August 30 / the snowbirds

I saw the Snowbirds!  The Snowbirds are not birds, though, they are Canada's air show demonstration team.  There's an air show in Toronto on Labour Day weekend (which is this weekend) every year. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), goldfinch (female), mourning dove, chickadee, robin

Overhead: gull

the buzz / August 29

I saw a cicada today - it landed on my tomato plants while I was picking some.  I hear them regularly in the summer, but don't often see them.  Also, something laid some little white, round eggs on one of the tomato leaves.  I've removed it from the plant, but I'd like to find out what they might be if I can.  I saw a butterfly down the street from here, I think it was a monarch.

Common birds: cardinal (female), house sparrow, chickadee

August 28 / the tape

My tomato plants are getting heavy, between being rained on, and the fruit growing nearer the tops.  A couple of stems are bent, one is broken.  For now, I've taped it in place, though I think cutting it and putting the end in the soil might be better. 

Common birds: house sparrow, robin, cardinal (female), starling (?), downy woodpecker (female)

the afternoon / August 27

Friends took me over to their place for the afternoon, we did a little pruning and so on in their yard.  Although not in my yard, I did see a couple of red-tailed hawks on our way over. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair)

Heard: blue jay

August 26 / the water

It rained - heavily.  August has been dry, so it's a good thing overall.  It was stormy at times, with clear patches.  I did get a few minutes in the garden, though. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (male)

the big and small / August 25

Enjoyed a sit outside in sunny weather.  A couple of red-tailed hawks circled high overhead, a great blue heron flew by, and a tiny hummingbird visited the rose of sharon.  The nuthatch stopped at both the seed and the fat feeders.  I also saw a monarch butterfly. 

Common birds: cardinal (pair), house sparrow, robin, starling, red-breasted nuthatch, goldfinch (male)

Summer visitors: ruby-throated hummingbird

Overhead: red-tailed hawk, great blue heron

Heard: blue jay

August 24 / the helicopter

An orange helicopter flew over the yard this afternoon. 

Common birds: house sparrow, chickadee, goldfinch (male), robin, grackle, cardinal (pair), red-breasted nuthatch

the fruit / August 23

Brought in the first of the Mountain Glory tomatoes - that's one of the two large types I put in this season.  Two of them, and more are beginning to ripen.

Common birds: house sparrow, robin, starling, cardinal (pair), chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, mourning dove

August 22 / the taste test

I ate the carrot - it was sweet, so I hope the rest will be as nice.  I am also enjoying the cherry tomatoes, and it won't be long before the first of the large tomatoes are ready to pick.

I also think that I have figured out the warbler from Saturday's post - a chestnut-sided warbler in *non-breeding* colours, which are quite different from the breeding colours, and would explain why I didn't recognize it as one. 

Common birds: house sparrow, chickadee

the carrots / August 21

Picked one of my carrots to see how close they are to being ready.  They're coming along, but I'll leave them a week or two at least. 

Common birds: mourning dove, cardinal (pair), house sparrow, chickadee, grackle

Heard: blue jay

August 20 / the beak

After the cooler weather, it now feels more like summer again.  I saw the oriole, and a little bird with a long, curved beak.  It looked like a sparrow until I saw the beak, and although I can't figure out what type, I think it was a wren. 

Common birds: house sparrow, robin, cardinal (pair), grackle, starling, red-breasted nuthatch, housefinch (pair), goldfinch (female), mourning dove, chickadee, downy woodpecker (male)

Summer visitors: baltimore oriole

Uncertain: wren?

Overhead: gull

the group / August 19

There were lots of grackles around this evening.  I thought they would be starlings because of the numbers, but binoculars proved them to be mostly grackles.  Several of them ended up on our lawn, and fat feeder, along with starlings and a few red-wing blackbirds. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), goldfinch (pair), robin, mourning dove, grackle, starling, chickadee

Summer visitors: red-wing blackbird (pair)

Overhead: gull

Heard: blue jay

August 18 / the sprinkler

This evening I saw what I think was a group of cedar waxwings.  It was hard to tell, between the light conditions and their constant moving around.  I did see the crested head, so they were either waxwings or cardinals, and in a group waxwings is more probable.  Earlier in the afternoon, I ran the sprinkler to water the garden, and managed to get in the way of the water almost every time I moved it to a different spot. 

