Sunshine Crossroads

I've seen a lot of interesting birds lately. An American redstart was hopping and flitting about my yard, and I saw more down by McVicars Creek. They are very inquisitive and quick little birds

this is the close up of the redstart..... I told you they are quick ;-)
Yesterday 2 cedar waxwings flew to the dried up berries in the highbush cranberry shrub in my yard. A ruby-throated hummingbird buzzed by my head and headed for the blue forget-me-nots springing up in the back corner. Earlier I saw a Canada warbler rooting around my flower bed. It's a small bird that looks like it's wearing spectacles. Some lemon yellow American goldfinch were in the top canopy of my neighbour's birches.

At the waterfront I saw a female scaup in the pond. While I was admiring it and Musti and Tassu were trying to figure out how to get across the pond to chase it, a white tailed deer came crashing out of the bush. I was too startled to get its photo. It bounded right by me and ran to the lake and swam across the bay, with Musti and Tassu in pursuit. It was long gone, however. A few days ago I startled a great blue heron when I came over the bend, and by the mouth of McVicars Creek I saw a brown-headed cowbird eying the nest of a yellow warbler, and a chestnut sided warbler singing its heart out.

Last Tuesday my sister and I drove out to Kaija and Veijo's farm in Kaministiqua. It is past Sistonen's Corners, down Sunshine Crossroads. A kingfisher with its punk-like crown looked down at us as we turned down the gravel road. This is the door of the old barn. The homestead was built in 1922-3 by Swede-Finns Alice and Emil Bergland.

Of course, Kaija, being Finnish, had a delicious kahvipoyta set up for us. While I was looking out the kitchen window this little purple finch flew up to say hello.

It wanted to check on what we were up to in that kitchen,

but then decided she wasn't interested, after all.

A blue jay hopped along on the grass

and a hairy woodpecker peeked around the antler

which is part of the bird feeder that Veijo made out of old license plates he found in the old barn

He also found these dead diamond willow trees in the back bush that he placed by the bird feeder so the birds have somewhere to fly to

This rose-breasted grosbeak came with a small squabbling flock

they took turns feeding and surveying the area

That's the new sauna by the pond. On the right is the deer feeder Veijo made.

This is the kiuas [sauna stove] of the old sauna.