April 2022

Blurry Birds at Stewart Pond
Friday 1 April 2022

red and yellow tulips

Still a wet prairie pond out in front of Stewart Pond Park, but there was just this lone shore bird hanging out there.

blurry Shorebird walking in water

A far, far away Red Wing Blackbird.

blurry Red Wing Blackbird standing on a reed

And a bad pic of a Bewick Wren.

blurry Bewick Wren standing on a twig

Sighs. There are just some days when I just can't get a good pic of any wildlife that comes along!

Good luck finding the Ruby Crowned Kinglet in this pic!

Ruby Crowned Kinglet, little bird hidden amongst lots of sticks!

*laughs*

At least I can take decent pics of the plants! Here's some blooming trillium.

Trillium blooming

I really like the pink tulips.

A yellow tulip and some pink tulips

And I really like these two, who were barking at me while I took pictures of tulips!

Two small dogs looking under the gate

*laughs*


xxx Aww, this is awesome!

These second-graders helped shelter pups find their fur-ever homes https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1090057426/these-second-graders-helped-shelter-pups-find-their-fur-ever-homes And the drawings are amazing!

First Saturday Market
Saturday 2 April 2022

Yay! It's the first Saturday Market of the year... which means I'm heading out to the Farmers Market to buy Vegetable starts for the Community Garden plot!

The nights are still pretty chilly, so I'm sticking with cool season crops... Sugar Snap Peas, Lettuce, and Beets.

Lettuce starts planted, with planted beets and peas in the background

I scraped away the winter covering of mulch, and you can see how muddy it is, even with no rain!

This fellow came to check on me. *laughs* I think I'll call him Silhouette Hummer!

male Anna Hummingbird silhouette

I wonder if he's the father of our nest of babies.

and, yep. No doubt now, there's two of them...

Two baby Anna Hummingbirds in the nest

(Be sure to right-click and Open Image in New Tab, to see a bigger version of that pic... it's kind of hard to tell what you're looking at here, but that's an open beak behind the front baby hummer's face sticking up!)

White tree blossoms

lots o pics
Sunday 3 April 2022

Forget Me Not's are blooming.

Forget Me Not blooms

I go into the Community Garden to check on the veges I planted yesterday. They are good!

Baby Lettuce in the ground with pea plants in the background

Oh! a Black Phoebe! (dang it, a blurry photo.)

a Black Phoebe standing on a twig surrounded by new leaves

I've been seeing Black Phoebes now and then, this year... it's interesting because they are a bit outside their usual range which is all thru Mexico and up the coast of California. I suppose they are shifting north due to climate change.

a Black Phoebe

Okay, these are so pretty I really need to look them up! They came in all kinds of colours, pinks and reds and purples and mixed with white.

white and purple Anemones

Ah! here we are...

Wikipedia, Anemone

mixed white with purple Anemones

Two beaks and a pile of baby feathers.

Two baby hummingbird beaks sticking up out of the nest

pics
Monday 4 April 2022

Happy that there's some rain today!

And Happy to keep seeing the Wood Duck pair at the creek.

Wood Duck pair in the water

I haven't seen Mama Hummer lately. But she's obviously doing her job! Our babies are growing!

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

Ha. Just hanging out on the bench.

Eastern Fox Squirrel standing on the arm of a path bench

Here's a Eurasian Collared Dove.

Eurasian Collared Dove standing on a mossy branch

You can't see their collar because it is just on the back of their neck. Invasive, of course. But I don't know if they cause any problems.

All doves are beautiful and have lovely songs. But the song of the Collared Dove makes me laugh sometimes! They are just so frantic about it! They try to coo as fast as they can!

Hummer Babies Milestones
Tuesday 5 April 2022

Some blue green feathers are starting to come out on the backs of the hummer babies!

Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

Pretty Apple Blossoms.

Very pink Apple Blossoms

Artsy!

new Ash leaves against a hazy sky

And more Artsy!

Crow standing on a twig

The Crows are very social with me today.

Crow standing on a fence, clouds and blue sky in the background

And then, on the way back home... AWWW! Look! Babies eyes are starting to open!!

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest, their eyes a little bit open

Hidden Trail
Wednesday 6 April 2022

I'm going up Hidden Trail today... but to get there I have to walk over a mile thru the neighborhoods. And I am happy to take pics of flowers in people's yards!

