I couldn't believe it this morning when I discovered another nesting box (this one sitting in the midst of a glossy buckthorn bush) - with tree swallows still in residence! I caught two little heads peeking out of the entrance hole, and then one of the parents as it landed at the entrance.
Last year I mentioned the shrub Glossy Buckthorn that is found just about everywhere you look at the marsh. New seedlings carpet the forest floor and young plants border the trail in the wooded area, and mature shrubs abound in the open areas surrounding the marsh. This shrub, introduced many years ago in North America as an ornamental, is an extremely invasive species, crowding out and replacing native vegetation. It grows rapidly, and resprouts vigorously when cut. Apparently it was noticed twelve years ago in Nova Scotia. As you can see, it is an attractive shrub - but it is a very unwelcome addition to the marsh landscape.
The marsh is looking more populated with ducks these days as the young are getting larger, some now nearly as big as their parents. However, they seem to congregate far from shore, making it difficult to get decent shots of them. This morning I was lucky to find a few juvenile wood ducks feeding in the duckweed fairly close to shore. This photo (shot through the tall grass) shows two of them, a young male in front, with a young female behind.
On Tuesday the 26th, I discovered the great horned owls were back roosting at the marsh. I first saw the juvenile pair sitting side by side on a snag where the wood duck nesting boxes are located. They then flew over to perch in a spruce tree, and when I moved to get a closer look I noticed that their mother was sitting in a pine tree alongside the spruce. As I watched them, the smaller of the offspring kept looking toward its mother, making soft rheee sounds. When I saw it scrunch down, I knew it was about to take off, so held my shutter button down...(cont...)
... and its large wings stretched up as it lifted off to settle next to its mother, for a cuddle. The reading I've done on great horned owl behavior says that the adults wander around during the summer months, while the young remain in their breeding territory. However, it is obvious in this case that the female has remained close to her offspring. (Photos digitally modified.)
On Monday, I saw this little shape in the trail ahead of me, and discovered it was this chipmunk. I didn't notice its bulging cheeks until I zoomed in. Doesn't it look like it has a major case of the mumps?? (Photo digitally modified.)
Sorry, I'm getting behind in my blog postings. On Monday the 25th, several yellow warblers were flitting about the gray birches that border the trail, and occasionally moving over to the grasses by the water's edge. I caught this male on a stalk of wool-grass, which seems to be of interest to the warblers. I know they are primarily insect eaters (especially caterpillars), with the occasional berry thrown in, but didn't think they were interested in seeds. Perhaps there is some insect that frequents the wool-grass that they are after.
This has nothing to do with the marsh, but it does concern wildlife. I have a big pot of geraniums by my back door. Sunday night I had the porch light on, and I noticed something big fluttering around the blossoms. It looked similar to a hummingbird, as its wings moved rapidly, and it was nearly as large. I grabbed my camera and was eventually able to get this shot. It was a White-lined Sphinx moth, commonly known as the Hummingbird moth, apparently very common, although I've never seen one before. They visit many kinds of flowers for nectar.
