Bunchberry

If it's one plant that always stands out it's Bunchberry, the red berries stand out like a beacon. 

New plant today

Down the Mann Ridge Rd this morning to take some pics.  Happened to stop in the shade and was looking about and found some Small Sundrops (Oenothera perennis).  They are related to the much taller Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) which is very common along the roadsides right now.

ATV trip to Halliday Lake

Up  to Halliday Lake by way of the north power line today.  Paul, Ed, Faye, Gary, Ron and Rick on the ride.  Great trip both ways and lots of laughs along the way.  Here is a pic when we stopped for a break on the way home. Click on pic to see whole picture.

Fruit of the land

Yesterday I found a few pockets of blueberries, mostly around wet, humid areas.  Most of the dry areas the leaves have fallen right off the plants.  The most plentiful are raspberries all along the roadsides everywhere, the bushes are full of them.  This time of year the bear scat tends to be on the blue side this year definitely raspberry coloured. Just thought you would like to know that tidbit.

Back to the Osprey nest

Has been some time since I checked in on the Ospreys, whenever I approached close  the adults would fly off.  I still wasn't sure what was going on in the nest.  This time I parked some distance away on a small hill.  One of the adults stayed at the nest and for the next hour and a half I took pictures. Looking them over after revealed three well fledged chicks.  The picture shows one testing it's wings, one low in the nest(the bump) and one standing by the adult. It's not going to be long before these birds will be on the move.  I will be back in another week for and update.

More fishing from last week

Out onto Gowganda Lake for a fish last week and picked up a few walleyes.   My son picked up the boys on Sunday and are home now.  Two weeks of fishing, swimming, canoeing, exploring and most of all eating.  Silence has returned to the house.

The dump owner

Here is one of the dump owners who will gladly take the garbage right out of your truck for you.

Heat not letting up

This AM the sun on the thermometer read 115° F.  I will be in the basement today for sure.  Here are a couple of pics from the last few days.  To be honest it's been hard to go out and take pictures.  One a HDR shot and the other with a happy fisherman.

Hot, Hot, Hot

This last week or so has been so hot I have been hiding in the basement.  Last year we had a couple of hot ones but this doesn't seem to end.  We are not alone with this heat I feel sorry for the rest of them down south with the heat and the terrible weather, tornadoes and flooding, roads buckling and power outages .
I hadn't been out with a camera since the last post several days ago but yesterday I was out checking the blueberries, sorry to say but it doesn't look to promising.  The leaves are falling off the plants it's so dry and what berries I did happen to find were tiny and all dried up. Lots of the creeks and streams are also dry.  The bears are going to miss all the berry crop this year.

Here is a pic of some Cotton  grass (Eriophorum) along the side of a pond at Miller Lake.

Water Lily

Here is a waterlily from a water garden in Gowganda.

A few plants out now

Here are a few pics of plants from some trips along the road.  The first one Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) which is quite poisonous to animals and humans. The second a Wild Rose and a newer one Pink Pyrola (Pyrola asarifolia).

Cloud burst

Another before and after from the garden

Before

After a Poppy

The Mayfly season is upon us

 From this that crawled out of the water and shed its skin

to this

 

for more info visit Mayfly

Just about the end of the Lupins for this year

Here are some along highway 560 in town.

Out early this AM

Revisited the Osprey this AM, both parents still flying around with nest material although they didn't land back in the nest as often as last time, I didn't stay too long.

After leaving there I visited the beaver pond and caught him snacking on some birch.  He soon got back in the water and gave me the tail slap,  I guess he was telling me enough already.

Edith Lake today

Another HDR picture this time from Edith Lake.

Couple of flowers in HDR

Here are a couple of flowers in HDR (High Dynamic Range) where 3 or more pictures are taken at different shutter speeds and then combined.  The first is Wild Lily of the Valley.

The second a close up of the Moccasin flower head

Transit of Venus

Good day for grass cutting today, bit of a breeze off the lake to keep away the bugs.  Towards the afternoon the black clouds a bit of rain and thunder started time to pack it in for the day. Today is the day that Venus is between the earth and the sun, and  is visible as a black dot crossing the sun.  It was cloudy but around 7:30 pm and the sun popped out in a hole in the clouds, ran out and got the welding mask and after squinting and staring looking I finally saw a black dot at about 1:00 o'clock on the sun.  I can't wait to see it again in 2117 the next time it's visible. Didn't get any pics of it but it is all over the news.
Here is pic from a couple of days ago of a Starflower (Trientalis borealis).

Rain, and more rain

Damp weather the last couple of days, badly needed to put out the forest fires that have been threatening towns and cities.  Most fires in the NE are under control.  A total of 42,540 ha.  or 164 sq. miles were burnt in the Timmins, Kirkland Lake and the one north of Elk Lake. The one north of Elk Lake has deep hot spots that crews are still actively working on.

On another note here are some Bunchberry from today.