Red Camellia blooms and a blue sky

Daffodils and Tulips and Spanish Bluebells

Tulips and Daffodils

White Daffodils and blue sky

And here we are at the Hidden Trail.

Path weaving thru trees and shrubs

Fawn Lilies are blooming!

looking down at many Fawn Lilies

Fawn Lilies

This Flicker was so intent on whatever bugs he was finding, he barely noticed me, even tho I must have been watching him for five minutes or so!

male Northern Flicker on the ground with a bug in his beak

at the Community Garden
Thursday 7 April 2022

male Wood Duck in the water

The peas I planted on the 2nd are still alive!

Sugar Snap Pea plants in the garden

This garden plot at the back of the Community Garden has an Easter Tree, and a cool variety of Daffodils!

Yellow Daffodils and an Easter Tree in the background

Are the Bluebirds nesting here or not? I can't tell.

Western Bluebird standing on a fence

And then I continue my walk.

Eastern Fox Squirrel

Scrub Jay standing on a twig

Two American Crows standing on a fence

All Kinds of Babies!
Friday 8 April 2022

Oh my gosh! The Hummer babies are starting to look like real birds (instead of little monsters)!! *laughs*

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

We gotta stretch! Blurry, but so adorable!

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest, one stretching a wing out

Gosh, it's hard to get comfortable anymore!

Humming bird babies jostling for space in the nest

Cracks me up that the baby on the left is closing her one eye... Don't hit me in the face, please! heh.

Some baby leaves.

Tiny leaves of an Ash Tree

And the first ducklings of the season! Yay the cuteness!

Mama Mallard duck in the water with 4 ducklings

There were 6 babies all together!

Teaching how to dabble...

Mama Mallard dabbling in the water with one baby watching

Three Mallard ducklings in the water

One Mallard duckling in the water

And then on the way back, the Hummer babies have finally arranged themselves comfortably.

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

at the River, Part 1
Saturday 9 April 2022

Oh wow, I love all the colours and textures in this pic!

a male Spotted Towhee stands on a twig surrounded by moss and lichen

Dry spillover...

Dry spillover between the river and the ponds

Oh, cool! The Sliders never come this close to the bridge! He got a good look at me and then sank himself and walked along the bottom of the pond!

Red Eared Slider turtle floating in the pond

Aw, cute!

Eastern Fox Squirrel resting on a twig

My meditation spot...

Looking across the Willamette River

A blurry Bushtit.

Blurry Bushtit behind twigs

And a less blurry but more upside down Bushtit! haha.

Bushtit hanging from a twig

Just a pretty day!

The Willamette River

Part 2, First Ospreys!
Saturday 9 April 2022

Haha, when I first saw the Ospreys in the far away trees, I thought they were Bald Eagles!

Two Ospreys standing on branches in a far away tree

One Osprey flys towards the other, still sitting on a branch

Oh hey! What's going on??! Ca-Caw!

One Osprey flys towards the other, still sitting on a branch

I guess it's just time to go flying!

Osprey launches up from the branch

Two Ospreys flying in the blue sky

to the Garden
Sunday 10 April 2022

The little patch of plantings at the Community Garden plot.

Looking down at planted peas and lettuces

There's Sugar Snap Peas, both green and purple leaf lettuces, and some beets.

But the slugs have found the Sugar Snap Peas...

small pea plant with slug bites on all its leaves

And someone else is munching on the lettuce, which is weird! I don't remember ever having a problem with the lettuce.

a small lettuce plant with insect munched leaves

ha. Oh well, that's about how it goes in my garden plot!

And then I go visit the Hummer Nest...

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

I see Mama Hummer! It's the first time I've seen her in about two weeks... She's just been so busy getting the babies fed!

No pics, but she hovers and acknowledges my presence! :)

April Showers
Monday 11 April 2022

It rained over a half inch yesterday, and a bit more sprinkles today... and Look! The bike path under 11th is flooded!

The creek floods the bike path under a road bridge

I can't walk that way, but that's okay. I'll take pics of the yards in the neighborhood.

Spanish Bluebells with Tulips in the background

Rain drops on a pink tulip

American Robin standing on a twig with new leaves

Our friend the Nutria is out on land... her burrows have probably flooded as well.

Nutria, mostly hidden behind twigs and grass

The wet prairie ponds have filled back up!

Green Wing Teal in a shallow pond

Just a glimpse of the pair of Wood Ducks. I wish they were less shy!

