Where’s Jaspa? (May 24th, 2013)

Congratulations to JoAnn, who correctly identified that we are now in Seattle, from the photos in my last post.

We had a brilliant day exploring one of my favourite cities. One of the things that strikes me most about Seattle is how clean it is. And the ocean air makes it so fresh.

For today’s challenge, can you spot where each of the following photos were taken yesterday?

(Come back next time for the answers.)

Me with a distinct Seattle halo

Phyllis and I at a famous Seattle landmark

A certain group out there will have no problem identifying where we visited in the afternoon…

 

Where’s Jaspa?

Phyllis, myself and the gang begin another adventure today! Hooray! But our flight won’t get in until nearly midnight (local time), so it’s going to be a long day, and we won’t really start our exploring until tomorrow.

Although the majority of the places we’ll be visiting on our trip will be new to all of us, our initial destination is actually somewhere I’ve been before. That being said, it’s a fantastic city and I’m really looking forward to returning, and hopefully catching up with an old friend or two.

Below are a couple of pictures of me the last time I was there. Can you tell where it is? (Come back next time for the answer!)

A great view… but where was this photo taken?

Oh, come on…. the sign really gives it away!

Robin’s Nest (Part III)

Summary: The nests are empty and the eggs are gone, it seems without ever hatching.

Robin on the second nest

I discovered something wonderful two weeks ago, just after I wrote the last instalment on springtime activity in our yard… a second pair of robins were building another nest in a small tree right outside. That made it at least four bird nurseries in our garden alone: two belonging to robins, one to chickadees and one to sparrows.

 

I’ve been looking forward to telling you about the eggs hatching. About the scrawny, fuzzy chicks and their ravenous appetites. About their first steps from the nest, their first flights and about that happy/sad moment when they leave home and fly away.

Chickadee’s silent nesting box

Sadly, I’m not going to get to do any of that. Not this year, in any case.

We’ve been being careful to keep away from the nests, so as not to disturb the would-be parents. Yet it’s been well over a week since we last saw any of the adult birds around, and there’s been no sign or sound of any hatchlings. So this morning I went out to check on the nests.

 

 

 

 

Original robin’s nest, with no eggs or chicks

I can’t speak for the sparrow nest, hidden as it is in one of our spruce trees. But the birdhouse that the chickadees had made their home is silent, and the two robin nests are empty and cold. No eggs. No baby birds.

 

 

Forlorn second robin’s nest

The lack of even eggshell remains suggest the robin nests may have been poached by a predator. I guess it’s part of the whole circle of life thing, but it still makes me sad.

Spacebook

Since it first came online almost 10 years ago, Facebook has spread to almost every corner of the globe. If Facebook was a country it would have the third largest population in the world, after only China and India. It allows us to keep up to date with friends and family, in ways that were impossible just a decade ago.

We now think nothing of seeing what our brother got up to in Vietnam yesterday, or what our mate living in Australia threw on the barbie last night, or how our gran celebrated her birthday in Tanzania. We can update our status, upload a photo or comment on a friend’s post from practically anywhere on Earth, even on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

But at any given time, there are a handful of extremely lucky people who aren’t on Earth. They live aboard the International Space Station (ISS), in orbit high above the planet to which the rest of us are confined. But they still have Facebook.

Chris Hadfield in his Soyuz spacesuit

Possibly the coolest Facebook profile yet created is that of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, the current commander of the ISS. Several times a day, he updates his profile with the same sort of stuff the rest of us fill ours with. Mundane stuff like what he’s been doing today, a chore he had to accomplish, or even what he had for lunch.

 

Although of course, nothing’s mundane when it’s coming from space!

Moonrise

ISS silliness  – Chris ‘levitating’ the Earth on Star Wars Day

 

For example, in the last week or so, Colonel Hadfield’s chores have included cleaning the cooling plumbing on the Space Station’s spacewalking suits and firing up the thrusters on their Soyuz spacecraft. He’s sung live with 600,000 schoolchildren across Canada. And he’s posted a video on how to eat dessert when you’re weightless.

 

 

Chris Hadfield hanging out with his friends aboard the ISS

Delivery for you!
Arrival of the Progress supply ship

But the thing I’ll miss most when he returns back to Earth next week are the photos he posts each day of our beautiful planet from orbit. Below are just a few, but go to Chris’s Facebook page to see many, many more. I promise you won’t regret it!

