The rat I called “Oscar” was very cautious. He lived under our concrete porch. I would watch for him from our large living room window. He would dash out five feet and feed on the spilled sunflower seed from our feeder overhead. He would only spend a few seconds feeding and immediately dash back to the safety of his entrance.
He would sometimes share the space with the squirrels. Once he actually briefly rubbed noses with a squirrel and then there was a brief tousle and both creatures fled the scene. Sometimes he chases the squirrels away. I never watched a rat so closely. I have seen mice before but this is the first I have ever seen a rat. I am concerned where he will go if we block his openings.
Tags: bird feeder, I never saw a rat before so close up, mice, rat, rat fed on birdseed, rat lived under our porch, squirrels, sunflower seed
Posted in animals, local, nature |
The squirrel found a way to outwit me. I have a “squirrel proof” bird feeder now damaged after squirrels managed at least twice to dump it on the ground. Finally I hung it attached by wire at the top of a nail. It was partially exposed to the elements and I was concerned when it rained moisture would get into the feeder and the sunflower seed would mold. A squirrel was on it this morning totally extended from the top eagerly feeding through the hole. If he put his whole weight on the rest of the feeder, the carriage would go down and shut the openings and he could no longer get at the birdseed. I realized that was the only way he could outwit me and my squirrel proof feeder was no longer squirrel proof. Outwitted by a squirrel. How disgusting.
Tags: bird feeder, bird feeding, birds, birdseed, my squirrel proof bird feeder, outwitted by a squirrel, squirrels, sunflower seed
Posted in animals, humor, local, nature, time |
My wife will see the first hummingbird of the season. I am going away. I am jealous.
Traditionally the hummingbird (???) have been spotted by the end of April. I leave for a week in less than forty-eight hours so I am running out of time.
Tags: April, bird feeder, bird-watching, birds, first hummingbird of the season, hummingbird, my wife, spring
Posted in beauty, birds, local, marriage, nature, seasons, time |
It is going on three days after I put out fresh thistle and still I have spotted no goldfinch coming to that feeder. I don’t know whether there is something wrong or the goldfinch have not discovered the thistle yet. I have my eyes posted. We will see.
Tags: bird feeder, bird feeding, birds, goldfinch, thistle
Posted in birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Let us see when the goldfinch come back. I just emptied and cleaned their feeder and put fresh thistle in it. There was some odd combination of bird feed they were not coming to. This is the time of the year (early spring) I can see up to two dozen goldfinch at one time–some feeding on the ground on thistle that spills over from their feeder. Now they are drab looking but they will soon change to normal coloration–males then becoming partly bright yellow. Let us see how many days it takes them to discover the fresh thistle.
Tags: bird feeder, birds, bright yellow, goldfinch, spring, the spring goldfich, thistle
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
I had just put it back my hummingbird feeder after filling it with nectar and the wire holding it up broke. A hummingbird came within inches of me. It must have been waiting for the sugar water. The hummingbirds liked this feeder. I had a second one set up fifteen feet away and they never used that one. I did discover the top of my feeder came off and I looped a wire through the whole (???hole), made a knot and attached the end of the wire to the end of a broken dog leash and then was in business. I was thrilled I had fixed my hummingbird feeder.
Tags: bird feeder, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, hummingbirds, nectar, sugar water
Posted in birds, local, nature, time |
It was April 27 and I still have not seen the first hummingbird of the season. I had my feeder out for at least a week and I was running out of time. In less than three days I would be going on a trip. In the past the first hummingbird was always seen by the end of April. I only had two and an half days to make my first sighting. I love watching hummingbirds and wonder whether I will see one before I leave on my trip. Maybe, my wife will have to report back to me when she sees the first one.
Tags: bird feeder, bird-watching, birds, end of April, hummingbird, hummingbird feeder, my wife
Posted in beauty, birds, local, marriage, nature, seasons, time |
It has been snowing for awhile and everything is white. The snow is a wet, heavy one. I have never seen our lilac bush so bent. I am not going anywhere so I might as well enjoy the scenery viewed from my back and front window. The branches of trees are all bent by the weight of the snow. It is only an half a dozen times a year I might see the white landscape. I made sure my bird feeder was full this morning with sunflower seed. I know the birds have to forage a little harder in the snow but they have to eat, too.
Tags: autumn, bird feeder, bird feeding, birds, lilac bush, snow, snowfall, sunflower seed, trees, weight of the snow, white, white landscape, window
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Twice in the last week I have seen a female cardinal feed another one. I believe she was feeding on sunflower seed. This was unusual behavior. The two were adult females. And neither appeared to be hurt or injured in any way. Once they were on the ground. And another time on the bird feeder that had mostly sunflower seed on it. One fed the other directly beak to beak. This behavior had me stumped.
Tags: bird beak, bird feeder, bird-watching, birds, cardinal, feeding birds, female cardinal feeding another one, sunflower seed
Posted in beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, local, nature, relationships, time |
A chickadee came to visit yesterday. I had repacked the feeder with clean sunflower seed. The birds had stopped coming to it. I was thrilled when I saw my first chickadee visit the feeder. They are one of my favorite birds to watch. I always love watching their antics. I had not seen one in a long time. Or any bird come to this feeder. Now I will await the next visitors.
Tags: bird feeder, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, chickadee, sunflower seed
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, time |
The two hummingbirds must not like each other. Once or twice a day I see these two hummingbirds. One is usually heading for the nectar and then another appears and chases the other away. I could never figure out whether either make it to the feeder. One is always in hot pursuit of the other. Maybe one feeds when the other is asleep. I just don’t know. I just get a kick out of watching them chase each other. Every time.
Tags: bird feeder, bird-watching, birds, hummingbirds, nectar, two hummingbirds chase each other
Posted in birds, local, nature, time |
They could have been swallows. I saw dozens alight on that wire and swirl above. I never saw swallows migrate before. It was early morning and they were over a mile away from water. If I had to guess, they were cliff swallows. I spotted them going through the “back way” into town. I was surprised to see them. Now is the time I usually see flocks of small blackbirds come through. I still saw a hummingbird feed on my nectar today. At least one has not decided to migrate. Temperatures have fallen–the seventies. Summer does not end for another three weeks. There is no doubt Autumn has come already.
Tags: autumn, bird feeder, bird-watching, birds, blackbirds, cliff swallow, early morning, flock of birds, flocks, hummingbird, migrate, nectar, seasons, summer, swallows, town, water
Posted in birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