Female and male Wood Duck in the water

Hummers and Killdeers
Tuesday 12 April 2022

*laughs!*

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

And look at their feathers! Wow! I bet they start flying any day now!

Two Anna Hummingbirds in the nest

Oh! First Camas Lilies are blooming!

Camas lily blooming

And look who's watching me as I take pics of the Camas...

Eastern Fox Squirrel

Oh, cool! There's a pair of killdeers running around in the parking lot behind the Events Center!

Blurry Killdeer running on the ground

They were scooping up worms who had crawled up out of the grass.

Killdeer standing on the ground

Those eyebrows make them so worried looking!

Hummingbird Family
Wednesday 13 April 2022

puffy clouds and a blue sky

Oh my gosh! Here's Mama Hummer with some extra fluff for the nest?

female Anna Hummingbird standing on a twig, with fluff in her beak

oh, haha... it's almost a family portrait. Family with fluff! :)

Two baby Anna Hummingbirds in the nest with mama hummer

Okay. You babies need to scoot over just a little bit...

Two baby Anna Hummingbirds in the nest with mama hummer

Mama tucks the fluff into the bottom of the nest. But I'm wondering why! The babies are almost ready to go... why do nest repairs now?

Two baby Anna Hummingbirds in the nest with mama hummer

Mama leaves and the babies have to squirm around to get comfortable again.

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

Back to my walk. The pair of Killdeers are still at the Events Center.

Killdeer standing in the grass

Camas Lily blooming

Apple Blossoms

One more look at the hummers on the way home.

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

Oh, haha. The one wants a look at me, too!

Two Anna Hummingbird babies in the nest

out to Hilly Hendricks Park
Thursday 14 April 2022

Well! This looks fun! I wish I had the guts to ask to join them!!

A person balancing on a low tightrope, another person looking on

oh my gosh, what a goof!

Song Sparrow at a drinking water fountain

The Rhododendron Garden is starting to fill up with colour!

White Rhododendron blooms, purple in the background

Hot Pink Saucer Magnolia blooms

And wildflowers out in the forest!

Trillium bloom with ferns in the background

Common Yellow Violets

Camas Lily blooms

False Solomons Seal

Starry False Solomons Seal

Hey! Who's this??! Dang it people! Keep the kitties inside!

Orange and grey tabby on the hiking trail

Kitty? Oh Cute Kitty? Please go home... It's fixin' to rain!

Mixed Feelings
Friday 15 April 2022

white puffy clouds and blue sky with bright green, dark green, and pink trees

The Hummingbird nest is empty! The babies have successfully fledged! Mama will continue to feed the kids, away from the nest, for another week or so.

an empty Hummingbird nest

Oh no! These ducklings look like they've just been born... and their Mama is being harassed by a male duck. She is trying to get away from the jerk, but can't just fly away from her babies. And the babies are all bunched up because they are scared and they are peeping in distress. :(

12 newborn ducklings on the water

Wai! I wish I could just grab that drake and take him away so this family could have some peace.

Oh. Hello Mx Red Shoulder... would you like to eat a duck?

Red Shoulder Hawk in a tree

(Just kidding. The hawk would more likely eat the babies!)

Chickadee standing in a tree

at the River
Saturday 16 April 2022

Storms forecast today, but currently the water isn't quite high enough to get over the spillover.

Spillover between the river and the ponds

:)

male Spotted Towhee on a twig with new leaves

Aww! The first Goslings!!

Canada Goose surrounded by goslings in the water

*laughs* The Towhees are everywhere!

Spotted Towhee on a twig

My meditation spot along the river... The sun is shining right now, but just wait!

Looking at the Willamette River

What the... ??! There's a Bushtit nest, right on the path! I mean RIGHT on the path!! Literally, except for the blackberry vine hanging down, if I could walk at the edge of the path, I would bump my head on their nest!

Bushtit nest hanging from a vine

This is crazy! What were the parents thinking?!

The bike path and a Bushtit nest

Here's Papa Bushtit, who has been angrily cheeping at me while I'm looking at their nest! Mama pops into the nest while I'm distracted. So it's definitely an active nest! Crazy!

Bushtit from below

On my way back, I decide to keep walking instead of heading to the car.

