Gros-beak not Gross-beak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak

I really know very little about these guys. We actually do not see these often. However when we do, they are showy and interesting. They are actually large, about the size of an American Robin but heavier looking.
These are related to the Cardinalidae:, Cardinal Family.
They do sound very similar to the American Robin as well.

The King

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_%28butterfly%29

This guy was named specifically for a King. A King of Great Britian  no less. He was named for King William III of the duo Monarchy of William III and Mary II. Actually very fitting for the name of this Butterfly. William III was of the "House of Orange" in the Netherlands. Hence the name of this Butterfly. This guy is a male. The way to know this is by looking at the lower wings. You will see he has a black mark on the vain on each wing almost looking like a wart!! The Female does not have this marking.

I am so lucky to have a lot of these guys in my garden. More so than most people do in their gardens. At times by the hundreds. The reasons for this are many but the two main ones are:  I have a large amount of native plants in the garden, also I have a large amount of Asclepias syriaca:,  Milk-weed here as well.
The other is I rarely use insecticide in the garden unless I really have to, and then it is when I can be specific to what needs to be controlled.

A Golden Glance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_platanoides
Acer platanoides:, Norway Maple
This is just a shot of a Norway Maple in my backyard. The yellow in it was intense. However by this evening with the rains and strong winds the leaves where all but off the tree. So a lucky shot for me. These along with the Acer saccharum :, Sugar Maples are the favourite of yard landscaping from the Great Lakes to Nova Scotia in Eastern Canada, and through New England in the North Eastern parts of the United States

Welcome to Dunnville, Ontario Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnville,_Ontario

This is the welcome sign as you come into our town from the west end on the King's Highway # 3. This is the short cut for many Americans traveling from Buffalo to Detroit. This highway follows the north shore of Lake Erie, and is very scenic. you come relatively close to such places as Paris, London, and Windsor. However these famous places are of course the Ontario ones!!!!
This is a new sign. The old one was really funny. It was a large bill-board thing with "Welcome to Dunnville, glad you came , hope you stay". What made it so funny was that there was tomb-stones in front of it for sale and a graveyard behind it.

An Admiral, but not of the Seas

Vanessa atalanta:, Red Admiral Butterfly   Echinacea pururea:, Purple Cone Flower

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/butterflyredadmiral.htm

These are an incredibly beautiful butterfly, and very plentiful here in the Niagara Region. Actually kind of over looked much of the time. They do not seem to be picky eaters as long as you have Native Plants in the Garden.
Although many native plants are considered by most of us as weeds. They really do have a place in the garden. If you want diversity of nature to visit the garden it is a must. Control of these weeds can be a problem. However if you "dead head" these regularly and pay attention to it, they will not get out of hand. Also never put your weed plant material in you compost pile. They can hold seed for up to 7 or more years in some cases. If you ever notice most very manicured gardens have little in the way of wildlife in them. There is nothing in these garden types to attract diversity. However you may get a few creatures checking things out but rarely stay.

Hint here: By definition a weed is any plant unwanted. In this case any natural plants to your area. Interestingly Dandelions and Creeping Charlie are both from Europe. They are Naturalized WEEDS !!!!!

Welcome to Canada

These gardens are next to the Canada Customs at the Rainbow Bridge. In this picture at the top right you can see their offices. The tower there, when built was the Largest Full Carolan Tower (Bell Tower) in the Americas, As it happens it is the only one in the world at an International Border even to-day.

Mosquitoes Run from this Guy "Maybe"

Anax junius:,  Green Darner Dragon-fly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly

Most dragonflies hunt during the daytime, when it is sunny and warm. Most mosquitoes remain hidden in the daytime, so they’re not a major food item for most dragonflies. Nymphs will eat mosquito larvae, but most nymphs live in permanent water bodies, while mosquitoes breed mainly in temporary waters. Mosquitoes can have several generations in one summer, so their populations can rise dramatically in a short time. Dragonflies have only one generation each year, so their numbers cannot increase to match mosquito populations. Dragonflies are an important part of wetland ecosystems, but they can’t control mosquito numbers. In nature, the availability of prey usually limits predator populations, not the other way around.

Okay so all said not the Mosquito killer we think it is, but it is one of a number of front line attackers in the war against Mosquitoes.

Not Quite Nature, a Dunnville Monument

This is the long awaited for Mudcat Monument. The world's largest as it were. They started to erect this thing this morning. For five years, people were debating it to death.  Was it necessary to have it? Absolutely not!! Is it a good thing for the town? O YES, it is! Even if people just stop to take a pic with it, it is worth it. 10 years ago we went through the same thing about a statue for the town. Crazy . We have that statue now for a few years and it is nice. People take pictures of it and it adds a little class in a town that is lacking.
Well done to those that kept the fight going.

I'm Big Now

Turdus migratorius, also called North American Robinhttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/id
This guy just left the nest for the first time about a minute before the picture was taken. His baby picture is the one just below this. same guy. A little less attitude in this pic, however you can see that he is proud of him self, or scared half to death from what he just did. His parents never bothered with me ever when I took pictures up close of the nest from egg to here. however this time the Male actually attacked me. I guess it was doing what it felt right for the family. A new stage in the Family Development and the Dad did not know what I would do. So there was no pics taken after this one of that family.
This nest was in a  Catalpa speciosa Standard:, Catalpa Tree Standard just a few feet from the kitchen door

Expressive Young Fellow

Turdus migratorius, called North American Robin, also American Robin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin

This guy is all attitude, he has the facial expression second to none. But what is even funnier is if you look to the lower right he is giving the finger, so it seems,
Because of the gardens and the pond, I have as well as my neighbours receive a lot of Robins in our yards. Almost all produce two families a year, a few three. So there are many here to enjoy. They are also protected by a 30+ meter Acer  saccharumin:, Sugar Maple in my front yard which seems to be a gathering point for them, by the hundreds. They also share with Passer domesticus:, House Sparrows in that tree. What a racket in the mornings and the evenings, mainly in the spring.
As I mentioned in a previous post these are not true Robins, they belong to to the Turdus:, Thrush Family. The easiest way to know this is by the spots on the belly of the young. All members of the Thush Family have this characterization.