down to the Bay, places to park at the Bay side of the road and a high bluff on the west side of the road. Saltspring Island and the Saanich Peninsula are in the distance.   Often we go there in the winter when there are many species of ducks over-wintering, and as I like to photograph birds, its a good place to go.

Beauty in Everything: Fledgling House Sparrows

Following on my last post regarding God's grace to a little Sparrow, the photo below is of little boy House Sparrows that have recently left the nest. They were adorable. This was taken as they were in a lilac bush above the waterfall of our little pond getting up enough nerve to drop down for a drink or a bath.  There are a lot of nesting boxes around here and the parents bring their young to our yard for the water and the food.  I put the food on the ground under a dwarf spruce tree to try and keep the crows from being able to catch them.  At this age, they don't seem to have any fear of people, or anything for that matter, and its possible to get quite close to them.

 

Camera:  Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200  25-600mm

God's Grace to a Little Sparrow

God's Grace to a Little Bird

Matthew 10:29-31 "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

This incident happened to me quite a few years ago but it remains in my memory as an example of God's grace to a little bird.

We live on the coast where winter is usually quite mild but this particular year we had quite a bit of snow.. House Sparrows stay around all year, and if you are feeding them they are regular visitors to your bird feeder.  On this particular winter it was especially cold and the birds were struggling to get enough feed to keep warm.

At the time I was volunteering at a place called the "Rainforest Reptile Refuge" where it was at least 90 degrees inside to keep the "critters" warm.  Unfortunately reptiles are quite delicate creatures, and sometimes one would become ill.  After the lady in charge of the refuge had done everything she could, if they were not recovering she would put them in the freezer where (she thought) the cold would put them to sleep and then they would quietly pass away.

Beauty in Everything: Mute Swan

Below is one of my favorite Mute Swan photographs.  I have been trying to find what the proper term is for having the wings carried like this, but have been unable to do so.  In any event, I think that the swan and its reflection is very lovely and a wonderful example of the beauty of God's creation.  In the original photograph there is another swan behind this one, I think that this might be the male showing off for the female.