Bench on the path surrounded by trees and a street lamp

oops. I'm wandering thru the Rose Garden when it starts hailing! Just small hails, and then it's pouring down rain! I walk fast and take shelter under the nearby highway bridge, along with a few other people.

several people walking on the path in the rain

A three legged dog, Border Collie type, went around gathering pats from everyone, before she and her human moved on, out in the rain. :) I wish I'd taken a photo of that sweet dog!

The hard rain doesn't last long, and soon rain turns to sprinkles. And I head home.

Todays Pics
Sunday 17 April 2022

I was looking at the oh so empty Hummingbird nest...

Empty Hummingbird nest

... And then I turned around and caught a glimpse of two hummers, who quickly buzzed back into the Rhody bushes! Aw! Were they the babies who wanted to tell me Look! We can fly! :)

A cute little Downy Woodpecker.

Downy Woodpecker on a tree trunk

Dang it!

Female Wood Duck in the water behind some sticks

This will be the second year the Wood Ducks have stayed at the creek. (to make babies!) But they are still so shy... when they see me, they go and hide behind the nearest shrubbery!

Dang it, some more!

Male Wood Duck in the water behind some sticks

*laughs*

The Ornamental Cherry Blossoms have started blooming!

Pink Cherry Blossoms

Pink Cherry Blossoms


I love this article about swearing and language for Ukraine against Russia...

How swearing became a weapon of resistance for Ukrainians Their enthusiastic use of bad language contrasts with Putin's linguistic prissiness... and shows that Russia doesn't own Russian

So interesting about cursing in the Russian language culture! And how Ukrainians and the Ukraine government is using swearing as another avenue to fight back ... and somehow it's dignified and funny and the whole world understands that Putin is a dickhead!

Funny Ducks
Monday 18 April 2022

Oh, cool! Here's a female Green Wing Teal who gets to choose between two suitors!

Female Green Wing Teal with two males in the water

They choose new partners each year and the males have a funny little dancing bow they do to show off to the females.

Male Teal dancing in the water

blurry pic of Male Teal being pretty

blurry pic of Male Teal dancing in the water

I also came across our Wood Duck pair... right when the group of three female Mergansers happened to paddle by.

A male Wood Duck and a female Hooded Merganser in the water

The male Wood Duck isn't sure about the little Mergansers and he's kind of pushing them away. But the Mergansers are messing with him... One of them dives underneath the Wood Duck and comes up behind him! Nah nah! I'm not touching you! *laughs!*

Female Merganser coming up from a dive behind a male Wood Duck

Long suffering, but oh so pretty.

male Wood Duck

And on the way home...

Red Tail Hawk standing in a tree


Rain
Tuesday 19 April 2022

Raining today, so I'm just walking in the neighborhood, taking pics of yards. I just love this one... so much colour!

Daffodils, Tulips, Spanish Bluebells

Daffodils, Tulips, Spanish Bluebells and Grape Hyacinths

And a Song Sparrow, who shakes off the rain and sings some more!

Song Sparrow standing on a twig

and More Rain!
Wednesday 20 April 2022

Another rainy day, and I am so pleased even tho I'm not able to take as many photos. February was so, so very dry... we won't catch up, I don't think, but at least we won't fall farther behind on rainfall.

Great Blue Heron, hunting in the water

Oh. This is interesting. I don't know who this is!

an Orange Crowned Warbler

Orange Crowned Warbler

I had to get my book out! This is an Orange Crowned Warbler... and just like Ruby Crown Kinglets, their crowns are ordinarily hidden.

This is the most common western warbler and The very lack of conspicuous field marks is an aid to its identification! haha!

Orange Crowned Warbler

book cover for Audubon Field Guide o Birds, Western Region

Audubon Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Region

I have several field guides, but this one is my go-to when I don't have a clue about the bird!

It's easy to page thru the photos to find a new bird, and then I've got a starting point to learn more on the internets.


xxx
Thursday 21 April 2022

xxx ?

part 1, Garden
Friday 22 April 2022

Tulips at one Community Garden plot.

Bright red violet Tulip

And Pansies at another Community Garden plot.

Purple and yellow Pansies

uh oh! A House Sparrow... not someone we want moving in at the Bluebird nesting boxes at the garden!

House Sparrow standing on a nesting box

The House Sparrows are invasive. That's not their fault, of course, but supposedly they take over the prime nesting spots.

But it's not a problem this time! Because there's several nesting boxes, and I think this pair of Western Bluebirds is using one.

