A presentaton—in journal format—of the goings on at this location. Along with photos of them are comments from some of the various flora and fauna.

This walkabout starts with the return of the "honkers" and other birds (which is a prelude to the arrival of spring in southern Manitoba).
It kicks into gear with the emergence of the flora (as temperatures rise). And includes the fauna as they show up.

 

(Originally posted on Facebook: Robert G Mears.)

 

April 16tap images for gallery view

 

Onk. We're a pair of Canada geese, Branta canadensis. Onk. We're usually the first, onk, birds here in the spring. Onk.
Onk. Onk. Onk.

 

April 19tap images for gallery view

 

Well, hello there, there, there. I'm a western meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta. When I return you can be sure that spring has finally arrived in southern Manitoba. I'll be singing every morning and afternoon and evening.

 

April 21tap images for gallery view

 

Hey. I'm a dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis. We're just passing through, all thirty or so of us. We like it here because there is lots of seed for us to eat.

 

April 22tap images for gallery view

 

A beeah, a beeah, a beeah ... ah, I'm a kildeer, Charadrius vociferus. I'm a member of the plover group. The "vociferous" part of my science-speak name is because I rarely stop talking. All summer.
"Kill-deee! Kill-deee!"

 

April 25tap images for gallery view

 

Deeoot! Yeah, you. I'm a red-winged blackbird. We got here two days ago. We'll spend the summer here, nesting once or twice. Then hang around to fledge the young uns.

 

 

Yep, you guessed it. I'm a trumpeter swan. I've never been here before.
No, I don't know if I'll be back. ☹

 

May 5tap images for gallery view

 

I'm a painted lady, Vanessa cardui, and I'm the first butterfly of the year in these parts. That's FOY, in case you didn't know. ☺

 

May 14tap images for gallery view

 

Hi there. I'm an arctic tern.
No, I don't come here often but I thought I'd stop by and dazzle folks with my marvellous flying!

 

May 15tap images for gallery view

 

Good morning. I'm wild strawberry, Fragaria virginiana. And mine is the very first flower of the year.

 

May 21tap images for gallery view

 

Hey! We're barn swallows. We got back about 10 days ago. The tenders of this site have a great garage for us to build our nest in.
You might want to tell them they have a screw loose. (Ah, maybe say, "There is a loose screw here.") ☺

 

 

We're mallards and we like this small swale beside the big pond. It makes for private dabbling.

 

 

Hello. I'm a Virginia Ctenucha, Ctenucha virginica, caterpillar. In a while I'll become a moth with black wings.

 

 

While this photo of us doesn't look like much, we're mud daubers doing the "dance". We're about six inches long and there are 50 - 60 of us swimming around each other. We make black clouds that drift across the surface of the pond. We moved here from the Red River during the 2009 flood.

 

May 26tap images for gallery view

 

Good day, to you. I'm a bumblebee, Bombus species. And, let me tell you the nectar from this three flowered avens is delightful.

 

 

hi; i'm an early blue violet, Viola adunca. You probably won't see me unless i'm in flower and you are close to the ground.
Butterflies like my nectar a lot. In fact, I was pollinated and gone to seed the very next day.

 

 

Ascending purple milkvetch, Astragalus striatus, here.
If you have horses it's best to NOT let them eat me. But my seeds are good food, though, for birds and small mammals.