It's all about the birds

Victoria Day weekend. "The unofficial start of summer". For at least the last 10 years Christine and her group of friends have been coming to the cottage to launch summer. One year there were 18 of us. It was a tight squeeze and each meal meant moving furniture, but George was in his element. This year. No-one! And I heard from them; missing it.

Saturday was a beautiful day but there were comparatively few cars at the parking area. Most, not all, respected the "Beach Closed" signs, and walked on the road or bird watched in the park.

Simon came and dug up some plants for their garden in Port Dover and we had coffee on the deck. I did some gardening, including starting to get the pots replanted with Geraniums and on the beach side deck.

But my big entertainment (and Nicola's when she came to visit on Sunday) has been the birds.

This is one of my favorite birds and he only stuck around for a couple of days. Red Headed Woodpecker.

The Baltimore Oriole joined the battle for the sugar water (with the Humming Birds and the Downy Woodpeckers)

The first Rose Breasted Grosbeak of the season.

Sitting, reading on the back deck and a Bald Eagle flew over.

When I went for a walk I saw this bird in a large puddle on a lawn. Larger than the wading birds we usually get on the beach. Looking him up in my bird book he may be a Baird's Sandpiper (considered scarce)

On a walk with Nicola, we saw Swans with cygnets,

 Goldfinchs (though this was the palest one I have ever seen, almost white)

and Indigo Buntings (lousy picture but he flew before I could zoom in )

The other entertainers are of the 4 legged kind. A Chipmunk foraging under the feeders,

 attacked by a Mourning Dove, not prepared to share the territory

and the amazingly gymnastic Squirrels

who manage to get to the feeders wherever I move them.

Meanwhile, I finished hooking the second lady. The one on the left is drinking coffee, she's the designated driver. You can't see the hands of the one in the centre but I have decided she was hot, out shopping, and is drinking a tall gin and tonic.

Speaking of hot; in Pissouri they are complaining about the heat. This shot, taken off Face Book, shows the village square at 8:50am and its already 37 degrees!