By 
Soaking it up … one of those days … It is no wonder people talk about their lives speeding by. On days like today I feel like I look up and it is dinner time. I think this may have been our last ‘slow walking’ day for a while. You can ‘slow walk’ when the blackflies are not here. But once they arrive we’re like RMC Cadets. Any time you are outside a building – you are running to the next one! I vacuumed out the Condo Barn and set up the freshly cleaned fan just in time. The herd would make forays down to the front paddock where there was a breeze for some of the green fresh hay there. Then they’d head to the back paddock and stand in front of the fans in the barns for a while. Repeat … 😉 My theory is holding true again this year. When the buds open on the trees —-> BLACKFLIES SWARM! Oh … and always right about this time (in fact since 1996 our records show always within the three day period from May 3 to May 6) the Red-Breasted Grosbeaks return. The first male fluttered into the yard this afternoon. While we ate dinner we watched him do deep breathing in the lilac tree. I wonder where they go for the winter? Just looked that up! They go to Cuba! Smart critters! 😉
The Meadow View 
The barn swallows made their first appearance today, I guess that must be why black flies exist, so the swallows have something to eat when they get here.
Yes – song birds really rely on them too. Hence our finches, grosbeaks, wrens, phoebes and chickadees. I guess it is a good trade off ….. 😉
What pretty birds you have, great pictures. A pity about the blackflies but obviously part of the eco system. Laura