Western Bluebird standing on a nesting box

A building storm cloud...

Storm Cloud

There's an apple tree, just outside the Community Garden.

Apple Blossoms

part 2, Preparing for the Next Generation
Friday 22 April 2022

Wow, look how cobwebby this lamp is... I can just imagine all the flying bugs swarming there at night!

Are we going after spiders for lunch?

Little bird hanging upside down from a street lamp

Little bird flutters under the lamp

Little upside down bird gathers stuff from the lamp

Ah! No, not lunch! She's gathering nesting material!

Little upside down bird, with nesting material in her beak

Ha. So many blurry photos, and I still can't tell who this bird is! Is it the same Orange Crown Warbler that I saw the other day??

Little upside down bird launches off from the lamp with a beakful of nesting material

A European Honey Bee hive is swarming, right next to the bike path! There are bees in the air everywhere!

Bees swarm around two beehives

I wish I had paused longer to get more photos... this is so interesting. And I love being surrounded by the bees, who obviously have other things on their minds!

Close up of the entrance of a bee hive, where bees are swarming

Farmers Market!
Saturday 23 April 2022

The nights have been warmer, and there's a break in the rain... and I am eager to get going with the garden!

At the beginning of April, I had planted Sugar Snap Peas, Lettuce, and Beets. The slugs ate a couple Lettuces to death, and of course the peas leaves look like postage stamps from munching... But that little patch of life in the back is actually doing pretty good, with the chill and the rain!

Today I visited my favorite farmer at Saturday Market and bought some baby plants. I got several kinds of squash... Zuc, Patty Pan, and Crook Neck. Another set of Sugar Snap Peas.

And an impulse buy... Eggplant!

Newly planted Eggplant

I'm not a huge fan of eggplant fruit, but it might be interesting to grow. Plus, it's fun to say Aubergine! *laughs*

I got all the little plants into the ground and then I walked home.

Lilac is fixin' to bloom

Dark Purple Lilac buds

And the Apple blossoms, again.

Apple blossoms

And the ornamental Cherry blossoms!

Pink ornamental cherry blossoms

Garden Failure
Sunday 24 April 2022

ARG! Last night it got down in the 30's... and the cold has killed most of the plants I put in yesterday!

Wai! The Eggplant!

Wilted Eggplant

So much for that experiment. The Eggplant will not recover, and most of the squashes are in the same state. Stupid weather!

Sighs.

silhouette of a Great Blue Heron, standing in shallow water, hunting

Blurry Birds
Monday 25 April 2022

A moody pic of the clouds over the Community Garden fence... but look at the pair of sweet House Finches!

dark clouds over a fence where two birds sit in silhouette

Western Bluebird standing on a wood trellis

hmmm? Who's this?

immature Yellow Rump Warbler standing on the ground

Oh, haha, you gave me a clue! Yellow Rumped Warbler! Must be a youngster!

immature Yellow Rump Warbler, flying from the ground

Lesser Goldfinch standing on a dandelion

Ducklings! But, oh no... that baby in the back is squinting his eye. Poor Baby! I wonder if he has that H5N1 bird flu that's going around. There haven't been any reports in Oregon yet, but that doesn't mean it's not going around!

Mama Mallard with three ducklings in the water

Something artsy.

Leaves with a grey sky background

Hidden Trail
Tuesday 26 April 2022

a yard full of tulips and flowers

I LOVE the colours in this photo!! The Maple keys and the new leaves and the pale blue sky and the fluffy cloud. But little dude needs some pants! Bahaha!!

Squirrel up in a tree eating Maple keys

Okay... here we are at the Hidden Trail, which follows a little waterfall up the hill.

Waterfall with mossy rocks and surrounded by green

The Fawn Lilies are still blooming!

And Forget Me Not.

Forget Me Not blooms

And Fringe Cups.

Fringe Cup next to the water fall

Nervous American Crow standing on the ground

Red tulip with Spanish Bluebells

Camas Lilies
Wednesday 27 April 2022

Clouds building up

Maple keys

Camas Lilies

Camas Lily Patch

Oh! A White one!

White Camas Lily

Camas Lily bulbs are edible and nutritious... and ALL the foraging websites say to NEVER eat the white Camas Lily bulbs, because that's the poisonous Death Camas!

But when I looked it up... Death Camas looks NOTHING like a white Camas Lily. Ha!

