The Titmouse or Tufted Titmouse (two names for the same bird) are very common yet I never saw a nesting spot for it. We were pulling in the driveway and I saw a titmouse fly out of a hole in a tree about five feet up across the street. I investigated and another one flew out of the hole in the tree. It must have a nest there. That was a first. I never found a nesting spot of a titmouse before. I really do not want to disturb them any more than I have to. I will just keep my eyes open for that hole in the tree.
Tags: bird nest, bird nest in hole in tree, bird-watching, birds, titmouse, tufted titmouse
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature |
It was an unusual slate colored junco–more commonly called “snow” birds. Usually you only see the white on their tail wings as they flick them but this particular bird had one side of its tail showing white all the time. I noticed this particular bird for weeks. It was about a week until spring and they migrate north so don’t know how much longer that bird will be around. It seemed only a few weeks ago we had a large snow storm and slate colored juncos were all over the yard feeding on the birdseed I put out on the top of the snow.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birds migrate, birdseed, Slate-colored Junco, snow birds, snow storm, white tail wings
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons |
In the week I was gone my goldfinch stopped coming to my feeders. That happens every year. The goldfinch come in a steady stream to my feeders in the early spring. Then they stop. I sometimes wonder what they feed on later on but, obviously, it is something other the sunflower seed I put out for them. It is always a mystery to me.
Tags: bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, God, goldfinch, spring, sunflower seed
Posted in beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, local, nature, time |
The snowy egret was perched on top of a nesting box. There was, maybe, half a dozen such boxes on the perimeter of the marsh. Every time I pass this marsh by car I quickly glance up and down the waters top(???) see what I could spot. Sometimes there are deer drinking water on its edge. I have seen an occasional great egret or snowy egret on its perimeter. That was an odd place to see an egret perched on a nesting box.
Tags: bird-watching, birds, deer, great egret, marsh, nesting box, snowy egret
Posted in animals, beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, local, nature, time |
The captain of “Therapy Charters” quickly put his boat on the hitch to his truck and then started cleaning the fish. I was amazed how quickly he cleaned the speckled trout and after he filleted them how little the fillets were. He would throw the entrails in the air. The swirling gulls by the cleaning station grabbed them right away.
I questioned him before and found out he was an electrician for eighteen years and has been running his charter for eight years. Oddly enough his wife was a therapist working in schools and private practice. She had several degrees.
He did use live shrimp for bait and there are times the bait is harder to get. He had me pose in front of the almost twenty speckled trout. I also took a picture of his truck which had the the name of his charter on the side. This was his second trip today. We were out in the sun over four hours and I felt “washed out” and he did this twice today. It can’t be an easy job. His face was deeply tanned.
Tags: "Therapy Charters", birds, boat hitch, charter fishing boat, cleaning fish, filleted fish, fish entrails, fishing, gulls, New Orleans, shrimp bait, speckled trout, vacation
Posted in birds, God, knowledge&learning, mental health, nature, seasons, time |
I saw a new bird today. Chuck spotted it at one of his feeders. He thought, at first, it was an albino (of a pigeon or mourning dove but then he brought out his bird book. It was a type of dove he had never seen before. It was white and had a ring around its neck. I will give you its precise name when I look it up in my bird book. It is always exciting when you see a new species of bird. I might try to photograph the red headed woodpecker for my wife later. It is a common species here but not so in Pennsylvania.
Tags: albino dove, bird book, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, Chuck, dove, mourning dove, my wife, new bird sighting, New Orleans, pigeon, red headed woodpecker, vacation
Posted in beauty, birds, God, knowledge&learning, nature, time |
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 |
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 |
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 |
