A Sign of Spring?

At this time of year, especially after the intensely cold January and early February we have had, we become anxious for signs of spring. This morning a big, fluffy robin spent some time in our garden. While I would love to take this as confirmation that warmer weather is on its way, I've noticed robins in our neighbourhood throughout this winter, even during the freezing temperatures of past weeks.

I looked up the behaviour as it seemed unusual. Some sources suggested that if food sources are available, robins may overwinter in order to claim the best spring breeding territory. When I think about it, when I've seen them in past weeks, they have usually been perched on fruit trees (indigenous serviceberry) at the edge of a nearby forest.

Today, this big fellow sat long enough in a tree in our back garden that I had time to run upstairs to get my long-range lens. I just love how he looks with the snow-covered branches behind him.

Then he moved to the trees lining the back of our garden that are still covered with frozen crabapples.

He carefully selected one. When he tried to swallow it, there was an awkward moment and I was worried that he had chosen an apple that was too big. He readjusted it in his beak and then everything seemed to be fine.

So, I think I will just have to consider this as a sweet Saturday visit rather than a sure sign of spring.

❤  ❤  ❤ 

A Season Full of Promise

Well, we sure had to wait for it but spring is really here. The leaves are starting to open on the trees and there is finally colour in my garden. This is one of my favourite times of year.

I'm not the only one celebrating. There was a gathering of cedar waxwings and a robin in the backyard this morning.

It has rained most of the weekend but I'm not complaining. First of all, it's not snow. It's providing nourishment for the garden. Many flowers are in bloom but there are still so many still to come. I have seeds to plant and annuals to buy. It's a season full of promise and possibilities.

Here's a tiny bouquet of garden flowers from me to you.

Berry Bandit

We have a number of serviceberry (amelanchier) shrubs and trees in our yard. They are lovely plants with four seasons of interest (spring flowers, early summer berries, pretty autumn colour and an elegant winter silhouette). The berries are like a blueberry but even better (according to me). As much as I love them, it is a race against the birds to eat any.  One of my favourite Canadian garden writers, Lois Hole, wrote of the 'bird tax' you need to pay when you grow any berry-laden plant in your yard. So true.

There is a large serviceberry in front of our living room window and it's hosted a bit of a who's who of our backyard birds in the past few days.  I've seen American goldfinches, house finches, cedar waxwings and many robins. I was really lucky to get a number of shots of this young robin.

The above photo kills me. Doesn't he look absolutely amazed by the feast that surrounds him, as if he doesn't quite know where to start? "Wow! Am I ever glad Mom and Dad live here."

I took the photos by removing the living room window screen and sitting on the floor. My constant companion Meeko sat beside me (of course) but was very quiet and didn't scare the robin.  My robin friend certainly provided enough poses for me to try another bird painting one of these days. I like the pose below probably the best.

Despite all of the bird banditry, we did manage to pick a few for ourselves.  I made this wonderful salad with mesclun from our square-foot garden with some serviceberries thrown in for taste and colour.  (If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will have already seen the photo.)

This week has been broken up with lots of taxi driving of my two daughters who are now both officially on summer vacation, but I managed to finish one painting.  I painted one of the French breakfast radishes from our garden. I wonder if they call them that in France? It's the first time I've used handmade Twinrocker watercolour paper: both Geninne and Diana Sudyka recommended it to me. Just the deckles alone make me swoon. It was lovely to work with and this particular paper has one hot-pressed side and one cold-pressed side. Very nice paper. (Emma picked out the radish-coloured nail polish for my thumbnail.)

French breakfast radish:  Watercolour on Twinrocker paper

And I started another painting of a serviceberry branch.  The past two days, I've been painting slowly with many interruptions--to the point that the berries have been ripening in in my studio.  Note the difference in colour between the painting that I started two days ago and the the branch. The berries start out a mottled yellow-pink, kind of like an apple, and then they become red and then red-purple. I'll try and finish the painting tomorrow and then I can reward myself by eating the berries, while they are still good. :)

Serviceberry painting in progress (on Twinrocker cold-pressed paper)