Birds – Page 5 – Scary Yankee Chick

Birds

Spring!

March 20, 2014 by Ruth

It HAS to be spring, the Bluebirds are back!!

This fellow and his mate were checking out the Bluebird houses yesterday morning. I was so thrilled! After something killed mom and babies last year I was so afraid we’d not get any Bluebirds this year.

Course, there’s still snow on the ground. And although the grass is poking through in a few places most of the yard is still a good foot deep. So I dug out the mealworm feeder and filled it with dried mealworms and some “Bluebird suet” and hung it on that clothesline post.

Here’s hoping they stick around!

Apollo, Birds, Cats, Gardening

Quick update

March 17, 2014 by Ruth

Not a whole lot going on right now. Or rather, what is going on I’m better off not talking about in public till its settled…..lets just say that attempting to screw with my career cause you have issues with women in power is a really bad idea.

Anyway, to top off my lovely New Year I’ve just found out that the one and only antiperspirant that I’ve found that I can wear reliably without breaking out into a rash has been discontinued. Their clear gel version is still availible, so I may have to give it a try. I’m not a fan of the gel antiperspirants, but its better than breaking out in a massive rash on a regular basis….

I have some very happy pepper seedlings:

And Shadow is definitely becoming more comfortable in our house:

though we’re still trying to convince him that Arty isn’t really devil spawn.

The birds have been clearing the feeders almost as fast as I fill them, hard to blame them, its been a hard winter:

Turns out they’ve had help with the feeders though:

we’ve not had much of a squirrel problem the last few years, but I’m pretty sure I recognize that particular one from last year…..Apollo was also very happy to “scare off” an opossum the other night. I think it was me flipping on the lights that really made it decide to leave the feeders, but Apollo’s sure that it was responding to him barking at it.

The deer have been back, though I don’t have time right now to upload those photos, I’ll do it later. They’re looking skinnier, not sure if they’re just shedding their winter coats, or if this winter is finally taking its toll.

Birds

Well the day started out pretty bad

January 28, 2014 by Ruth

We woke up to more frozen pipes this morning. Not sure why. Its not in the same spot, it is infact, in the middle of the house, and it wasn’t even that cold last night…..

But then on my way home from work I was able to catch this picture:

Apollo, Artemis, Birds, Dog, Nothing Much

Photos update

January 27, 2014 4 Comments by Ruth

Not much has been going on here, but I’ve gotten some photos to share.

This past Saturday I made a trip down to the local buffalo farm to pick up some meat for us and bones for the dogs. While I was there their youngest calf (she was born in Oct, WAY late) and her momma wandered up to the fence line and they were kinda enough to allow me to go down to the line myself to snatch some photos.

And I attempted to get some closeups of snowflakes. I don’t really have the right equipment for this, but they turned out ok anyway. If you click through to the big version, and then click to zoom in you can see all sorts of detail.

And a sunset from a couple weeks ago.

And the dogs enjoying the snow.

A full moon.

And this juvi Red-tailed hawk was kind enough to soar slowly over so I could get several pictures.

And more birds at the feeders.

Birds

Rough-Legged Hawk

December 25, 2013December 25, 2013 by Ruth

I keep forgetting to post this.

This past Saturday, Husband and I were out running errands, and decided to swing by one of the locations where Snowy Owls had been spotted in hopes of seeing one. Unfortunately we had some time constraints and weren’t able to stop and really LOOK, so if there was any there we didn’t see them. However as we drove slowly past the fields a large hawk flushed from the east side ditch. Husband was kind enough to slam on the brakes so I could snatch some hurried photos despite the horrible lighting of the day. The hawk stayed low to the ground, and appeared a bit peeved at us, he (or possibly she, the markings indicate possibly female or juvenile) watched us closely till he was well past the road, aiding my attempt to get photos.

(click to view a larger version of the photos)

She might not be the Snowy Owl we were looking for, but I’m not complaining!

Birds

Hummingbirds

August 11, 2013 by Ruth

Hummingbirds are insane little creatures. If you ever get to watch a group of Hummingbirds work a feeder or bush do so. They’re quite fun to watch. Just be prepared to duck when one chases off another at top speed in your direction!

Birds, Food, Gardening

Corn and updates

July 19, 2013 2 Comments by Ruth

Ok, the instructions I can find on growing corn state that once the silk dries the corn is ready to be picked. But, can the weather force silk to dry early?

To check on my corn I pulled this one ear:

The visible silk was totally dry. Now obviously I have a fertilization problem, I planted these to closely together and so I will be hand fertilizing the remaining ears, but the kernels don’t look fully developed either? Not that the screwy weather hasn’t helped….

In other garden news I picked my first two zucchini this morning, I forgot to take a picture but they made 3 batches of zucchini bread…..

There’s at least one nice looking baby cantalope, and at least one baby watermelon. Pretty sure there’s a baby pumpkin. Carrots are HAPPY, and there are at least a couple Hot Wax peppers and several Jalapeno’s. So far no sweet peppers, but SOMETHING is eating the leaves, and I think I found the culprit:

I put this camera up in an attempt to watch the Ceder Waxwings that are nesting in that tree, the feeder contains raisens. No luck catching the Waxwings, but look-it what I did see…..headed straight for my garden. Why she’s only munching on the peppers and nothing else I have no idea….

Two of the Waxwings:

Birds

The poor Hummingbird is so confused

June 29, 2013 by Ruth

Birds

I guess this is why I keep having to refill the Hummingbird feeder

June 28, 2013 5 Comments by Ruth

Yes, that is a male Downy Woodpecker and his baby. Yes, they’re drinking from the Hummingbird feeder. We’ve actually caught the male doing it quite a bit but wasn’t able to get a good picture till this morning.

Birds, Gardening

Garden update

June 26, 2013June 26, 2013 by Ruth

The big tire

Yah, I need to pull the weeds around it again….

And some of the strawberry plants in it, these particular ones are Pine Berries though there are regular strawberries in there too

And the main garden containers

The pallats are to support the vines, if nessecary I’ll attach boards to support the pumpkins or fruit. The orange buckets in the background are my fruit vines and the rest of the corn, pumpkins and sunflowers, with the buckets acting as part of my watering system (which, I might add, I’ve only had to use once, cause it WON”T STOP POURING DAMMIT, ehm)

My sole remaining habenero plant, these were nice big seedlings when I put them out, this leaf is all thats left

And the rest of that container, some onions, some carrots, and some of the pumpkins

And the next container, with more carrots, the sweet pepper plants, and the zucchini

And the 3rd container, with the Jalapeno plants, more carrots, and the cantalope plants

Yah, I know, a ton of carrots. Wasn’t deliberate. I ordered 6 different varieties of heirloom carrots, figured I’d plant a few of each to try, and then plant more next year (or for a 2nd harvest this year) of what we liked. Each package warned to over plant and then thin due to having a low germination rate……I think every single seed sprouted…..

Container four has the Hungarian Hot Wax peppers, more carrots, and the watermelon (which you can’t see cause the plants are still tiny)

I hadn’t planned to plant watermelon, but one of the seed companies included a packet of seeds of them in with my order (free gift and all that), and for once the free gift was something that not only interested me but that also had a chance of growing in my climate.

And the last container with some of the popcorn

And while I was out taking these pictures I saw my first Catbird of the season! I’ve been hearing them for a while, but couldn’t find them to see