BBS data

Today I finished processing and submitting data from the Breeding Bird Survey on June 23. A species list appears behind the cut with total individuals counted and the number of stops on which they were counted, giving an idea of abundance and distribution.

( 52 bird species )

The species count was better than my initial calculation from scanning the raw data, even though several reliable species were absent (common merganser, common loon, song sparrow and rose-breasted grosbeak). The surprises this year were mundane: mourning dove, Eastern phoebe, red-winged blackbird and Baltimore oriole—all familiar Ontario garden birds, but which rarely if ever appear in the mature forest along my route.

Rain smells

Eramosa River Park after the rain





Joe-Pye weed


When the rain started yesterday, I went downstairs and opened the door. Drops hit like bullets. Traffic was stopped in the street. A young man in a black sports car had the window rolled down. At first I caught the citrus fragrance of late linden flowers. It was soon overwhelmed by the smell of wet pavement, reminiscent of basement crawlspaces with secret boxes.

It poured until evening. Then I strolled to the swollen Eramosa River. Moisture had aroused a complex of overblown summer smells. Resinous essence of wet maples filled the woods. In the park it mingled with the hay-like scent of scorched grass and something earthy. I scraped the bicycle path and sniffed gray clay, detecting nothing.

But from mouldering leaves under silver maples I dug up the sexiest smell of all—thick, rank and dark enough to hide in.

On Kingsmill Avenue an elusive floral sweetness halted my footsteps, but I couldn't spot the source. An ash tree stood overhead. I plucked and crumpled a leaf, but the smell was insipid compared to maples. Scratching the lichenous bark and sniffing my fingers produced a mushroom-like whiff.

How do black squirrels chasing around a tree smell to one another?





Waterspout 3


My scanner doesn't see greens properly. Or is it my monitor? Pushing toward yellow-green improves the colour reproduction somewhat, but the blue-greens still look blue. How does it look to you? And how can you possibly tell me? I'm not happy.

No, I'm very happy. Methinks these waterspouts are a fine, fun summer obsession. Water, fluid, plasma, magma, pulsing, erupting....

Water.

These addenda are brought to you courtesy of Smirnoff Watermelon Twist and cranberry juice.

My phone doesn't work either. But never mind about that.

xoxo,
Van