Southern UK from the ISS

I can see my house from here!
Southern Ontario

Saharan sandstone

US-Mexican border

Berlin at night
The different coloured street lights still show the East/West divide from orbit

Robin’s Nest (Part II)

Protecting the nest from bloggers with cameras

I thought I’d have to come up with an alternative subject for this week’s blog, since the robin eggs are still incubating. I even got halfway through writing that blog in my head (don’t worry, I’m saving it for a later date), when I realised there was more than enough going on in the backyard for this week’s post.

 

 

Keeping things warm

As expected, the robins themselves aren’t doing much except incubating their eggs. By being patient,  I did manage to get another peak inside their nest and can report the final clutch size is four beautiful blue eggs. With luck, by this time next week I be able to introduce you to a nest full of hatchlings.

A nest full of robin eggs

One of the sparrows

But while the robins are just sitting around this week, it’s all go elsewhere in the garden. For starters, a pair of sparrow are collecting material for their own nest, which they seem to be building out of sight in one of the spruce trees.

Yet the most exciting news concerns the nesting box on one of the big maples out back. It’s been perhaps six or seven years since we put up that box. For the first few years we waited expectantly each spring to see whether anyone would take up residence. But we were always disappointed. Eventually we stopped hoping.

Then last week we noticed a chickadee coming out of the tiny hole in the front of the box. We waited with bated breath to see if it would return. But we didn’t have to wait long!

Having a look inside

Since then, Mr & Mrs Chickadee have been a nonstop blur coming-and-going from the box. Initially it was to take nesting material in, but I noticed this morning that now they seem to be mainly bringing stuff out. Perhaps some of the stuff they originally selected for their bedding isn’t up to scratch.

 

 

Chickadee leaving the box watched by their mate

This piece didn’t pass the final inspection

Hopefully then, in addition to baby robins, we’ll also have chickadee and sparrow chicks hopping around in the garden before too long. It’s an exciting time down here in the aviary!

 

Robin’s Nest (Part I)

Despite the odd snow shower, I’m told that spring has arrived in Southern Ontario. To be fair, the daffodils, crocuses and grape hyacinths are blooming. And the rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels are busy in the garden. So maybe it’s true.

 

The robin’s nest after two days

The robins certainly believe the hype. Last week, on April 16th, the first evidence of a nest appeared on the window ledge of the spare bedroom, outside the kitchen.

Hard at work

Arranging everything just so

The finished masterpiece

Keeping a watchful eye

For a whole week we watched a pair of robins industriously carrying bits of dry grass, twig, and even the occasional strand of plastic to their construction. Until on Monday (April 22nd) the first sky-blue egg appeared in the nest.

The first egg!

Since then, Mrs Robin has hardly left the nest. I’ve just peered out at her (very carefully). She’s all puffed up on the nest, protecting her precious treasures from the cold, still hanging in the air after last night’s frost.

On the nest

As the incubation time for North American robins is 12-14 days (I read that the other day), I look forward to giving you all a happy update in a couple of weeks!

(Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, but most are taken through a screen.)

Belonging

Jaspa’s Journey 2: The Pride of London ebook

You wouldn’t believe what our Ratses friend Ernest went through to become a member of the secret Ses society known as ‘the Pride’, even though its leaders obviously don’t want him to join. (Fortunately, you can read all about how we helped him achieve his dream in Jaspa’s Journey 2: The Pride of London).

But Ses or human, all of us feel the need to belong. Whether family, tribe, club, team, or just a group of friends, we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. All these things help shape who we are, often in ways we don’t even realise or consider.

Unsurprisingly then, leaving all this behind and relocating to a new town is a not to be taken lightly. And moving to a new country – when suddenly even your nationality makes you an outsider – can be an even bigger wrench. Believe me, I’ve done it!

In such circumstances, what can you do but put down new roots and find new ways to belong? Maybe by joining a new club or team. By making new friends. Perhaps even starting a new family.

Yesterday I was honoured to witness a friend making one of the biggest commitments possible to their new home, by becoming a citizen of their adopted country.

So congratulations to Flavia, Canada’s newest citizen!

Becoming a Citizen!

Someone looks happy!