I get that they are trying to keep stupid people alive. but, lordy lordy! Stupid people should def not be foraging for their food!

If you are not 100% sure about what something is, out in the wild... DO NOT EAT it! If you even have a shadow of a doubt, if you are even 99% sure... DON'T EAT it!

That's my soapbox, and you should def listen to what I'm saying!! :)

Oh, hey... There's a new male Anna Hummingbird on the other side of the Community Garden!

male Anna Hummingbird standing on a leafy twig

And I haven't seen our Wood Duck friends in a couple days!

a female and male, pair of Wood Ducks, in the water

at the River
Thursday 28 April 2022

The Willamette River, seen from the Greenway Walking Bridge

A bit of water coming over the spillway!

Spillway between the Willamette and the Delta Ponds

So round and fluffy!

A gosling walking on the bank

And... oh my god!

Two Canada Goose families in the water

Bottom family has 13 babies, top family has 27! Twenty-Seven!!! This is insane!

My meditation spot.

Looking across the Willamette River

I just love the Big Leaf Maples!

New leaves coming in

I've not seen anything of the Bushtits, the last couple times I've been out. And so I figured the nest was done.

Me touching the Bushtit nest

oh. oops! Nest is def not done. Here's the male to yell at me again!

Blurry Bushtit standing in a tree

Sorry! Sorry! That was so rude of me! Sorry!

male Spotted Towhee singing in a tree, behind a twig

Cool Spider!
Friday 29 April 2022

An artsy starling. And the next photos are of a spider... you have been warned! :)

Starling in a maple tree surrounded by new leaves and maple keys

Here's someone who caught my attention on the bike path.

Woodlouse Spider, walking on the side walk

Wow, isn't she beautiful! And because of her colour and shape, I was able to figure out her species!

A Woodlouse Spider!

oh... but she's also called a Pill Bug Hunter! Poor little Roly Polies!!

She was using her arm to cover up her face, but you can kind of see how huge her jaws are in this pic. She needs that power to cut thru the Roly Poly shell!

Woodlouse Spider

So interesting and amazing!!

And ducklings! I am pretty sure this is the same family of three where the one baby was squinting.

Mama Mallard and three ducklings preening on the bank of the creek

So cute!

Mama Mallard on the bank with one baby

I also went into the Community Garden to gaze at the stupid dead plants. I need to plan my attack... what vege starts will I buy at Saturday Farmers Market tomorrow, are the nights warm enough yet to actually plant anything, etc.

Ornamental Cherry Blossoms

Pretty Parks at the River
Saturday 30 April 2022

A quick run to the Saturday Farmers Market... where I realized... Strawberries!

Strawberries aren't going to mind the cold or the damp! Slugs don't usually eat the leaves (tho they will eat the fruit). But maybe I can keep a couple of Strawberry plants alive in the garden!

The kind I got are called Albion Strawberries which are supposed to be everbearing. We shall see how it goes!

Too muddy to plant anything today, so I head to the Rose Garden along the river. No roses yet, of course, but it is still lovely there!

Pink Dogwood blooming

And then out to walk along the river...

Ruth Bascom Riverbank path

Def time to check out the Osprey nest platform... Oh Yeah! You can just see a parent's head up there!

Osprey in her nest

I walk all the way to Alton Baker Park. That round yellow thing is the Sun, part of a scale model of the solar system!

Looking down into Alton Baker Park

There are several families with goslings! There are babies everywhere!

Canada Goose family with lots of goslings, on the sidewalk

The fence surrounds a duck pond to keep the birds safe from dogs... the babies can just barely get under the fence.

Two goslings on the other side of the fence

There's tree stuff that's fallen on the sidewalk that the babies are interested in.

The parents keep their eyes on me... Hey human, you be good!

Canada Goose parents keeping an eye on their goslings

Yep, I'm good. I stay still and quiet and the babies come closer to me.

Canada Goose goslings

oop! The dog on the leash is kept far away, but the goose parents are worried. They gather up the babies quickly. Back to the Water my children!

Canada Goose and goslings going back into the pond

Three goslings in the water

And then walk back. So peaceful.

a shaded bench under a tree at the Riverbank path

oh, haha! It's really too muddy, my dear, to be digging up saved nuts! What a mess you've made of your hands and face!

Western Grey Squirrel with muddy hands

Bench surrounded by Spanish Bluebells and Dogwood blooms