Sep
22
2011
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.
Sep
13
2011
We flushed a blue heron in an unlikely spot–just down the block at my neighbor’s far corner of his property, where there was a little creek. It must have been drinking its water. It just surprised me. I never would have expected to see one there.
I mentioned it to someone I “bumped” into at the local supermarket and he declared they are everywhere and eat the bass in the river and also trout in other streams. He complained the state will fine you $200 if you kill one. And said they are so numerous they do not need the state’s protection. I just shrugged my shoulder and continued walking down the aisle.
Sep
10
2011
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.
Sep
7
2011
I made my first definite sighting of a hummingbird since I put out new nectar a few days ago. In fact, it did not feed on the nectar but was attracted to the pink fuschia flowers from a plant hanging only several feet from my feeder. I was thrilled one was still in the area. I did not think any more were. There were several times I thought I spotted one but this was the first time I was sure. Let us see if it comes back. Most have migrated. It is a straggler. It is already in the first week of September. They have a long journey to make.
Aug
29
2011
They could of 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.
Aug
18
2011
Soon the hummingbirds will stop coming to my feeder. And will take the long journey south. I never know when I see the last one of the season but I will keep nectar out for a few more weeks for any stragglers. The “passing” of the hummingbirds is another sign the warm weather is out and the cold temperatures are on their way. I can become too used to their sight and they have to go away for me again to marvel at this creation of God. It will be April, again, before they come back. And I will await their arrival.
Aug
14
2011
The hummingbirds that come to my feeder never fail to amaze me. There is a steady stream of them. The other day I actually saw two feeding at the same time. There is such diversity in nature. Take birds for example. There are all sizes and all are colored differently. Woodpeckers and nuthatches hug the trunk of our large pine tree and seldom can be seen on the ground. The cardinals feed very warily on the ground and come in pairs. And occasionally there is a surprise like an indigo bunting or some other bird I usually don’t see. I keep a bird journal and note unusual visitors. All I do is make sure the feeders are always filled and from my large living room window watch the parade of birds come and go all day.
Jul
29
2011
We have been home (from the Jersey Shore) less than 24 hours and what I most appreciate is the quiet here. All I hear here is the ?crickets or is it the ?cicadas. And the occasional “whoosh” of a car passing nearby.
The bed and breakfast we stayed at for three nights was on a busy road. It was very difficult to make a left hand turn. It was only a block away from the ocean. New Jersey just had too many people.
For some reason I become very unsettled in crowded areas. It is not my fault. I just do. I will appreciate my house better. It is not on a main fare. I watch the birds come to and fro my feeders all day. Especially the hummingbirds who never fail to delight me.
There is a reason mental hospitals always were situated in the country. They used to be called rest homes. Many years ago the array of medications to treat mental illness did not exist.
People who had nervous breakdowns were sent to hospitals in the countryside to recuperate and recover. There is nothing like the calm found in nature to do so.
I will appreciate my home better. It is just a relief to be here. My trip to the Jersey shore reminded me how fortunate I am to be on the edge of country.
Jul
25
2011
The Carolina wrens who have a nest less than ten feet from our front door are flying back and forth usually with a worm in their mouth. My wife for the first time stood underneath their nest and could hear the babies. We are going away five days. By then the babies might be grown and have flown away. Baby birds grow so quickly. It seems as if every year a bird has a nest somewhere near us.
Jul
23
2011
The Carolina wren hopped on the fence and sang so sweetly. This was unusual behavior by this bird but there was a nest they planted ten feet away in a wandering Jew plant hanging from the middle of the garage. Now I knew what they sounded like. More than once we saw the birds fly from the nest. Several times we saw one with a worm in his/her mouth. I could not hear any babies. It appeared as two birds were flying back and forth from the nest. The nest was facing the door and my wife was careful not to disturb the birds when she watered the plant. Now I know what they sound like. It seems as if every year some bird nests nearby our front door.
Jul
6
2011
I keep looking at the hummingbird feeder viewed from my living room window. I never know when one is going to come. Last week I saw three at one time jostling for position to sip the nectar. The same weekend my wife saw five at one time. That means at least five hummingbirds know where the feeder is. I love watching them hover over the feeder. They are amazing. Sometimes you might see two feeding at one time. They are very protective of their space. All I do is make sure they have nectar and they keep coming. I am really privileged I can watch them from my living room window. All you have to do is recognize the diverse variety of birds and thank the Maker for the display. And that is just birds. A very small part of His kingdom. It is as if He had nothing better to do but create birds. For His enjoyment and ours.
Jul
3
2011
An animal does not know right from wrong–certainly not evil; a cat will chase down chipmunks and birds and mice. They are just programed to do that. A dog will automatically chase a squirrel or rabbit very seldom catching one.
My wife was yelling and screaming. The dogs caught a squirrel that they trapped in my bird feed chest. To make it worst, it was a squirrel we called “stubby”. I was blamed for it for I was told to leave the food chest open so this would not happen.
A squirrel or some other animal gnawed a hole in the chest so they could enter from the outside. I felt bad for the squirrel. Our golden retriever and her two pups were blamed (and me) for its death.
I felt bad about the whole thing. All I could do in the future was leave the chest open or possibly move it to the garage.
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