picture says it all...

stillpoint... blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

it's hard being grebe...

Today dawned gloriously sunny in Toronto so I packed up my camera and went for a walk by the lake. We've had a lot of rain and flooding in the last month and water levels are still higher than I ever remember seeing them at Colonel Samuel Smith Park. The swans were flooded out of their traditional nesting spot in the pond and have retreated to the wooded bank. Those trees in the foreground are usually high and dry, well back from the water's edge.

Mute swans at Colonel Sam Smith Park, Toronto

The top of those rock walls are usually a meter above lake level

Out on the lake, the grebes are busy rebuilding after a bullying cormorant destroyed their first attempt at a nest. I hope they'll be successful this time - they're beautiful birds and diligent parents.

Red-necked Grebe on nesting platform,
Colonel Sam Smith Park, Toronto

Red-necked Grebe pair working on their nest

Grebe nest in yacht club basin at Sam Smith Park

Red-necked Grebe on patrol

One of those nasty Cormorant bullies, too close
for comfort, as a Grebe keeps watch from afar.

I heard but couldn't spot an Orchard Oriole that had a group of bird watchers all a-twitter. Spotted but couldn't photograph a lovely little Wilson's Warbler, and watched a Robin capture what I thought was a gigantic worm but turned out to be this tiny Brown Snake. The Robin eventually abandoned it on the path. Maybe his eyes were too big for his beak? High above, someone else waited to claim the prize.

Brown Snake

Mine!

Back on the pond, this Mallard Duck and Red-winged Blackbird made it easy for me to photograph them, almost as if they were posing to show off their best features.

"Alright Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

Wind-blown Blackbird

Until next time, may all your rambles be happy ones!

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stillpoint... blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

birds of spring...

I went walking at one of Toronto's finest waterfront parks this afternoon. Colonel Sam Smith Park in Etobicoke is a favourite with bird watchers and for the past few years I've enjoyed trying to spot new (to me) birds whenever I visit. Luck was with me today! I found a large group of long-tailed ducks in a sheltered bay. Most of them were too far away for a decent photo but this guy came close enough for a quick snap. Isn't he lovely? One for my life list.

Long-tailed Duck

A bit farther west, out in the yacht basin, the red-necked grebes were squabbling, pairing off, and joyfully singing the love songs of their people. 

Red-necked Grebes

Red-necked Grebes

The marsh area was comparatively quiet except for the trill of red-winged blackbirds and the quacks and dabbling of mallard ducks.

Mallard Duck

Mallard Duck

This gorgeous young robin didn't seem to mind at all when I stopped to watch him hunt. He even obliged by posing prettily for me on a rock.

American Robin

Over all, a very fine walk indeed! I don't know about you, but I am very glad it's spring.

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stillpoint... blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

animals of The Write Spot...

Where do writers write? It's been almost a year since I first posed that question to launch The Write Spot. Since then, I've had the pleasure of meeting two dozen talented authors who've generously invited us into their personal writing spaces. It's been an adventure!

The Write Spots we've visited are as unique as the authors themselves and as varied as the genres they write. But beyond our shared love of books and writing, I've discovered something else we share in common: a deep love and respect for animals. Some of us share our homes with companion pets, others bring animals to life as story characters, while still others take inspiration from animal encounters in the wild. A celebration of this common thread running through our lives seems like the perfect way to mark the upcoming one year anniversary of The Write Spot. So here is part one of a three-part series: animals of The Write Spot…

Meet Jay, companion and feline muse to author Susan McNicoll. Handsome Jay is a Maine Coon Cat, named for Susan's favourite baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Jay has heaps of personality, loves going for walks on his leash, and has even been to visit Santa Claus – twice! Susan tells me Santa and his elves were surprised by how relaxed Jay was. In fact, they told her he was the best behaved cat they had ever met. Check out Susan McNicoll's Write Spot where you'll find more photos of the amazing Jay. (And be sure to click through to Susan's web site where Jay has his very own blog.)

Roo is romance author Donna Fasano's Australian cattle dog mix. As a puppy, Roo ate socks and washcloths, chewed up shoes, tore around the house like a hurricane, and once she even swallowed Donna's engagement ring (everything came out in the end). Donna dubbed her "the wild dingo" for good reason! But Roo is eleven now, a little gray in the muzzle, and she's calmed down a lot. Although those early years were a little crazy, Donna says her life has been truly blessed by Roo. I believe it. Look at the love in those eyes! Visit Donna Fasano's Write Spot.

