DIARY

May 2023 | Spring Flooding is very high this year, enough to allow me to canoe through the island.

November 2022 | Propagating Cranberries. Planning to promote a cranberry field in the seasonal marsh.

October 2022 | Fall Haul. Autumn starts delivering her amazing bounty…

September 2022 | Musket Ball found at the Hudson Bay Post landing beach by Angela, shown before and after a gentle clean. Also found was a flint block for the rifle hammer.

August 2022 | Bald Eagle in the White Pine looking down on Bunkie Guests Jordyn & Aaron

July 2022 | Inquisitive Woodpecker landed on my leg then jumped up on to my arm. Slightly worried it was going to start drilling away in to me…! A bad photo as triple glazing distorts reflections

April 2022 | Bodes well for the coming year

February 2022 | Winter Work

October 2021 | End of another summer: tea up, tidy up, and fatten up for the winter

August 2021 | The Juvenile Bald Eagles this year are not timid at all. This one allowed me to nose to within 12 feet of it before moving on.

August 2021 | Venit, vidit, vicit. Vicki came, saw & conquered the lake with Brendan on their honeymoon. My Drum record is broken and my Bass was also at risk….marvellous haul from the shoreline.

June 2021 | Bee Hives burgeoning with growing colonies. The brood boxes are nearly full so the ‘supers’ can be put on top when the Lindens flower which will send them into an ecstatic frenzy of industry.

June 2021 | Mushroom Garden created by building some totems with grain inoculated with Oyster & Dryad Spores.

May 2021 | Meat. Sad discovery of a dead Trumpeter Swan. Found by Rebekah, a badly broken leg suggests a boat collision? Waste not, want not.

April 2021 | Chickadees are back and we are all very happy to see one another….

2021 | Island is Open after a year of lockdown – with the expected precautions of course. Anyone booking will have 2 full days of non-occupancy prior to their stay. Until further notice please exercise all C-19 protocols. We only have a few openings left so busy weekends ahead…….

March 2021 | Winter Wash. The Ice is finally opening up for first lake dip of the year…lovely to have a full immersive wash in the lake after tub washing.

February 2021 | “A Song of Ice and Fire“. A couple of lake adventurers have run in to a few problems this year – oops.

January 2021 | Wolf. Scout wolf is back on the island, venturing out on the ice but mostly hanging around the out-house.

Summer (yup the entire summer!) 2020 | Solitude due to Covid – I am lucky to be in the best spot to see it out…

April 2020 | Crow adoption was not the intention but after rescuing this bird from a drowning after it lost an aerial battle with an osprey I seem to have been adopted…(my only companion during Covid lockdown)

May 2020 | Oak saplings, planted as acorns are strong and powerful. Hoping for a few mild winters to let them really set deep tap roots. Also in are the Hazelnut saplings – they aren’t cut out for this far North but cross-fingers….

Jun 2019 | Fireflies are flashing away all over the place lighting up the forest in an amazing display. Tried to get a video but no joy….will persevere – a truly exquisite experience. Update: Paul grabbed a photo…

Jun 2019 | Bald Eagles return to Garden Island. A relief to see the bald Eagles have returned to a new nest after losing their previous efforts last year.

May 2019 | Yellow Warblers arrived back this week, along with the Redstarts and all the other songbirds. This one proves that after a week in the bush my hair wash is due.

May 2019 | Monster Musky caught by Simon from the shoreline. At 48″ it would have graced anyone’s wall but unfortunately it was hooked before the season opened so this fellow is still out there.

2019 treecanada | Opening up for the coming warmth – This year all profits from the Bunkie Rentals will be donated to the tree conservation and reforestation charity treecanada.

Apr 2019 | Raptors take it all. Spring Melt raises the water level on the lake refreshing the water meadows. The raptors are all hunting around Garden Island as we have the only open water on the lake – 5 Ospreys, 2 Bald Eagles, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Northern Goshawk on a single day – fabulous. This Osprey swooped on a basking Bullhead.

Mar 2019 | Intrepid Explorers Scott & Steph (Bunkie visitors in 2017) return to experience Garden Island in the winter.

Jan 2019 | Brrr. The cold snap crunches down on the lake. Minus 41ºC this morning; but a small concession to be rewarded by this beauty. Not a sound for 8 days solid.

Sep 2018 | A pretty Palm Warbler has joined the avis collective…

Jul 9th 2018 | Bald Eagles Down! In spite of CAWeather stating this was not a Tornado, being the only resident on the lake I can testify otherwise. It ripped through Garden Island and took down at least 50 mature trees including the Eagles’ nest Maple. I found 1 of the eaglets (he put on his ‘Zoidberg Jazz’ as I approached) on their fallen tree and as the parents were in dutiful attendance I decided to leave it, hoping that being large enough it will be able to fledge successfully.

Jul 2018 | Heatwave. Ridiculous Heat & Humidity. We hit +41ºC. A spectacular storm-cloud rose up during the afternoon, and at midnight we recorded +27ºC…

Jun 2018 | Bald Eagle update: 2 young Eaglets now close to fledging, with parents on hand to scare off encroachers.

Jun 2018 | More friends; a beautiful Yellow Warbler and an American Redstart.

May 2018 | Eagles Nesting – before the leaves come in on the trees the views to the Bald Eagles’ nest are superb…

May 2018 | Ice..! – Well, Spring took a little longer this year. According to the records 1926 was the last time the lake was not fully open this late; but it is still beautiful…

Apr 2018 | Easter Weekend – Beautiful days up here in the Winter. These are probably the last few days skiing over to the mainland. Time to get the hovercraft out to negotiate the ice break-up. Spring is moving Northward; exciting…

Oct 2017 | Close Season Our inaugural season for guests at Garden Island has been a joyous success – on our part certainly, and judging by the reviews it has been mutual. Every guest has been a delight to meet, and all have involved themselves with exploring the island and environs, as well as getting into the spirit of the place. Thanks to you all for turning our trepidation into a commitment for next year. See you in 2018…

Sep 2017 | BEAR..!!! – we have Black Bears on the island, a single juvenile spotted on east end of the island plodding along the shore of a bay – joy – now to get a photo…

Aug 2017 | Barbecue installed…