JournalSeptember, 2007 |
September 27, 2007Another stop on our way home today was the Greendale Pottery and Country Guest House.
Home to Holly and Ken McKeen; the setting is idyllic with green lawns, rolling fields and pastures; flowers spilling out of their beds in vibrant colours as well animals and birds everywhere.
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Holly showed us around the lovely grounds; while we were looking over the pasture, a Great Blue Heron landed near some of the cattle. A young Aberdeen Angus danced his way toward the nonplussed Heron. They settled down; the Heron fishing in the stream passing through the pasture and the cattle grazing close by him.
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Heron With Cattle |
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Holly and Ken’s Chickens lined up at the edge of the chicken wire in the coop; all beautiful hens ready to pose for their photo.
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Their dog waited patiently at the door of the house looking so very pretty.
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If you want a great Christmas, birthday, wedding or other Present for someone special take a look at Holly’s superb pottery.
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It is amazing craftsmanship. Here is a link to the Greendale Pottery and Country Guest House web site. Please take a look at it; if you are in town, you’ll be welcome and happy there when you visit.
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September 27, 2007
We stopped in for a quick visit at our favourite local Chilliwack farm, we passed by rows of grapes carefully netted and protected from the local birds.
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Grapes |
On the deck of the house there are beautiful planters, brimming with autumn coloured flowers; visually stunning in the low light of September.
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Beautiful Planter |
Around the yard are planted lovely roses, their fragrant perfume ambrosia to my nose.
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Lovely Roses |
Lovely Roses |
Heron flew overhead, just rising from a newly harvested corn field where it must have found a frog for lunch.
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Great Blue Heron |
Great Blue Heron |
Lincoln’s Sparrows, White Crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Chickadees and Yellow-Rumped Warblers hopped around tree branches and fences. A pair of doves flew out of the way of our car when we drove in.
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Lincoln’s Sparrow |
White Crowned Sparrow |
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White Crowned Sparrow |
Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
This farm and the people that live there are amazing and we are grateful to be able to visit there.
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September 27, 2007
Our walk today included more birds than expected as there was a group of school children visiting the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve on the school program bug hunt. We thought that a group that large would minimize the number of birds in the vicinity. Boy, were we wrong.
A Great Blue Heron sat on a rock on the lagoon for over an hour; watching, waiting, fishing and preening. At one time when we passed over the bridge; he was standing so still you would almost think that he was a statue.
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Great Blue Heron |
Pied-billed and Horned Grebe swam together on the lagoon; passing through to a salt water retreat for the winter months.
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Pied-billed & Horned Grebe |
Pied-billed & Horned Grebe |
There were Mallards everywhere again, perching on logs, swimming and feeding.
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Mallards |
There were Bush Tits; tiny, sweet little birds only about 4 inches long. They fly in flocks of about fifty and they were amazing to see.
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Bush Tit |
Song Sparrows still sat on perches singing, Yellow-Rumped Warblers still flocked together also on a bug hunt.
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Song Sparrow |
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Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
Turtles sat on logs on the lagoon, absorbing what little sunshine they could before the weather turns too cold to be above ground.
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Turtle |
We noticed the young bug hunters leaving; we took a photo of the Asters blooming on the side of the pathway, stopped and said a quick hello at the Rotary Interpretive Centre before heading out to our favourite local Chilliwack farm.
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Young Bug Hunters |
Asters |
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September 26, 2007
We stopped for a moment in the afternoon at a local Chilliwack farm. There is so much to see on farms in Chilliwack. The birds there are plentiful. This farm has beautiful rolling landscapes with a field of corn recently harvested to offer birds of all species a feast.
There were Sparrows everywhere. They make such a pretty picture sitting on the fences with the autumn coloured grasses swaying in the breeze beside them.
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Lincoln's Sparrow |
Savannah Sparrow |
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Savannah Sparrow |
Savannah Sparrow |
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Savannah Sparrow |
Savannah Sparrow |
Tiny frogs hopped out of our path; food for many larger birds. Heron and Cranes love them.
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Frog |
A very pretty American Pipit sat on an irrigation pipe, surveying its territory; deciding which way to go next.
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American Pipit |
The air was filled with birds songs and hawks were drawn to the field in search of dinner.
A young Cooper’s Hawk rested after a failed attempt at getting lunch.
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Cooper’s Hawk |
A beautiful regal Bald Eagle soared overhead as we made our way off the field on our way to the car.
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Bald Eagle |
A local farm in Chilliwack is a wonderful place to be at any time of year.
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September 26, 2007
We took a cool September walk this morning; the Asters blooming along the path near the bridge over the lagoon at the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve still have insects visiting them.
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Aster |
On the Salwein Creek Loop; birds were in abundance; the air was filled with their voices and some were singing up a storm so to speak. A pretty little Black Throated Grey Warbler peaked at us through the leaves of the trees over the pathway to the east bird blind.
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Black Throated Grey Warbler |
Numerous Hawks and an Eagle circled overhead and perched in trees; drawn to the sounds of the song birds.
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Eagle |
A Great Blue Heron landed in a tree and posed for a long time; preening and watching the activities below him.
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Great Blue Heron |
Another Great Blue Heron fished along the edge of the lagoon, we watched him stalking his prey; he carefully edged his way along the bank, sometimes stopping to see what moved ahead of him.
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Great Blue Heron Fishing |
There are more ducks now; a couple of Mallards posed for a photo on a log in the lagoon, most of the logs on the lagoon had some ducks on them. One of the Mallards had a feather on its nose, left over from a recent preening.
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Mallards |
More Mallards shoved plants around the water while searching for some edible delicacy.
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Mallards |
Song Sparrows have joined the group of song birds and have been singing from strategic perches.
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Song Sparrow |
Song Sparrow |
Towhees are always present and one posed sweetly near the edge of a grassy field.
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Towhee |
Many Yellow-Rumped Warblers flitted through the trees, their yellow tints blending with the changing colours of the leaves.
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Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
A quick photo of the Dogwood leaves changing colour at the Rotary Interpretive Centre entrance and we were on our way to do grocery shopping.
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Dogwood leaves |