Doreen Pendgracs, author and chocolate tourism guru, captioned this photo, "Jimmy, hogging the bed as usual." But in this instance, Jimmy is lazing around in style, on vacation for the month of January, 2015 at the pet-friendly Spirit Ridge Resort and Spa in Osoyoos, B.C.  Jimmy also travelled to Vancouver Island with Doreen and her husband Reg for six weeks this past winter. What a lucky cat! Click here to feast your eyes on Doreen, covered head-to-toe in chocolate – all in the name of research. There's more about Jimmy and books, too, of course.

Meet Princess, a gorgeous husky with one brown eye and one blue. Princess shares her home in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, with Canadian author Annelies Pool. Annelies says, "Princess loves to lie down in a cubby hole by my feet when I am writing (particularly when she’s trying to escape the vacuum cleaner). When I’m stuck or I read a paragraph or two out loud to hear how it sounds, this is the look she gives me (if she’s not sleeping). Sheer adoration. She likes everything I write without reservation, doesn’t care about misplaced modifiers or self-indulgent diatribes. Everybody should have such a fan. She doesn’t buy too many books, though." To see more of Princess and discover Annelies' books, visit The Write Spot of Annelies Pool.

Meet Scout the dog and Phoebe the cat, best friends and companions to mystery author Peggy Blair. Peggy says, "Scout was alone with me until I found Phoebe on-line, about to be surrendered to the SPCA, and couldn't resist. From the moment she walked in the door, tail high, it was clear she was at home. Within minutes, these two were pals. Scout had never barked and so I often would let him outside and forget he was there. That first evening, I let him out and heard loud meowing at the back door. Since then Phoebe has always notified me if Scout needs to be let in; in exchange, he's taught her to shake a paw for a treat. They are inseparable. My friends say they are co-dependent." Scout and Phoebe make excellent subjects for Peggy's lovely paintings, too. Visit Peggy Blair's Write Spot for more about this dynamic duo and all the buzz about Peggy's new book.

Over fourteen years ago, this lady, Margaret, was living in author Jillian Dagg's garden. Jillian tells me she really didn't need another cat. "I already had two male, ginger and white cats who had taken eleven months to live in cat-style harmony. But through the summer Margaret migrated to a chair with a comfy cushion near the back door, and then inside. Sadly, the two boys are gone, but Margaret remains. She's about eighteen now and two months ago she had a tooth problem. Surgery and six teeth extracted, she returned home to her same diet, same routine. She's amazing." She sure is! And gorgeous, too. Visit The WriteSpot of Jillian Dagg.

Romance author, Fran McNabb, tells me she hasn't had the heart to get another furry pet since losing her beloved 14-year old cat over five years ago. Instead, she finds joy in watching the birds of the bayou where she lives.

"The ever-present seagulls, graceful in flight but noisy at times, make me happy," Fran says. "In the photo with dark clouds, they're following our boat down the channel. In another photo, the blue heron that skirts the edges of the marsh grass in search of food decided to rest on the bow of our boat. Hubby wasn’t happy! We also have pelicans, doing a fly-over in the photo to the right, shearwaters (skimmers), ospreys, martins, bridge swallows, and even a bald eagle that keep our lives interesting." Visit Fran McNabb's Write Spot for views of the bayou and info about her books.

Romance author Rebecca Kertz shares her home with this handsome blond fellow, whose name is Jameson. After an unfortunate buzz-cut, courtesy of an over-zealous groomer, Jameson is in hiding from the camera, so this is an older image. Poor Jameson – I understand how you feel, buddy. There have been a few bad haircuts in my past, too!

"Jameson barks at other animals," says Rebecca, "but when it comes to letting us know what he wants, he is as quiet as a mouse. If he's out on our porch, we have to check on him to see if he wants to come in. Otherwise, he lies with his nose pointing to the back door and waits patiently for us to come. When I'm outside working, he's content to jump on a chair and stare through the screen. Other times, he'll jump onto the chaise lounge and lie by my feet." Meet Rebecca Kertz and check out her Amish romance novels at The Write Spot.

The Write Spot will return in two weeks when we'll visit with Canadian mystery author Linda Wiken (aka Erika Chase), whose new cozy series, The Dinner Club Mysteries, from Berkley Prime Crime launches on July 5th with Toasting Up Trouble.

