Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Swan Cygnets at Lake Logan

After reading in the newspaper that the Mute Swans had had seven baby cygnets we decided to take my Mom over to see them. Mom always loves going over in the spring to watch them.

LL_Male_Swan
Daddy was busy grooming himself….

LL_Nest_Swans
While Momma was busy watching all those little ones.

LL_Nest_Cygnets
Unfortunately there were only five cygnets left in the nest so something must have happened to two of them.

LL_Cygnets3
As if on cue or maybe it was the dinner bell, they all decided to go for a swim.

LL_Cygnet2 
Such yummy green stuff.

LL_Cygnet
Not knowing much about swans I thought this poor little thing had something wrong with its leg. It was bent up onto its back.
Then I noticed that they all were doing it so I knew there was nothing wrong with their legs but that when floating they must raise their feet up. LOL!

LL_Cygnet3
I had never noticed this with the big swans because their wings are big and must hide their feet.

LL_Cygnets
Such cute little things so fluffy and with their black bills.

LL_Nest_Cygnet 
It was good to see water levels in the lake were back up after they had dredged it.

LL_Cattails 
Since the nests were lower this year because of the dredging of the lake there was a  lack of  cattails for making the nests high enough to keep the eggs safely out of the water if we had a very wet spring. Luckily the rains were just enough but not enough to completely cover the nests and now that the cygnets are bigger if the nests get covered they will get by. The cattails are  growing back in so the swans should have a good supply for making nests next spring.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Busy Bluebirds

 
The Bluebirds have been busy watching their nests.
Both of the Bluebird boxes in the woodland garden  have residents in them now.

Bluebird3_April25

Bluebird2_April2012

 

Bluebird2_Wisteria2012

 

Bluebird_April2012

Bluebird_April25

 

Bluebird_Wisteria2012

Friday, April 20, 2012

Along the Upper Trail

Wednesday my daughter and I walked along the upper trail from Old Mans Cave to Rose Lake.

OMC_UpperTrail
It was a beautiful day for a walk and there were quiet a few other hikers out.

OMC_Trail
It was a little noisy at the beginning of the trail with all of the construction going on there putting in a by pass around the parks parking lot.

Rose_Lake
But as you get closer to the lake and over the hill it gets quiet again.

Rose_Lake2
The water on the lake was a little choppy from the breezes but it did not keep away a few people that were fishing from the banks.

RoseLake_Dogwood2
A few Dogwood trees were still in bloom near the lake.

RoseLake_Dogwood 

OMC_PagodaDogwood 
And at the bridge over the upper falls the Pagoda Dogwoods were starting to bloom.

OMC_Bluets

Bluets were spotted all along the upper trail.

OMC_CanadianViolets2
Canadian Violets were blooming in the shadier areas along the first part of the trail.

OMC_CommonViolets
Common Violets were growing everywhere.

OMC_YellowWoodViolet
A few Yellow Wood Violets were spotted among some fallen, decaying trees.

OMC_GoldenRagwort
Golden Ragwort was also spotted at the beginning of the trail.

OMC_NativeGeranium
The native Geraniums are now starting to come into bloom.

OMC_Lyre_Leaved_RockCress
And we spotted a few lyre leaved  Rock Cress.

OMC_WhiteAvens
One White Avens plant was just starting to bloom.

OMC_Dandelion
And of course the ever present Dandelion fluff blowing on the breezes,

OMC_Butterfly
Some Red Admiral butterflies were spotted and then there was this little brown Skipper flitting around.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Spring Wild Flowers

 

Cut-leavedToothwort_Cardamine concatenata 
Cut-Leaved Toothwort

Cut-leavedToothwort_Cardamine_concatenata

Bluets_Houstonia_caerulea 
Bluets

Bluets_Houstonia_caerulea

 

WinterCress_Yellow Rocket
Winter Cress or Yellow Rocket

Spring_Beauty

Spring Beauty’s

CH_BlueBells2_Spring
Bluebells

CH_BlueViolets_Spring
Blue Violets

CH_White_Tillium_Spring
Large Leaf  Trillium

CH_DowneyYellowViolets_4_14
Downy Yellow Violets

CH_DutchmanBreeches_4_14
Dutchman Breeches

CH_Golden_Ragwort2_4_14
Golden Ragwort

CH_MayApple2_Spring
May Apple

CH_JacknPulpit2_Spring
Jack in the Pulpit

CH_TroutLily_Spring
Trout Lily