Rondeau Ric

Looking for a snack , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Wandering insectivors, standing 9 feet tall roamed downtown Toronto last weekend. Turned out they just wanted cotton candy. Buskerfest, Toronto.

frogger , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Do you remember the old computer game? That's what he wanted to play. When I told him I didn't have the game, he hopped off and went about his business.

Green , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr.

Yellow , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr.

Ticks and chiggers Part II a video by ricmcarthur on Flickr. This isn't what I was looking for but I take what I can find. Suprised a couple of young hatchling softshelled turtles. By the way no ticks or chiggers that trip.

Retirement after the Big Time , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Now that the Harry Potter series is over the cast is looking for work. The Hogwarts Sorting Hat wasn't a major character so he is in semi-retirement working as a traffic cone at Rondeau. He isn't happy about the new wardrobe colour.

Tick and chigger patrol , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. While out and about in the back areas of Rondeau I wandered into the scrub. Not the best place to be in tick season., and they aren't nearly as bad as chiggers. The rash and itching is enough to drive me up the wall. I'll post a shot of what I was photographing later. Photo by Anne who was smart enough to stay on the boat.

Tiger Swallowtail , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. We have lots of these and other species in the yard right now. The iron weed is in full bloom and all the butterflies seem to love it.

Momma's got a brand new bug. , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Waiting to feed the young in the nest. We have a nest in our carport that has been used by robins for the past 4 years. When we walk by one of the parents chips to warn the youngsters to keep hidden.

The turtle brigade and friend , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. We have magnets on our fridge and my great nephew decided to rearrange them.

Rescue or interference , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. We were out on the pontoon boat yesterday and I thought I saw frogs jumping on the weed mat. A closer look revealed a shore bird, probably a spotted sandpiper, thrashing about. I was concerned it was caught in a discarded fishing line so I pulled in next to it. Anne tried to get it back to the surface with the boat hook. When that didn’t work I went in and lifted the bird along with a mass of weed. There was quite a bit of resistance and I realized there was something moving under the weeds. Quick look lead me to believe a turtle, probably a snapper, had a hold of the bird and was slowly drawing it under the water. The bird escaped and made it to shore. It obviously had an injured leg but it was free. So, was it a rescue or did we interfere with nature. A bird escaped and a turtle went hungry.

Oooooooooh, pretty snake , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. It was so nice to see young people who were not afraid of snakes. Recently, at Rondeau, a species at risk program concentrated on reptiles. About 200 people came and a highlight, at the end of the program, was the opportunity to handle snakes. This young one was entranced and hopefully will be a lifetime fan. Hook em young.

Housing crisis , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. That has to be uncomfortable for both the landlord and the tenant. This is from our New Zealand/Australia trip. These were wandering along the side of the road. With the help of a guide we saw 7 varieties of kangaroos.

flying squirrel , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. We have flying squirrels coming to our feeders almost every night. There have been at least 7 at one time and they chase each other off the feeder, climb over each other and squeak challenges the entire time. They can glide incredible distances and when they land the immediately go to the far side of the tree and climb higher. I guess when you are a snack sized morsel for an owl you have to have defensive behaviour. They are nocturnal and have large eyes.

Why do I keep catching fish? , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Honestly, that is what I over heard one of these kids say. Well I suppose it might have something to do with the baited hook you keep putting in the water. They all seemed to be having fun, except for the kid who kept catching fish.

An unusual view , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. While we were in Texas on South Padre Island we saw this least bittern from the top to the bottom. It was walking beside and eventually underneath a boardwalk.

Surprise , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. I think everyone except the fawn was surprised by this encounter. Anne and I were. We came around a corner and there they were, standing in the road. The fawn was looking for a meal from mom and I don't think it knew we were there. Mom knew but the car is quiet and I think we startled her. They slowly walked into the brush at the side of the road. The fawn was a little slower.

The little drummer dog , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. Thump that drum!! He got his tail caught in a screen door and it was taking a long time to heal. He kept hitting it on furniture, walls and people. What to do? Wrap it up of course. I'm not sure why there is a drum head at the end.

Thank you for being my friend. , a photo by ricmcarthur on Flickr. There was a raptor show Saturday at Rondeau, sponsored by the Friends of Rondeau. This turkey vulture was the last of the birds to be presented. It kept putting its wing around the handlers neck as if it was giving her a hug. Actually the bird lost a wing in an accident.