Vacations are always interesting, especially, when you go to another part of the country. Chuck and I were in Buluxi, Mississippi and I was looking at the Gulf waters and saw two large birds flying over the water, one tailing another. I asked my friend what they were and he said the birds were brown pelicans. It is their state bird and almost disappeared in that state and they had to import them from Florida so you could still find them in Mississippi.
Tags: bird-watching, birds, brown pelicans, Buluxi, Florida, Gulf waters, large birds, Mississippi, state bird, vacations
Posted in beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, nature, relationships, time |
It took another week for a woodpecker to find the new suet cage I filled and placed outside our bathroom window. Our neighbor gave us two wrought iron plant hangers and I stuck one in the ground now visible from the window by looking down. The bathroom is on the second floor. Today she noticed a woodpecker was feeding on the suet. I now have two suet cages which were early Christmas presents. The other one has been up for months. When I realized one suet cake can last for months, I was not hesitant to put up another. It was the squirrels who were eating most of the suet. Now they can’t do that so easily.
Tags: arrival of first woodpecker, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, Christmas presents, God, my new suet cage, squirrels, suet cages, woodpecker
Posted in animals, birds, knowledge&learning, local, time |
Maybe, the bluebirds will come back. My wife saw a pair of bluebirds check out a bird box placed on a tree on the perimeter of our backyard from her kitchen window two springs ago. I had never seen a bluebird in my backyard. The box fell off the tree the next day. The birds never came back. This time I made sure the bluebird house would not fall down. Let us see if any bluebirds use it this year.
Tags: bird house, bird-watching, birds, bluebirds in our backyard, my wife, pair of bluebirds, the bluebird house, tree
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature |
It was only a week ago our yard was completely snow covered. The temperature then rose. A week ago we would have dozens of birds feeding on the ground, sometimes, at one time several cardinals, and flocks of slate covered juncos among others. Now we don’t see so many. Since most of the snow melted the birds must have more opportunities to find food. We do see many goldfinch come to our feeders. It is that time of year for them. About the beginning of spring they come in flocks. They love sunflower seeds and are now coming to the sock I hung up filled with suet.
Tags: bird feeding, birds, cardinal, cardinals, many goldfinch, melting of the snow, slate covered juncos, snow covered yard, spring, suet, sunflower seeds
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
I saw my first robin of the year. Spring is almost here. There were times the last few days I thought I saw one but this time its red breast was unmistakable. Yesterday, I saw a pileated woodpecker cross the road and alight on a branch. Across from my house across the street is a tree with many holes it it and I have, also, seen one there. I have also seen red bellied and downy woodpeckers on the same tree. I always keep my eyes open on it expecting to see another pileated woodpecker on it. But not yet.
Tags: bird-watching, birds, downy woodpecker, first robin of spring, Pileated Woodpecker, red bellied woodpecker, robin, spring, tree with many holes in it
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
The birds stop feeding and disappear about an hour before dusk. They must roost somewhere for the night. That has been my observation. Even if there is birdseed on the ground they disappear till the next day. I notice that in the winter some of them seem to have more feathers, perhaps, for insulation from the cold temperatures. I just love watching birds. And if you can identify a new species, that is even better. Usually, though, I see the same birds. You never know. A bird I saw only a few times was the red breasted grosbeak and last year all a sudden I saw a flock of three outside my window feeding on the ground. In less than two months I will be seeing ruby-throated hummingbirds who have traveled a long distance to come to my nectar I have prepared for them-several thousand miles. I always await their arrival.
Tags: a seldom visitor, bird-watching, birds, birds roost, birdseed, nectar, pleasure identifying new birds, red breasted grosbeak, ruby throated hummingbirds, spring, the arrival of the first hummingbirds, winter
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
We did have a new bird come to our suet feeder–an hairy woodpecker. An hairy woodpecker looks just like a downy but bigger. We have seen them before but not recently. We got more snow last night. In fact, it was still snowing when I awoke. Spring is less than two weeks away. We have had snow on the ground for months. We are soon going in a spell (eight days) when it will be in the forties every day and even in the fifties one or two days. I wonder whether all the snow will melt during that period. We will see.
Tags: bird feeding, birds, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, snow, snow on the ground, spring, spring two weeks off, suet feeder, warm spell
Posted in birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Before I know it the slate covered juncos will be gone. There is a reason they are, also, called “snow” birds. The snow will melt, the temperatures will rise and they they will migrate North and will not return till next year. I keep checking the ten day forecast and temperatures will hit the forties in a few days and gradually rise and spring will be here–now only three weeks away. Last I checked the daffodils were not poking their head out of the ground but I have not looked in a week. The blooming of the crocus and primrose are not far away and then I will have to make daily inspections for the next sign of spring. Spring is a time of rebirth.
Tags: birds, birds migrate, crocus, daffodils, primrose, slate covered juncos and their imminent migration, snow, snow birds, spring, Spring flowers, spring is three weeks away, spring rebirth
Posted in birds, flowers, local, nature, seasons, time |
I happen to glance to my left driving somewhere yesterday and spotted a big almost entirely white bird. When I got home I looked it up: it must have been a snowy owl. I had never seen one before. It was about two feet long as the description said in my bird book. That was the second unusual bird sighting in the last month. A few weeks before I saw a indigo bunting cross the road. Its purple was unmistakable. I had never seen one in the winter time.
Tags: bird book, bird-watching, birds, indigo bunting, indigo bunting in winter, purple bird, snowy owl, white bird, winter
Posted in birds, local, nature, seasons |
I am seeing how long it takes. First I put out slices of orange in the suet cage and then I put out a sock full of thistle. It has been quite long since I saw the last goldfinch. And I am curious what birds, if any, are attracted to the slices of orange. I will keep my eyes open. I like surprises. So we will see.
Tags: bird feeding, birds, goldfinch, slices of oranges for the birds, suet cage, thistle, thistle for the goldfinch
Posted in birds, local, nature |
The birds are finally coming to my suet cage. I did move it further from the trunk of the white pine. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. Maybe. I briefly had two Carolina wrens and a downy woodpecker on it. I, also, saw my first red bellied woodpecker feed on the suet. It came twice. I just got tired of sharing my suet with the squirrels. I would go through one suet cake a day sometimes. The suet cage was an unexpected Christmas gift from my wife. And she gave it early to me. I am delighted the birds are coming inside it to feed.
Tags: bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, birds inside suet cage regularly, Carolina wren, Christmas gift, downy woodpeckers, my wife, red bellied woodpeckers, squirrels, suet, suet cage
Posted in animals, birds, local, marriage, nature |
I spotted the pileated woodpecker, again, (this time from my window in my den) climbing up the tree across the street. I shouted to my wife to glimpse it it but it was too late: it had flown away. She had never seen one. Its red crest and large size were unmistakable. I assured her she would get another chance to see it: the bird would be back.
Tags: bird-watching, birds, dead tree and a pileated woodpecker, my wife, Pileated Woodpecker, red crest, sighting of pileated woodpecker, tree
Posted in birds, local, marriage, nature |