Common birds: cardinal (pair), house sparrow, goldfinch (male), starling, robin, chickadee, mourning dove

Overhead: gull

Uncertain: cedar waxwing??

the puzzle / August 17

Two birds I can't identify today.  One brown, on a tree trunk.  I am guessing it was a brown creeper, which we have seen around before, but I just didn't get a good look at this one.
The other, a warbler, or something similar.  Small and warbler like in size, shape, and movement, with a straight, sharp beak, white eye ring, 2 white wing bars with a black bar between them, distinct olive on its cap and back, strong grey on its tail, wings, back and face (above the beak), whitish chin, chest, belly to the start of the tail.  No streaking, no eye bar, and no yellow.

My first reaction was a ruby-crowned kinglet, second was a northern parula warbler, but neither is right. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), mourning dove, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, starling, robin, goldfinch (male)

Overhead: gull

Heard: blue jay

Uncertain: brown creeper?, warbler?

August 16 / the ferns

The garden is dry.  I have been trying to water as needed, but the ferns were looking pretty tired today.  Hopefully they will look better tomorrow!

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), house finch (male), mourning dove, robin, starling, chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, goldfinch (pair), downy woodpecker

the return / August 15

The nuthatch was around several times today, at first I thought it was the chickadee.  The chickadees were out as well. 

Common birds: house sparrow, house finch (pair), cardinal (pair), starling, robin, red-breasted nuthatch, chickadee

Overhead: gull

August 14 / the hopper

Saw a hummingbird briefly visit our red climbing rose today, and also found a little green and brown grasshopper on the rhubarb.

Common birds: house sparrow, mourning dove, starling, robin, cardinal (male)

Summer visitors: ruby-throated hummingbird

Overhead: gull

the bugs / August 13

Noticed a mix of bugs in the garden today, including crickets, cabbage whites, moths, wasps, bumble bees.

Common birds: cardinal (male), house sparrow, crow, chickadee, robin, mourning dove, goldfinch (?)

August 12 / the paper bag

The bottom of the brown paper yard bag broke when I was taking it out of the yard today.  I picked up the mess into an intact one. 

Common birds: robin, mourning dove, chickadee, house sparrow, goldfinch (male), starling

Summer visitors: red-wing blackbird (female)

the lovage / August 11

Cut back the flower stalks from the lovage.  It didn't take me long, but it's good that it is done.

Common birds: robin, goldfinch (male), house sparrow, house finch (male), grackle, starling, cardinal (female), mourning dove, chickadee

August 10 / the leak

Had the hose out to water the garden, and the nozzle came off the hose, so I got slightly wet.

Common birds: house sparrow, robin, house finch (male), mourning dove, goldfinch (male), cardinal (pair), downy woodpecker, chickadee

the perseids / August 9

Keep an eye out for the perseids this weekend. 

Common birds: robin, house sparrow, mourning dove, cardinal (male), goldfinch (male), starling, chickadee

Overhead: gull

August 8 / the pollinators

The vine on the wall is full of bees attracted to its flowers. 

Common birds: house finch (male), goldfinch (male), house sparrow, cardinal (female), mourning dove, robin

Heard: blue jay

the BBQ / August 7

It was a quiet day here, though I did see a hawk earlier, I'm assuming it was a red-tailed hawk as that's the most common one I see here.  Cooked on the BBQ for dinner.

Common birds: house sparrow, chickadee, grackle

Overhead: red-tailed hawk

August 6 / tuesday

Only a little yard work today, though there is more to do later in the week. 

Common birds: house sparrow, house finch (male), downy woodpecker, chickadee, mourning dove, cardinal (pair)

the cottage / August 5

Back home by evening, saw the turkey vultures again before leaving my friends' cottage. 

August 4 / the lake

Different birds today, at a friend's cottage, somewhat north of Peterborough.  There was a what I am thinking was likely a great blue heron, turkey vultures, and a common loon. 

the sunflower / August 3

One of my sunflowers is blooming! 

Also arrived at my friends' cottage around dinner today, and saw turkey vultures. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), mourning dove, grackle, chickadee, robin

Summer visitors: red-wing blackbird (pair)

August 2 / Friday

A day of mixed weather, and the start of a long weekend.

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), starling

the first / August 1

It's August.  Our remaining small buddleia (butterfly bush) has a little bit of bud on it, which should be nice.  The weather today was a mix of sun and rain. 

Common birds: house sparrow, cardinal (pair), mourning dove, starling

Summer visitors: red-wing blackbird (male)