The Tawny Daylily

 The tawny daylily (which we often refer to in our area as the common daylily) is also known as the roadside daylily, the railroad daylily, ditch lily, and even the outhouse lily. This is because it will grow just about anywhere. I remember it growing near my grandmother's outhouse, but we never called it the outhouse lily at the time.

It's very common in this area, and people often consider it a weed because it's so invasive. It does take over gardens and crowds other plants out. It is not as showy as some of the hybrid lilies, but I enjoy seeing its bright colour along ditches and in gardens. 

I'm glad that it is invasive. This means it will grow in the soil we have here, and I never have to do anything with it. It just keeps coming every year. It is best to put it in an area where you don't have to worry about it taking over.

When the flower has the right lighting on it, it looks quite beautiful with the variety of yellows and oranges. The flowers do not last long. Usually they open in the morning, and wither during the night.  

Often we take things for granted, and don't look at them very closely. When we take the time, we can see God's handiwork. Even a flower that is considered a weed in many parts of the world is beautiful. It is amazing how He has made so many flowers with such intricate detail. 

Robins and Eggs

I learned some new things about robins this year. Apparently, robins lay one egg per day over a period of 4-5 days. They often let the eggs cool until all of the eggs are laid, and then sit (brood) on the nest. This way, the eggs all hatch around the same time. I did read one article that said they hatch in the order they were laid. 

When we were in Leamington, Ontario in the spring, we saw a robin's nest with three eggs in it. The colour of the eggs is really fascinating to me - it's such a beautiful sky blue.

A couple of days later, we checked the nest again, and this time there were 5 eggs. Apparently this is more than the normal number and is rare. Sometimes another robin has actually laid one of the eggs.

The male robin does not sit on the nest, but stays close by. If the female gives a cry of alarm, the male will come to help her. The robins mate for the season and raise 2-3 nestings. They do not usually mate for life. 

The female stays on the nest for about 12 - 14 days. She doesn't leave the nest except for short periods. Usually she gets her own food, but sometimes  the male brings food to her. 

Robins who manage to live past their first year might make it to 5 or 6 years at the most. Most migrate to the southern states, but some stay in Canada through the winter, and move around to different food sources. They eat fruit in the winter; insects and worms in the warmer weather.

We are so used to seeing robins in our area that we don't pay much attention to them. But their way of life is interesting when we look at it. 

For by Him (God), all things were created ... 

Colossians 1:16

Infant Pictures

I don't often get a chance to take infant pictures, so was happy to have the chance this past week to get some practice. This little one slept most of the time. 

God created man in his own image ... Genesis 1:27

Hummingbirds

We have ruby-throated hummingbirds in our area. I've been trying to photograph them over the years, and was looking on the internet for suggestions about how to get good pictures of them. They've been really busy here in the last week or so, but of course, when I was hoping to see them and take photos, it's almost as if they've disappeared. They must be sitting on the eggs right now.

One of the suggestions was to use my flash and underexpose the ambient lighting, so this is what I tried. These pictures were taken in the daytime even though some look like they were taken at night. I will try to take more throughout the summer and hopefully will improve my technique. 

The male has a red or ruby throat  which shows up at different times, depending on how the light hits it. 

They are so tiny and yet so aggressive with each other. The males will often sit on a stalk (like the one above) and guard the hummingbird feeders. They aren't always drinking from it, but they don't want any other bird to use the feeder. I found it difficult to get a picture of them flying, so I guess that will be my goal for awhile. 

The female does not have the ruby throat and looks different in the throat area. They can be quite aggressive too.

 

It's so good to know that God knows us and loves us. He knows all the birds of the hills, which is amazing because there are so many of them, and so many different kinds.

New Grandson

We have a new grandson and I was able to be there for his birth. Of course, I took my camera, and was able to take some photos of the newborn. It's an exciting time for everyone.

His eyes were open for the next photo. Considering he was only 2 days old in this picture, I was glad to catch a time when they were open.

I still have much to learn, especially about the use of my 50 mm and using ISO. I think there's something to learn every time I use my camera.

Children are a gift from God. It's wonderful to have grandchildren too and we enjoy each of them. 

Painted Turtles at Point Pelee

If you ever get the chance to go to Point Pelee, be sure to go on the Marsh Boardwalk. It's a floating boardwalk, and you can walk for about half a mile around the marsh on it. This gives you a good chance to see birds, fish, and turtles. The day we went we didn't see too many birds, but we were able to see the painted turtles that were sunning, and they were close enough for photos.

There is an observation tower that lets you see out over the boardwalk and all around the marsh and across Lake Erie.

We see some painted turtles in our area, but usually they are too far away for me to take photos. The boardwalk lets you be out in the marsh, and it's easier to see the turtles than from a boat.

They are about 4 to 10 inches long, with the male being smaller than the female. I wouldn't know from these pictures which are male or female.

Apparently some have lived for more than 55 years in the wild. I wonder how old some of these turtles are?

So God created the great creatures of the sea 

and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it ...

Genesis 1:21

Scenery at Point Pelee

We really enjoyed the scenery while we were down at Point Pelee and I thought I'd share some of the spots with you. We camped at Sturgeon Woods Campground near Leamington, which is where the first picture was taken. We were able to watch the fish jumping as the sun was going down. Beautiful time to be out!

There were several geese families wandering around the park, and it was interesting to see the parents looking after the young ones. This goose posed for me as we were walking past the empty docks. I underexposed this picture to get the silhouettes.

This next one was taken at the tip of Point Pelee Park. The man is standing about as close to the tip as he should be. 

One of the evenings was spent on the east side of Point Pelee. The sunset on the other side was probably beautiful, but we enjoyed the colours on the east side too.

While we were walking along the beach, we saw a couple of deer in the distance. I took several pictures, and liked this one the best even thought there is only one deer in the photo. This is probably my favourite from the whole trip.

Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. 

Praise you the Lord!

Psalm 150:6