Our neighbours

We live on a large lot and back on to forest and a river down the bank.

As a result, we are entertained by our furry and feathered friends.

Many of the deer were born on our property and feel very 'at home'.

We often hear the coyotes from a distance. Sometimes they come to hunt mice and little critters. This young male is in very good shape with a wonderful coat.

We also have had hawks born in the area. One summer we were able to watch the flying lessons. The parents would leave the young one in a tree and come back with dinner in the late afternoon.

Anyone know the name of this hawk?

Gekos

GEKOS:  This little creature was walking on the museum fence in Kauai.

In Hawaii, Gekos are considered lucky ... they are welcome house guests because they eat  insects, including huge cockroaches. 

This little critter seemed as interested in me as I was with him/her.

Here is a link to some myths and religious connections of the gekos and the Hawaiians.:

http://www.coffeetimes.com/geckos.htm

at times the geko is a shape shifter, almost always the geko is a protector.

Little creatures ...

This was a summer of dragonflies. Wet weather in the spring brought hoards of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes provided food for dragonflies to flourish.

Alberta: dragonflies hatching by the dozens!

Saskatchewan: walking through the grass brought swarms of dragonflies.

 Swallowtail dining on minuscule bugs.

The leaf gives an idea of the size of the frog.

And ... the frog dines on insects!

This year's twins

Mom brought her new twins by ... she beds them down for their afternoon nap in our back yard.

Visitors to my garden ...

When we arrived home, a mom popped by with her twins.One was curious ...
I almost had a nose print on my camera!

Feathered Friend ...

We got home at 3:00 am from a trip and were wakened at daybreak. It sounded as if someone/thing was slapping the window.
This was the culprit ... a young male robin attacking his image in the window!
The photos were taken through a window with a reflective surface and a screen.

This 'abstract' is the robin in flight with blurs and a little colour enhancement.

my feathered friends ..

Yesterday was sunny and warm, I put the feeder out at 11:00 and by 12:00 both male & female hummingbirds visited. (male was shy, or sly ... I'm not sure which) Black Cap Chickadees are enjoying a suet/seed feeder in the cherry tree.

Mr. Chickadee above and Mrs. below.

A pair of crows have a nest in a nearby maple tree.

Elk at Minewanka Lake

We drove to Minewanka Lake near Banff - the water at the horizon was a sapphire blue. The soil is sandy and rocky. This tree root has a strangle hold on the rock, it appears to be devouring it!A little way down the road was a grassy area with a herd of elk. A young buck emerged from the forest. Others walked by in twos and threes. A female walked by and caught the attention of this male ...He followed her and called .... The younger males were paying attention. We drove on a little and this magnificent buck got up and walked past us and down the road.

one of the triplets ...

The triplets have all stayed safe and well. Mom has done a great job. We have cougar in the area.
The fawns have lost their spots and long ago lost any fear of us.My flowers have taken a hit ... the blossoms make a tasty morsal. We have been doing renovations this summer. When the noise of construction stops, we know that one of two things has happened: it is lunchtime or mom has walked by with her little troop. Then you see these big burly guys go to mush and say, ' Aw, isn't that sweet." Then the cell phones come out to take a photo.

Eagle Sanctuary

Eagle Sanctuary was accepted into the APNQ show in Seattle in August 2008. It was previously shown in the show 'Beyond the Border' at the La Conner Quilt Museum in Washington State, USA. 'Eagle Sanctuary' had its start with a hike along the Squamish River Jan. 07, in bitterly cold temperatures. My photos are from the dyke where you can see 100's of eagles. Brakendale is the location of a wintering feast where Bald Eagles congregate from Alaska, Oregon and BC. You can check out the January Festival at http://www.brackendaleartgallery.com/Eagles.html.

The Fraser Valley November Festival has a great video of eagles http://www.fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca/index.html

The original design is a collage from about 100 photos. Eagles are very social and stay in family groups ... squabbling just like any other family. Here is mom (white head) with two youngsters (brown feathers). She was allowing the smaller bird to feed on her fish, but wouldn't allow the larger and older bird to eat.He appealed to dad on a nearby stump. Dad played it smart and didn't interfere with mom's decision. There were favorite fishing spots with limited time allowance. As shown in the quilt, the eagle who catches the fish is not necessarily the eagle who eats the fish.The best time for viewing is the middle of December through to the beginning of February. There are pontoon raft trips down the river ... for a close view of this amazing bird.