Oh, and Sam the Cat says you should watch for part two of animals of The Write Spot… coming your way on August 3rd.

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About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.

stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

birds in the hood...

I go walking almost every day. Sometimes just around the block or through the neighbouring park - mostly soccer fields and playgrounds. But when I have the time, my walks take me further afield to some of Toronto's loveliest public gardens and wild places. I've started taking my camera with me because you never know what you'll encounter.

This little family of robins was sheltered in a big Norfolk pine at Centennial Park Conservatory in Etobicoke. I might have passed by without seeing them if not for the pleas of three very hungry nestlings. When mama spotted me watching, she froze. Right on cue, the little ones froze, too, mouths open, mid-peep. I backed away and mealtime resumed with a raucous chorus of "feed-me, feed-me, feed-me".

Here's another handsome robin, singing his "cheerily-cheer-up-cheer-up" song. His tree is in a woodland in Colonel Samuel Smith Park on the shore of Lake Ontario in Etobicoke. American Robins are a common sight in the city but, even so, they're among my favourite birds. Maybe it's because seeing the first robin of the year is a sure sign that winter is finally over. (If you've ever experienced a Toronto winter, you understand why that's so very important.)

On another day in the same woodland, I heard a peculiar song - a kind of burbling, high-pitched, happy trill. I'd heard the song before but was never lucky enough to spot the bird, so I was pretty pleased with this photo. Back home, I consulted my go-to bird ID web site, All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), and identified this handsome fellow as a Brown-headed Cowbird. Interesting factoid: the female cowbird lays her eggs (many, many eggs) in the nests of other birds, then mama and papa go their merry ways, leaving their babies to be fostered by others. No wonder this guy's song sounds so carefree!

This next fellow has a call that reminds me of finger nails on a blackboard, followed by a scolding "chuk-chuk". In the shade, the Brewer's Blackbird may look a bit plain but caught in the sunshine, his glossy feathers gleam iridescent blue and green.

Whenever I'm in Sam Smith Park, I make sure to visit the lake shore to see the Red-necked grebes. A local bird lover has made a series of floating platforms near the marina, each one the perfect size for a nesting grebe. This one has been in use for many years. I'm hoping to see little ones swimming nearby with mom and pop in the coming weeks.

A bit farther out in the harbour, this cormorant put on a show, dancing a two-step as he dried out his wings. A gusty wind was buffeting both of us, so not the best focus for this shot, but I love the menacing look of him.

A short walk inland brings us to a lush wetland and pond, teeming with fish, turtles, snakes, and myriad birds both large and small. This beautiful Mute Swan has no trouble ignoring the humans ooh-ing and aah-ing just a few feet from her nest. 

When mama swan needs a break, papa takes over nest-sitting duties. I believe this is the second clutch of the year for this pair and was happy to see three eggs in the nest. Conservation officers oiled eggs earlier in the year as part of a program to manage over-population, so the first clutch was lost. I understand why it's necessary - Mute Swans aren't native here and because they're so aggressive, they may drive off native Trumpeter Swans as well as other native wetland species. Sad, though. They are beautiful birds. I can't help but hope to see three little cygnets here in a few weeks.

Not far from the nesting swans, this handsome Great Blue Heron was stalking his fishy prey. Slow and steady ... dive, dive, dive! Drat. Missed it.

The crane just couldn't catch a break. This Red-winged Blackbird and his friends seemed determined to drive him away.

I would have happily spent all day watching the soap opera life of the marsh unfold, but the sun was high and I was feeling the first tingle of sunburn on my nose. It was time to get my ducks in a row...

A brief rant before I sign off. Please don't feed the ducks! (Or the swans, or the geese.) They may share the city with us but they're wild creatures. Bread is nothing like their natural diet (seeds, aquatic vegetation, insect larvae, earthworms, snails, freshwater shrimp). Bread is actually bad for them. But don't take my word for it...

"Ducks that are regularly fed bread can become malnourished, aggressive towards one another, may lose their foraging instincts and can lose their natural fear of people. Also, bread that isn't eaten can result in nutrient build-up and increased algae growth. Feeding wild ducks is a practice CWF does not encourage." - Canadian Wildlife Federation

Got it?

Rant over. And Mr. Mallard has an itch. Quacks me up every time. ;- )

Are you a bird watcher? Bird lover? What's the most unusual bird you've encountered? 

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stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington