What's in Bloom

These oriental poppies are a little worse for wear after a torrential downpour.

Columbines are going strong and look good against this robust hosta.

Our dwarf weigela survived the cold winter.  Dwarf because it freezes almost to the ground every year, but comes back and blooms again though it never gets more than 1 foot tall.

A Bit Late to the Party

Finally, I too have succumbed to the kneadless bread craze.  Works like a charm, looks exactly like everyone else's.  Good crust, tastes great.  I used 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups white flour.

Bird of the Day

This tree swallow was peeking out of its nest box the last two times we were at Scout Island

What's Blooming

Captured this bumblebee in a cornflower.  Snow in summer in the background.

Scout Island Again

Leo on the far side of the new pedestrian bridge where they've now put up fencing and benches.

We saw a savannah sparrow on this side of the bridge. 

A new batch of goslings under the bridge,

And a female brown-headed cowbird near Otter Point.

Sunday Walk Creek Valley

Walked down to the William's Lake River Valley with the usual Sunday walkers.  It's been rainy so far this month and it's very green!

It's not often the common yellowthroat comes out of hiding to let you take a picture.

Fox Mountain

Arnica in bloom

The Fox Mountain trail was full of wildflowers when we walked up there on Friday morning.

I thought this field of Arnica would be the highlight, but there were also balsamroot still in bloom,

and the flower of the day was definitely

Penstemon, blooming all along the trail.

Also checked out the flooding situation at Scout Island from above:

 

Compare to April 28

Okay maybe it mostly looks a lot greener, but the water has dropped and the flooded bridge above has now been certified by the engineer to be opened up so we can cross to the far island.

On these photos you can see that the new pedestrian bridge in photo centre was surrounded by water in late April.

Hiking was followed by the customary debriefing in the rose garden in Boitanio Park.

Note physical distancing

Scout Island Walk

The Otter Point boardwalk is open again after flooding.  All the better for closeup photos of the yellow-headed blackbirds.

And look what we saw lying in the grass by the road on the causeway:

Bird of the Day

This yellow warbler at Scout Island must be building its nest.

Hike up to Russet Bluff

Hiked up to Russet Bluff on South Lakeside for this view over the east end of William's Lake.

In the Dairy Fields

Out for our daily walk, in the dairy fields below our house.  Among other birds, a clay-coloured sparrow:

We often hear their  buzz  buzz buzz in the dairy fields

Bird of the Day

Bullocks Oriole at Scout Island.

What's Blooming this Week?

For a change there are 3 kinds of flowers blooming in the same flower bed.  Usually there is only one pla t blooming.  Yellow and purple irises a d Columbine.

Bird of the Day

Out walking on Mission Road Leo took this impressionistic photo of a female bobolink perched along the irrigation ditch beside the road.

We could hear the males singing their "bobolink" song in the distance.

Guys trip to Quesnel lake

Leo went on a 5-day trip on the north arm of Quesnel Lake last week.  

Weather was pretty good with one rainy day, but it was cold at night.